od_2012
TRANSCRIPT
1
Occupational Disease in Connecticut 2012
This report covers data for 2010 and was prepared under contract for the
State of Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission John A Mastropietro Chairman
as part of the Occupational Disease Surveillance Program operated in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Labor and the
Connecticut Department of Public Health
by Tim Morse PhD Professor
Paula Schenck MPH
Occupational and Environmental Health Center and Department of Community Medicine University of Connecticut Health Center
Farmington CT 06030-6210 tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
June 2012
2
Table of Contents List of Tables 3 List of Figures 4 A Executive Summary 5 B Introduction 7 C Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut OSHA Surveys 8 Occupational Illnesses in 2010 8 Illnesses by Industry10 Lost-Time Illnesses10 D Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Data 13 Musculoskeletal Disorders 17 Infectious Diseases 19 Respiratory Illness and Poisonings 20 Chronic Lung Conditions 21 Skin Conditions 22 Stress and Heart Conditions 23 Other Occupational Diseases 24 E Occupational Disease Surveillance System (2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports) 25 Musculoskeletal Disorders 27 Skin Conditions 29 LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings 30 Lead Poisoning 31 Infectious and Other Diseases 32 F Summary of Diseases 34 G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods 36 H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year 38 I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health 40 J Appendix 4 Whorsquos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health 43
3
Tables Table A-1 Summary of Occupational Diseases Reported by Systems 2008 - 2010 5 Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010 8 Table C-2 Illness Rates per 10000 Workers by Industry and Type of Illness CT 2010 10 Table D-1 Occupational Disease by Type WCC 2009 - 2010 13 Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010 15 Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010 15 Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease 2010 17 Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Type WCC 2009 - 2010 18 Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010 18 Table D-7 Reported Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders WCC 2010 19 Table D-8 Infectious Disease and Exposures by Type WCC 2009 - 2010 20 Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip21 Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009 - 2010 22 Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009 - 2010 22 Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009 - 2010 23 Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009 - 2010 24 Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009 - 2010 24 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010 25 Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 27 Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Type OIISS 2009 2010 28 Table E-4 Common Causes of MSD OIISS 2010helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip29 Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010 30 Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisonings by Type OIISS 2009 2010 31 Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009 - 2010 32 Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 33 Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 1979 - 2010 38 Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 1979 - 2010 39
4
Figures Figure C-1 Rates of Occupational Illness by Type US and CT 2010 9 Figure C-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type and Year CT 2002 - 2010 9 Figure C-3 Rates of Musculoskeletal Disorders CT and US 2003 - 2010 11 Figure C-4 Rates of Conditions Lost-time Only Private Sector US amp CT 2007 - 2010 12 Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010 13 Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC 2010 14 Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OIISS 2010 26 Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010 26 Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010 29 Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010 30 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010 31 Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported by System 2010 34 Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010 35
5
A Executive Summary This report focuses on occupational disease reports for 2010 and recent trends in reported cases It does not address traumatic occupational injuries which are addressed in the annual report on occupational injuries and illnesses by the Connecticut Department of Labor (httpwwwctdolstatectusoshashstatshtm) Occupational diseases are typically harder to detect than injuries since they often occur over longer periods of time and can have multiple (including non-occupational) risks Therefore this report uses data from three primary sources as a way of establishing a more complete picture of occupational disease Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury cases (WCC) physiciansrsquo reports under the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) and the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA Annual Survey (BLS) Table A-1 Summary of Diseases Reported by Systems 2008-2010
Type of Disease BLSConn-OSHA WCC OIISS (Physicians) 2008 2009 2010 2008 2009 2010 2008 2009 2010
Respiratory amp poisonings 400 300 300 587 433 465 142 140 56
Lead 364 304 443 Skin 700 600 700 275 220 239 302 193 102 Musculoskeletal 3607 4055 3435 827 411 208 Hearing loss 400 500 300 191 190 179 19 5 6 Other 2100 2000 1700 1577 1487 1454 78 993 374 Total 3600 3400 3000 6237 6385 5772 1732 2046 1189
Sources BLS Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA WCC CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission First Report of Injury database OIISS Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System Notes Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) definitions vary somewhat between systems 2008 OIISS infectious category does not include bloodborne infection OIISS data is incomplete for 2010 Laboratory reports on lead are from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance program MSD is included in the ldquootherrdquo category for BLSConn-OSHA data Infectious diseases physical hazards allergies and cancer are included in the ldquootherrdquo category for the Workersrsquo Compensation data Infectious diseases are included in the ldquootherrsquorsquo for the OIISS data 2008 OIISS infectious category does not include bloodborne infections Table A-1 summarizes the data from the three different sources for 2008 through 2010 The OIISS data was incomplete for 2010 Approximately 3000 cases of occupational diseases were reported under the BLSConn-OSHA survey 5772 through the workersrsquo compensation first report of injuries for 2010 and 1189 for OIISS The number of reports in 2010 decreased from 2009 in each database 12 in the BLS system 10 for workers compensation and 42 for physiciansrsquo reports The trend is consistent in the three databases explored however because the data provided was incomplete in the OIISS the magnitude reported may be artificially high Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and tendonitis dominated the workersrsquo compensation reports accounting for 60 of reports but were only 28 of the physicians reports (not including the laboratory-based lead reports) MSD has not been broken out by BLS since 2002 but MSD cases are presumed to be the main portion of the ldquoother illnessrdquo category Respiratory diseases which include respiratory conditions and lung disease such as asthma accounted for 8-10 of cases ldquoOther diseasesrdquo which includes infectious diseases physical hazards such as heat and cold exposures allergies cancer and others accounted for 25-57 of cases (the main component of ldquoother diseasesrdquo in workersrsquo compensation is infectious disease but is MSD for BLS) Skin conditions accounted for 4-23 of the illnesses reported Lead poisoning is tracked separately and is based on laboratory reports to the Connecticut Department of Public Health
6
There was an overall illness rate of 231 cases per 10000 workers based on the BLS survey a 10 decrease in the rate from 2009 The CT rate was 95 higher than the average national rate The highest specific sector rate was Education and Health at 422 with the highest rate of illness per 10000 workers categorized asldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 234 and second-highest for skin conditions (149) Manufacturing was second highest at 417 (a 23 decrease from 2009) with the highest rates for ldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 194 and hearing loss at 154 Local Government was third highest overall at 384 (a 28 drop from 2009) which included the highest rate of ldquoOtherrdquo (245) and second-highest for skin (52) Information services had a fairly high rate of ldquootherrdquo conditions though was low for other illnesses State government had the highest rate of respiratory conditions (67) among all sectors second-highest skin conditions rate and fourth highest overall rate Overall 44 of reports were for women but this varied by type of case with higher proportions than that average for infectious disease (57 women) musculoskeletal disorders (47) and stress (53) but lower levels for skin conditions (25) heart and hypertension (19) and ldquoother illnessrdquo (27) Based on physician reports where race and ethnicity were known 18 of reports were identified as black and 10 were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age The most common specific physician diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (OIISS) The most common causes for MSD were ldquorepetitionrdquo lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (7) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (7 WCC) Non-specific respiratory conditions were the most common type of lung condition reported by physicians with 46 of reports Exposures associated with respiratory illness included battery fumes floor strippersealant heavy metals in a fire perfumecologne bug spray bleach carpet cleaner paint spray foam cement Lysol cleaning product antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol paint thinner morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive tetrahydrofuran pepper spray methyl methacrylate and colophony (OIISS and WCC) Causes of skin conditions as attributed by physicians included poison ivy cleaning chemicals other chemicals dust solvents and latex or gloves (OIISS) Infectious disease and exposures were reported through workersrsquo compensation There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and body fluids and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were also reports of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme Disease attributed to occupational exposures MRSA (staph infections that are resistant to antibiotics) and meningitis exposure (WCC)
7
B Introduction This report provides an overview of what is known about occupational disease in Connecticut based on 2010 data It is one of a series of annual reports on occupational disease developed for the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission under the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) By monitoring trends this system helps prevent occupational disease by targeting prevention activities such as education encouraging effective safety and health committees and programs and investigating of clusters of disease The system is a cooperative venture by the Department of Public Health Department of Labor Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and a number of occupational health clinics (Connecticut General Statutes 31-396 to 31-402) Physicians are required to report occupational disease under Connecticut General Statute 31-399 This report combines available data from a number of systems bull Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration (BLSConn-OSHA)
Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses bull Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology Surveillance System (ABLES) bull Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports or OIISS in this
report) bull Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Employer First Reports of Injury (referred to as Workersrsquo
Compensation or WCC in this report) Acknowledgements Several people have contributed data and other help to this report We would like to thank especially Erin Wilkins of the Department of Labor Bob Artus and Peter Miecznikowski of the Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and Thomas St Louis and Albert Deloreto of the Department of Public Health Colleagues at the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center have contributed ideas and resolved questions Overview of Report This report covers occupational disease data for calendar year 2010 (the OIISS dataset for 2010 is incomplete) It is divided into three primary sections based on the data source It begins with the BLSConn-OSHA time trends followed by data from the Workers Compensation First Reports of Injury followed by data from physiciansrsquo reports (OIISS) All three data sources provide somewhat different information For example the BLSConn-OSHA provides comparisons to US data but is based on a survey rather than all reports Workersrsquo Compensation data includes all lost-time cases for all employers but does not include physiciansrsquo diagnosis The physiciansrsquo reporting system has more precise diagnoses but a large number of physicians do not report into the system Prior studies of cumulative trauma (musculoskeletal disorders) reports in Connecticut have found that there is only a small overlap between the Workersrsquo Compensation Reports and the physiciansrsquo reports indicating that total numbers are higher than the individual system totals
8
C Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Surveys In cooperation with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Conn-OSHA conducts an annual survey of employers for job-related injuries and illnesses Conn-OSHA issues an annual report that provides data on injuries (available at httpwwwctdolstatectusoshashstatshtm) Our report focuses on illnesses and includes data from Conn-OSHA that is not published in that report Since these statistics are based on a survey rather than a census numbers and rates are estimated and are rounded off The Connecticut Department of Labor acknowledges that the BLSConn-OSHA survey under-counts occupational diseases particularly chronic diseases since these are frequently not recognized nor reported Occupational Illnesses in 2010 There were approximately 3000 reported cases of occupational illnesses in 2010 (Figure C-1 and Table C-1) with a rate of 231 per 10000 workers a 12 decrease in rate from 2009 Two categories decreased including a 15 decrease in ldquoother illnessesrdquo (which consists primarily of repetitive trauma cases) which is the largest category of cases and hearing loss (40 decrease) The rate of respiratory illnesses remained constant and skin conditions increased by 17 Poisonings were too low to meet publishing criteria Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
2009 2010 Change Cases Rates Cases Rates in Rate
Skin 600 47 700 51 9 Poisonings -- -- -- -- Respiratory 300 23 300 21 -9 Hearing loss 500 35 300 25 -29 Other Illnesses 2000 15 1700 131 -13 Total 3400 256 3000 231 -10
Source BLSConn-OSHA Rates are per 10000 workers adjusted for hours worked Total differs due to rounding for the survey Includes public sector ldquomdashldquo indicates numbers too smallunreliable to publish Overall rates for Connecticut in 2010 were higher than the US rates for all types of illness (Figure C-1) The overall Connecticut rate (231 cases per 10000 workers) was 95 higher than US rate (211) Connecticutrsquos occupational illness rate was the 15th highest out of 41 reporting states (where a 1 ranking is the highest rate) The higher CT rates in relation to the US were driven by the somewhat higher rates for skin conditions (50 higher) hearing loss (19 higher) and respiratory conditions (11 higher) Rates are adjusted for hours worked and are based on 41 states that report into the system Overall illness rates were 216 for the private sector and 340 for public sector in Connecticut compared to US average rates of 181 (19 higher for CT) and 386 (12 lower for CT) respectively In Connecticut the number of illnesses increased slightly from 2002-2005 then generally decreased through 2010 (Figure C-2)
9
Figure C-1 Rates of Occupational Illness by Type US and CT 2010
Source BLS and Conn-OSHA Rates per 10000 workers adjusted for hours worked Figure C-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type and Year CT 2002-2010
Source BLSConn-OSHA Survey
0
5
10
15
20
25
Skin Poisonings Respiratory Hearing loss Other Illnesses
Total
34
03 19 21
133
211
51
21 25
131
231
US
CT
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
62 69 64 63 43 47 51 47 51
24 38 27 36
18 27 22 23 21
06 02
03
03 02 1
36 28
33 34 27 35 25
237 24 221 233
188 182 154
15 131
Other
Hearing
Poison
Respir
Skin
10
Illnesses by Industry Numbers and rates by industry sector for 2010 are presented in Table C-2 Overall the adjusted rate is 231 cases of occupational illness per 10000 CT workers slightly lower than the 2009 rate of 256 The overall private sector rate was 216 (compared to 243 in 2009) with a government rate of 340 (57 higher than the private sector rate) The government rate was much lower than last yearrsquos rate of 416 Table C-2 Illness Rates per 10000 Workers by Industry and Type of Illness CT 2010 Total Skin Respiratory Poison Hearing Other Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Total all industries 231 3000 51 700 21 300 25 300 131 1700
Private Industry only 216 2400 51 600 17 200 25 300 121 1400
Goods Producing 332 700 49 100 12 117 300 153 300
Natural resources and mining
Construction
Manufacturing 417 700 56 100 14 154 300 194 300
Service Providing 189 1700 52 500 18 200 03 113 100
Trade transport utilities 129 300 29 100 08 10 81 200
Information 170 115
Financial activities 142 200 96 100
Professionalbusiness services 120 200 86 100
Education and health 422 900 149 300 27 100 234 500
Leisure and hospitality 56 100 23 22
Other services
Government total 340 500 54 100 55 100 204 300
State Government 263 100 58 67 132 100
Local Government 384 400 52 100 48 245 200
Source Conn-OSHA Rates are adjusted for hours worked and are per 10000 full-time workers Indicates too little data for reliable estimates The highest specific sector rate was Education and Health at 422 with the highest rate of illness per 10000 workers categorized asldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 234 and second-highest for skin conditions (149) Manufacturing was second highest at 417 (a 23 decrease from 2009) with the highest rates for ldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 194 and hearing loss at 154 Local Government was third highest overall at 384 (a 28 drop from 2009) which included the highest rate of ldquoOtherrdquo (245) and second-highest for skin (52) Information services had a fairly high rate of ldquootherrdquo conditions though was low for other illnesses State government had the highest rate of respiratory conditions (67) among all sectors second-highest skin conditions rate and fourth highest overall rate Lost-Time Illnesses BLS obtains additional data for the subset of cases that result in lost worktime (restricted work cases are not included in this section which is about half again the number of lost worktime cases) that provide additional detail on specific conditions and causes We are presenting here this data for conditions that are more chronic in nature (usually classified as occupational illness) Musculoskeletal Conditions Musculoskeletal conditions with lost time increased 6 to 6600 cases (516 cases per 10000 workers) up from a rate of 476 in 2009 (Figure C-3) The Connecticut rate is 50 higher than the national MSD rate of 343 MSD accounted for 33 of the total of 19930 lost time injuries and illnesses in Connecticut Rates in
11
Connecticut have declined 19 over the 8-year period National rates for all private and public employees have only been available since 2008 Figure C-3 Rates of Musculoskeletal Disorders CT and US 2003-2010
Source BLS Website httpdatablsgovcgi-bindsrvch Rates are cases per 10000 full time employees Musculoskeletal conditions are the most common category of specific injury and illness conditions and is a category that includes both chronic conditions and sprains and strains from overexertion (approximately 75 of these cases nationally) BLS defines this fairly complex category as ldquoIncludes cases where the nature of injury is sprains strains tears back pain hurt back soreness pain hurt except back carpal tunnel syndrome hernia or musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases and disorders and when the event or exposure leading to the injury or illness is bodily reactionbending climbing crawling reaching twisting overexertion or repetition Cases of Raynauds phenomenon tarsal tunnel syndrome and herniated spinal discs are not includedrdquo Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) was the most common specific illness in Connecticut increasing from 22 cases per 10000 workers in 2009 to 25 in 2010 (Figure C-4) Tendonitis also increased from 05 cases to 07 cases per 10000 Connecticut was over double the national rates for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and somewhat higher for tendonitis CTS had a very high number of lost work days with a median of 28 days of lost time per case (compared to 8 days for all cases of injury and illness) in Connecticut and tendonitis was a median of 12 days
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
CT
US
12
Figure C-4 Rates of Conditions Lost-time Only Private Sector US amp CT 2007-2010
Source BLS Website httpdatablsgovcgi-bindsrvch Rates are cases per 10000 full time employees CTS=Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Connecticut lost time cases coded as ldquorepetitive motionrdquo for cause stayed almost even at 53 cases per 10000 workers from 54 in 2009 this Connecticut rate was 51 higher than the US rate of 35 Repetitive motion lost time cases had a median of 28 days away from work
0
05
1
15
2
25
CT US CT US
CTS Tendonitis
2007
2008
2009
2010
13
D Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Data There were a total of 5772 reports in the Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database for 2010 a 10 decrease from 2009 driven by a 15 decrease in the largest category of MSD with combined with a 9 decrease in infectious disease There were slight increases in lung skin and other disorders Almost two-thirds (60) of reports were due to chronic musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and tendonitis Infectious disease accounted for 13 of the cases respiratory diseases (including nonspecific respiratory illness and chronic lung conditions such as asthma and asbestos-related illnesses and exposures) 8 skin diseases 4 and ldquoOther Illnessesrdquo (which includes heart conditions stress cases noise-induced hearing loss and other conditions) 15 Table D-1 Occupational Disease by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness type Cases Cases of total
Change Musculoskeletal Disorders (MS) 4055 3435 60 -15 Infectious Disease 845 768 13 -9 Respiratory Disorders 433 465 8 7 Skin Disorders 220 239 4 9 Other Illnesses 832 865 15 4 Total 6385 5772 100 -10
Overall 44 of reports were for women but this varied by type of case (Figure D-1) with higher proportions than that average for infectious disease (57 women) musculoskeletal disorders (47) and stress (53) but lower levels for skin conditions (25 heart and hypertension (19) and ldquoother illnessrdquo (27) Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector Government and EducationHealth had the largest number of cases (20
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
19
57
47
27
41
25
53
14
each additional government cases are counted in the Education and Health care sector) followed by Manufacturing (19) and Wholesale and Retail Trade (16) Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illness is approximately 35 cases per 1000 workers with the highest rates for Manufacturing (60 or 53 higher than the overall rate) and Government (54 the actual government rate is higher because some government worker cases are classified under Education and Other sectors) TransportationUtilities (44) EducationHealth care (38) Trade (37) and Information Services (35)
ConstructionAg Mine 3
Manufacturing 19
Trade 16
TransportUtilities 4
Info Services 2
FinanceInsurRE 4
Business Services
7
EducationHealth 20
LeisureOther Services 5
Government 20
15
Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010 NAICS Sector Cases Rate Employment
Employment ConstructionAgMine 189 3 29 65000 4 Manufacturing 1066 18 60 178200 11 Trade 908 16 37 247200 15 TransportUtilities 207 4 44 46900 3 Information Services 133 2 35 38500 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 229 4 16 140700 9 Business Services 382 7 19 200300 12 EducationHealth 1105 19 38 292700 18 LeisureOther Services 273 5 13 213800 13 Government 1121 19 54 207900 13 Unknown 159 3 Total 5772 100 35 1629300 100
Notes Employment is adjusted for hours worked Rows do not add up to total due to reports that could not be coded for industry Rates are illnesses per 1000 workers Government illnesses do not include some cases that are classified under other categories such as education and health services Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
Other Respiratory Infect MSD Skin Total ConstructionAgMine 16 2 18 4 0 144 4 11 5 189 3 Manufacturing 164 19 61 13 4 1 813 24 24 10 1066 19 Trade 95 11 35 8 20 3 736 22 22 9 908 16 TransportUtilities 24 3 10 2 17 2 145 4 11 5 207 4 Information Services 10 1 7 2 4 1 107 3 5 2 133 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 38 5 15 3 7 1 166 5 3 1 229 4 Business Services 53 6 55 12 24 3 222 7 28 12 382 7 EducationHealth 95 11 100 22 398 53 476 14 36 16 1105 19 LeisureOther Services 39 5 28 6 13 2 178 5 15 6 273 5 Government 308 37 124 27 266 35 346 10 77 33 1121 20 Subtotal 842 100 453 100 753 100 3333 100 232 100 5613 100 Unknown 23 12 15 102 7 159 Total 865 465 768 3435 239 5772
16
Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseases were concentrated in EducationHealth (53) and Government (35) Respiratory diseases were concentrated in Government (27) EducationHealth (22) Manufacturing (13) and Business Services (12) Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) were most prevalent in Manufacturing (24) and Trade (22) EducationHealth (14) and Government (10) Skin cases were most common in Government (33) EducationHealth (16) Business Services (12) and Manufacturing (10) Other illnesses which include heart and hypertension stress and hearing loss cases (see below) were most common in Government (37) Manufacturing (19) Trade (11) and EducationHealth (11) These figures are based on numbers of cases and not rates so they are not adjusted for the employment size in the different sectors (which can be noted in Table D-2 for comparison) Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of illnesses at 870 reports followed by Educational services (526 reports) which are also primarily Local Government Police and Fire departments (226 reports) are categorized separately and are also primarily Local Government Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (154) Ambulatory Health Care Services (147) Professional Scientific and Technical Services (144) General Merchandise Stores (142) Hospitals (136) Machinery Manufacturing (123) Specialty Trade Contractors (122) Food Services and Drinking Places (113) and Telecommunications (107) Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Police and Fire had the highest rate at 153 followed by Educational services (101) and Food Products Manufacturing (100) All but 7 of the sectors had a rate higher than the state average of 35
17
Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010 Specific Industry Sector NAICS Cases Employment Rate Local government 921 870 137400 63 Educational Services 611 526 52000 101 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 336 365 43500 84 Food and Beverage Stores 445 255 38800 66 Nursing and Residential Care Facilities 623 237 60200 39 Police and Fire 922 226 14800 153 Administrative and Support Services 561 194 74500 26 Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 332 154 31300 49 Ambulatory Health Care Services 621 147 16100 91 Professional Scientific and Technical Services 541 144 91400 16 General Merchandise Stores 452 142 25800 55 Hospitals 622 136 60400 23 General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing 333 123 16800 73 Specialty Trade Contractors 238 122 42900 28 Food Services and Drinking Places 722 113 100200 11 Telecommunications 517 107 12600 85 Merchant Wholesalers Nondurable Goods 424 95 Merchant Wholesalers Durable Goods 423 95 Electric Power Generation 221 92 Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing 334 78 14000 56 Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (Banks) 522 73 Food Products 311 71 7100 100 Social Assistance 624 59 42800 14 Hardware Stores 444 57 15000 38 Motor Vehicle Dealers 441 54 19800 27
Local government also includes cases that are tabulated in other specific sectors such as educational services and police and fire Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) ldquoMusculoskeletal disordersrdquo is the currently-used term for conditions also known as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries There were 3435 MSDs reported to workersrsquo compensation in 2010 an decrease of 15 from 2009 (Table D-5) MSDs accounted for over half (60) of the reported occupational diseases to Workersrsquo Compensation MSDs presented here do not include any cases for the lower back (since the descriptions of back conditions are typically not sufficient to be able to distinguish between acute and cumulative back injuries) nor do MSDs include any acute injury condition from sudden events Strains and sprains (which does not include acute strains or sprains) was the most common category of MSD with 65 of reports (Table D-5) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) which is a pinching of the median nerve at the wrist accounted for 14 of total MSD reports Other nerve-related problems (with symptoms of numbness or tingling) accounted for an additional 4 of cases Tendon-related problems included tendonitis and tenosynovitis (3) and epicondylitis (ldquotennis elbowrdquo or ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo 1) ganglion cysts (1) and
