The Department of Public Health's Occupational Health Unit conducts occupational disease surveillance, intervention, prevention, and education activities in Connecticut, based on physician reports and other data sources. Analysis of surveillance data has lead to identification of clusters of occupational diseases in specific work sites and industries, such as silicosis in three Connecticut foundries, industrial mercury poisoning, hypersensitivity pneumonitis in aerospace industries using metal working fluids, clusters of ergonomic disorders in various industries, and a cluster of building related illness in a large office building. Intervention activities are then conducted in conjunction with other agencies. 

The Occupational Health Unit is partially funded by grants from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in two ways: 

1. Conduct adult lead poisoning surveillance through the Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program, and 

2. Support fundamental capacity for conducting occupational disease surveillance. 

The program also has a Memorandum of Understanding with CT's two federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offices for site investigations of companies where workers have highly elevated blood lead levels.

Occupational Health Activities

• Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program (pdf)

• Take Home Lead Survey (pdf)

• CT Occupational Disease Surveillance Enhancement Project " CT Occupational Health Indicators Project (pdf)

• Young Workers and Special Populations (pdf)

• HEARTSafe Workplace Application

Occupational Health Publications

• Connecticut Occupational Health e-News (January 2004 - current)

• Occupational Airways Publications (Archived, 1995 - 2003)

• Occupational Disease in Connecticut - Data for Action (pdf)

• Occupational Health Alerts

• Pratt & Whitney - Investigation of Possible Brain Cancer Cluster

Fact Sheets & Health Alerts

Fact Sheets

• Top 5 OSHA Violations in Residential Construction (pdf)
• Top 5 OSHA Violations in Residential Construction - Poster (pdf)

• Safe Application Of Pesticides And Herbicides (pdf)

• Aplicación segura de pesticidas y herbicidas (pdf) 

• Heat Stress (pdf)

• Tips for a Healthy Winter Workforce (pdf)

• Lead Fact Sheet (pdf)

• Restaurant Safety Brochure (pdf)

• Younger Worker Safety in Connecticut (pdf)

• Lead in Firing Ranges: Health Concerns (pdf)

• Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CTDs) (pdf)

  • Construction Work and Cumulative Trauma Disorders (pdf)
  • Manufacturing Work and Cumulative Trauma Disorders (pdf)
  • Transportation Work & Cumulative Trauma Disorders (pdf)

  • Office Work & Cumulative Trauma Disorders (pdf)

• Keeping an Eye on Eye Protection (pdf)  
• Bronchiolitis Obliterans fact sheet (pdf)  

• CO Prevention Using Gas-Powered Tools (pdf)

Information for Physicians

• Adult Lead Poisoning Reporting Algorithm (pdf)

• Connecticut General Statutes Concerning Reporting (pdf)

• Letter to Physicians Regarding Reporting (pdf)

• Occupational Disease Reporting: Questions & Answers (pdf)

• Physicians Report of Occupational Disease Form (pdf)

Special Projects

• Test Pit Safety Module for Septic Inspectors (pdf)

• The Connecticut Workplace, 1941 (pdf)

• Occupational Health Indicators Five-Year Report (pdf)