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Pennsylvania Occupational Safety and Health Surveillance (PennOSHS) Program

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The Pennsylvania Occupational Safety and Health Surveillance (PennOSHS) Program, launched in 2021, aims to prevent and reduce occupationally linked injuries, illnesses, deaths and occupational health disparities in Pennsylvania. By working with employers, workers and other occupational health stakeholders, PennOSHS will provide data to support education and outreach materials and build a sustainable occupational health surveillance network across the state. Because Pennsylvania is the fifth most populous state in the nation, PennOSHS will also contribute significantly to the national occupational health surveillance system, especially in work-related lead exposure, as Pennsylvania has one of the highest burdens of elevated adult blood lead levels in the nation. PennOSHS is funded as part of the state occupational health surveillance program by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Activities of the PennOSHS program include but are not limited to collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data to produce and disseminate occupational safety and health surveillance information. The program will characterize the factors associated with occupational injury and disease and help to elucidate practical steps to improving work-related health issues.

Further activities include the Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program.  The current Pennsylvania ABLES program collects all blood lead test results for adults 16 years of age or older in PA with a blood lead level of 5 μg/dL or greater. PennOSHS will also bring together diverse stakeholders to ensure increased follow-up with employees and employers.

Occupational Health Indicators (OHIs) and Annual Reports

External Resources

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