18
trigger finger (1) A large number of cases did not have a specific description other than ldquoinflammationrdquo (lt1) or ldquopainrdquo (6) or no specific description (6) Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
MSD Type Cases Cases Change Sprainstrain 2193 2219 65 1 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 484 476 14 -2 Pain 859 189 6 -78 Numbness 147 153 4 4 Tendonitistenosynovitis 85 86 3 1 Ganglion cyst 42 29 1 -31 Epicondylitis 28 28 1 0 Trigger finger 24 28 1 17 Inflammation 54 16 0 -70 Arthritisbursitis 17 12 0 -29 Rotator cuff 23 0 0 -100 OtherUnknown 99 199 6 101 Total 4055 3435 100 -15
Almost all the cases of MSD were in the upper extremity of the body (note that lower back cases were excluded from these figures) Almost half (44) of total MSD cases were for the hand wrist and lower arm (Table D-6) Other affected parts of the body included 8 elbow and 25 shoulder neck and ldquoupper extremityrdquo Only 11 were for the legs knees and feet Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
Part of body Cases Percent Lower Arm Wrist Hand 1520 44 Upper Arm Shoulder Upper Extremity 842 25 Legs Knees and Feet 389 11 Elbow 277 8 Neck and Upper Back 123 4 Multiple 196 6 OtherUnknown 88 3 3435 100
Causes of conditions were often incomplete overlapping and not consistently coded nor described Approximately 81 of MSD cases had enough description to show some cause Of the MSDs that could be classified the most frequently mentioned cause was the broad category of ldquorepetitionrdquo (28 of cases) although this was frequently just from a general description and often used to describe any chronic musculoskeletal problem (see Table D-7) This was followed by lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (8) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (8)
19
Table D-7 Reported Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) WCC 2010 Cause of MSD Reports
Repetitive 784 28 Lifting 557 20 PushPull 471 17 Computerclerical 234 8 Toolsvibration 219 8 Reaching 88 3 Cleaning 58 2 Bendingkneelingcrawling 53 2 Driving 45 2 Assembly 43 2 Machine 38 1 Walkingrunningmoving 35 1 Graspinggrippingsqueezing 29 1 Exercisesportstraining 25 1 sittingstanding 23 1 Positioning 20 1 Climbing 16 1 Twistingtightening 11 0 Carrying 11 0 Shovelingsweeping 11 0 Scooping 10 0 Cake decorating 7 0 Selectingsortinginspecting 6 0 Total 2794 100
Infectious Diseases There were 768 reports of infectious diseases or exposures in the database for 2010 (Table D-8) a 9 decrease from 2009 Infectious disease reports include both actual disease and exposure to potentially infectious agents There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens (including reports of exposure to HIVAIDS and Hepatitis C) accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were 26 cases of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB There were 59 reports of tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme disease attributed to occupational exposures There were 20 reports of exposure or cases of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or staph infection that responds poorly to antibiotics) or other staph infection 15 cases of scabies or lice exposuresillnesses and 18 reports of meningitis exposure There were no reports of exposure to or cases of h1n1 flu in contrast to 2009
20
Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness Cases Cases Change Human biteUrine 301 36 273 36 -9 Bloodbody fluids 154 18 140 18 -9 Sharp and needlestick exposures 100 12 140 18 40 Lyme DiseaseTick bite 87 10 59 8 -32 Hepatitis 21 2 28 4 33 TBppd conversionexposure 40 5 26 3 -35 Other infectious 14 2 21 3 50 MRSAstaph 36 4 20 3 -44 Meningitis exposure 20 2 18 2 -10 Scabieslice 31 4 15 2 -52 Rabies 8 1 12 2 50 Chicken pox measles whooping cough 7 1 10 1 43 e-colisewage 6 1 6 1 0 h1n1 flu 22 3 0 0 -100 Total 847 100 768 100 -9
Recent court decisions have broadened the definition of compensable disease to include exposures particularly where exposure requires medical treatment such as prophylactic treatments such as for tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS (HIV) exposures There has recently been considerable attention paid to Lyme disease among outdoor workers resulting in more reports of tick bites although these reports were down in 2010 It is often difficult to determine whether the first report of injury was actual disease or only exposure (for example actual Lyme disease or only a report of a tick bite) Similarly it is usually not clear in the reports of needlestick and sharps injuries whether the source patient or client was actually infected with any of the known bloodborne diseases There were additional reports of exposure to ldquospitrdquo or ldquosputumrdquo that are not reported here since risks tend to be very low from such exposures Diseases that can be contracted through blood and body fluid exposures include hepatitis B C and HIV Human bites or exposures to body fluids such as urine are also related to bloodborne diseases Transmission is much less likely when a worker is exposed to urine or a human bite than transmission occurring from blood particularly for HIV Blood to blood exposure is the highest risk such as from needlesticks or sharps injuries Altercations or arrests with prisoners or clients accounted for the vast majority of human bites as well as some of the other bloodborne exposures Respiratory Illness and Poisonings Asbestos-related asthma lung cancer and other lung diseases are addressed in the next section In addition to these conditions there were 328 cases of other respiratory illnesses ndash mostly nonspecific respiratory illness with a few cases of pneumonia and laryngitis in the database for 2010 and 65 cases of poisonings from carbon monoxide other gases mercury or lead (Table D-9) an overall increase of 29 from 2009 Exposure to chemicals was the most common cause of illness (33) followed by exposures to dust or fumes (17) general indoor air quality (IAQ) or mold (12) and smoke (9) There were 45 cases of exposure to carbon monoxide or other gases and fumes and 13 reports of exposure to mercury and 7 to lead
21
Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10 Cause 2009 2010
Respiratory Cases Cases Change Chemical Exposure 71 23 129 33 82 Dustfumes 73 24 67 17 -8 IAQmoldodor 40 13 48 12 20 Smoke Fire 47 15 37 9 -21 Other Respiratory 40 13 47 12 18 Respiratory subtotal 271 328 83
Poisoning Lead 0 0 7 2 Mercury 0 0 13 3 Carbon monoxidegasfumes 34 11 45 11 32 Poisoning Subtotal 34 65 Total 305 100 393 100 29
In addition to the general categories of smoke specific chemical exposures mentioned included battery fumes (13) floor strippersealant (6) heavy metals in a fire (6) perfumecologne (5) bug spray (4) bleach (3) carpet cleaner (2) paint (2) spray foam (2) cement Lysol antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive Chronic Lung Conditions There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified under respiratory conditions and poisonings (above)
Asbestos There were 30 reports of asbestos-related disease or exposures in 2010 The descriptions of the cases often made it difficult to determine whether the cases were actual disease or only exposure to asbestos since it is difficult to know whether they are describing historic exposures that contributed to current disease or current exposures that raise the risk of future disease) although there was at least one fatality and four mesothelioma cases (listed under cancer) Asbestos exposure is known to increase the risk of lung disease and cancer If disease occurs as a result it often appears between 10-40 years after exposure Asbestos disease may be under-reported by traditional surveillance sources such as Workersrsquo Compensation Industries for asbestos conditions were primarily transportation equipment manufacturing (13) and government (6) Other Chronic Lung Conditions There were 30 occupational asthma cases reported in 2010 a decrease of 33 The most common causes mentioned were indoor air quality or mold (15) chemicals and cleaners (5) smoke (2) and dustfumes (2) Government and schools (13 combined) were the most common industries for asthma cases
22
Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10 Illness 2009 2010 Change
Asbestos-related 83 30 -64 Asthmabronchitis 45 30 -33 Allergies 5 -100 Cancer 5 3 -40 Other chronic lung 9 Total 138 72 -48
Skin Conditions There were 239 skin conditions in the database in 2010 (Table D-11) an increase of 9 There were 119 cases of contact dermatitis from poison ivy or other plants (50 of all skin cases) There were 8 cases of allergic reactions to latex gloves or other clothing and 4 associated with soap or cleaning products There were 20 cases caused by chemicals and 71 cases just described as rashes Substances associated with skin conditions included trichorethylene fire proofing materials hand sanitizer a calcium bag epoxy coolant antifreeze cosmetics (2) dish detergent (2) car cleaner plastic carbon fibers gasoline photographic chemicals adhesive laundry detergents (2) carpet adhesive and fiberglass Government (69 cases) and schools (27) were the most frequent industry sectors for skin conditions Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Poison Ivyplants 107 119 50 11 Chemical 36 20 8 -44 Allergic 7 17 7 143 GlovesLatexclothing 14 8 3 -43 SoapCleaning 7 4 2 -43 Patient care 2 0 0 -100 RashOtherUnknown 47 71 30 51 Total 220 239 100 9
23
Stress and Heart Conditions
Heart and Hypertension There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions 22 reported strokes or blood clots and 102 described symptoms of chest pain or mentioned angina often associated with emergency care at a hospital There were 109 cases that described the condition as hypertension or ldquoheart and hypertensionrdquo (the usual legal term for heart or hypertension cases that are covered for police and fire fighters) An additional 21 were other heart-related conditions predominately testing abnormalities on EKG or unusual symptoms involving the heart or chest Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal employees who are frequently covered under heart and hypertension laws that consider those conditions to be work-related for workersrsquo compensation purposes Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Hypertension 99 109 36 10 Chest painanginasymptoms 71 102 34 44 Heart attack 51 50 16 -2 Other heart 40 21 7 -48 Strokeclots 21 22 7 5
Total 282 304 100 8 Mental Stress There were a total of 128 stress-related claims in the database in 2010 an increase of 13 over 2009 There were 33 cases which cited reactions to violence robbery or trauma (such as witnessing or being in auto accidents) 14 cases that were attributed to conflicts with supervisors or promotions and 12 cases were attributed to harassment or hostile work environments (Table D-13) There were 17 claims related to excessive job demands or aspects of job duties There were 49 that were simply defined as ldquostressrdquo without further explanation There were also several stress-related cases that are classified under heart conditions (See Table D-12 above) Specific examples of situations causing stress include robberies with guns an explosion at the workplace assaults a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect harassment having to stay with a dead body after a shooting verbal abuse from a residentrsquos family job transfer a failed surgery and witnessing suicide
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
2
Table of Contents List of Tables 3 List of Figures 4 A Executive Summary 5 B Introduction 7 C Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut OSHA Surveys 8 Occupational Illnesses in 2010 8 Illnesses by Industry10 Lost-Time Illnesses10 D Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Data 13 Musculoskeletal Disorders 17 Infectious Diseases 19 Respiratory Illness and Poisonings 20 Chronic Lung Conditions 21 Skin Conditions 22 Stress and Heart Conditions 23 Other Occupational Diseases 24 E Occupational Disease Surveillance System (2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports) 25 Musculoskeletal Disorders 27 Skin Conditions 29 LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings 30 Lead Poisoning 31 Infectious and Other Diseases 32 F Summary of Diseases 34 G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods 36 H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year 38 I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health 40 J Appendix 4 Whorsquos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health 43
3
Tables Table A-1 Summary of Occupational Diseases Reported by Systems 2008 - 2010 5 Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010 8 Table C-2 Illness Rates per 10000 Workers by Industry and Type of Illness CT 2010 10 Table D-1 Occupational Disease by Type WCC 2009 - 2010 13 Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010 15 Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010 15 Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease 2010 17 Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Type WCC 2009 - 2010 18 Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010 18 Table D-7 Reported Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders WCC 2010 19 Table D-8 Infectious Disease and Exposures by Type WCC 2009 - 2010 20 Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip21 Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009 - 2010 22 Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009 - 2010 22 Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009 - 2010 23 Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009 - 2010 24 Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009 - 2010 24 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010 25 Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 27 Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Type OIISS 2009 2010 28 Table E-4 Common Causes of MSD OIISS 2010helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip29 Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010 30 Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisonings by Type OIISS 2009 2010 31 Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009 - 2010 32 Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 33 Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 1979 - 2010 38 Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 1979 - 2010 39
4
Figures Figure C-1 Rates of Occupational Illness by Type US and CT 2010 9 Figure C-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type and Year CT 2002 - 2010 9 Figure C-3 Rates of Musculoskeletal Disorders CT and US 2003 - 2010 11 Figure C-4 Rates of Conditions Lost-time Only Private Sector US amp CT 2007 - 2010 12 Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010 13 Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC 2010 14 Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OIISS 2010 26 Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010 26 Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010 29 Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010 30 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010 31 Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported by System 2010 34 Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010 35
5
A Executive Summary This report focuses on occupational disease reports for 2010 and recent trends in reported cases It does not address traumatic occupational injuries which are addressed in the annual report on occupational injuries and illnesses by the Connecticut Department of Labor (httpwwwctdolstatectusoshashstatshtm) Occupational diseases are typically harder to detect than injuries since they often occur over longer periods of time and can have multiple (including non-occupational) risks Therefore this report uses data from three primary sources as a way of establishing a more complete picture of occupational disease Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury cases (WCC) physiciansrsquo reports under the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) and the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA Annual Survey (BLS) Table A-1 Summary of Diseases Reported by Systems 2008-2010
Type of Disease BLSConn-OSHA WCC OIISS (Physicians) 2008 2009 2010 2008 2009 2010 2008 2009 2010
Respiratory amp poisonings 400 300 300 587 433 465 142 140 56
Lead 364 304 443 Skin 700 600 700 275 220 239 302 193 102 Musculoskeletal 3607 4055 3435 827 411 208 Hearing loss 400 500 300 191 190 179 19 5 6 Other 2100 2000 1700 1577 1487 1454 78 993 374 Total 3600 3400 3000 6237 6385 5772 1732 2046 1189
Sources BLS Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA WCC CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission First Report of Injury database OIISS Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System Notes Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) definitions vary somewhat between systems 2008 OIISS infectious category does not include bloodborne infection OIISS data is incomplete for 2010 Laboratory reports on lead are from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance program MSD is included in the ldquootherrdquo category for BLSConn-OSHA data Infectious diseases physical hazards allergies and cancer are included in the ldquootherrdquo category for the Workersrsquo Compensation data Infectious diseases are included in the ldquootherrsquorsquo for the OIISS data 2008 OIISS infectious category does not include bloodborne infections Table A-1 summarizes the data from the three different sources for 2008 through 2010 The OIISS data was incomplete for 2010 Approximately 3000 cases of occupational diseases were reported under the BLSConn-OSHA survey 5772 through the workersrsquo compensation first report of injuries for 2010 and 1189 for OIISS The number of reports in 2010 decreased from 2009 in each database 12 in the BLS system 10 for workers compensation and 42 for physiciansrsquo reports The trend is consistent in the three databases explored however because the data provided was incomplete in the OIISS the magnitude reported may be artificially high Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and tendonitis dominated the workersrsquo compensation reports accounting for 60 of reports but were only 28 of the physicians reports (not including the laboratory-based lead reports) MSD has not been broken out by BLS since 2002 but MSD cases are presumed to be the main portion of the ldquoother illnessrdquo category Respiratory diseases which include respiratory conditions and lung disease such as asthma accounted for 8-10 of cases ldquoOther diseasesrdquo which includes infectious diseases physical hazards such as heat and cold exposures allergies cancer and others accounted for 25-57 of cases (the main component of ldquoother diseasesrdquo in workersrsquo compensation is infectious disease but is MSD for BLS) Skin conditions accounted for 4-23 of the illnesses reported Lead poisoning is tracked separately and is based on laboratory reports to the Connecticut Department of Public Health
6
There was an overall illness rate of 231 cases per 10000 workers based on the BLS survey a 10 decrease in the rate from 2009 The CT rate was 95 higher than the average national rate The highest specific sector rate was Education and Health at 422 with the highest rate of illness per 10000 workers categorized asldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 234 and second-highest for skin conditions (149) Manufacturing was second highest at 417 (a 23 decrease from 2009) with the highest rates for ldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 194 and hearing loss at 154 Local Government was third highest overall at 384 (a 28 drop from 2009) which included the highest rate of ldquoOtherrdquo (245) and second-highest for skin (52) Information services had a fairly high rate of ldquootherrdquo conditions though was low for other illnesses State government had the highest rate of respiratory conditions (67) among all sectors second-highest skin conditions rate and fourth highest overall rate Overall 44 of reports were for women but this varied by type of case with higher proportions than that average for infectious disease (57 women) musculoskeletal disorders (47) and stress (53) but lower levels for skin conditions (25) heart and hypertension (19) and ldquoother illnessrdquo (27) Based on physician reports where race and ethnicity were known 18 of reports were identified as black and 10 were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age The most common specific physician diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (OIISS) The most common causes for MSD were ldquorepetitionrdquo lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (7) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (7 WCC) Non-specific respiratory conditions were the most common type of lung condition reported by physicians with 46 of reports Exposures associated with respiratory illness included battery fumes floor strippersealant heavy metals in a fire perfumecologne bug spray bleach carpet cleaner paint spray foam cement Lysol cleaning product antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol paint thinner morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive tetrahydrofuran pepper spray methyl methacrylate and colophony (OIISS and WCC) Causes of skin conditions as attributed by physicians included poison ivy cleaning chemicals other chemicals dust solvents and latex or gloves (OIISS) Infectious disease and exposures were reported through workersrsquo compensation There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and body fluids and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were also reports of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme Disease attributed to occupational exposures MRSA (staph infections that are resistant to antibiotics) and meningitis exposure (WCC)
7
B Introduction This report provides an overview of what is known about occupational disease in Connecticut based on 2010 data It is one of a series of annual reports on occupational disease developed for the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission under the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) By monitoring trends this system helps prevent occupational disease by targeting prevention activities such as education encouraging effective safety and health committees and programs and investigating of clusters of disease The system is a cooperative venture by the Department of Public Health Department of Labor Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and a number of occupational health clinics (Connecticut General Statutes 31-396 to 31-402) Physicians are required to report occupational disease under Connecticut General Statute 31-399 This report combines available data from a number of systems bull Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration (BLSConn-OSHA)
Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses bull Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology Surveillance System (ABLES) bull Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports or OIISS in this
report) bull Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Employer First Reports of Injury (referred to as Workersrsquo
Compensation or WCC in this report) Acknowledgements Several people have contributed data and other help to this report We would like to thank especially Erin Wilkins of the Department of Labor Bob Artus and Peter Miecznikowski of the Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and Thomas St Louis and Albert Deloreto of the Department of Public Health Colleagues at the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center have contributed ideas and resolved questions Overview of Report This report covers occupational disease data for calendar year 2010 (the OIISS dataset for 2010 is incomplete) It is divided into three primary sections based on the data source It begins with the BLSConn-OSHA time trends followed by data from the Workers Compensation First Reports of Injury followed by data from physiciansrsquo reports (OIISS) All three data sources provide somewhat different information For example the BLSConn-OSHA provides comparisons to US data but is based on a survey rather than all reports Workersrsquo Compensation data includes all lost-time cases for all employers but does not include physiciansrsquo diagnosis The physiciansrsquo reporting system has more precise diagnoses but a large number of physicians do not report into the system Prior studies of cumulative trauma (musculoskeletal disorders) reports in Connecticut have found that there is only a small overlap between the Workersrsquo Compensation Reports and the physiciansrsquo reports indicating that total numbers are higher than the individual system totals
8
C Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Surveys In cooperation with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Conn-OSHA conducts an annual survey of employers for job-related injuries and illnesses Conn-OSHA issues an annual report that provides data on injuries (available at httpwwwctdolstatectusoshashstatshtm) Our report focuses on illnesses and includes data from Conn-OSHA that is not published in that report Since these statistics are based on a survey rather than a census numbers and rates are estimated and are rounded off The Connecticut Department of Labor acknowledges that the BLSConn-OSHA survey under-counts occupational diseases particularly chronic diseases since these are frequently not recognized nor reported Occupational Illnesses in 2010 There were approximately 3000 reported cases of occupational illnesses in 2010 (Figure C-1 and Table C-1) with a rate of 231 per 10000 workers a 12 decrease in rate from 2009 Two categories decreased including a 15 decrease in ldquoother illnessesrdquo (which consists primarily of repetitive trauma cases) which is the largest category of cases and hearing loss (40 decrease) The rate of respiratory illnesses remained constant and skin conditions increased by 17 Poisonings were too low to meet publishing criteria Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
2009 2010 Change Cases Rates Cases Rates in Rate
Skin 600 47 700 51 9 Poisonings -- -- -- -- Respiratory 300 23 300 21 -9 Hearing loss 500 35 300 25 -29 Other Illnesses 2000 15 1700 131 -13 Total 3400 256 3000 231 -10
Source BLSConn-OSHA Rates are per 10000 workers adjusted for hours worked Total differs due to rounding for the survey Includes public sector ldquomdashldquo indicates numbers too smallunreliable to publish Overall rates for Connecticut in 2010 were higher than the US rates for all types of illness (Figure C-1) The overall Connecticut rate (231 cases per 10000 workers) was 95 higher than US rate (211) Connecticutrsquos occupational illness rate was the 15th highest out of 41 reporting states (where a 1 ranking is the highest rate) The higher CT rates in relation to the US were driven by the somewhat higher rates for skin conditions (50 higher) hearing loss (19 higher) and respiratory conditions (11 higher) Rates are adjusted for hours worked and are based on 41 states that report into the system Overall illness rates were 216 for the private sector and 340 for public sector in Connecticut compared to US average rates of 181 (19 higher for CT) and 386 (12 lower for CT) respectively In Connecticut the number of illnesses increased slightly from 2002-2005 then generally decreased through 2010 (Figure C-2)
9
Figure C-1 Rates of Occupational Illness by Type US and CT 2010
Source BLS and Conn-OSHA Rates per 10000 workers adjusted for hours worked Figure C-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type and Year CT 2002-2010
Source BLSConn-OSHA Survey
0
5
10
15
20
25
Skin Poisonings Respiratory Hearing loss Other Illnesses
Total
34
03 19 21
133
211
51
21 25
131
231
US
CT
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
62 69 64 63 43 47 51 47 51
24 38 27 36
18 27 22 23 21
06 02
03
03 02 1
36 28
33 34 27 35 25
237 24 221 233
188 182 154
15 131
Other
Hearing
Poison
Respir
Skin
10
Illnesses by Industry Numbers and rates by industry sector for 2010 are presented in Table C-2 Overall the adjusted rate is 231 cases of occupational illness per 10000 CT workers slightly lower than the 2009 rate of 256 The overall private sector rate was 216 (compared to 243 in 2009) with a government rate of 340 (57 higher than the private sector rate) The government rate was much lower than last yearrsquos rate of 416 Table C-2 Illness Rates per 10000 Workers by Industry and Type of Illness CT 2010 Total Skin Respiratory Poison Hearing Other Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Total all industries 231 3000 51 700 21 300 25 300 131 1700
Private Industry only 216 2400 51 600 17 200 25 300 121 1400
Goods Producing 332 700 49 100 12 117 300 153 300
Natural resources and mining
Construction
Manufacturing 417 700 56 100 14 154 300 194 300
Service Providing 189 1700 52 500 18 200 03 113 100
Trade transport utilities 129 300 29 100 08 10 81 200
Information 170 115
Financial activities 142 200 96 100
Professionalbusiness services 120 200 86 100
Education and health 422 900 149 300 27 100 234 500
Leisure and hospitality 56 100 23 22
Other services
Government total 340 500 54 100 55 100 204 300
State Government 263 100 58 67 132 100
Local Government 384 400 52 100 48 245 200
