Use of Employer Illness Reports for Occupational Disease Surveillance among Public Employees in New Jersey

The New Jersey Department of Health Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSH) Program reviewed public employers' "Annual Occupational Injuries and Illness Summary" and "First Report of Accidental Illness or Injury" to determine their usefulness for occupational disease surveillance. More than 1200, 1800, and 1700 cases of illnesses were reported on the annual summaries for 1988, 1989, and 1990, respectively. Skin diseases and respiratory conditions due to toxic agents were the two most reported categories of illness. The most commonly reported illnesses on the First Reports for June 1990 and for January 1991 were insect bites, poison ivy/oak/sumac, skin rash/dermatitis/infection, smoke inhalation, communicable disease, stress reaction, and toxic substance inhalation. Analyses of the age, sex, and occupation of the employees and on the causes of the illnesses are also presented. From the analysis of First Reports for June 1990 and January 1991, the First Reports were determined to be very useful for occupational disease surveillance because of their timeliness and detail on the employer, employee, and illness. Accordingly, First Reports for July 1991 through June 1992 were reviewed to assist in the development of the PEOSH Program's workplan for July 1992 through June 1993.