ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OCCUPATIONAL-DISEASES SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM TO MONITOR BLOOD LEAD LEVELS IN TAIWAN

Background. Occupational diseases share many common characteristics wi th infectious diseases. However, the successful approach of using surv eillance systems to eradicate infectious diseases has never been appli ed to the control and prevention of occupational diseases. Methods. On the basis of a nationwide survey of blood lead levels in the general population in Taiwan, we (the Ministry of Health, Taiwan) have develop ed an obligatory surveillance system for blood lead. Results. This gov ernment-administered system, which uses laboratory data as its source of information, enrolls all workers whose blood lead level exceeds reg ulation points (40 mu g/dl for men and 30 mu g/dl for women). A Group for Health Promotion of Lead-using Workers (GHPLW) has been organized to be responsible for conducting epidemiological investigations to loc ate exposure sources in the workplace and to improve the working envir onment of cases and other workers with the same exposure. Conclusions. We emphasize that the accomplishment of the GHPLW's task depends not only on ''curing'' the case, but also on eradicating the lead exposure source and decreasing the blood lead level of workers in the workplac e during long-term follow-up. The system aims to upgrade occupational disease control to the stage of specific prevention and health promoti on. The establishment of this system is a historic step in industrial hygiene and occupational disease prevention in Taiwan. (C) 1995 Academ ic Press, Inc.