Source Conn-OSHA Rates are adjusted for hours worked and are per 10000 full-time workers Indicates too little data for reliable estimates The highest specific sector rate was Education and Health at 422 with the highest rate of illness per 10000 workers categorized asldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 234 and second-highest for skin conditions (149) Manufacturing was second highest at 417 (a 23 decrease from 2009) with the highest rates for ldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 194 and hearing loss at 154 Local Government was third highest overall at 384 (a 28 drop from 2009) which included the highest rate of ldquoOtherrdquo (245) and second-highest for skin (52) Information services had a fairly high rate of ldquootherrdquo conditions though was low for other illnesses State government had the highest rate of respiratory conditions (67) among all sectors second-highest skin conditions rate and fourth highest overall rate Lost-Time Illnesses BLS obtains additional data for the subset of cases that result in lost worktime (restricted work cases are not included in this section which is about half again the number of lost worktime cases) that provide additional detail on specific conditions and causes We are presenting here this data for conditions that are more chronic in nature (usually classified as occupational illness) Musculoskeletal Conditions Musculoskeletal conditions with lost time increased 6 to 6600 cases (516 cases per 10000 workers) up from a rate of 476 in 2009 (Figure C-3) The Connecticut rate is 50 higher than the national MSD rate of 343 MSD accounted for 33 of the total of 19930 lost time injuries and illnesses in Connecticut Rates in
11
Connecticut have declined 19 over the 8-year period National rates for all private and public employees have only been available since 2008 Figure C-3 Rates of Musculoskeletal Disorders CT and US 2003-2010
Source BLS Website httpdatablsgovcgi-bindsrvch Rates are cases per 10000 full time employees Musculoskeletal conditions are the most common category of specific injury and illness conditions and is a category that includes both chronic conditions and sprains and strains from overexertion (approximately 75 of these cases nationally) BLS defines this fairly complex category as ldquoIncludes cases where the nature of injury is sprains strains tears back pain hurt back soreness pain hurt except back carpal tunnel syndrome hernia or musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases and disorders and when the event or exposure leading to the injury or illness is bodily reactionbending climbing crawling reaching twisting overexertion or repetition Cases of Raynauds phenomenon tarsal tunnel syndrome and herniated spinal discs are not includedrdquo Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) was the most common specific illness in Connecticut increasing from 22 cases per 10000 workers in 2009 to 25 in 2010 (Figure C-4) Tendonitis also increased from 05 cases to 07 cases per 10000 Connecticut was over double the national rates for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and somewhat higher for tendonitis CTS had a very high number of lost work days with a median of 28 days of lost time per case (compared to 8 days for all cases of injury and illness) in Connecticut and tendonitis was a median of 12 days
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
CT
US
12
Figure C-4 Rates of Conditions Lost-time Only Private Sector US amp CT 2007-2010
Source BLS Website httpdatablsgovcgi-bindsrvch Rates are cases per 10000 full time employees CTS=Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Connecticut lost time cases coded as ldquorepetitive motionrdquo for cause stayed almost even at 53 cases per 10000 workers from 54 in 2009 this Connecticut rate was 51 higher than the US rate of 35 Repetitive motion lost time cases had a median of 28 days away from work
0
05
1
15
2
25
CT US CT US
CTS Tendonitis
2007
2008
2009
2010
13
D Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Data There were a total of 5772 reports in the Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database for 2010 a 10 decrease from 2009 driven by a 15 decrease in the largest category of MSD with combined with a 9 decrease in infectious disease There were slight increases in lung skin and other disorders Almost two-thirds (60) of reports were due to chronic musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and tendonitis Infectious disease accounted for 13 of the cases respiratory diseases (including nonspecific respiratory illness and chronic lung conditions such as asthma and asbestos-related illnesses and exposures) 8 skin diseases 4 and ldquoOther Illnessesrdquo (which includes heart conditions stress cases noise-induced hearing loss and other conditions) 15 Table D-1 Occupational Disease by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness type Cases Cases of total
Change Musculoskeletal Disorders (MS) 4055 3435 60 -15 Infectious Disease 845 768 13 -9 Respiratory Disorders 433 465 8 7 Skin Disorders 220 239 4 9 Other Illnesses 832 865 15 4 Total 6385 5772 100 -10
Overall 44 of reports were for women but this varied by type of case (Figure D-1) with higher proportions than that average for infectious disease (57 women) musculoskeletal disorders (47) and stress (53) but lower levels for skin conditions (25 heart and hypertension (19) and ldquoother illnessrdquo (27) Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector Government and EducationHealth had the largest number of cases (20
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
19
57
47
27
41
25
53
14
each additional government cases are counted in the Education and Health care sector) followed by Manufacturing (19) and Wholesale and Retail Trade (16) Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illness is approximately 35 cases per 1000 workers with the highest rates for Manufacturing (60 or 53 higher than the overall rate) and Government (54 the actual government rate is higher because some government worker cases are classified under Education and Other sectors) TransportationUtilities (44) EducationHealth care (38) Trade (37) and Information Services (35)
ConstructionAg Mine 3
Manufacturing 19
Trade 16
TransportUtilities 4
Info Services 2
FinanceInsurRE 4
Business Services
7
EducationHealth 20
LeisureOther Services 5
Government 20
15
Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010 NAICS Sector Cases Rate Employment
Employment ConstructionAgMine 189 3 29 65000 4 Manufacturing 1066 18 60 178200 11 Trade 908 16 37 247200 15 TransportUtilities 207 4 44 46900 3 Information Services 133 2 35 38500 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 229 4 16 140700 9 Business Services 382 7 19 200300 12 EducationHealth 1105 19 38 292700 18 LeisureOther Services 273 5 13 213800 13 Government 1121 19 54 207900 13 Unknown 159 3 Total 5772 100 35 1629300 100
Notes Employment is adjusted for hours worked Rows do not add up to total due to reports that could not be coded for industry Rates are illnesses per 1000 workers Government illnesses do not include some cases that are classified under other categories such as education and health services Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
Other Respiratory Infect MSD Skin Total ConstructionAgMine 16 2 18 4 0 144 4 11 5 189 3 Manufacturing 164 19 61 13 4 1 813 24 24 10 1066 19 Trade 95 11 35 8 20 3 736 22 22 9 908 16 TransportUtilities 24 3 10 2 17 2 145 4 11 5 207 4 Information Services 10 1 7 2 4 1 107 3 5 2 133 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 38 5 15 3 7 1 166 5 3 1 229 4 Business Services 53 6 55 12 24 3 222 7 28 12 382 7 EducationHealth 95 11 100 22 398 53 476 14 36 16 1105 19 LeisureOther Services 39 5 28 6 13 2 178 5 15 6 273 5 Government 308 37 124 27 266 35 346 10 77 33 1121 20 Subtotal 842 100 453 100 753 100 3333 100 232 100 5613 100 Unknown 23 12 15 102 7 159 Total 865 465 768 3435 239 5772
16
Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseases were concentrated in EducationHealth (53) and Government (35) Respiratory diseases were concentrated in Government (27) EducationHealth (22) Manufacturing (13) and Business Services (12) Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) were most prevalent in Manufacturing (24) and Trade (22) EducationHealth (14) and Government (10) Skin cases were most common in Government (33) EducationHealth (16) Business Services (12) and Manufacturing (10) Other illnesses which include heart and hypertension stress and hearing loss cases (see below) were most common in Government (37) Manufacturing (19) Trade (11) and EducationHealth (11) These figures are based on numbers of cases and not rates so they are not adjusted for the employment size in the different sectors (which can be noted in Table D-2 for comparison) Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of illnesses at 870 reports followed by Educational services (526 reports) which are also primarily Local Government Police and Fire departments (226 reports) are categorized separately and are also primarily Local Government Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (154) Ambulatory Health Care Services (147) Professional Scientific and Technical Services (144) General Merchandise Stores (142) Hospitals (136) Machinery Manufacturing (123) Specialty Trade Contractors (122) Food Services and Drinking Places (113) and Telecommunications (107) Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Police and Fire had the highest rate at 153 followed by Educational services (101) and Food Products Manufacturing (100) All but 7 of the sectors had a rate higher than the state average of 35
17
Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010 Specific Industry Sector NAICS Cases Employment Rate Local government 921 870 137400 63 Educational Services 611 526 52000 101 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 336 365 43500 84 Food and Beverage Stores 445 255 38800 66 Nursing and Residential Care Facilities 623 237 60200 39 Police and Fire 922 226 14800 153 Administrative and Support Services 561 194 74500 26 Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 332 154 31300 49 Ambulatory Health Care Services 621 147 16100 91 Professional Scientific and Technical Services 541 144 91400 16 General Merchandise Stores 452 142 25800 55 Hospitals 622 136 60400 23 General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing 333 123 16800 73 Specialty Trade Contractors 238 122 42900 28 Food Services and Drinking Places 722 113 100200 11 Telecommunications 517 107 12600 85 Merchant Wholesalers Nondurable Goods 424 95 Merchant Wholesalers Durable Goods 423 95 Electric Power Generation 221 92 Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing 334 78 14000 56 Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (Banks) 522 73 Food Products 311 71 7100 100 Social Assistance 624 59 42800 14 Hardware Stores 444 57 15000 38 Motor Vehicle Dealers 441 54 19800 27
Local government also includes cases that are tabulated in other specific sectors such as educational services and police and fire Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) ldquoMusculoskeletal disordersrdquo is the currently-used term for conditions also known as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries There were 3435 MSDs reported to workersrsquo compensation in 2010 an decrease of 15 from 2009 (Table D-5) MSDs accounted for over half (60) of the reported occupational diseases to Workersrsquo Compensation MSDs presented here do not include any cases for the lower back (since the descriptions of back conditions are typically not sufficient to be able to distinguish between acute and cumulative back injuries) nor do MSDs include any acute injury condition from sudden events Strains and sprains (which does not include acute strains or sprains) was the most common category of MSD with 65 of reports (Table D-5) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) which is a pinching of the median nerve at the wrist accounted for 14 of total MSD reports Other nerve-related problems (with symptoms of numbness or tingling) accounted for an additional 4 of cases Tendon-related problems included tendonitis and tenosynovitis (3) and epicondylitis (ldquotennis elbowrdquo or ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo 1) ganglion cysts (1) and
18
trigger finger (1) A large number of cases did not have a specific description other than ldquoinflammationrdquo (lt1) or ldquopainrdquo (6) or no specific description (6) Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
MSD Type Cases Cases Change Sprainstrain 2193 2219 65 1 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 484 476 14 -2 Pain 859 189 6 -78 Numbness 147 153 4 4 Tendonitistenosynovitis 85 86 3 1 Ganglion cyst 42 29 1 -31 Epicondylitis 28 28 1 0 Trigger finger 24 28 1 17 Inflammation 54 16 0 -70 Arthritisbursitis 17 12 0 -29 Rotator cuff 23 0 0 -100 OtherUnknown 99 199 6 101 Total 4055 3435 100 -15
Almost all the cases of MSD were in the upper extremity of the body (note that lower back cases were excluded from these figures) Almost half (44) of total MSD cases were for the hand wrist and lower arm (Table D-6) Other affected parts of the body included 8 elbow and 25 shoulder neck and ldquoupper extremityrdquo Only 11 were for the legs knees and feet Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
Part of body Cases Percent Lower Arm Wrist Hand 1520 44 Upper Arm Shoulder Upper Extremity 842 25 Legs Knees and Feet 389 11 Elbow 277 8 Neck and Upper Back 123 4 Multiple 196 6 OtherUnknown 88 3 3435 100
Causes of conditions were often incomplete overlapping and not consistently coded nor described Approximately 81 of MSD cases had enough description to show some cause Of the MSDs that could be classified the most frequently mentioned cause was the broad category of ldquorepetitionrdquo (28 of cases) although this was frequently just from a general description and often used to describe any chronic musculoskeletal problem (see Table D-7) This was followed by lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (8) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (8)
19
Table D-7 Reported Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) WCC 2010 Cause of MSD Reports
Repetitive 784 28 Lifting 557 20 PushPull 471 17 Computerclerical 234 8 Toolsvibration 219 8 Reaching 88 3 Cleaning 58 2 Bendingkneelingcrawling 53 2 Driving 45 2 Assembly 43 2 Machine 38 1 Walkingrunningmoving 35 1 Graspinggrippingsqueezing 29 1 Exercisesportstraining 25 1 sittingstanding 23 1 Positioning 20 1 Climbing 16 1 Twistingtightening 11 0 Carrying 11 0 Shovelingsweeping 11 0 Scooping 10 0 Cake decorating 7 0 Selectingsortinginspecting 6 0 Total 2794 100
Infectious Diseases There were 768 reports of infectious diseases or exposures in the database for 2010 (Table D-8) a 9 decrease from 2009 Infectious disease reports include both actual disease and exposure to potentially infectious agents There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens (including reports of exposure to HIVAIDS and Hepatitis C) accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were 26 cases of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB There were 59 reports of tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme disease attributed to occupational exposures There were 20 reports of exposure or cases of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or staph infection that responds poorly to antibiotics) or other staph infection 15 cases of scabies or lice exposuresillnesses and 18 reports of meningitis exposure There were no reports of exposure to or cases of h1n1 flu in contrast to 2009
20
Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness Cases Cases Change Human biteUrine 301 36 273 36 -9 Bloodbody fluids 154 18 140 18 -9 Sharp and needlestick exposures 100 12 140 18 40 Lyme DiseaseTick bite 87 10 59 8 -32 Hepatitis 21 2 28 4 33 TBppd conversionexposure 40 5 26 3 -35 Other infectious 14 2 21 3 50 MRSAstaph 36 4 20 3 -44 Meningitis exposure 20 2 18 2 -10 Scabieslice 31 4 15 2 -52 Rabies 8 1 12 2 50 Chicken pox measles whooping cough 7 1 10 1 43 e-colisewage 6 1 6 1 0 h1n1 flu 22 3 0 0 -100 Total 847 100 768 100 -9
Recent court decisions have broadened the definition of compensable disease to include exposures particularly where exposure requires medical treatment such as prophylactic treatments such as for tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS (HIV) exposures There has recently been considerable attention paid to Lyme disease among outdoor workers resulting in more reports of tick bites although these reports were down in 2010 It is often difficult to determine whether the first report of injury was actual disease or only exposure (for example actual Lyme disease or only a report of a tick bite) Similarly it is usually not clear in the reports of needlestick and sharps injuries whether the source patient or client was actually infected with any of the known bloodborne diseases There were additional reports of exposure to ldquospitrdquo or ldquosputumrdquo that are not reported here since risks tend to be very low from such exposures Diseases that can be contracted through blood and body fluid exposures include hepatitis B C and HIV Human bites or exposures to body fluids such as urine are also related to bloodborne diseases Transmission is much less likely when a worker is exposed to urine or a human bite than transmission occurring from blood particularly for HIV Blood to blood exposure is the highest risk such as from needlesticks or sharps injuries Altercations or arrests with prisoners or clients accounted for the vast majority of human bites as well as some of the other bloodborne exposures Respiratory Illness and Poisonings Asbestos-related asthma lung cancer and other lung diseases are addressed in the next section In addition to these conditions there were 328 cases of other respiratory illnesses ndash mostly nonspecific respiratory illness with a few cases of pneumonia and laryngitis in the database for 2010 and 65 cases of poisonings from carbon monoxide other gases mercury or lead (Table D-9) an overall increase of 29 from 2009 Exposure to chemicals was the most common cause of illness (33) followed by exposures to dust or fumes (17) general indoor air quality (IAQ) or mold (12) and smoke (9) There were 45 cases of exposure to carbon monoxide or other gases and fumes and 13 reports of exposure to mercury and 7 to lead
21
Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10 Cause 2009 2010
Respiratory Cases Cases Change Chemical Exposure 71 23 129 33 82 Dustfumes 73 24 67 17 -8 IAQmoldodor 40 13 48 12 20 Smoke Fire 47 15 37 9 -21 Other Respiratory 40 13 47 12 18 Respiratory subtotal 271 328 83
Poisoning Lead 0 0 7 2 Mercury 0 0 13 3 Carbon monoxidegasfumes 34 11 45 11 32 Poisoning Subtotal 34 65 Total 305 100 393 100 29
In addition to the general categories of smoke specific chemical exposures mentioned included battery fumes (13) floor strippersealant (6) heavy metals in a fire (6) perfumecologne (5) bug spray (4) bleach (3) carpet cleaner (2) paint (2) spray foam (2) cement Lysol antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive Chronic Lung Conditions There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified under respiratory conditions and poisonings (above)
Asbestos There were 30 reports of asbestos-related disease or exposures in 2010 The descriptions of the cases often made it difficult to determine whether the cases were actual disease or only exposure to asbestos since it is difficult to know whether they are describing historic exposures that contributed to current disease or current exposures that raise the risk of future disease) although there was at least one fatality and four mesothelioma cases (listed under cancer) Asbestos exposure is known to increase the risk of lung disease and cancer If disease occurs as a result it often appears between 10-40 years after exposure Asbestos disease may be under-reported by traditional surveillance sources such as Workersrsquo Compensation Industries for asbestos conditions were primarily transportation equipment manufacturing (13) and government (6) Other Chronic Lung Conditions There were 30 occupational asthma cases reported in 2010 a decrease of 33 The most common causes mentioned were indoor air quality or mold (15) chemicals and cleaners (5) smoke (2) and dustfumes (2) Government and schools (13 combined) were the most common industries for asthma cases
22
Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10 Illness 2009 2010 Change
Asbestos-related 83 30 -64 Asthmabronchitis 45 30 -33 Allergies 5 -100 Cancer 5 3 -40 Other chronic lung 9 Total 138 72 -48
Skin Conditions There were 239 skin conditions in the database in 2010 (Table D-11) an increase of 9 There were 119 cases of contact dermatitis from poison ivy or other plants (50 of all skin cases) There were 8 cases of allergic reactions to latex gloves or other clothing and 4 associated with soap or cleaning products There were 20 cases caused by chemicals and 71 cases just described as rashes Substances associated with skin conditions included trichorethylene fire proofing materials hand sanitizer a calcium bag epoxy coolant antifreeze cosmetics (2) dish detergent (2) car cleaner plastic carbon fibers gasoline photographic chemicals adhesive laundry detergents (2) carpet adhesive and fiberglass Government (69 cases) and schools (27) were the most frequent industry sectors for skin conditions Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Poison Ivyplants 107 119 50 11 Chemical 36 20 8 -44 Allergic 7 17 7 143 GlovesLatexclothing 14 8 3 -43 SoapCleaning 7 4 2 -43 Patient care 2 0 0 -100 RashOtherUnknown 47 71 30 51 Total 220 239 100 9
23
Stress and Heart Conditions
Heart and Hypertension There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions 22 reported strokes or blood clots and 102 described symptoms of chest pain or mentioned angina often associated with emergency care at a hospital There were 109 cases that described the condition as hypertension or ldquoheart and hypertensionrdquo (the usual legal term for heart or hypertension cases that are covered for police and fire fighters) An additional 21 were other heart-related conditions predominately testing abnormalities on EKG or unusual symptoms involving the heart or chest Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal employees who are frequently covered under heart and hypertension laws that consider those conditions to be work-related for workersrsquo compensation purposes Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Hypertension 99 109 36 10 Chest painanginasymptoms 71 102 34 44 Heart attack 51 50 16 -2 Other heart 40 21 7 -48 Strokeclots 21 22 7 5
Total 282 304 100 8 Mental Stress There were a total of 128 stress-related claims in the database in 2010 an increase of 13 over 2009 There were 33 cases which cited reactions to violence robbery or trauma (such as witnessing or being in auto accidents) 14 cases that were attributed to conflicts with supervisors or promotions and 12 cases were attributed to harassment or hostile work environments (Table D-13) There were 17 claims related to excessive job demands or aspects of job duties There were 49 that were simply defined as ldquostressrdquo without further explanation There were also several stress-related cases that are classified under heart conditions (See Table D-12 above) Specific examples of situations causing stress include robberies with guns an explosion at the workplace assaults a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect harassment having to stay with a dead body after a shooting verbal abuse from a residentrsquos family job transfer a failed surgery and witnessing suicide
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
3
Tables Table A-1 Summary of Occupational Diseases Reported by Systems 2008 - 2010 5 Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010 8 Table C-2 Illness Rates per 10000 Workers by Industry and Type of Illness CT 2010 10 Table D-1 Occupational Disease by Type WCC 2009 - 2010 13 Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010 15 Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010 15 Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease 2010 17 Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Type WCC 2009 - 2010 18 Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010 18 Table D-7 Reported Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders WCC 2010 19 Table D-8 Infectious Disease and Exposures by Type WCC 2009 - 2010 20 Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip21 Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009 - 2010 22 Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009 - 2010 22 Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009 - 2010 23 Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009 - 2010 24 Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009 - 2010 24 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010 25 Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 27 Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Type OIISS 2009 2010 28 Table E-4 Common Causes of MSD OIISS 2010helliphelliphelliphelliphelliphelliphellip29 Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010 30 Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisonings by Type OIISS 2009 2010 31 Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009 - 2010 32 Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 33 Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 1979 - 2010 38 Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 1979 - 2010 39
4
Figures Figure C-1 Rates of Occupational Illness by Type US and CT 2010 9 Figure C-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type and Year CT 2002 - 2010 9 Figure C-3 Rates of Musculoskeletal Disorders CT and US 2003 - 2010 11 Figure C-4 Rates of Conditions Lost-time Only Private Sector US amp CT 2007 - 2010 12 Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010 13 Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC 2010 14 Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OIISS 2010 26 Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010 26 Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010 29 Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010 30 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010 31 Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported by System 2010 34 Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010 35
5
A Executive Summary This report focuses on occupational disease reports for 2010 and recent trends in reported cases It does not address traumatic occupational injuries which are addressed in the annual report on occupational injuries and illnesses by the Connecticut Department of Labor (httpwwwctdolstatectusoshashstatshtm) Occupational diseases are typically harder to detect than injuries since they often occur over longer periods of time and can have multiple (including non-occupational) risks Therefore this report uses data from three primary sources as a way of establishing a more complete picture of occupational disease Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury cases (WCC) physiciansrsquo reports under the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) and the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA Annual Survey (BLS) Table A-1 Summary of Diseases Reported by Systems 2008-2010
Type of Disease BLSConn-OSHA WCC OIISS (Physicians) 2008 2009 2010 2008 2009 2010 2008 2009 2010
Respiratory amp poisonings 400 300 300 587 433 465 142 140 56
Lead 364 304 443 Skin 700 600 700 275 220 239 302 193 102 Musculoskeletal 3607 4055 3435 827 411 208 Hearing loss 400 500 300 191 190 179 19 5 6 Other 2100 2000 1700 1577 1487 1454 78 993 374 Total 3600 3400 3000 6237 6385 5772 1732 2046 1189
Sources BLS Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA WCC CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission First Report of Injury database OIISS Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System Notes Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) definitions vary somewhat between systems 2008 OIISS infectious category does not include bloodborne infection OIISS data is incomplete for 2010 Laboratory reports on lead are from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance program MSD is included in the ldquootherrdquo category for BLSConn-OSHA data Infectious diseases physical hazards allergies and cancer are included in the ldquootherrdquo category for the Workersrsquo Compensation data Infectious diseases are included in the ldquootherrsquorsquo for the OIISS data 2008 OIISS infectious category does not include bloodborne infections Table A-1 summarizes the data from the three different sources for 2008 through 2010 The OIISS data was incomplete for 2010 Approximately 3000 cases of occupational diseases were reported under the BLSConn-OSHA survey 5772 through the workersrsquo compensation first report of injuries for 2010 and 1189 for OIISS The number of reports in 2010 decreased from 2009 in each database 12 in the BLS system 10 for workers compensation and 42 for physiciansrsquo reports The trend is consistent in the three databases explored however because the data provided was incomplete in the OIISS the magnitude reported may be artificially high Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and tendonitis dominated the workersrsquo compensation reports accounting for 60 of reports but were only 28 of the physicians reports (not including the laboratory-based lead reports) MSD has not been broken out by BLS since 2002 but MSD cases are presumed to be the main portion of the ldquoother illnessrdquo category Respiratory diseases which include respiratory conditions and lung disease such as asthma accounted for 8-10 of cases ldquoOther diseasesrdquo which includes infectious diseases physical hazards such as heat and cold exposures allergies cancer and others accounted for 25-57 of cases (the main component of ldquoother diseasesrdquo in workersrsquo compensation is infectious disease but is MSD for BLS) Skin conditions accounted for 4-23 of the illnesses reported Lead poisoning is tracked separately and is based on laboratory reports to the Connecticut Department of Public Health
6
