SILICOSIS SURVEILLANCE IN NEW-JERSEY - TARGETING WORKPLACES USING OCCUPATIONAL-DISEASE AND EXPOSURE SURVEILLANCE DATA

To identify workplaces in New Jersey with potential for silica exposur e, the New Jersey Department of Health compared four-digit Standard In dustrial Classifications (SICs) identified by three different data sou rces: the National Occupational Exposure Survey (NOES), a new Jersey s ilicosis case registry, and regulatory agency compliance inspections i n New Jersey. In total, the three data sources identified 204 SICs in New Jersey with potential for silica exposure. Forty-five percent of t hese SICs were identified by NOES only, 16% by registry cases only, 6% by compliance inspections only, and 33% by two or more sources. Since different surveillance sources implicate different SICs, this type of analysis is a useful first step in planning programs for prevention o f silicosis.