USE OF EMPLOYER ILLNESS REPORTS FOR OCCUPATIONAL-DISEASE SURVEILLANCEAMONG PUBLIC EMPLOYEES IN NEW-JERSEY

The New Jersey Department of Health Public Employees Occupational Safe ty and Health (PEOSH) Program reviewed public employers' ''Annual Occu pational Injuries and Illness Summary'' and ''First Report of Accident al Illness or Injury'' to determine their usefulness for occupational disease surveillance. More than 1200, 1800, and 1700 cases of illnesse s were reported on the annual summaries for 1988, 1989, and 1990, resp ectively. Skin diseases and respiratory conditions due to toxic agents were the two most reported categories of illness. The most commonly r eported illnesses on the First Reports for June 1990 and for January 1 991 were insect bites, poison ivy/oak/sumac, skin rash/dermatitis/infe ction, smoke inhalation, communicable disease, stress reaction, and to xic substance inhalation. Analyses of the age, sex, and occupation of the employees and on the causes of the illnesses are also presented. F rom the analysis of First Reports for June 1990 and January 1991, the First Reports were determined to be very useful for occupational disea se surveillance because of their timeliness and detail on the employer , employee, and illness. Accordingly, First Reports for July 1991 thro ugh June 1992 were reviewed to assist in the development of the PEOSH Program's workplan for July 1992 through June 1993.