There was an overall illness rate of 231 cases per 10000 workers based on the BLS survey a 10 decrease in the rate from 2009 The CT rate was 95 higher than the average national rate The highest specific sector rate was Education and Health at 422 with the highest rate of illness per 10000 workers categorized asldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 234 and second-highest for skin conditions (149) Manufacturing was second highest at 417 (a 23 decrease from 2009) with the highest rates for ldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 194 and hearing loss at 154 Local Government was third highest overall at 384 (a 28 drop from 2009) which included the highest rate of ldquoOtherrdquo (245) and second-highest for skin (52) Information services had a fairly high rate of ldquootherrdquo conditions though was low for other illnesses State government had the highest rate of respiratory conditions (67) among all sectors second-highest skin conditions rate and fourth highest overall rate Overall 44 of reports were for women but this varied by type of case with higher proportions than that average for infectious disease (57 women) musculoskeletal disorders (47) and stress (53) but lower levels for skin conditions (25) heart and hypertension (19) and ldquoother illnessrdquo (27) Based on physician reports where race and ethnicity were known 18 of reports were identified as black and 10 were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age The most common specific physician diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (OIISS) The most common causes for MSD were ldquorepetitionrdquo lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (7) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (7 WCC) Non-specific respiratory conditions were the most common type of lung condition reported by physicians with 46 of reports Exposures associated with respiratory illness included battery fumes floor strippersealant heavy metals in a fire perfumecologne bug spray bleach carpet cleaner paint spray foam cement Lysol cleaning product antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol paint thinner morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive tetrahydrofuran pepper spray methyl methacrylate and colophony (OIISS and WCC) Causes of skin conditions as attributed by physicians included poison ivy cleaning chemicals other chemicals dust solvents and latex or gloves (OIISS) Infectious disease and exposures were reported through workersrsquo compensation There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and body fluids and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were also reports of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme Disease attributed to occupational exposures MRSA (staph infections that are resistant to antibiotics) and meningitis exposure (WCC)
7
B Introduction This report provides an overview of what is known about occupational disease in Connecticut based on 2010 data It is one of a series of annual reports on occupational disease developed for the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission under the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) By monitoring trends this system helps prevent occupational disease by targeting prevention activities such as education encouraging effective safety and health committees and programs and investigating of clusters of disease The system is a cooperative venture by the Department of Public Health Department of Labor Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and a number of occupational health clinics (Connecticut General Statutes 31-396 to 31-402) Physicians are required to report occupational disease under Connecticut General Statute 31-399 This report combines available data from a number of systems bull Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration (BLSConn-OSHA)
Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses bull Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology Surveillance System (ABLES) bull Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports or OIISS in this
report) bull Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Employer First Reports of Injury (referred to as Workersrsquo
Compensation or WCC in this report) Acknowledgements Several people have contributed data and other help to this report We would like to thank especially Erin Wilkins of the Department of Labor Bob Artus and Peter Miecznikowski of the Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and Thomas St Louis and Albert Deloreto of the Department of Public Health Colleagues at the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center have contributed ideas and resolved questions Overview of Report This report covers occupational disease data for calendar year 2010 (the OIISS dataset for 2010 is incomplete) It is divided into three primary sections based on the data source It begins with the BLSConn-OSHA time trends followed by data from the Workers Compensation First Reports of Injury followed by data from physiciansrsquo reports (OIISS) All three data sources provide somewhat different information For example the BLSConn-OSHA provides comparisons to US data but is based on a survey rather than all reports Workersrsquo Compensation data includes all lost-time cases for all employers but does not include physiciansrsquo diagnosis The physiciansrsquo reporting system has more precise diagnoses but a large number of physicians do not report into the system Prior studies of cumulative trauma (musculoskeletal disorders) reports in Connecticut have found that there is only a small overlap between the Workersrsquo Compensation Reports and the physiciansrsquo reports indicating that total numbers are higher than the individual system totals
8
C Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Surveys In cooperation with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Conn-OSHA conducts an annual survey of employers for job-related injuries and illnesses Conn-OSHA issues an annual report that provides data on injuries (available at httpwwwctdolstatectusoshashstatshtm) Our report focuses on illnesses and includes data from Conn-OSHA that is not published in that report Since these statistics are based on a survey rather than a census numbers and rates are estimated and are rounded off The Connecticut Department of Labor acknowledges that the BLSConn-OSHA survey under-counts occupational diseases particularly chronic diseases since these are frequently not recognized nor reported Occupational Illnesses in 2010 There were approximately 3000 reported cases of occupational illnesses in 2010 (Figure C-1 and Table C-1) with a rate of 231 per 10000 workers a 12 decrease in rate from 2009 Two categories decreased including a 15 decrease in ldquoother illnessesrdquo (which consists primarily of repetitive trauma cases) which is the largest category of cases and hearing loss (40 decrease) The rate of respiratory illnesses remained constant and skin conditions increased by 17 Poisonings were too low to meet publishing criteria Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
2009 2010 Change Cases Rates Cases Rates in Rate
Skin 600 47 700 51 9 Poisonings -- -- -- -- Respiratory 300 23 300 21 -9 Hearing loss 500 35 300 25 -29 Other Illnesses 2000 15 1700 131 -13 Total 3400 256 3000 231 -10
Source BLSConn-OSHA Rates are per 10000 workers adjusted for hours worked Total differs due to rounding for the survey Includes public sector ldquomdashldquo indicates numbers too smallunreliable to publish Overall rates for Connecticut in 2010 were higher than the US rates for all types of illness (Figure C-1) The overall Connecticut rate (231 cases per 10000 workers) was 95 higher than US rate (211) Connecticutrsquos occupational illness rate was the 15th highest out of 41 reporting states (where a 1 ranking is the highest rate) The higher CT rates in relation to the US were driven by the somewhat higher rates for skin conditions (50 higher) hearing loss (19 higher) and respiratory conditions (11 higher) Rates are adjusted for hours worked and are based on 41 states that report into the system Overall illness rates were 216 for the private sector and 340 for public sector in Connecticut compared to US average rates of 181 (19 higher for CT) and 386 (12 lower for CT) respectively In Connecticut the number of illnesses increased slightly from 2002-2005 then generally decreased through 2010 (Figure C-2)
9
Figure C-1 Rates of Occupational Illness by Type US and CT 2010
Source BLS and Conn-OSHA Rates per 10000 workers adjusted for hours worked Figure C-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type and Year CT 2002-2010
Source BLSConn-OSHA Survey
0
5
10
15
20
25
Skin Poisonings Respiratory Hearing loss Other Illnesses
Total
34
03 19 21
133
211
51
21 25
131
231
US
CT
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
62 69 64 63 43 47 51 47 51
24 38 27 36
18 27 22 23 21
06 02
03
03 02 1
36 28
33 34 27 35 25
237 24 221 233
188 182 154
15 131
Other
Hearing
Poison
Respir
Skin
10
Illnesses by Industry Numbers and rates by industry sector for 2010 are presented in Table C-2 Overall the adjusted rate is 231 cases of occupational illness per 10000 CT workers slightly lower than the 2009 rate of 256 The overall private sector rate was 216 (compared to 243 in 2009) with a government rate of 340 (57 higher than the private sector rate) The government rate was much lower than last yearrsquos rate of 416 Table C-2 Illness Rates per 10000 Workers by Industry and Type of Illness CT 2010 Total Skin Respiratory Poison Hearing Other Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Total all industries 231 3000 51 700 21 300 25 300 131 1700
Private Industry only 216 2400 51 600 17 200 25 300 121 1400
Goods Producing 332 700 49 100 12 117 300 153 300
Natural resources and mining
Construction
Manufacturing 417 700 56 100 14 154 300 194 300
Service Providing 189 1700 52 500 18 200 03 113 100
Trade transport utilities 129 300 29 100 08 10 81 200
Information 170 115
Financial activities 142 200 96 100
Professionalbusiness services 120 200 86 100
Education and health 422 900 149 300 27 100 234 500
Leisure and hospitality 56 100 23 22
Other services
Government total 340 500 54 100 55 100 204 300
State Government 263 100 58 67 132 100
Local Government 384 400 52 100 48 245 200
Source Conn-OSHA Rates are adjusted for hours worked and are per 10000 full-time workers Indicates too little data for reliable estimates The highest specific sector rate was Education and Health at 422 with the highest rate of illness per 10000 workers categorized asldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 234 and second-highest for skin conditions (149) Manufacturing was second highest at 417 (a 23 decrease from 2009) with the highest rates for ldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 194 and hearing loss at 154 Local Government was third highest overall at 384 (a 28 drop from 2009) which included the highest rate of ldquoOtherrdquo (245) and second-highest for skin (52) Information services had a fairly high rate of ldquootherrdquo conditions though was low for other illnesses State government had the highest rate of respiratory conditions (67) among all sectors second-highest skin conditions rate and fourth highest overall rate Lost-Time Illnesses BLS obtains additional data for the subset of cases that result in lost worktime (restricted work cases are not included in this section which is about half again the number of lost worktime cases) that provide additional detail on specific conditions and causes We are presenting here this data for conditions that are more chronic in nature (usually classified as occupational illness) Musculoskeletal Conditions Musculoskeletal conditions with lost time increased 6 to 6600 cases (516 cases per 10000 workers) up from a rate of 476 in 2009 (Figure C-3) The Connecticut rate is 50 higher than the national MSD rate of 343 MSD accounted for 33 of the total of 19930 lost time injuries and illnesses in Connecticut Rates in
11
Connecticut have declined 19 over the 8-year period National rates for all private and public employees have only been available since 2008 Figure C-3 Rates of Musculoskeletal Disorders CT and US 2003-2010
Source BLS Website httpdatablsgovcgi-bindsrvch Rates are cases per 10000 full time employees Musculoskeletal conditions are the most common category of specific injury and illness conditions and is a category that includes both chronic conditions and sprains and strains from overexertion (approximately 75 of these cases nationally) BLS defines this fairly complex category as ldquoIncludes cases where the nature of injury is sprains strains tears back pain hurt back soreness pain hurt except back carpal tunnel syndrome hernia or musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases and disorders and when the event or exposure leading to the injury or illness is bodily reactionbending climbing crawling reaching twisting overexertion or repetition Cases of Raynauds phenomenon tarsal tunnel syndrome and herniated spinal discs are not includedrdquo Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) was the most common specific illness in Connecticut increasing from 22 cases per 10000 workers in 2009 to 25 in 2010 (Figure C-4) Tendonitis also increased from 05 cases to 07 cases per 10000 Connecticut was over double the national rates for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and somewhat higher for tendonitis CTS had a very high number of lost work days with a median of 28 days of lost time per case (compared to 8 days for all cases of injury and illness) in Connecticut and tendonitis was a median of 12 days
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
CT
US
12
Figure C-4 Rates of Conditions Lost-time Only Private Sector US amp CT 2007-2010
Source BLS Website httpdatablsgovcgi-bindsrvch Rates are cases per 10000 full time employees CTS=Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Connecticut lost time cases coded as ldquorepetitive motionrdquo for cause stayed almost even at 53 cases per 10000 workers from 54 in 2009 this Connecticut rate was 51 higher than the US rate of 35 Repetitive motion lost time cases had a median of 28 days away from work
0
05
1
15
2
25
CT US CT US
CTS Tendonitis
2007
2008
2009
2010
13
D Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Data There were a total of 5772 reports in the Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database for 2010 a 10 decrease from 2009 driven by a 15 decrease in the largest category of MSD with combined with a 9 decrease in infectious disease There were slight increases in lung skin and other disorders Almost two-thirds (60) of reports were due to chronic musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and tendonitis Infectious disease accounted for 13 of the cases respiratory diseases (including nonspecific respiratory illness and chronic lung conditions such as asthma and asbestos-related illnesses and exposures) 8 skin diseases 4 and ldquoOther Illnessesrdquo (which includes heart conditions stress cases noise-induced hearing loss and other conditions) 15 Table D-1 Occupational Disease by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness type Cases Cases of total
Change Musculoskeletal Disorders (MS) 4055 3435 60 -15 Infectious Disease 845 768 13 -9 Respiratory Disorders 433 465 8 7 Skin Disorders 220 239 4 9 Other Illnesses 832 865 15 4 Total 6385 5772 100 -10
Overall 44 of reports were for women but this varied by type of case (Figure D-1) with higher proportions than that average for infectious disease (57 women) musculoskeletal disorders (47) and stress (53) but lower levels for skin conditions (25 heart and hypertension (19) and ldquoother illnessrdquo (27) Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector Government and EducationHealth had the largest number of cases (20
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
19
57
47
27
41
25
53
14
each additional government cases are counted in the Education and Health care sector) followed by Manufacturing (19) and Wholesale and Retail Trade (16) Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illness is approximately 35 cases per 1000 workers with the highest rates for Manufacturing (60 or 53 higher than the overall rate) and Government (54 the actual government rate is higher because some government worker cases are classified under Education and Other sectors) TransportationUtilities (44) EducationHealth care (38) Trade (37) and Information Services (35)
ConstructionAg Mine 3
Manufacturing 19
Trade 16
TransportUtilities 4
Info Services 2
FinanceInsurRE 4
Business Services
7
EducationHealth 20
LeisureOther Services 5
Government 20
15
Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010 NAICS Sector Cases Rate Employment
Employment ConstructionAgMine 189 3 29 65000 4 Manufacturing 1066 18 60 178200 11 Trade 908 16 37 247200 15 TransportUtilities 207 4 44 46900 3 Information Services 133 2 35 38500 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 229 4 16 140700 9 Business Services 382 7 19 200300 12 EducationHealth 1105 19 38 292700 18 LeisureOther Services 273 5 13 213800 13 Government 1121 19 54 207900 13 Unknown 159 3 Total 5772 100 35 1629300 100
Notes Employment is adjusted for hours worked Rows do not add up to total due to reports that could not be coded for industry Rates are illnesses per 1000 workers Government illnesses do not include some cases that are classified under other categories such as education and health services Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
Other Respiratory Infect MSD Skin Total ConstructionAgMine 16 2 18 4 0 144 4 11 5 189 3 Manufacturing 164 19 61 13 4 1 813 24 24 10 1066 19 Trade 95 11 35 8 20 3 736 22 22 9 908 16 TransportUtilities 24 3 10 2 17 2 145 4 11 5 207 4 Information Services 10 1 7 2 4 1 107 3 5 2 133 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 38 5 15 3 7 1 166 5 3 1 229 4 Business Services 53 6 55 12 24 3 222 7 28 12 382 7 EducationHealth 95 11 100 22 398 53 476 14 36 16 1105 19 LeisureOther Services 39 5 28 6 13 2 178 5 15 6 273 5 Government 308 37 124 27 266 35 346 10 77 33 1121 20 Subtotal 842 100 453 100 753 100 3333 100 232 100 5613 100 Unknown 23 12 15 102 7 159 Total 865 465 768 3435 239 5772
16
Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseases were concentrated in EducationHealth (53) and Government (35) Respiratory diseases were concentrated in Government (27) EducationHealth (22) Manufacturing (13) and Business Services (12) Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) were most prevalent in Manufacturing (24) and Trade (22) EducationHealth (14) and Government (10) Skin cases were most common in Government (33) EducationHealth (16) Business Services (12) and Manufacturing (10) Other illnesses which include heart and hypertension stress and hearing loss cases (see below) were most common in Government (37) Manufacturing (19) Trade (11) and EducationHealth (11) These figures are based on numbers of cases and not rates so they are not adjusted for the employment size in the different sectors (which can be noted in Table D-2 for comparison) Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of illnesses at 870 reports followed by Educational services (526 reports) which are also primarily Local Government Police and Fire departments (226 reports) are categorized separately and are also primarily Local Government Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (154) Ambulatory Health Care Services (147) Professional Scientific and Technical Services (144) General Merchandise Stores (142) Hospitals (136) Machinery Manufacturing (123) Specialty Trade Contractors (122) Food Services and Drinking Places (113) and Telecommunications (107) Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Police and Fire had the highest rate at 153 followed by Educational services (101) and Food Products Manufacturing (100) All but 7 of the sectors had a rate higher than the state average of 35
17
Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010 Specific Industry Sector NAICS Cases Employment Rate Local government 921 870 137400 63 Educational Services 611 526 52000 101 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 336 365 43500 84 Food and Beverage Stores 445 255 38800 66 Nursing and Residential Care Facilities 623 237 60200 39 Police and Fire 922 226 14800 153 Administrative and Support Services 561 194 74500 26 Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 332 154 31300 49 Ambulatory Health Care Services 621 147 16100 91 Professional Scientific and Technical Services 541 144 91400 16 General Merchandise Stores 452 142 25800 55 Hospitals 622 136 60400 23 General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing 333 123 16800 73 Specialty Trade Contractors 238 122 42900 28 Food Services and Drinking Places 722 113 100200 11 Telecommunications 517 107 12600 85 Merchant Wholesalers Nondurable Goods 424 95 Merchant Wholesalers Durable Goods 423 95 Electric Power Generation 221 92 Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing 334 78 14000 56 Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (Banks) 522 73 Food Products 311 71 7100 100 Social Assistance 624 59 42800 14 Hardware Stores 444 57 15000 38 Motor Vehicle Dealers 441 54 19800 27
Local government also includes cases that are tabulated in other specific sectors such as educational services and police and fire Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) ldquoMusculoskeletal disordersrdquo is the currently-used term for conditions also known as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries There were 3435 MSDs reported to workersrsquo compensation in 2010 an decrease of 15 from 2009 (Table D-5) MSDs accounted for over half (60) of the reported occupational diseases to Workersrsquo Compensation MSDs presented here do not include any cases for the lower back (since the descriptions of back conditions are typically not sufficient to be able to distinguish between acute and cumulative back injuries) nor do MSDs include any acute injury condition from sudden events Strains and sprains (which does not include acute strains or sprains) was the most common category of MSD with 65 of reports (Table D-5) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) which is a pinching of the median nerve at the wrist accounted for 14 of total MSD reports Other nerve-related problems (with symptoms of numbness or tingling) accounted for an additional 4 of cases Tendon-related problems included tendonitis and tenosynovitis (3) and epicondylitis (ldquotennis elbowrdquo or ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo 1) ganglion cysts (1) and
18
trigger finger (1) A large number of cases did not have a specific description other than ldquoinflammationrdquo (lt1) or ldquopainrdquo (6) or no specific description (6) Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
MSD Type Cases Cases Change Sprainstrain 2193 2219 65 1 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 484 476 14 -2 Pain 859 189 6 -78 Numbness 147 153 4 4 Tendonitistenosynovitis 85 86 3 1 Ganglion cyst 42 29 1 -31 Epicondylitis 28 28 1 0 Trigger finger 24 28 1 17 Inflammation 54 16 0 -70 Arthritisbursitis 17 12 0 -29 Rotator cuff 23 0 0 -100 OtherUnknown 99 199 6 101 Total 4055 3435 100 -15
Almost all the cases of MSD were in the upper extremity of the body (note that lower back cases were excluded from these figures) Almost half (44) of total MSD cases were for the hand wrist and lower arm (Table D-6) Other affected parts of the body included 8 elbow and 25 shoulder neck and ldquoupper extremityrdquo Only 11 were for the legs knees and feet Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
Part of body Cases Percent Lower Arm Wrist Hand 1520 44 Upper Arm Shoulder Upper Extremity 842 25 Legs Knees and Feet 389 11 Elbow 277 8 Neck and Upper Back 123 4 Multiple 196 6 OtherUnknown 88 3 3435 100
Causes of conditions were often incomplete overlapping and not consistently coded nor described Approximately 81 of MSD cases had enough description to show some cause Of the MSDs that could be classified the most frequently mentioned cause was the broad category of ldquorepetitionrdquo (28 of cases) although this was frequently just from a general description and often used to describe any chronic musculoskeletal problem (see Table D-7) This was followed by lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (8) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (8)
19
Table D-7 Reported Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) WCC 2010 Cause of MSD Reports
Repetitive 784 28 Lifting 557 20 PushPull 471 17 Computerclerical 234 8 Toolsvibration 219 8 Reaching 88 3 Cleaning 58 2 Bendingkneelingcrawling 53 2 Driving 45 2 Assembly 43 2 Machine 38 1 Walkingrunningmoving 35 1 Graspinggrippingsqueezing 29 1 Exercisesportstraining 25 1 sittingstanding 23 1 Positioning 20 1 Climbing 16 1 Twistingtightening 11 0 Carrying 11 0 Shovelingsweeping 11 0 Scooping 10 0 Cake decorating 7 0 Selectingsortinginspecting 6 0 Total 2794 100
Infectious Diseases There were 768 reports of infectious diseases or exposures in the database for 2010 (Table D-8) a 9 decrease from 2009 Infectious disease reports include both actual disease and exposure to potentially infectious agents There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens (including reports of exposure to HIVAIDS and Hepatitis C) accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were 26 cases of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB There were 59 reports of tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme disease attributed to occupational exposures There were 20 reports of exposure or cases of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or staph infection that responds poorly to antibiotics) or other staph infection 15 cases of scabies or lice exposuresillnesses and 18 reports of meningitis exposure There were no reports of exposure to or cases of h1n1 flu in contrast to 2009
20
Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness Cases Cases Change Human biteUrine 301 36 273 36 -9 Bloodbody fluids 154 18 140 18 -9 Sharp and needlestick exposures 100 12 140 18 40 Lyme DiseaseTick bite 87 10 59 8 -32 Hepatitis 21 2 28 4 33 TBppd conversionexposure 40 5 26 3 -35 Other infectious 14 2 21 3 50 MRSAstaph 36 4 20 3 -44 Meningitis exposure 20 2 18 2 -10 Scabieslice 31 4 15 2 -52 Rabies 8 1 12 2 50 Chicken pox measles whooping cough 7 1 10 1 43 e-colisewage 6 1 6 1 0 h1n1 flu 22 3 0 0 -100 Total 847 100 768 100 -9
Recent court decisions have broadened the definition of compensable disease to include exposures particularly where exposure requires medical treatment such as prophylactic treatments such as for tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS (HIV) exposures There has recently been considerable attention paid to Lyme disease among outdoor workers resulting in more reports of tick bites although these reports were down in 2010 It is often difficult to determine whether the first report of injury was actual disease or only exposure (for example actual Lyme disease or only a report of a tick bite) Similarly it is usually not clear in the reports of needlestick and sharps injuries whether the source patient or client was actually infected with any of the known bloodborne diseases There were additional reports of exposure to ldquospitrdquo or ldquosputumrdquo that are not reported here since risks tend to be very low from such exposures Diseases that can be contracted through blood and body fluid exposures include hepatitis B C and HIV Human bites or exposures to body fluids such as urine are also related to bloodborne diseases Transmission is much less likely when a worker is exposed to urine or a human bite than transmission occurring from blood particularly for HIV Blood to blood exposure is the highest risk such as from needlesticks or sharps injuries Altercations or arrests with prisoners or clients accounted for the vast majority of human bites as well as some of the other bloodborne exposures Respiratory Illness and Poisonings Asbestos-related asthma lung cancer and other lung diseases are addressed in the next section In addition to these conditions there were 328 cases of other respiratory illnesses ndash mostly nonspecific respiratory illness with a few cases of pneumonia and laryngitis in the database for 2010 and 65 cases of poisonings from carbon monoxide other gases mercury or lead (Table D-9) an overall increase of 29 from 2009 Exposure to chemicals was the most common cause of illness (33) followed by exposures to dust or fumes (17) general indoor air quality (IAQ) or mold (12) and smoke (9) There were 45 cases of exposure to carbon monoxide or other gases and fumes and 13 reports of exposure to mercury and 7 to lead
21
Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10 Cause 2009 2010
Respiratory Cases Cases Change Chemical Exposure 71 23 129 33 82 Dustfumes 73 24 67 17 -8 IAQmoldodor 40 13 48 12 20 Smoke Fire 47 15 37 9 -21 Other Respiratory 40 13 47 12 18 Respiratory subtotal 271 328 83
Poisoning Lead 0 0 7 2 Mercury 0 0 13 3 Carbon monoxidegasfumes 34 11 45 11 32 Poisoning Subtotal 34 65 Total 305 100 393 100 29
In addition to the general categories of smoke specific chemical exposures mentioned included battery fumes (13) floor strippersealant (6) heavy metals in a fire (6) perfumecologne (5) bug spray (4) bleach (3) carpet cleaner (2) paint (2) spray foam (2) cement Lysol antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive Chronic Lung Conditions There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified under respiratory conditions and poisonings (above)
Asbestos There were 30 reports of asbestos-related disease or exposures in 2010 The descriptions of the cases often made it difficult to determine whether the cases were actual disease or only exposure to asbestos since it is difficult to know whether they are describing historic exposures that contributed to current disease or current exposures that raise the risk of future disease) although there was at least one fatality and four mesothelioma cases (listed under cancer) Asbestos exposure is known to increase the risk of lung disease and cancer If disease occurs as a result it often appears between 10-40 years after exposure Asbestos disease may be under-reported by traditional surveillance sources such as Workersrsquo Compensation Industries for asbestos conditions were primarily transportation equipment manufacturing (13) and government (6) Other Chronic Lung Conditions There were 30 occupational asthma cases reported in 2010 a decrease of 33 The most common causes mentioned were indoor air quality or mold (15) chemicals and cleaners (5) smoke (2) and dustfumes (2) Government and schools (13 combined) were the most common industries for asthma cases
22
Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10 Illness 2009 2010 Change
Asbestos-related 83 30 -64 Asthmabronchitis 45 30 -33 Allergies 5 -100 Cancer 5 3 -40 Other chronic lung 9 Total 138 72 -48
Skin Conditions There were 239 skin conditions in the database in 2010 (Table D-11) an increase of 9 There were 119 cases of contact dermatitis from poison ivy or other plants (50 of all skin cases) There were 8 cases of allergic reactions to latex gloves or other clothing and 4 associated with soap or cleaning products There were 20 cases caused by chemicals and 71 cases just described as rashes Substances associated with skin conditions included trichorethylene fire proofing materials hand sanitizer a calcium bag epoxy coolant antifreeze cosmetics (2) dish detergent (2) car cleaner plastic carbon fibers gasoline photographic chemicals adhesive laundry detergents (2) carpet adhesive and fiberglass Government (69 cases) and schools (27) were the most frequent industry sectors for skin conditions Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Poison Ivyplants 107 119 50 11 Chemical 36 20 8 -44 Allergic 7 17 7 143 GlovesLatexclothing 14 8 3 -43 SoapCleaning 7 4 2 -43 Patient care 2 0 0 -100 RashOtherUnknown 47 71 30 51 Total 220 239 100 9
23
Stress and Heart Conditions
Heart and Hypertension There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions 22 reported strokes or blood clots and 102 described symptoms of chest pain or mentioned angina often associated with emergency care at a hospital There were 109 cases that described the condition as hypertension or ldquoheart and hypertensionrdquo (the usual legal term for heart or hypertension cases that are covered for police and fire fighters) An additional 21 were other heart-related conditions predominately testing abnormalities on EKG or unusual symptoms involving the heart or chest Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal employees who are frequently covered under heart and hypertension laws that consider those conditions to be work-related for workersrsquo compensation purposes Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Hypertension 99 109 36 10 Chest painanginasymptoms 71 102 34 44 Heart attack 51 50 16 -2 Other heart 40 21 7 -48 Strokeclots 21 22 7 5
Total 282 304 100 8 Mental Stress There were a total of 128 stress-related claims in the database in 2010 an increase of 13 over 2009 There were 33 cases which cited reactions to violence robbery or trauma (such as witnessing or being in auto accidents) 14 cases that were attributed to conflicts with supervisors or promotions and 12 cases were attributed to harassment or hostile work environments (Table D-13) There were 17 claims related to excessive job demands or aspects of job duties There were 49 that were simply defined as ldquostressrdquo without further explanation There were also several stress-related cases that are classified under heart conditions (See Table D-12 above) Specific examples of situations causing stress include robberies with guns an explosion at the workplace assaults a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect harassment having to stay with a dead body after a shooting verbal abuse from a residentrsquos family job transfer a failed surgery and witnessing suicide
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
4
Figures Figure C-1 Rates of Occupational Illness by Type US and CT 2010 9 Figure C-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type and Year CT 2002 - 2010 9 Figure C-3 Rates of Musculoskeletal Disorders CT and US 2003 - 2010 11 Figure C-4 Rates of Conditions Lost-time Only Private Sector US amp CT 2007 - 2010 12 Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010 13 Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC 2010 14 Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OIISS 2010 26 Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010 26 Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010 29 Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010 30 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010 31 Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported by System 2010 34 Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010 35
5
A Executive Summary This report focuses on occupational disease reports for 2010 and recent trends in reported cases It does not address traumatic occupational injuries which are addressed in the annual report on occupational injuries and illnesses by the Connecticut Department of Labor (httpwwwctdolstatectusoshashstatshtm) Occupational diseases are typically harder to detect than injuries since they often occur over longer periods of time and can have multiple (including non-occupational) risks Therefore this report uses data from three primary sources as a way of establishing a more complete picture of occupational disease Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury cases (WCC) physiciansrsquo reports under the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) and the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA Annual Survey (BLS) Table A-1 Summary of Diseases Reported by Systems 2008-2010
Type of Disease BLSConn-OSHA WCC OIISS (Physicians) 2008 2009 2010 2008 2009 2010 2008 2009 2010
Respiratory amp poisonings 400 300 300 587 433 465 142 140 56
Lead 364 304 443 Skin 700 600 700 275 220 239 302 193 102 Musculoskeletal 3607 4055 3435 827 411 208 Hearing loss 400 500 300 191 190 179 19 5 6 Other 2100 2000 1700 1577 1487 1454 78 993 374 Total 3600 3400 3000 6237 6385 5772 1732 2046 1189
Sources BLS Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA WCC CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission First Report of Injury database OIISS Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System Notes Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) definitions vary somewhat between systems 2008 OIISS infectious category does not include bloodborne infection OIISS data is incomplete for 2010 Laboratory reports on lead are from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance program MSD is included in the ldquootherrdquo category for BLSConn-OSHA data Infectious diseases physical hazards allergies and cancer are included in the ldquootherrdquo category for the Workersrsquo Compensation data Infectious diseases are included in the ldquootherrsquorsquo for the OIISS data 2008 OIISS infectious category does not include bloodborne infections Table A-1 summarizes the data from the three different sources for 2008 through 2010 The OIISS data was incomplete for 2010 Approximately 3000 cases of occupational diseases were reported under the BLSConn-OSHA survey 5772 through the workersrsquo compensation first report of injuries for 2010 and 1189 for OIISS The number of reports in 2010 decreased from 2009 in each database 12 in the BLS system 10 for workers compensation and 42 for physiciansrsquo reports The trend is consistent in the three databases explored however because the data provided was incomplete in the OIISS the magnitude reported may be artificially high Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and tendonitis dominated the workersrsquo compensation reports accounting for 60 of reports but were only 28 of the physicians reports (not including the laboratory-based lead reports) MSD has not been broken out by BLS since 2002 but MSD cases are presumed to be the main portion of the ldquoother illnessrdquo category Respiratory diseases which include respiratory conditions and lung disease such as asthma accounted for 8-10 of cases ldquoOther diseasesrdquo which includes infectious diseases physical hazards such as heat and cold exposures allergies cancer and others accounted for 25-57 of cases (the main component of ldquoother diseasesrdquo in workersrsquo compensation is infectious disease but is MSD for BLS) Skin conditions accounted for 4-23 of the illnesses reported Lead poisoning is tracked separately and is based on laboratory reports to the Connecticut Department of Public Health
6
There was an overall illness rate of 231 cases per 10000 workers based on the BLS survey a 10 decrease in the rate from 2009 The CT rate was 95 higher than the average national rate The highest specific sector rate was Education and Health at 422 with the highest rate of illness per 10000 workers categorized asldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 234 and second-highest for skin conditions (149) Manufacturing was second highest at 417 (a 23 decrease from 2009) with the highest rates for ldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 194 and hearing loss at 154 Local Government was third highest overall at 384 (a 28 drop from 2009) which included the highest rate of ldquoOtherrdquo (245) and second-highest for skin (52) Information services had a fairly high rate of ldquootherrdquo conditions though was low for other illnesses State government had the highest rate of respiratory conditions (67) among all sectors second-highest skin conditions rate and fourth highest overall rate Overall 44 of reports were for women but this varied by type of case with higher proportions than that average for infectious disease (57 women) musculoskeletal disorders (47) and stress (53) but lower levels for skin conditions (25) heart and hypertension (19) and ldquoother illnessrdquo (27) Based on physician reports where race and ethnicity were known 18 of reports were identified as black and 10 were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age The most common specific physician diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (OIISS) The most common causes for MSD were ldquorepetitionrdquo lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (7) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (7 WCC) Non-specific respiratory conditions were the most common type of lung condition reported by physicians with 46 of reports Exposures associated with respiratory illness included battery fumes floor strippersealant heavy metals in a fire perfumecologne bug spray bleach carpet cleaner paint spray foam cement Lysol cleaning product antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol paint thinner morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive tetrahydrofuran pepper spray methyl methacrylate and colophony (OIISS and WCC) Causes of skin conditions as attributed by physicians included poison ivy cleaning chemicals other chemicals dust solvents and latex or gloves (OIISS) Infectious disease and exposures were reported through workersrsquo compensation There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and body fluids and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were also reports of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme Disease attributed to occupational exposures MRSA (staph infections that are resistant to antibiotics) and meningitis exposure (WCC)
7
B Introduction This report provides an overview of what is known about occupational disease in Connecticut based on 2010 data It is one of a series of annual reports on occupational disease developed for the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission under the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) By monitoring trends this system helps prevent occupational disease by targeting prevention activities such as education encouraging effective safety and health committees and programs and investigating of clusters of disease The system is a cooperative venture by the Department of Public Health Department of Labor Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and a number of occupational health clinics (Connecticut General Statutes 31-396 to 31-402) Physicians are required to report occupational disease under Connecticut General Statute 31-399 This report combines available data from a number of systems bull Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration (BLSConn-OSHA)
Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses bull Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology Surveillance System (ABLES) bull Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports or OIISS in this
report) bull Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Employer First Reports of Injury (referred to as Workersrsquo
Compensation or WCC in this report) Acknowledgements Several people have contributed data and other help to this report We would like to thank especially Erin Wilkins of the Department of Labor Bob Artus and Peter Miecznikowski of the Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and Thomas St Louis and Albert Deloreto of the Department of Public Health Colleagues at the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center have contributed ideas and resolved questions Overview of Report This report covers occupational disease data for calendar year 2010 (the OIISS dataset for 2010 is incomplete) It is divided into three primary sections based on the data source It begins with the BLSConn-OSHA time trends followed by data from the Workers Compensation First Reports of Injury followed by data from physiciansrsquo reports (OIISS) All three data sources provide somewhat different information For example the BLSConn-OSHA provides comparisons to US data but is based on a survey rather than all reports Workersrsquo Compensation data includes all lost-time cases for all employers but does not include physiciansrsquo diagnosis The physiciansrsquo reporting system has more precise diagnoses but a large number of physicians do not report into the system Prior studies of cumulative trauma (musculoskeletal disorders) reports in Connecticut have found that there is only a small overlap between the Workersrsquo Compensation Reports and the physiciansrsquo reports indicating that total numbers are higher than the individual system totals
8
C Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Surveys In cooperation with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Conn-OSHA conducts an annual survey of employers for job-related injuries and illnesses Conn-OSHA issues an annual report that provides data on injuries (available at httpwwwctdolstatectusoshashstatshtm) Our report focuses on illnesses and includes data from Conn-OSHA that is not published in that report Since these statistics are based on a survey rather than a census numbers and rates are estimated and are rounded off The Connecticut Department of Labor acknowledges that the BLSConn-OSHA survey under-counts occupational diseases particularly chronic diseases since these are frequently not recognized nor reported Occupational Illnesses in 2010 There were approximately 3000 reported cases of occupational illnesses in 2010 (Figure C-1 and Table C-1) with a rate of 231 per 10000 workers a 12 decrease in rate from 2009 Two categories decreased including a 15 decrease in ldquoother illnessesrdquo (which consists primarily of repetitive trauma cases) which is the largest category of cases and hearing loss (40 decrease) The rate of respiratory illnesses remained constant and skin conditions increased by 17 Poisonings were too low to meet publishing criteria Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
2009 2010 Change Cases Rates Cases Rates in Rate
Skin 600 47 700 51 9 Poisonings -- -- -- -- Respiratory 300 23 300 21 -9 Hearing loss 500 35 300 25 -29 Other Illnesses 2000 15 1700 131 -13 Total 3400 256 3000 231 -10
Source BLSConn-OSHA Rates are per 10000 workers adjusted for hours worked Total differs due to rounding for the survey Includes public sector ldquomdashldquo indicates numbers too smallunreliable to publish Overall rates for Connecticut in 2010 were higher than the US rates for all types of illness (Figure C-1) The overall Connecticut rate (231 cases per 10000 workers) was 95 higher than US rate (211) Connecticutrsquos occupational illness rate was the 15th highest out of 41 reporting states (where a 1 ranking is the highest rate) The higher CT rates in relation to the US were driven by the somewhat higher rates for skin conditions (50 higher) hearing loss (19 higher) and respiratory conditions (11 higher) Rates are adjusted for hours worked and are based on 41 states that report into the system Overall illness rates were 216 for the private sector and 340 for public sector in Connecticut compared to US average rates of 181 (19 higher for CT) and 386 (12 lower for CT) respectively In Connecticut the number of illnesses increased slightly from 2002-2005 then generally decreased through 2010 (Figure C-2)
9
Figure C-1 Rates of Occupational Illness by Type US and CT 2010
Source BLS and Conn-OSHA Rates per 10000 workers adjusted for hours worked Figure C-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type and Year CT 2002-2010
Source BLSConn-OSHA Survey
0
5
10
15
20
25
Skin Poisonings Respiratory Hearing loss Other Illnesses
Total
34
03 19 21
133
211
51
21 25
131
231
US
CT
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
62 69 64 63 43 47 51 47 51
24 38 27 36
18 27 22 23 21
06 02
03
03 02 1
36 28
33 34 27 35 25
237 24 221 233
188 182 154
15 131
Other
Hearing
Poison
Respir
Skin
10
Illnesses by Industry Numbers and rates by industry sector for 2010 are presented in Table C-2 Overall the adjusted rate is 231 cases of occupational illness per 10000 CT workers slightly lower than the 2009 rate of 256 The overall private sector rate was 216 (compared to 243 in 2009) with a government rate of 340 (57 higher than the private sector rate) The government rate was much lower than last yearrsquos rate of 416 Table C-2 Illness Rates per 10000 Workers by Industry and Type of Illness CT 2010 Total Skin Respiratory Poison Hearing Other Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Total all industries 231 3000 51 700 21 300 25 300 131 1700
Private Industry only 216 2400 51 600 17 200 25 300 121 1400
Goods Producing 332 700 49 100 12 117 300 153 300
Natural resources and mining
Construction
Manufacturing 417 700 56 100 14 154 300 194 300
Service Providing 189 1700 52 500 18 200 03 113 100
Trade transport utilities 129 300 29 100 08 10 81 200
Information 170 115
Financial activities 142 200 96 100
Professionalbusiness services 120 200 86 100
Education and health 422 900 149 300 27 100 234 500
Leisure and hospitality 56 100 23 22
Other services
Government total 340 500 54 100 55 100 204 300
State Government 263 100 58 67 132 100
Local Government 384 400 52 100 48 245 200
Source Conn-OSHA Rates are adjusted for hours worked and are per 10000 full-time workers Indicates too little data for reliable estimates The highest specific sector rate was Education and Health at 422 with the highest rate of illness per 10000 workers categorized asldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 234 and second-highest for skin conditions (149) Manufacturing was second highest at 417 (a 23 decrease from 2009) with the highest rates for ldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 194 and hearing loss at 154 Local Government was third highest overall at 384 (a 28 drop from 2009) which included the highest rate of ldquoOtherrdquo (245) and second-highest for skin (52) Information services had a fairly high rate of ldquootherrdquo conditions though was low for other illnesses State government had the highest rate of respiratory conditions (67) among all sectors second-highest skin conditions rate and fourth highest overall rate Lost-Time Illnesses BLS obtains additional data for the subset of cases that result in lost worktime (restricted work cases are not included in this section which is about half again the number of lost worktime cases) that provide additional detail on specific conditions and causes We are presenting here this data for conditions that are more chronic in nature (usually classified as occupational illness) Musculoskeletal Conditions Musculoskeletal conditions with lost time increased 6 to 6600 cases (516 cases per 10000 workers) up from a rate of 476 in 2009 (Figure C-3) The Connecticut rate is 50 higher than the national MSD rate of 343 MSD accounted for 33 of the total of 19930 lost time injuries and illnesses in Connecticut Rates in
11
Connecticut have declined 19 over the 8-year period National rates for all private and public employees have only been available since 2008 Figure C-3 Rates of Musculoskeletal Disorders CT and US 2003-2010
Source BLS Website httpdatablsgovcgi-bindsrvch Rates are cases per 10000 full time employees Musculoskeletal conditions are the most common category of specific injury and illness conditions and is a category that includes both chronic conditions and sprains and strains from overexertion (approximately 75 of these cases nationally) BLS defines this fairly complex category as ldquoIncludes cases where the nature of injury is sprains strains tears back pain hurt back soreness pain hurt except back carpal tunnel syndrome hernia or musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases and disorders and when the event or exposure leading to the injury or illness is bodily reactionbending climbing crawling reaching twisting overexertion or repetition Cases of Raynauds phenomenon tarsal tunnel syndrome and herniated spinal discs are not includedrdquo Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) was the most common specific illness in Connecticut increasing from 22 cases per 10000 workers in 2009 to 25 in 2010 (Figure C-4) Tendonitis also increased from 05 cases to 07 cases per 10000 Connecticut was over double the national rates for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and somewhat higher for tendonitis CTS had a very high number of lost work days with a median of 28 days of lost time per case (compared to 8 days for all cases of injury and illness) in Connecticut and tendonitis was a median of 12 days
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
CT
US
12
Figure C-4 Rates of Conditions Lost-time Only Private Sector US amp CT 2007-2010
Source BLS Website httpdatablsgovcgi-bindsrvch Rates are cases per 10000 full time employees CTS=Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Connecticut lost time cases coded as ldquorepetitive motionrdquo for cause stayed almost even at 53 cases per 10000 workers from 54 in 2009 this Connecticut rate was 51 higher than the US rate of 35 Repetitive motion lost time cases had a median of 28 days away from work
0
05
1
15
2
25
CT US CT US
CTS Tendonitis
2007
2008
2009
2010
13
D Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Data There were a total of 5772 reports in the Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database for 2010 a 10 decrease from 2009 driven by a 15 decrease in the largest category of MSD with combined with a 9 decrease in infectious disease There were slight increases in lung skin and other disorders Almost two-thirds (60) of reports were due to chronic musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and tendonitis Infectious disease accounted for 13 of the cases respiratory diseases (including nonspecific respiratory illness and chronic lung conditions such as asthma and asbestos-related illnesses and exposures) 8 skin diseases 4 and ldquoOther Illnessesrdquo (which includes heart conditions stress cases noise-induced hearing loss and other conditions) 15 Table D-1 Occupational Disease by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness type Cases Cases of total
Change Musculoskeletal Disorders (MS) 4055 3435 60 -15 Infectious Disease 845 768 13 -9 Respiratory Disorders 433 465 8 7 Skin Disorders 220 239 4 9 Other Illnesses 832 865 15 4 Total 6385 5772 100 -10
Overall 44 of reports were for women but this varied by type of case (Figure D-1) with higher proportions than that average for infectious disease (57 women) musculoskeletal disorders (47) and stress (53) but lower levels for skin conditions (25 heart and hypertension (19) and ldquoother illnessrdquo (27) Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector Government and EducationHealth had the largest number of cases (20
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
19
57
47
27
41
25
53
14
each additional government cases are counted in the Education and Health care sector) followed by Manufacturing (19) and Wholesale and Retail Trade (16) Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illness is approximately 35 cases per 1000 workers with the highest rates for Manufacturing (60 or 53 higher than the overall rate) and Government (54 the actual government rate is higher because some government worker cases are classified under Education and Other sectors) TransportationUtilities (44) EducationHealth care (38) Trade (37) and Information Services (35)
ConstructionAg Mine 3
Manufacturing 19
Trade 16
TransportUtilities 4
Info Services 2
FinanceInsurRE 4
Business Services
7
EducationHealth 20
LeisureOther Services 5
Government 20
15
Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010 NAICS Sector Cases Rate Employment
Employment ConstructionAgMine 189 3 29 65000 4 Manufacturing 1066 18 60 178200 11 Trade 908 16 37 247200 15 TransportUtilities 207 4 44 46900 3 Information Services 133 2 35 38500 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 229 4 16 140700 9 Business Services 382 7 19 200300 12 EducationHealth 1105 19 38 292700 18 LeisureOther Services 273 5 13 213800 13 Government 1121 19 54 207900 13 Unknown 159 3 Total 5772 100 35 1629300 100
Notes Employment is adjusted for hours worked Rows do not add up to total due to reports that could not be coded for industry Rates are illnesses per 1000 workers Government illnesses do not include some cases that are classified under other categories such as education and health services Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
Other Respiratory Infect MSD Skin Total ConstructionAgMine 16 2 18 4 0 144 4 11 5 189 3 Manufacturing 164 19 61 13 4 1 813 24 24 10 1066 19 Trade 95 11 35 8 20 3 736 22 22 9 908 16 TransportUtilities 24 3 10 2 17 2 145 4 11 5 207 4 Information Services 10 1 7 2 4 1 107 3 5 2 133 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 38 5 15 3 7 1 166 5 3 1 229 4 Business Services 53 6 55 12 24 3 222 7 28 12 382 7 EducationHealth 95 11 100 22 398 53 476 14 36 16 1105 19 LeisureOther Services 39 5 28 6 13 2 178 5 15 6 273 5 Government 308 37 124 27 266 35 346 10 77 33 1121 20 Subtotal 842 100 453 100 753 100 3333 100 232 100 5613 100 Unknown 23 12 15 102 7 159 Total 865 465 768 3435 239 5772
16
Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseases were concentrated in EducationHealth (53) and Government (35) Respiratory diseases were concentrated in Government (27) EducationHealth (22) Manufacturing (13) and Business Services (12) Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) were most prevalent in Manufacturing (24) and Trade (22) EducationHealth (14) and Government (10) Skin cases were most common in Government (33) EducationHealth (16) Business Services (12) and Manufacturing (10) Other illnesses which include heart and hypertension stress and hearing loss cases (see below) were most common in Government (37) Manufacturing (19) Trade (11) and EducationHealth (11) These figures are based on numbers of cases and not rates so they are not adjusted for the employment size in the different sectors (which can be noted in Table D-2 for comparison) Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of illnesses at 870 reports followed by Educational services (526 reports) which are also primarily Local Government Police and Fire departments (226 reports) are categorized separately and are also primarily Local Government Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (154) Ambulatory Health Care Services (147) Professional Scientific and Technical Services (144) General Merchandise Stores (142) Hospitals (136) Machinery Manufacturing (123) Specialty Trade Contractors (122) Food Services and Drinking Places (113) and Telecommunications (107) Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Police and Fire had the highest rate at 153 followed by Educational services (101) and Food Products Manufacturing (100) All but 7 of the sectors had a rate higher than the state average of 35
17
Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010 Specific Industry Sector NAICS Cases Employment Rate Local government 921 870 137400 63 Educational Services 611 526 52000 101 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 336 365 43500 84 Food and Beverage Stores 445 255 38800 66 Nursing and Residential Care Facilities 623 237 60200 39 Police and Fire 922 226 14800 153 Administrative and Support Services 561 194 74500 26 Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 332 154 31300 49 Ambulatory Health Care Services 621 147 16100 91 Professional Scientific and Technical Services 541 144 91400 16 General Merchandise Stores 452 142 25800 55 Hospitals 622 136 60400 23 General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing 333 123 16800 73 Specialty Trade Contractors 238 122 42900 28 Food Services and Drinking Places 722 113 100200 11 Telecommunications 517 107 12600 85 Merchant Wholesalers Nondurable Goods 424 95 Merchant Wholesalers Durable Goods 423 95 Electric Power Generation 221 92 Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing 334 78 14000 56 Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (Banks) 522 73 Food Products 311 71 7100 100 Social Assistance 624 59 42800 14 Hardware Stores 444 57 15000 38 Motor Vehicle Dealers 441 54 19800 27
Local government also includes cases that are tabulated in other specific sectors such as educational services and police and fire Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) ldquoMusculoskeletal disordersrdquo is the currently-used term for conditions also known as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries There were 3435 MSDs reported to workersrsquo compensation in 2010 an decrease of 15 from 2009 (Table D-5) MSDs accounted for over half (60) of the reported occupational diseases to Workersrsquo Compensation MSDs presented here do not include any cases for the lower back (since the descriptions of back conditions are typically not sufficient to be able to distinguish between acute and cumulative back injuries) nor do MSDs include any acute injury condition from sudden events Strains and sprains (which does not include acute strains or sprains) was the most common category of MSD with 65 of reports (Table D-5) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) which is a pinching of the median nerve at the wrist accounted for 14 of total MSD reports Other nerve-related problems (with symptoms of numbness or tingling) accounted for an additional 4 of cases Tendon-related problems included tendonitis and tenosynovitis (3) and epicondylitis (ldquotennis elbowrdquo or ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo 1) ganglion cysts (1) and
18
trigger finger (1) A large number of cases did not have a specific description other than ldquoinflammationrdquo (lt1) or ldquopainrdquo (6) or no specific description (6) Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
MSD Type Cases Cases Change Sprainstrain 2193 2219 65 1 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 484 476 14 -2 Pain 859 189 6 -78 Numbness 147 153 4 4 Tendonitistenosynovitis 85 86 3 1 Ganglion cyst 42 29 1 -31 Epicondylitis 28 28 1 0 Trigger finger 24 28 1 17 Inflammation 54 16 0 -70 Arthritisbursitis 17 12 0 -29 Rotator cuff 23 0 0 -100 OtherUnknown 99 199 6 101 Total 4055 3435 100 -15
Almost all the cases of MSD were in the upper extremity of the body (note that lower back cases were excluded from these figures) Almost half (44) of total MSD cases were for the hand wrist and lower arm (Table D-6) Other affected parts of the body included 8 elbow and 25 shoulder neck and ldquoupper extremityrdquo Only 11 were for the legs knees and feet Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
Part of body Cases Percent Lower Arm Wrist Hand 1520 44 Upper Arm Shoulder Upper Extremity 842 25 Legs Knees and Feet 389 11 Elbow 277 8 Neck and Upper Back 123 4 Multiple 196 6 OtherUnknown 88 3 3435 100
Causes of conditions were often incomplete overlapping and not consistently coded nor described Approximately 81 of MSD cases had enough description to show some cause Of the MSDs that could be classified the most frequently mentioned cause was the broad category of ldquorepetitionrdquo (28 of cases) although this was frequently just from a general description and often used to describe any chronic musculoskeletal problem (see Table D-7) This was followed by lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (8) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (8)
19
Table D-7 Reported Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) WCC 2010 Cause of MSD Reports
Repetitive 784 28 Lifting 557 20 PushPull 471 17 Computerclerical 234 8 Toolsvibration 219 8 Reaching 88 3 Cleaning 58 2 Bendingkneelingcrawling 53 2 Driving 45 2 Assembly 43 2 Machine 38 1 Walkingrunningmoving 35 1 Graspinggrippingsqueezing 29 1 Exercisesportstraining 25 1 sittingstanding 23 1 Positioning 20 1 Climbing 16 1 Twistingtightening 11 0 Carrying 11 0 Shovelingsweeping 11 0 Scooping 10 0 Cake decorating 7 0 Selectingsortinginspecting 6 0 Total 2794 100
Infectious Diseases There were 768 reports of infectious diseases or exposures in the database for 2010 (Table D-8) a 9 decrease from 2009 Infectious disease reports include both actual disease and exposure to potentially infectious agents There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens (including reports of exposure to HIVAIDS and Hepatitis C) accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were 26 cases of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB There were 59 reports of tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme disease attributed to occupational exposures There were 20 reports of exposure or cases of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or staph infection that responds poorly to antibiotics) or other staph infection 15 cases of scabies or lice exposuresillnesses and 18 reports of meningitis exposure There were no reports of exposure to or cases of h1n1 flu in contrast to 2009
20
Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness Cases Cases Change Human biteUrine 301 36 273 36 -9 Bloodbody fluids 154 18 140 18 -9 Sharp and needlestick exposures 100 12 140 18 40 Lyme DiseaseTick bite 87 10 59 8 -32 Hepatitis 21 2 28 4 33 TBppd conversionexposure 40 5 26 3 -35 Other infectious 14 2 21 3 50 MRSAstaph 36 4 20 3 -44 Meningitis exposure 20 2 18 2 -10 Scabieslice 31 4 15 2 -52 Rabies 8 1 12 2 50 Chicken pox measles whooping cough 7 1 10 1 43 e-colisewage 6 1 6 1 0 h1n1 flu 22 3 0 0 -100 Total 847 100 768 100 -9
Recent court decisions have broadened the definition of compensable disease to include exposures particularly where exposure requires medical treatment such as prophylactic treatments such as for tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS (HIV) exposures There has recently been considerable attention paid to Lyme disease among outdoor workers resulting in more reports of tick bites although these reports were down in 2010 It is often difficult to determine whether the first report of injury was actual disease or only exposure (for example actual Lyme disease or only a report of a tick bite) Similarly it is usually not clear in the reports of needlestick and sharps injuries whether the source patient or client was actually infected with any of the known bloodborne diseases There were additional reports of exposure to ldquospitrdquo or ldquosputumrdquo that are not reported here since risks tend to be very low from such exposures Diseases that can be contracted through blood and body fluid exposures include hepatitis B C and HIV Human bites or exposures to body fluids such as urine are also related to bloodborne diseases Transmission is much less likely when a worker is exposed to urine or a human bite than transmission occurring from blood particularly for HIV Blood to blood exposure is the highest risk such as from needlesticks or sharps injuries Altercations or arrests with prisoners or clients accounted for the vast majority of human bites as well as some of the other bloodborne exposures Respiratory Illness and Poisonings Asbestos-related asthma lung cancer and other lung diseases are addressed in the next section In addition to these conditions there were 328 cases of other respiratory illnesses ndash mostly nonspecific respiratory illness with a few cases of pneumonia and laryngitis in the database for 2010 and 65 cases of poisonings from carbon monoxide other gases mercury or lead (Table D-9) an overall increase of 29 from 2009 Exposure to chemicals was the most common cause of illness (33) followed by exposures to dust or fumes (17) general indoor air quality (IAQ) or mold (12) and smoke (9) There were 45 cases of exposure to carbon monoxide or other gases and fumes and 13 reports of exposure to mercury and 7 to lead
21
Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10 Cause 2009 2010
Respiratory Cases Cases Change Chemical Exposure 71 23 129 33 82 Dustfumes 73 24 67 17 -8 IAQmoldodor 40 13 48 12 20 Smoke Fire 47 15 37 9 -21 Other Respiratory 40 13 47 12 18 Respiratory subtotal 271 328 83
Poisoning Lead 0 0 7 2 Mercury 0 0 13 3 Carbon monoxidegasfumes 34 11 45 11 32 Poisoning Subtotal 34 65 Total 305 100 393 100 29
In addition to the general categories of smoke specific chemical exposures mentioned included battery fumes (13) floor strippersealant (6) heavy metals in a fire (6) perfumecologne (5) bug spray (4) bleach (3) carpet cleaner (2) paint (2) spray foam (2) cement Lysol antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive Chronic Lung Conditions There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified under respiratory conditions and poisonings (above)
Asbestos There were 30 reports of asbestos-related disease or exposures in 2010 The descriptions of the cases often made it difficult to determine whether the cases were actual disease or only exposure to asbestos since it is difficult to know whether they are describing historic exposures that contributed to current disease or current exposures that raise the risk of future disease) although there was at least one fatality and four mesothelioma cases (listed under cancer) Asbestos exposure is known to increase the risk of lung disease and cancer If disease occurs as a result it often appears between 10-40 years after exposure Asbestos disease may be under-reported by traditional surveillance sources such as Workersrsquo Compensation Industries for asbestos conditions were primarily transportation equipment manufacturing (13) and government (6) Other Chronic Lung Conditions There were 30 occupational asthma cases reported in 2010 a decrease of 33 The most common causes mentioned were indoor air quality or mold (15) chemicals and cleaners (5) smoke (2) and dustfumes (2) Government and schools (13 combined) were the most common industries for asthma cases
22
Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10 Illness 2009 2010 Change
Asbestos-related 83 30 -64 Asthmabronchitis 45 30 -33 Allergies 5 -100 Cancer 5 3 -40 Other chronic lung 9 Total 138 72 -48
Skin Conditions There were 239 skin conditions in the database in 2010 (Table D-11) an increase of 9 There were 119 cases of contact dermatitis from poison ivy or other plants (50 of all skin cases) There were 8 cases of allergic reactions to latex gloves or other clothing and 4 associated with soap or cleaning products There were 20 cases caused by chemicals and 71 cases just described as rashes Substances associated with skin conditions included trichorethylene fire proofing materials hand sanitizer a calcium bag epoxy coolant antifreeze cosmetics (2) dish detergent (2) car cleaner plastic carbon fibers gasoline photographic chemicals adhesive laundry detergents (2) carpet adhesive and fiberglass Government (69 cases) and schools (27) were the most frequent industry sectors for skin conditions Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Poison Ivyplants 107 119 50 11 Chemical 36 20 8 -44 Allergic 7 17 7 143 GlovesLatexclothing 14 8 3 -43 SoapCleaning 7 4 2 -43 Patient care 2 0 0 -100 RashOtherUnknown 47 71 30 51 Total 220 239 100 9
23
Stress and Heart Conditions
Heart and Hypertension There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions 22 reported strokes or blood clots and 102 described symptoms of chest pain or mentioned angina often associated with emergency care at a hospital There were 109 cases that described the condition as hypertension or ldquoheart and hypertensionrdquo (the usual legal term for heart or hypertension cases that are covered for police and fire fighters) An additional 21 were other heart-related conditions predominately testing abnormalities on EKG or unusual symptoms involving the heart or chest Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal employees who are frequently covered under heart and hypertension laws that consider those conditions to be work-related for workersrsquo compensation purposes Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Hypertension 99 109 36 10 Chest painanginasymptoms 71 102 34 44 Heart attack 51 50 16 -2 Other heart 40 21 7 -48 Strokeclots 21 22 7 5
Total 282 304 100 8 Mental Stress There were a total of 128 stress-related claims in the database in 2010 an increase of 13 over 2009 There were 33 cases which cited reactions to violence robbery or trauma (such as witnessing or being in auto accidents) 14 cases that were attributed to conflicts with supervisors or promotions and 12 cases were attributed to harassment or hostile work environments (Table D-13) There were 17 claims related to excessive job demands or aspects of job duties There were 49 that were simply defined as ldquostressrdquo without further explanation There were also several stress-related cases that are classified under heart conditions (See Table D-12 above) Specific examples of situations causing stress include robberies with guns an explosion at the workplace assaults a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect harassment having to stay with a dead body after a shooting verbal abuse from a residentrsquos family job transfer a failed surgery and witnessing suicide
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
5
A Executive Summary This report focuses on occupational disease reports for 2010 and recent trends in reported cases It does not address traumatic occupational injuries which are addressed in the annual report on occupational injuries and illnesses by the Connecticut Department of Labor (httpwwwctdolstatectusoshashstatshtm) Occupational diseases are typically harder to detect than injuries since they often occur over longer periods of time and can have multiple (including non-occupational) risks Therefore this report uses data from three primary sources as a way of establishing a more complete picture of occupational disease Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury cases (WCC) physiciansrsquo reports under the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) and the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA Annual Survey (BLS) Table A-1 Summary of Diseases Reported by Systems 2008-2010
Type of Disease BLSConn-OSHA WCC OIISS (Physicians) 2008 2009 2010 2008 2009 2010 2008 2009 2010
Respiratory amp poisonings 400 300 300 587 433 465 142 140 56
Lead 364 304 443 Skin 700 600 700 275 220 239 302 193 102 Musculoskeletal 3607 4055 3435 827 411 208 Hearing loss 400 500 300 191 190 179 19 5 6 Other 2100 2000 1700 1577 1487 1454 78 993 374 Total 3600 3400 3000 6237 6385 5772 1732 2046 1189
Sources BLS Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA WCC CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission First Report of Injury database OIISS Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System Notes Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) definitions vary somewhat between systems 2008 OIISS infectious category does not include bloodborne infection OIISS data is incomplete for 2010 Laboratory reports on lead are from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance program MSD is included in the ldquootherrdquo category for BLSConn-OSHA data Infectious diseases physical hazards allergies and cancer are included in the ldquootherrdquo category for the Workersrsquo Compensation data Infectious diseases are included in the ldquootherrsquorsquo for the OIISS data 2008 OIISS infectious category does not include bloodborne infections Table A-1 summarizes the data from the three different sources for 2008 through 2010 The OIISS data was incomplete for 2010 Approximately 3000 cases of occupational diseases were reported under the BLSConn-OSHA survey 5772 through the workersrsquo compensation first report of injuries for 2010 and 1189 for OIISS The number of reports in 2010 decreased from 2009 in each database 12 in the BLS system 10 for workers compensation and 42 for physiciansrsquo reports The trend is consistent in the three databases explored however because the data provided was incomplete in the OIISS the magnitude reported may be artificially high Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and tendonitis dominated the workersrsquo compensation reports accounting for 60 of reports but were only 28 of the physicians reports (not including the laboratory-based lead reports) MSD has not been broken out by BLS since 2002 but MSD cases are presumed to be the main portion of the ldquoother illnessrdquo category Respiratory diseases which include respiratory conditions and lung disease such as asthma accounted for 8-10 of cases ldquoOther diseasesrdquo which includes infectious diseases physical hazards such as heat and cold exposures allergies cancer and others accounted for 25-57 of cases (the main component of ldquoother diseasesrdquo in workersrsquo compensation is infectious disease but is MSD for BLS) Skin conditions accounted for 4-23 of the illnesses reported Lead poisoning is tracked separately and is based on laboratory reports to the Connecticut Department of Public Health
6
There was an overall illness rate of 231 cases per 10000 workers based on the BLS survey a 10 decrease in the rate from 2009 The CT rate was 95 higher than the average national rate The highest specific sector rate was Education and Health at 422 with the highest rate of illness per 10000 workers categorized asldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 234 and second-highest for skin conditions (149) Manufacturing was second highest at 417 (a 23 decrease from 2009) with the highest rates for ldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 194 and hearing loss at 154 Local Government was third highest overall at 384 (a 28 drop from 2009) which included the highest rate of ldquoOtherrdquo (245) and second-highest for skin (52) Information services had a fairly high rate of ldquootherrdquo conditions though was low for other illnesses State government had the highest rate of respiratory conditions (67) among all sectors second-highest skin conditions rate and fourth highest overall rate Overall 44 of reports were for women but this varied by type of case with higher proportions than that average for infectious disease (57 women) musculoskeletal disorders (47) and stress (53) but lower levels for skin conditions (25) heart and hypertension (19) and ldquoother illnessrdquo (27) Based on physician reports where race and ethnicity were known 18 of reports were identified as black and 10 were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age The most common specific physician diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (OIISS) The most common causes for MSD were ldquorepetitionrdquo lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (7) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (7 WCC) Non-specific respiratory conditions were the most common type of lung condition reported by physicians with 46 of reports Exposures associated with respiratory illness included battery fumes floor strippersealant heavy metals in a fire perfumecologne bug spray bleach carpet cleaner paint spray foam cement Lysol cleaning product antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol paint thinner morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive tetrahydrofuran pepper spray methyl methacrylate and colophony (OIISS and WCC) Causes of skin conditions as attributed by physicians included poison ivy cleaning chemicals other chemicals dust solvents and latex or gloves (OIISS) Infectious disease and exposures were reported through workersrsquo compensation There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and body fluids and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were also reports of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme Disease attributed to occupational exposures MRSA (staph infections that are resistant to antibiotics) and meningitis exposure (WCC)
7
B Introduction This report provides an overview of what is known about occupational disease in Connecticut based on 2010 data It is one of a series of annual reports on occupational disease developed for the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission under the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) By monitoring trends this system helps prevent occupational disease by targeting prevention activities such as education encouraging effective safety and health committees and programs and investigating of clusters of disease The system is a cooperative venture by the Department of Public Health Department of Labor Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and a number of occupational health clinics (Connecticut General Statutes 31-396 to 31-402) Physicians are required to report occupational disease under Connecticut General Statute 31-399 This report combines available data from a number of systems bull Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration (BLSConn-OSHA)
Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses bull Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology Surveillance System (ABLES) bull Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports or OIISS in this
report) bull Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Employer First Reports of Injury (referred to as Workersrsquo
Compensation or WCC in this report) Acknowledgements Several people have contributed data and other help to this report We would like to thank especially Erin Wilkins of the Department of Labor Bob Artus and Peter Miecznikowski of the Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and Thomas St Louis and Albert Deloreto of the Department of Public Health Colleagues at the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center have contributed ideas and resolved questions Overview of Report This report covers occupational disease data for calendar year 2010 (the OIISS dataset for 2010 is incomplete) It is divided into three primary sections based on the data source It begins with the BLSConn-OSHA time trends followed by data from the Workers Compensation First Reports of Injury followed by data from physiciansrsquo reports (OIISS) All three data sources provide somewhat different information For example the BLSConn-OSHA provides comparisons to US data but is based on a survey rather than all reports Workersrsquo Compensation data includes all lost-time cases for all employers but does not include physiciansrsquo diagnosis The physiciansrsquo reporting system has more precise diagnoses but a large number of physicians do not report into the system Prior studies of cumulative trauma (musculoskeletal disorders) reports in Connecticut have found that there is only a small overlap between the Workersrsquo Compensation Reports and the physiciansrsquo reports indicating that total numbers are higher than the individual system totals
8
C Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Surveys In cooperation with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Conn-OSHA conducts an annual survey of employers for job-related injuries and illnesses Conn-OSHA issues an annual report that provides data on injuries (available at httpwwwctdolstatectusoshashstatshtm) Our report focuses on illnesses and includes data from Conn-OSHA that is not published in that report Since these statistics are based on a survey rather than a census numbers and rates are estimated and are rounded off The Connecticut Department of Labor acknowledges that the BLSConn-OSHA survey under-counts occupational diseases particularly chronic diseases since these are frequently not recognized nor reported Occupational Illnesses in 2010 There were approximately 3000 reported cases of occupational illnesses in 2010 (Figure C-1 and Table C-1) with a rate of 231 per 10000 workers a 12 decrease in rate from 2009 Two categories decreased including a 15 decrease in ldquoother illnessesrdquo (which consists primarily of repetitive trauma cases) which is the largest category of cases and hearing loss (40 decrease) The rate of respiratory illnesses remained constant and skin conditions increased by 17 Poisonings were too low to meet publishing criteria Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
2009 2010 Change Cases Rates Cases Rates in Rate
Skin 600 47 700 51 9 Poisonings -- -- -- -- Respiratory 300 23 300 21 -9 Hearing loss 500 35 300 25 -29 Other Illnesses 2000 15 1700 131 -13 Total 3400 256 3000 231 -10
Source BLSConn-OSHA Rates are per 10000 workers adjusted for hours worked Total differs due to rounding for the survey Includes public sector ldquomdashldquo indicates numbers too smallunreliable to publish Overall rates for Connecticut in 2010 were higher than the US rates for all types of illness (Figure C-1) The overall Connecticut rate (231 cases per 10000 workers) was 95 higher than US rate (211) Connecticutrsquos occupational illness rate was the 15th highest out of 41 reporting states (where a 1 ranking is the highest rate) The higher CT rates in relation to the US were driven by the somewhat higher rates for skin conditions (50 higher) hearing loss (19 higher) and respiratory conditions (11 higher) Rates are adjusted for hours worked and are based on 41 states that report into the system Overall illness rates were 216 for the private sector and 340 for public sector in Connecticut compared to US average rates of 181 (19 higher for CT) and 386 (12 lower for CT) respectively In Connecticut the number of illnesses increased slightly from 2002-2005 then generally decreased through 2010 (Figure C-2)
9
Figure C-1 Rates of Occupational Illness by Type US and CT 2010
Source BLS and Conn-OSHA Rates per 10000 workers adjusted for hours worked Figure C-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type and Year CT 2002-2010
Source BLSConn-OSHA Survey
0
5
10
15
20
25
Skin Poisonings Respiratory Hearing loss Other Illnesses
Total
34
03 19 21
133
211
51
21 25
131
231
US
CT
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
62 69 64 63 43 47 51 47 51
24 38 27 36
18 27 22 23 21
06 02
03
03 02 1
36 28
33 34 27 35 25
237 24 221 233
188 182 154
15 131
Other
Hearing
Poison
Respir
Skin
10
Illnesses by Industry Numbers and rates by industry sector for 2010 are presented in Table C-2 Overall the adjusted rate is 231 cases of occupational illness per 10000 CT workers slightly lower than the 2009 rate of 256 The overall private sector rate was 216 (compared to 243 in 2009) with a government rate of 340 (57 higher than the private sector rate) The government rate was much lower than last yearrsquos rate of 416 Table C-2 Illness Rates per 10000 Workers by Industry and Type of Illness CT 2010 Total Skin Respiratory Poison Hearing Other Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Total all industries 231 3000 51 700 21 300 25 300 131 1700
Private Industry only 216 2400 51 600 17 200 25 300 121 1400
Goods Producing 332 700 49 100 12 117 300 153 300
Natural resources and mining
Construction
Manufacturing 417 700 56 100 14 154 300 194 300
Service Providing 189 1700 52 500 18 200 03 113 100
Trade transport utilities 129 300 29 100 08 10 81 200
Information 170 115
Financial activities 142 200 96 100
Professionalbusiness services 120 200 86 100
Education and health 422 900 149 300 27 100 234 500
Leisure and hospitality 56 100 23 22
Other services
Government total 340 500 54 100 55 100 204 300
State Government 263 100 58 67 132 100
Local Government 384 400 52 100 48 245 200
Source Conn-OSHA Rates are adjusted for hours worked and are per 10000 full-time workers Indicates too little data for reliable estimates The highest specific sector rate was Education and Health at 422 with the highest rate of illness per 10000 workers categorized asldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 234 and second-highest for skin conditions (149) Manufacturing was second highest at 417 (a 23 decrease from 2009) with the highest rates for ldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 194 and hearing loss at 154 Local Government was third highest overall at 384 (a 28 drop from 2009) which included the highest rate of ldquoOtherrdquo (245) and second-highest for skin (52) Information services had a fairly high rate of ldquootherrdquo conditions though was low for other illnesses State government had the highest rate of respiratory conditions (67) among all sectors second-highest skin conditions rate and fourth highest overall rate Lost-Time Illnesses BLS obtains additional data for the subset of cases that result in lost worktime (restricted work cases are not included in this section which is about half again the number of lost worktime cases) that provide additional detail on specific conditions and causes We are presenting here this data for conditions that are more chronic in nature (usually classified as occupational illness) Musculoskeletal Conditions Musculoskeletal conditions with lost time increased 6 to 6600 cases (516 cases per 10000 workers) up from a rate of 476 in 2009 (Figure C-3) The Connecticut rate is 50 higher than the national MSD rate of 343 MSD accounted for 33 of the total of 19930 lost time injuries and illnesses in Connecticut Rates in
11
Connecticut have declined 19 over the 8-year period National rates for all private and public employees have only been available since 2008 Figure C-3 Rates of Musculoskeletal Disorders CT and US 2003-2010
Source BLS Website httpdatablsgovcgi-bindsrvch Rates are cases per 10000 full time employees Musculoskeletal conditions are the most common category of specific injury and illness conditions and is a category that includes both chronic conditions and sprains and strains from overexertion (approximately 75 of these cases nationally) BLS defines this fairly complex category as ldquoIncludes cases where the nature of injury is sprains strains tears back pain hurt back soreness pain hurt except back carpal tunnel syndrome hernia or musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases and disorders and when the event or exposure leading to the injury or illness is bodily reactionbending climbing crawling reaching twisting overexertion or repetition Cases of Raynauds phenomenon tarsal tunnel syndrome and herniated spinal discs are not includedrdquo Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) was the most common specific illness in Connecticut increasing from 22 cases per 10000 workers in 2009 to 25 in 2010 (Figure C-4) Tendonitis also increased from 05 cases to 07 cases per 10000 Connecticut was over double the national rates for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and somewhat higher for tendonitis CTS had a very high number of lost work days with a median of 28 days of lost time per case (compared to 8 days for all cases of injury and illness) in Connecticut and tendonitis was a median of 12 days
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
CT
US
12
Figure C-4 Rates of Conditions Lost-time Only Private Sector US amp CT 2007-2010
Source BLS Website httpdatablsgovcgi-bindsrvch Rates are cases per 10000 full time employees CTS=Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Connecticut lost time cases coded as ldquorepetitive motionrdquo for cause stayed almost even at 53 cases per 10000 workers from 54 in 2009 this Connecticut rate was 51 higher than the US rate of 35 Repetitive motion lost time cases had a median of 28 days away from work
0
05
1
15
2
25
CT US CT US
CTS Tendonitis
2007
2008
2009
2010
13
D Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Data There were a total of 5772 reports in the Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database for 2010 a 10 decrease from 2009 driven by a 15 decrease in the largest category of MSD with combined with a 9 decrease in infectious disease There were slight increases in lung skin and other disorders Almost two-thirds (60) of reports were due to chronic musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and tendonitis Infectious disease accounted for 13 of the cases respiratory diseases (including nonspecific respiratory illness and chronic lung conditions such as asthma and asbestos-related illnesses and exposures) 8 skin diseases 4 and ldquoOther Illnessesrdquo (which includes heart conditions stress cases noise-induced hearing loss and other conditions) 15 Table D-1 Occupational Disease by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness type Cases Cases of total
Change Musculoskeletal Disorders (MS) 4055 3435 60 -15 Infectious Disease 845 768 13 -9 Respiratory Disorders 433 465 8 7 Skin Disorders 220 239 4 9 Other Illnesses 832 865 15 4 Total 6385 5772 100 -10
Overall 44 of reports were for women but this varied by type of case (Figure D-1) with higher proportions than that average for infectious disease (57 women) musculoskeletal disorders (47) and stress (53) but lower levels for skin conditions (25 heart and hypertension (19) and ldquoother illnessrdquo (27) Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector Government and EducationHealth had the largest number of cases (20
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
19
57
47
27
41
25
53
14
each additional government cases are counted in the Education and Health care sector) followed by Manufacturing (19) and Wholesale and Retail Trade (16) Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illness is approximately 35 cases per 1000 workers with the highest rates for Manufacturing (60 or 53 higher than the overall rate) and Government (54 the actual government rate is higher because some government worker cases are classified under Education and Other sectors) TransportationUtilities (44) EducationHealth care (38) Trade (37) and Information Services (35)
ConstructionAg Mine 3
Manufacturing 19
Trade 16
TransportUtilities 4
Info Services 2
FinanceInsurRE 4
Business Services
7
EducationHealth 20
LeisureOther Services 5
Government 20
15
Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010 NAICS Sector Cases Rate Employment
Employment ConstructionAgMine 189 3 29 65000 4 Manufacturing 1066 18 60 178200 11 Trade 908 16 37 247200 15 TransportUtilities 207 4 44 46900 3 Information Services 133 2 35 38500 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 229 4 16 140700 9 Business Services 382 7 19 200300 12 EducationHealth 1105 19 38 292700 18 LeisureOther Services 273 5 13 213800 13 Government 1121 19 54 207900 13 Unknown 159 3 Total 5772 100 35 1629300 100
Notes Employment is adjusted for hours worked Rows do not add up to total due to reports that could not be coded for industry Rates are illnesses per 1000 workers Government illnesses do not include some cases that are classified under other categories such as education and health services Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
Other Respiratory Infect MSD Skin Total ConstructionAgMine 16 2 18 4 0 144 4 11 5 189 3 Manufacturing 164 19 61 13 4 1 813 24 24 10 1066 19 Trade 95 11 35 8 20 3 736 22 22 9 908 16 TransportUtilities 24 3 10 2 17 2 145 4 11 5 207 4 Information Services 10 1 7 2 4 1 107 3 5 2 133 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 38 5 15 3 7 1 166 5 3 1 229 4 Business Services 53 6 55 12 24 3 222 7 28 12 382 7 EducationHealth 95 11 100 22 398 53 476 14 36 16 1105 19 LeisureOther Services 39 5 28 6 13 2 178 5 15 6 273 5 Government 308 37 124 27 266 35 346 10 77 33 1121 20 Subtotal 842 100 453 100 753 100 3333 100 232 100 5613 100 Unknown 23 12 15 102 7 159 Total 865 465 768 3435 239 5772
16
Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseases were concentrated in EducationHealth (53) and Government (35) Respiratory diseases were concentrated in Government (27) EducationHealth (22) Manufacturing (13) and Business Services (12) Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) were most prevalent in Manufacturing (24) and Trade (22) EducationHealth (14) and Government (10) Skin cases were most common in Government (33) EducationHealth (16) Business Services (12) and Manufacturing (10) Other illnesses which include heart and hypertension stress and hearing loss cases (see below) were most common in Government (37) Manufacturing (19) Trade (11) and EducationHealth (11) These figures are based on numbers of cases and not rates so they are not adjusted for the employment size in the different sectors (which can be noted in Table D-2 for comparison) Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of illnesses at 870 reports followed by Educational services (526 reports) which are also primarily Local Government Police and Fire departments (226 reports) are categorized separately and are also primarily Local Government Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (154) Ambulatory Health Care Services (147) Professional Scientific and Technical Services (144) General Merchandise Stores (142) Hospitals (136) Machinery Manufacturing (123) Specialty Trade Contractors (122) Food Services and Drinking Places (113) and Telecommunications (107) Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Police and Fire had the highest rate at 153 followed by Educational services (101) and Food Products Manufacturing (100) All but 7 of the sectors had a rate higher than the state average of 35
17
Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010 Specific Industry Sector NAICS Cases Employment Rate Local government 921 870 137400 63 Educational Services 611 526 52000 101 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 336 365 43500 84 Food and Beverage Stores 445 255 38800 66 Nursing and Residential Care Facilities 623 237 60200 39 Police and Fire 922 226 14800 153 Administrative and Support Services 561 194 74500 26 Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 332 154 31300 49 Ambulatory Health Care Services 621 147 16100 91 Professional Scientific and Technical Services 541 144 91400 16 General Merchandise Stores 452 142 25800 55 Hospitals 622 136 60400 23 General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing 333 123 16800 73 Specialty Trade Contractors 238 122 42900 28 Food Services and Drinking Places 722 113 100200 11 Telecommunications 517 107 12600 85 Merchant Wholesalers Nondurable Goods 424 95 Merchant Wholesalers Durable Goods 423 95 Electric Power Generation 221 92 Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing 334 78 14000 56 Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (Banks) 522 73 Food Products 311 71 7100 100 Social Assistance 624 59 42800 14 Hardware Stores 444 57 15000 38 Motor Vehicle Dealers 441 54 19800 27
Local government also includes cases that are tabulated in other specific sectors such as educational services and police and fire Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) ldquoMusculoskeletal disordersrdquo is the currently-used term for conditions also known as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries There were 3435 MSDs reported to workersrsquo compensation in 2010 an decrease of 15 from 2009 (Table D-5) MSDs accounted for over half (60) of the reported occupational diseases to Workersrsquo Compensation MSDs presented here do not include any cases for the lower back (since the descriptions of back conditions are typically not sufficient to be able to distinguish between acute and cumulative back injuries) nor do MSDs include any acute injury condition from sudden events Strains and sprains (which does not include acute strains or sprains) was the most common category of MSD with 65 of reports (Table D-5) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) which is a pinching of the median nerve at the wrist accounted for 14 of total MSD reports Other nerve-related problems (with symptoms of numbness or tingling) accounted for an additional 4 of cases Tendon-related problems included tendonitis and tenosynovitis (3) and epicondylitis (ldquotennis elbowrdquo or ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo 1) ganglion cysts (1) and
18
trigger finger (1) A large number of cases did not have a specific description other than ldquoinflammationrdquo (lt1) or ldquopainrdquo (6) or no specific description (6) Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
MSD Type Cases Cases Change Sprainstrain 2193 2219 65 1 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 484 476 14 -2 Pain 859 189 6 -78 Numbness 147 153 4 4 Tendonitistenosynovitis 85 86 3 1 Ganglion cyst 42 29 1 -31 Epicondylitis 28 28 1 0 Trigger finger 24 28 1 17 Inflammation 54 16 0 -70 Arthritisbursitis 17 12 0 -29 Rotator cuff 23 0 0 -100 OtherUnknown 99 199 6 101 Total 4055 3435 100 -15
Almost all the cases of MSD were in the upper extremity of the body (note that lower back cases were excluded from these figures) Almost half (44) of total MSD cases were for the hand wrist and lower arm (Table D-6) Other affected parts of the body included 8 elbow and 25 shoulder neck and ldquoupper extremityrdquo Only 11 were for the legs knees and feet Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
Part of body Cases Percent Lower Arm Wrist Hand 1520 44 Upper Arm Shoulder Upper Extremity 842 25 Legs Knees and Feet 389 11 Elbow 277 8 Neck and Upper Back 123 4 Multiple 196 6 OtherUnknown 88 3 3435 100
Causes of conditions were often incomplete overlapping and not consistently coded nor described Approximately 81 of MSD cases had enough description to show some cause Of the MSDs that could be classified the most frequently mentioned cause was the broad category of ldquorepetitionrdquo (28 of cases) although this was frequently just from a general description and often used to describe any chronic musculoskeletal problem (see Table D-7) This was followed by lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (8) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (8)
19
Table D-7 Reported Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) WCC 2010 Cause of MSD Reports
Repetitive 784 28 Lifting 557 20 PushPull 471 17 Computerclerical 234 8 Toolsvibration 219 8 Reaching 88 3 Cleaning 58 2 Bendingkneelingcrawling 53 2 Driving 45 2 Assembly 43 2 Machine 38 1 Walkingrunningmoving 35 1 Graspinggrippingsqueezing 29 1 Exercisesportstraining 25 1 sittingstanding 23 1 Positioning 20 1 Climbing 16 1 Twistingtightening 11 0 Carrying 11 0 Shovelingsweeping 11 0 Scooping 10 0 Cake decorating 7 0 Selectingsortinginspecting 6 0 Total 2794 100
Infectious Diseases There were 768 reports of infectious diseases or exposures in the database for 2010 (Table D-8) a 9 decrease from 2009 Infectious disease reports include both actual disease and exposure to potentially infectious agents There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens (including reports of exposure to HIVAIDS and Hepatitis C) accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were 26 cases of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB There were 59 reports of tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme disease attributed to occupational exposures There were 20 reports of exposure or cases of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or staph infection that responds poorly to antibiotics) or other staph infection 15 cases of scabies or lice exposuresillnesses and 18 reports of meningitis exposure There were no reports of exposure to or cases of h1n1 flu in contrast to 2009
20
Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness Cases Cases Change Human biteUrine 301 36 273 36 -9 Bloodbody fluids 154 18 140 18 -9 Sharp and needlestick exposures 100 12 140 18 40 Lyme DiseaseTick bite 87 10 59 8 -32 Hepatitis 21 2 28 4 33 TBppd conversionexposure 40 5 26 3 -35 Other infectious 14 2 21 3 50 MRSAstaph 36 4 20 3 -44 Meningitis exposure 20 2 18 2 -10 Scabieslice 31 4 15 2 -52 Rabies 8 1 12 2 50 Chicken pox measles whooping cough 7 1 10 1 43 e-colisewage 6 1 6 1 0 h1n1 flu 22 3 0 0 -100 Total 847 100 768 100 -9
Recent court decisions have broadened the definition of compensable disease to include exposures particularly where exposure requires medical treatment such as prophylactic treatments such as for tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS (HIV) exposures There has recently been considerable attention paid to Lyme disease among outdoor workers resulting in more reports of tick bites although these reports were down in 2010 It is often difficult to determine whether the first report of injury was actual disease or only exposure (for example actual Lyme disease or only a report of a tick bite) Similarly it is usually not clear in the reports of needlestick and sharps injuries whether the source patient or client was actually infected with any of the known bloodborne diseases There were additional reports of exposure to ldquospitrdquo or ldquosputumrdquo that are not reported here since risks tend to be very low from such exposures Diseases that can be contracted through blood and body fluid exposures include hepatitis B C and HIV Human bites or exposures to body fluids such as urine are also related to bloodborne diseases Transmission is much less likely when a worker is exposed to urine or a human bite than transmission occurring from blood particularly for HIV Blood to blood exposure is the highest risk such as from needlesticks or sharps injuries Altercations or arrests with prisoners or clients accounted for the vast majority of human bites as well as some of the other bloodborne exposures Respiratory Illness and Poisonings Asbestos-related asthma lung cancer and other lung diseases are addressed in the next section In addition to these conditions there were 328 cases of other respiratory illnesses ndash mostly nonspecific respiratory illness with a few cases of pneumonia and laryngitis in the database for 2010 and 65 cases of poisonings from carbon monoxide other gases mercury or lead (Table D-9) an overall increase of 29 from 2009 Exposure to chemicals was the most common cause of illness (33) followed by exposures to dust or fumes (17) general indoor air quality (IAQ) or mold (12) and smoke (9) There were 45 cases of exposure to carbon monoxide or other gases and fumes and 13 reports of exposure to mercury and 7 to lead
21
Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10 Cause 2009 2010
Respiratory Cases Cases Change Chemical Exposure 71 23 129 33 82 Dustfumes 73 24 67 17 -8 IAQmoldodor 40 13 48 12 20 Smoke Fire 47 15 37 9 -21 Other Respiratory 40 13 47 12 18 Respiratory subtotal 271 328 83
Poisoning Lead 0 0 7 2 Mercury 0 0 13 3 Carbon monoxidegasfumes 34 11 45 11 32 Poisoning Subtotal 34 65 Total 305 100 393 100 29
In addition to the general categories of smoke specific chemical exposures mentioned included battery fumes (13) floor strippersealant (6) heavy metals in a fire (6) perfumecologne (5) bug spray (4) bleach (3) carpet cleaner (2) paint (2) spray foam (2) cement Lysol antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive Chronic Lung Conditions There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified under respiratory conditions and poisonings (above)
Asbestos There were 30 reports of asbestos-related disease or exposures in 2010 The descriptions of the cases often made it difficult to determine whether the cases were actual disease or only exposure to asbestos since it is difficult to know whether they are describing historic exposures that contributed to current disease or current exposures that raise the risk of future disease) although there was at least one fatality and four mesothelioma cases (listed under cancer) Asbestos exposure is known to increase the risk of lung disease and cancer If disease occurs as a result it often appears between 10-40 years after exposure Asbestos disease may be under-reported by traditional surveillance sources such as Workersrsquo Compensation Industries for asbestos conditions were primarily transportation equipment manufacturing (13) and government (6) Other Chronic Lung Conditions There were 30 occupational asthma cases reported in 2010 a decrease of 33 The most common causes mentioned were indoor air quality or mold (15) chemicals and cleaners (5) smoke (2) and dustfumes (2) Government and schools (13 combined) were the most common industries for asthma cases
22
Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10 Illness 2009 2010 Change
Asbestos-related 83 30 -64 Asthmabronchitis 45 30 -33 Allergies 5 -100 Cancer 5 3 -40 Other chronic lung 9 Total 138 72 -48
Skin Conditions There were 239 skin conditions in the database in 2010 (Table D-11) an increase of 9 There were 119 cases of contact dermatitis from poison ivy or other plants (50 of all skin cases) There were 8 cases of allergic reactions to latex gloves or other clothing and 4 associated with soap or cleaning products There were 20 cases caused by chemicals and 71 cases just described as rashes Substances associated with skin conditions included trichorethylene fire proofing materials hand sanitizer a calcium bag epoxy coolant antifreeze cosmetics (2) dish detergent (2) car cleaner plastic carbon fibers gasoline photographic chemicals adhesive laundry detergents (2) carpet adhesive and fiberglass Government (69 cases) and schools (27) were the most frequent industry sectors for skin conditions Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Poison Ivyplants 107 119 50 11 Chemical 36 20 8 -44 Allergic 7 17 7 143 GlovesLatexclothing 14 8 3 -43 SoapCleaning 7 4 2 -43 Patient care 2 0 0 -100 RashOtherUnknown 47 71 30 51 Total 220 239 100 9
23
Stress and Heart Conditions
Heart and Hypertension There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions 22 reported strokes or blood clots and 102 described symptoms of chest pain or mentioned angina often associated with emergency care at a hospital There were 109 cases that described the condition as hypertension or ldquoheart and hypertensionrdquo (the usual legal term for heart or hypertension cases that are covered for police and fire fighters) An additional 21 were other heart-related conditions predominately testing abnormalities on EKG or unusual symptoms involving the heart or chest Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal employees who are frequently covered under heart and hypertension laws that consider those conditions to be work-related for workersrsquo compensation purposes Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Hypertension 99 109 36 10 Chest painanginasymptoms 71 102 34 44 Heart attack 51 50 16 -2 Other heart 40 21 7 -48 Strokeclots 21 22 7 5
Total 282 304 100 8 Mental Stress There were a total of 128 stress-related claims in the database in 2010 an increase of 13 over 2009 There were 33 cases which cited reactions to violence robbery or trauma (such as witnessing or being in auto accidents) 14 cases that were attributed to conflicts with supervisors or promotions and 12 cases were attributed to harassment or hostile work environments (Table D-13) There were 17 claims related to excessive job demands or aspects of job duties There were 49 that were simply defined as ldquostressrdquo without further explanation There were also several stress-related cases that are classified under heart conditions (See Table D-12 above) Specific examples of situations causing stress include robberies with guns an explosion at the workplace assaults a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect harassment having to stay with a dead body after a shooting verbal abuse from a residentrsquos family job transfer a failed surgery and witnessing suicide
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
6
There was an overall illness rate of 231 cases per 10000 workers based on the BLS survey a 10 decrease in the rate from 2009 The CT rate was 95 higher than the average national rate The highest specific sector rate was Education and Health at 422 with the highest rate of illness per 10000 workers categorized asldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 234 and second-highest for skin conditions (149) Manufacturing was second highest at 417 (a 23 decrease from 2009) with the highest rates for ldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 194 and hearing loss at 154 Local Government was third highest overall at 384 (a 28 drop from 2009) which included the highest rate of ldquoOtherrdquo (245) and second-highest for skin (52) Information services had a fairly high rate of ldquootherrdquo conditions though was low for other illnesses State government had the highest rate of respiratory conditions (67) among all sectors second-highest skin conditions rate and fourth highest overall rate Overall 44 of reports were for women but this varied by type of case with higher proportions than that average for infectious disease (57 women) musculoskeletal disorders (47) and stress (53) but lower levels for skin conditions (25) heart and hypertension (19) and ldquoother illnessrdquo (27) Based on physician reports where race and ethnicity were known 18 of reports were identified as black and 10 were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age The most common specific physician diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (OIISS) The most common causes for MSD were ldquorepetitionrdquo lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (7) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (7 WCC) Non-specific respiratory conditions were the most common type of lung condition reported by physicians with 46 of reports Exposures associated with respiratory illness included battery fumes floor strippersealant heavy metals in a fire perfumecologne bug spray bleach carpet cleaner paint spray foam cement Lysol cleaning product antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol paint thinner morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive tetrahydrofuran pepper spray methyl methacrylate and colophony (OIISS and WCC) Causes of skin conditions as attributed by physicians included poison ivy cleaning chemicals other chemicals dust solvents and latex or gloves (OIISS) Infectious disease and exposures were reported through workersrsquo compensation There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and body fluids and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were also reports of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme Disease attributed to occupational exposures MRSA (staph infections that are resistant to antibiotics) and meningitis exposure (WCC)
7
B Introduction This report provides an overview of what is known about occupational disease in Connecticut based on 2010 data It is one of a series of annual reports on occupational disease developed for the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission under the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) By monitoring trends this system helps prevent occupational disease by targeting prevention activities such as education encouraging effective safety and health committees and programs and investigating of clusters of disease The system is a cooperative venture by the Department of Public Health Department of Labor Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and a number of occupational health clinics (Connecticut General Statutes 31-396 to 31-402) Physicians are required to report occupational disease under Connecticut General Statute 31-399 This report combines available data from a number of systems bull Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration (BLSConn-OSHA)
Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses bull Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology Surveillance System (ABLES) bull Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports or OIISS in this
report) bull Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Employer First Reports of Injury (referred to as Workersrsquo
Compensation or WCC in this report) Acknowledgements Several people have contributed data and other help to this report We would like to thank especially Erin Wilkins of the Department of Labor Bob Artus and Peter Miecznikowski of the Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and Thomas St Louis and Albert Deloreto of the Department of Public Health Colleagues at the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center have contributed ideas and resolved questions Overview of Report This report covers occupational disease data for calendar year 2010 (the OIISS dataset for 2010 is incomplete) It is divided into three primary sections based on the data source It begins with the BLSConn-OSHA time trends followed by data from the Workers Compensation First Reports of Injury followed by data from physiciansrsquo reports (OIISS) All three data sources provide somewhat different information For example the BLSConn-OSHA provides comparisons to US data but is based on a survey rather than all reports Workersrsquo Compensation data includes all lost-time cases for all employers but does not include physiciansrsquo diagnosis The physiciansrsquo reporting system has more precise diagnoses but a large number of physicians do not report into the system Prior studies of cumulative trauma (musculoskeletal disorders) reports in Connecticut have found that there is only a small overlap between the Workersrsquo Compensation Reports and the physiciansrsquo reports indicating that total numbers are higher than the individual system totals
8
C Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Surveys In cooperation with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Conn-OSHA conducts an annual survey of employers for job-related injuries and illnesses Conn-OSHA issues an annual report that provides data on injuries (available at httpwwwctdolstatectusoshashstatshtm) Our report focuses on illnesses and includes data from Conn-OSHA that is not published in that report Since these statistics are based on a survey rather than a census numbers and rates are estimated and are rounded off The Connecticut Department of Labor acknowledges that the BLSConn-OSHA survey under-counts occupational diseases particularly chronic diseases since these are frequently not recognized nor reported Occupational Illnesses in 2010 There were approximately 3000 reported cases of occupational illnesses in 2010 (Figure C-1 and Table C-1) with a rate of 231 per 10000 workers a 12 decrease in rate from 2009 Two categories decreased including a 15 decrease in ldquoother illnessesrdquo (which consists primarily of repetitive trauma cases) which is the largest category of cases and hearing loss (40 decrease) The rate of respiratory illnesses remained constant and skin conditions increased by 17 Poisonings were too low to meet publishing criteria Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
2009 2010 Change Cases Rates Cases Rates in Rate
Skin 600 47 700 51 9 Poisonings -- -- -- -- Respiratory 300 23 300 21 -9 Hearing loss 500 35 300 25 -29 Other Illnesses 2000 15 1700 131 -13 Total 3400 256 3000 231 -10
Source BLSConn-OSHA Rates are per 10000 workers adjusted for hours worked Total differs due to rounding for the survey Includes public sector ldquomdashldquo indicates numbers too smallunreliable to publish Overall rates for Connecticut in 2010 were higher than the US rates for all types of illness (Figure C-1) The overall Connecticut rate (231 cases per 10000 workers) was 95 higher than US rate (211) Connecticutrsquos occupational illness rate was the 15th highest out of 41 reporting states (where a 1 ranking is the highest rate) The higher CT rates in relation to the US were driven by the somewhat higher rates for skin conditions (50 higher) hearing loss (19 higher) and respiratory conditions (11 higher) Rates are adjusted for hours worked and are based on 41 states that report into the system Overall illness rates were 216 for the private sector and 340 for public sector in Connecticut compared to US average rates of 181 (19 higher for CT) and 386 (12 lower for CT) respectively In Connecticut the number of illnesses increased slightly from 2002-2005 then generally decreased through 2010 (Figure C-2)
9
Figure C-1 Rates of Occupational Illness by Type US and CT 2010
Source BLS and Conn-OSHA Rates per 10000 workers adjusted for hours worked Figure C-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type and Year CT 2002-2010
Source BLSConn-OSHA Survey
0
5
10
15
20
25
Skin Poisonings Respiratory Hearing loss Other Illnesses
Total
34
03 19 21
133
211
51
21 25
131
231
US
CT
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
62 69 64 63 43 47 51 47 51
24 38 27 36
18 27 22 23 21
06 02
03
03 02 1
36 28
33 34 27 35 25
237 24 221 233
188 182 154
15 131
Other
Hearing
Poison
Respir
Skin
10
Illnesses by Industry Numbers and rates by industry sector for 2010 are presented in Table C-2 Overall the adjusted rate is 231 cases of occupational illness per 10000 CT workers slightly lower than the 2009 rate of 256 The overall private sector rate was 216 (compared to 243 in 2009) with a government rate of 340 (57 higher than the private sector rate) The government rate was much lower than last yearrsquos rate of 416 Table C-2 Illness Rates per 10000 Workers by Industry and Type of Illness CT 2010 Total Skin Respiratory Poison Hearing Other Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Total all industries 231 3000 51 700 21 300 25 300 131 1700
Private Industry only 216 2400 51 600 17 200 25 300 121 1400
Goods Producing 332 700 49 100 12 117 300 153 300
Natural resources and mining
Construction
Manufacturing 417 700 56 100 14 154 300 194 300
Service Providing 189 1700 52 500 18 200 03 113 100
Trade transport utilities 129 300 29 100 08 10 81 200
Information 170 115
Financial activities 142 200 96 100
Professionalbusiness services 120 200 86 100
Education and health 422 900 149 300 27 100 234 500
Leisure and hospitality 56 100 23 22
Other services
Government total 340 500 54 100 55 100 204 300
State Government 263 100 58 67 132 100
Local Government 384 400 52 100 48 245 200
Source Conn-OSHA Rates are adjusted for hours worked and are per 10000 full-time workers Indicates too little data for reliable estimates The highest specific sector rate was Education and Health at 422 with the highest rate of illness per 10000 workers categorized asldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 234 and second-highest for skin conditions (149) Manufacturing was second highest at 417 (a 23 decrease from 2009) with the highest rates for ldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 194 and hearing loss at 154 Local Government was third highest overall at 384 (a 28 drop from 2009) which included the highest rate of ldquoOtherrdquo (245) and second-highest for skin (52) Information services had a fairly high rate of ldquootherrdquo conditions though was low for other illnesses State government had the highest rate of respiratory conditions (67) among all sectors second-highest skin conditions rate and fourth highest overall rate Lost-Time Illnesses BLS obtains additional data for the subset of cases that result in lost worktime (restricted work cases are not included in this section which is about half again the number of lost worktime cases) that provide additional detail on specific conditions and causes We are presenting here this data for conditions that are more chronic in nature (usually classified as occupational illness) Musculoskeletal Conditions Musculoskeletal conditions with lost time increased 6 to 6600 cases (516 cases per 10000 workers) up from a rate of 476 in 2009 (Figure C-3) The Connecticut rate is 50 higher than the national MSD rate of 343 MSD accounted for 33 of the total of 19930 lost time injuries and illnesses in Connecticut Rates in
11
Connecticut have declined 19 over the 8-year period National rates for all private and public employees have only been available since 2008 Figure C-3 Rates of Musculoskeletal Disorders CT and US 2003-2010
Source BLS Website httpdatablsgovcgi-bindsrvch Rates are cases per 10000 full time employees Musculoskeletal conditions are the most common category of specific injury and illness conditions and is a category that includes both chronic conditions and sprains and strains from overexertion (approximately 75 of these cases nationally) BLS defines this fairly complex category as ldquoIncludes cases where the nature of injury is sprains strains tears back pain hurt back soreness pain hurt except back carpal tunnel syndrome hernia or musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases and disorders and when the event or exposure leading to the injury or illness is bodily reactionbending climbing crawling reaching twisting overexertion or repetition Cases of Raynauds phenomenon tarsal tunnel syndrome and herniated spinal discs are not includedrdquo Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) was the most common specific illness in Connecticut increasing from 22 cases per 10000 workers in 2009 to 25 in 2010 (Figure C-4) Tendonitis also increased from 05 cases to 07 cases per 10000 Connecticut was over double the national rates for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and somewhat higher for tendonitis CTS had a very high number of lost work days with a median of 28 days of lost time per case (compared to 8 days for all cases of injury and illness) in Connecticut and tendonitis was a median of 12 days
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
CT
US
12
Figure C-4 Rates of Conditions Lost-time Only Private Sector US amp CT 2007-2010
Source BLS Website httpdatablsgovcgi-bindsrvch Rates are cases per 10000 full time employees CTS=Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Connecticut lost time cases coded as ldquorepetitive motionrdquo for cause stayed almost even at 53 cases per 10000 workers from 54 in 2009 this Connecticut rate was 51 higher than the US rate of 35 Repetitive motion lost time cases had a median of 28 days away from work
0
05
1
15
2
25
CT US CT US
CTS Tendonitis
2007
2008
2009
2010
13
D Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Data There were a total of 5772 reports in the Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database for 2010 a 10 decrease from 2009 driven by a 15 decrease in the largest category of MSD with combined with a 9 decrease in infectious disease There were slight increases in lung skin and other disorders Almost two-thirds (60) of reports were due to chronic musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and tendonitis Infectious disease accounted for 13 of the cases respiratory diseases (including nonspecific respiratory illness and chronic lung conditions such as asthma and asbestos-related illnesses and exposures) 8 skin diseases 4 and ldquoOther Illnessesrdquo (which includes heart conditions stress cases noise-induced hearing loss and other conditions) 15 Table D-1 Occupational Disease by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness type Cases Cases of total
Change Musculoskeletal Disorders (MS) 4055 3435 60 -15 Infectious Disease 845 768 13 -9 Respiratory Disorders 433 465 8 7 Skin Disorders 220 239 4 9 Other Illnesses 832 865 15 4 Total 6385 5772 100 -10
Overall 44 of reports were for women but this varied by type of case (Figure D-1) with higher proportions than that average for infectious disease (57 women) musculoskeletal disorders (47) and stress (53) but lower levels for skin conditions (25 heart and hypertension (19) and ldquoother illnessrdquo (27) Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector Government and EducationHealth had the largest number of cases (20
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
19
57
47
27
41
25
53
14
each additional government cases are counted in the Education and Health care sector) followed by Manufacturing (19) and Wholesale and Retail Trade (16) Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illness is approximately 35 cases per 1000 workers with the highest rates for Manufacturing (60 or 53 higher than the overall rate) and Government (54 the actual government rate is higher because some government worker cases are classified under Education and Other sectors) TransportationUtilities (44) EducationHealth care (38) Trade (37) and Information Services (35)
ConstructionAg Mine 3
Manufacturing 19
Trade 16
TransportUtilities 4
Info Services 2
FinanceInsurRE 4
Business Services
7
EducationHealth 20
LeisureOther Services 5
Government 20
15
Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010 NAICS Sector Cases Rate Employment
Employment ConstructionAgMine 189 3 29 65000 4 Manufacturing 1066 18 60 178200 11 Trade 908 16 37 247200 15 TransportUtilities 207 4 44 46900 3 Information Services 133 2 35 38500 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 229 4 16 140700 9 Business Services 382 7 19 200300 12 EducationHealth 1105 19 38 292700 18 LeisureOther Services 273 5 13 213800 13 Government 1121 19 54 207900 13 Unknown 159 3 Total 5772 100 35 1629300 100
Notes Employment is adjusted for hours worked Rows do not add up to total due to reports that could not be coded for industry Rates are illnesses per 1000 workers Government illnesses do not include some cases that are classified under other categories such as education and health services Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
Other Respiratory Infect MSD Skin Total ConstructionAgMine 16 2 18 4 0 144 4 11 5 189 3 Manufacturing 164 19 61 13 4 1 813 24 24 10 1066 19 Trade 95 11 35 8 20 3 736 22 22 9 908 16 TransportUtilities 24 3 10 2 17 2 145 4 11 5 207 4 Information Services 10 1 7 2 4 1 107 3 5 2 133 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 38 5 15 3 7 1 166 5 3 1 229 4 Business Services 53 6 55 12 24 3 222 7 28 12 382 7 EducationHealth 95 11 100 22 398 53 476 14 36 16 1105 19 LeisureOther Services 39 5 28 6 13 2 178 5 15 6 273 5 Government 308 37 124 27 266 35 346 10 77 33 1121 20 Subtotal 842 100 453 100 753 100 3333 100 232 100 5613 100 Unknown 23 12 15 102 7 159 Total 865 465 768 3435 239 5772
16
Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseases were concentrated in EducationHealth (53) and Government (35) Respiratory diseases were concentrated in Government (27) EducationHealth (22) Manufacturing (13) and Business Services (12) Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) were most prevalent in Manufacturing (24) and Trade (22) EducationHealth (14) and Government (10) Skin cases were most common in Government (33) EducationHealth (16) Business Services (12) and Manufacturing (10) Other illnesses which include heart and hypertension stress and hearing loss cases (see below) were most common in Government (37) Manufacturing (19) Trade (11) and EducationHealth (11) These figures are based on numbers of cases and not rates so they are not adjusted for the employment size in the different sectors (which can be noted in Table D-2 for comparison) Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of illnesses at 870 reports followed by Educational services (526 reports) which are also primarily Local Government Police and Fire departments (226 reports) are categorized separately and are also primarily Local Government Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (154) Ambulatory Health Care Services (147) Professional Scientific and Technical Services (144) General Merchandise Stores (142) Hospitals (136) Machinery Manufacturing (123) Specialty Trade Contractors (122) Food Services and Drinking Places (113) and Telecommunications (107) Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Police and Fire had the highest rate at 153 followed by Educational services (101) and Food Products Manufacturing (100) All but 7 of the sectors had a rate higher than the state average of 35
17
Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010 Specific Industry Sector NAICS Cases Employment Rate Local government 921 870 137400 63 Educational Services 611 526 52000 101 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 336 365 43500 84 Food and Beverage Stores 445 255 38800 66 Nursing and Residential Care Facilities 623 237 60200 39 Police and Fire 922 226 14800 153 Administrative and Support Services 561 194 74500 26 Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 332 154 31300 49 Ambulatory Health Care Services 621 147 16100 91 Professional Scientific and Technical Services 541 144 91400 16 General Merchandise Stores 452 142 25800 55 Hospitals 622 136 60400 23 General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing 333 123 16800 73 Specialty Trade Contractors 238 122 42900 28 Food Services and Drinking Places 722 113 100200 11 Telecommunications 517 107 12600 85 Merchant Wholesalers Nondurable Goods 424 95 Merchant Wholesalers Durable Goods 423 95 Electric Power Generation 221 92 Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing 334 78 14000 56 Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (Banks) 522 73 Food Products 311 71 7100 100 Social Assistance 624 59 42800 14 Hardware Stores 444 57 15000 38 Motor Vehicle Dealers 441 54 19800 27
Local government also includes cases that are tabulated in other specific sectors such as educational services and police and fire Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) ldquoMusculoskeletal disordersrdquo is the currently-used term for conditions also known as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries There were 3435 MSDs reported to workersrsquo compensation in 2010 an decrease of 15 from 2009 (Table D-5) MSDs accounted for over half (60) of the reported occupational diseases to Workersrsquo Compensation MSDs presented here do not include any cases for the lower back (since the descriptions of back conditions are typically not sufficient to be able to distinguish between acute and cumulative back injuries) nor do MSDs include any acute injury condition from sudden events Strains and sprains (which does not include acute strains or sprains) was the most common category of MSD with 65 of reports (Table D-5) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) which is a pinching of the median nerve at the wrist accounted for 14 of total MSD reports Other nerve-related problems (with symptoms of numbness or tingling) accounted for an additional 4 of cases Tendon-related problems included tendonitis and tenosynovitis (3) and epicondylitis (ldquotennis elbowrdquo or ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo 1) ganglion cysts (1) and
18
trigger finger (1) A large number of cases did not have a specific description other than ldquoinflammationrdquo (lt1) or ldquopainrdquo (6) or no specific description (6) Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
MSD Type Cases Cases Change Sprainstrain 2193 2219 65 1 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 484 476 14 -2 Pain 859 189 6 -78 Numbness 147 153 4 4 Tendonitistenosynovitis 85 86 3 1 Ganglion cyst 42 29 1 -31 Epicondylitis 28 28 1 0 Trigger finger 24 28 1 17 Inflammation 54 16 0 -70 Arthritisbursitis 17 12 0 -29 Rotator cuff 23 0 0 -100 OtherUnknown 99 199 6 101 Total 4055 3435 100 -15
Almost all the cases of MSD were in the upper extremity of the body (note that lower back cases were excluded from these figures) Almost half (44) of total MSD cases were for the hand wrist and lower arm (Table D-6) Other affected parts of the body included 8 elbow and 25 shoulder neck and ldquoupper extremityrdquo Only 11 were for the legs knees and feet Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
Part of body Cases Percent Lower Arm Wrist Hand 1520 44 Upper Arm Shoulder Upper Extremity 842 25 Legs Knees and Feet 389 11 Elbow 277 8 Neck and Upper Back 123 4 Multiple 196 6 OtherUnknown 88 3 3435 100
Causes of conditions were often incomplete overlapping and not consistently coded nor described Approximately 81 of MSD cases had enough description to show some cause Of the MSDs that could be classified the most frequently mentioned cause was the broad category of ldquorepetitionrdquo (28 of cases) although this was frequently just from a general description and often used to describe any chronic musculoskeletal problem (see Table D-7) This was followed by lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (8) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (8)
19
Table D-7 Reported Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) WCC 2010 Cause of MSD Reports
Repetitive 784 28 Lifting 557 20 PushPull 471 17 Computerclerical 234 8 Toolsvibration 219 8 Reaching 88 3 Cleaning 58 2 Bendingkneelingcrawling 53 2 Driving 45 2 Assembly 43 2 Machine 38 1 Walkingrunningmoving 35 1 Graspinggrippingsqueezing 29 1 Exercisesportstraining 25 1 sittingstanding 23 1 Positioning 20 1 Climbing 16 1 Twistingtightening 11 0 Carrying 11 0 Shovelingsweeping 11 0 Scooping 10 0 Cake decorating 7 0 Selectingsortinginspecting 6 0 Total 2794 100
Infectious Diseases There were 768 reports of infectious diseases or exposures in the database for 2010 (Table D-8) a 9 decrease from 2009 Infectious disease reports include both actual disease and exposure to potentially infectious agents There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens (including reports of exposure to HIVAIDS and Hepatitis C) accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were 26 cases of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB There were 59 reports of tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme disease attributed to occupational exposures There were 20 reports of exposure or cases of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or staph infection that responds poorly to antibiotics) or other staph infection 15 cases of scabies or lice exposuresillnesses and 18 reports of meningitis exposure There were no reports of exposure to or cases of h1n1 flu in contrast to 2009
20
Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness Cases Cases Change Human biteUrine 301 36 273 36 -9 Bloodbody fluids 154 18 140 18 -9 Sharp and needlestick exposures 100 12 140 18 40 Lyme DiseaseTick bite 87 10 59 8 -32 Hepatitis 21 2 28 4 33 TBppd conversionexposure 40 5 26 3 -35 Other infectious 14 2 21 3 50 MRSAstaph 36 4 20 3 -44 Meningitis exposure 20 2 18 2 -10 Scabieslice 31 4 15 2 -52 Rabies 8 1 12 2 50 Chicken pox measles whooping cough 7 1 10 1 43 e-colisewage 6 1 6 1 0 h1n1 flu 22 3 0 0 -100 Total 847 100 768 100 -9
Recent court decisions have broadened the definition of compensable disease to include exposures particularly where exposure requires medical treatment such as prophylactic treatments such as for tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS (HIV) exposures There has recently been considerable attention paid to Lyme disease among outdoor workers resulting in more reports of tick bites although these reports were down in 2010 It is often difficult to determine whether the first report of injury was actual disease or only exposure (for example actual Lyme disease or only a report of a tick bite) Similarly it is usually not clear in the reports of needlestick and sharps injuries whether the source patient or client was actually infected with any of the known bloodborne diseases There were additional reports of exposure to ldquospitrdquo or ldquosputumrdquo that are not reported here since risks tend to be very low from such exposures Diseases that can be contracted through blood and body fluid exposures include hepatitis B C and HIV Human bites or exposures to body fluids such as urine are also related to bloodborne diseases Transmission is much less likely when a worker is exposed to urine or a human bite than transmission occurring from blood particularly for HIV Blood to blood exposure is the highest risk such as from needlesticks or sharps injuries Altercations or arrests with prisoners or clients accounted for the vast majority of human bites as well as some of the other bloodborne exposures Respiratory Illness and Poisonings Asbestos-related asthma lung cancer and other lung diseases are addressed in the next section In addition to these conditions there were 328 cases of other respiratory illnesses ndash mostly nonspecific respiratory illness with a few cases of pneumonia and laryngitis in the database for 2010 and 65 cases of poisonings from carbon monoxide other gases mercury or lead (Table D-9) an overall increase of 29 from 2009 Exposure to chemicals was the most common cause of illness (33) followed by exposures to dust or fumes (17) general indoor air quality (IAQ) or mold (12) and smoke (9) There were 45 cases of exposure to carbon monoxide or other gases and fumes and 13 reports of exposure to mercury and 7 to lead
21
Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10 Cause 2009 2010
Respiratory Cases Cases Change Chemical Exposure 71 23 129 33 82 Dustfumes 73 24 67 17 -8 IAQmoldodor 40 13 48 12 20 Smoke Fire 47 15 37 9 -21 Other Respiratory 40 13 47 12 18 Respiratory subtotal 271 328 83
Poisoning Lead 0 0 7 2 Mercury 0 0 13 3 Carbon monoxidegasfumes 34 11 45 11 32 Poisoning Subtotal 34 65 Total 305 100 393 100 29
In addition to the general categories of smoke specific chemical exposures mentioned included battery fumes (13) floor strippersealant (6) heavy metals in a fire (6) perfumecologne (5) bug spray (4) bleach (3) carpet cleaner (2) paint (2) spray foam (2) cement Lysol antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive Chronic Lung Conditions There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified under respiratory conditions and poisonings (above)
Asbestos There were 30 reports of asbestos-related disease or exposures in 2010 The descriptions of the cases often made it difficult to determine whether the cases were actual disease or only exposure to asbestos since it is difficult to know whether they are describing historic exposures that contributed to current disease or current exposures that raise the risk of future disease) although there was at least one fatality and four mesothelioma cases (listed under cancer) Asbestos exposure is known to increase the risk of lung disease and cancer If disease occurs as a result it often appears between 10-40 years after exposure Asbestos disease may be under-reported by traditional surveillance sources such as Workersrsquo Compensation Industries for asbestos conditions were primarily transportation equipment manufacturing (13) and government (6) Other Chronic Lung Conditions There were 30 occupational asthma cases reported in 2010 a decrease of 33 The most common causes mentioned were indoor air quality or mold (15) chemicals and cleaners (5) smoke (2) and dustfumes (2) Government and schools (13 combined) were the most common industries for asthma cases
22
Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10 Illness 2009 2010 Change
Asbestos-related 83 30 -64 Asthmabronchitis 45 30 -33 Allergies 5 -100 Cancer 5 3 -40 Other chronic lung 9 Total 138 72 -48
Skin Conditions There were 239 skin conditions in the database in 2010 (Table D-11) an increase of 9 There were 119 cases of contact dermatitis from poison ivy or other plants (50 of all skin cases) There were 8 cases of allergic reactions to latex gloves or other clothing and 4 associated with soap or cleaning products There were 20 cases caused by chemicals and 71 cases just described as rashes Substances associated with skin conditions included trichorethylene fire proofing materials hand sanitizer a calcium bag epoxy coolant antifreeze cosmetics (2) dish detergent (2) car cleaner plastic carbon fibers gasoline photographic chemicals adhesive laundry detergents (2) carpet adhesive and fiberglass Government (69 cases) and schools (27) were the most frequent industry sectors for skin conditions Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Poison Ivyplants 107 119 50 11 Chemical 36 20 8 -44 Allergic 7 17 7 143 GlovesLatexclothing 14 8 3 -43 SoapCleaning 7 4 2 -43 Patient care 2 0 0 -100 RashOtherUnknown 47 71 30 51 Total 220 239 100 9
23
Stress and Heart Conditions
Heart and Hypertension There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions 22 reported strokes or blood clots and 102 described symptoms of chest pain or mentioned angina often associated with emergency care at a hospital There were 109 cases that described the condition as hypertension or ldquoheart and hypertensionrdquo (the usual legal term for heart or hypertension cases that are covered for police and fire fighters) An additional 21 were other heart-related conditions predominately testing abnormalities on EKG or unusual symptoms involving the heart or chest Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal employees who are frequently covered under heart and hypertension laws that consider those conditions to be work-related for workersrsquo compensation purposes Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Hypertension 99 109 36 10 Chest painanginasymptoms 71 102 34 44 Heart attack 51 50 16 -2 Other heart 40 21 7 -48 Strokeclots 21 22 7 5
Total 282 304 100 8 Mental Stress There were a total of 128 stress-related claims in the database in 2010 an increase of 13 over 2009 There were 33 cases which cited reactions to violence robbery or trauma (such as witnessing or being in auto accidents) 14 cases that were attributed to conflicts with supervisors or promotions and 12 cases were attributed to harassment or hostile work environments (Table D-13) There were 17 claims related to excessive job demands or aspects of job duties There were 49 that were simply defined as ldquostressrdquo without further explanation There were also several stress-related cases that are classified under heart conditions (See Table D-12 above) Specific examples of situations causing stress include robberies with guns an explosion at the workplace assaults a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect harassment having to stay with a dead body after a shooting verbal abuse from a residentrsquos family job transfer a failed surgery and witnessing suicide
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
7
B Introduction This report provides an overview of what is known about occupational disease in Connecticut based on 2010 data It is one of a series of annual reports on occupational disease developed for the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission under the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) By monitoring trends this system helps prevent occupational disease by targeting prevention activities such as education encouraging effective safety and health committees and programs and investigating of clusters of disease The system is a cooperative venture by the Department of Public Health Department of Labor Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and a number of occupational health clinics (Connecticut General Statutes 31-396 to 31-402) Physicians are required to report occupational disease under Connecticut General Statute 31-399 This report combines available data from a number of systems bull Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration (BLSConn-OSHA)
Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses bull Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology Surveillance System (ABLES) bull Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports or OIISS in this
report) bull Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Employer First Reports of Injury (referred to as Workersrsquo
Compensation or WCC in this report) Acknowledgements Several people have contributed data and other help to this report We would like to thank especially Erin Wilkins of the Department of Labor Bob Artus and Peter Miecznikowski of the Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and Thomas St Louis and Albert Deloreto of the Department of Public Health Colleagues at the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center have contributed ideas and resolved questions Overview of Report This report covers occupational disease data for calendar year 2010 (the OIISS dataset for 2010 is incomplete) It is divided into three primary sections based on the data source It begins with the BLSConn-OSHA time trends followed by data from the Workers Compensation First Reports of Injury followed by data from physiciansrsquo reports (OIISS) All three data sources provide somewhat different information For example the BLSConn-OSHA provides comparisons to US data but is based on a survey rather than all reports Workersrsquo Compensation data includes all lost-time cases for all employers but does not include physiciansrsquo diagnosis The physiciansrsquo reporting system has more precise diagnoses but a large number of physicians do not report into the system Prior studies of cumulative trauma (musculoskeletal disorders) reports in Connecticut have found that there is only a small overlap between the Workersrsquo Compensation Reports and the physiciansrsquo reports indicating that total numbers are higher than the individual system totals
8
C Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Surveys In cooperation with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Conn-OSHA conducts an annual survey of employers for job-related injuries and illnesses Conn-OSHA issues an annual report that provides data on injuries (available at httpwwwctdolstatectusoshashstatshtm) Our report focuses on illnesses and includes data from Conn-OSHA that is not published in that report Since these statistics are based on a survey rather than a census numbers and rates are estimated and are rounded off The Connecticut Department of Labor acknowledges that the BLSConn-OSHA survey under-counts occupational diseases particularly chronic diseases since these are frequently not recognized nor reported Occupational Illnesses in 2010 There were approximately 3000 reported cases of occupational illnesses in 2010 (Figure C-1 and Table C-1) with a rate of 231 per 10000 workers a 12 decrease in rate from 2009 Two categories decreased including a 15 decrease in ldquoother illnessesrdquo (which consists primarily of repetitive trauma cases) which is the largest category of cases and hearing loss (40 decrease) The rate of respiratory illnesses remained constant and skin conditions increased by 17 Poisonings were too low to meet publishing criteria Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
2009 2010 Change Cases Rates Cases Rates in Rate
Skin 600 47 700 51 9 Poisonings -- -- -- -- Respiratory 300 23 300 21 -9 Hearing loss 500 35 300 25 -29 Other Illnesses 2000 15 1700 131 -13 Total 3400 256 3000 231 -10
Source BLSConn-OSHA Rates are per 10000 workers adjusted for hours worked Total differs due to rounding for the survey Includes public sector ldquomdashldquo indicates numbers too smallunreliable to publish Overall rates for Connecticut in 2010 were higher than the US rates for all types of illness (Figure C-1) The overall Connecticut rate (231 cases per 10000 workers) was 95 higher than US rate (211) Connecticutrsquos occupational illness rate was the 15th highest out of 41 reporting states (where a 1 ranking is the highest rate) The higher CT rates in relation to the US were driven by the somewhat higher rates for skin conditions (50 higher) hearing loss (19 higher) and respiratory conditions (11 higher) Rates are adjusted for hours worked and are based on 41 states that report into the system Overall illness rates were 216 for the private sector and 340 for public sector in Connecticut compared to US average rates of 181 (19 higher for CT) and 386 (12 lower for CT) respectively In Connecticut the number of illnesses increased slightly from 2002-2005 then generally decreased through 2010 (Figure C-2)
9
Figure C-1 Rates of Occupational Illness by Type US and CT 2010
Source BLS and Conn-OSHA Rates per 10000 workers adjusted for hours worked Figure C-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type and Year CT 2002-2010
Source BLSConn-OSHA Survey
0
5
10
15
20
25
Skin Poisonings Respiratory Hearing loss Other Illnesses
Total
34
03 19 21
133
211
51
21 25
131
231
US
CT
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
62 69 64 63 43 47 51 47 51
24 38 27 36
18 27 22 23 21
06 02
03
03 02 1
36 28
33 34 27 35 25
237 24 221 233
188 182 154
15 131
Other
Hearing
Poison
Respir
Skin
10
Illnesses by Industry Numbers and rates by industry sector for 2010 are presented in Table C-2 Overall the adjusted rate is 231 cases of occupational illness per 10000 CT workers slightly lower than the 2009 rate of 256 The overall private sector rate was 216 (compared to 243 in 2009) with a government rate of 340 (57 higher than the private sector rate) The government rate was much lower than last yearrsquos rate of 416 Table C-2 Illness Rates per 10000 Workers by Industry and Type of Illness CT 2010 Total Skin Respiratory Poison Hearing Other Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Total all industries 231 3000 51 700 21 300 25 300 131 1700
Private Industry only 216 2400 51 600 17 200 25 300 121 1400
Goods Producing 332 700 49 100 12 117 300 153 300
Natural resources and mining
Construction
Manufacturing 417 700 56 100 14 154 300 194 300
Service Providing 189 1700 52 500 18 200 03 113 100
Trade transport utilities 129 300 29 100 08 10 81 200
Information 170 115
Financial activities 142 200 96 100
Professionalbusiness services 120 200 86 100
Education and health 422 900 149 300 27 100 234 500
Leisure and hospitality 56 100 23 22
Other services
Government total 340 500 54 100 55 100 204 300
State Government 263 100 58 67 132 100
Local Government 384 400 52 100 48 245 200
Source Conn-OSHA Rates are adjusted for hours worked and are per 10000 full-time workers Indicates too little data for reliable estimates The highest specific sector rate was Education and Health at 422 with the highest rate of illness per 10000 workers categorized asldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 234 and second-highest for skin conditions (149) Manufacturing was second highest at 417 (a 23 decrease from 2009) with the highest rates for ldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 194 and hearing loss at 154 Local Government was third highest overall at 384 (a 28 drop from 2009) which included the highest rate of ldquoOtherrdquo (245) and second-highest for skin (52) Information services had a fairly high rate of ldquootherrdquo conditions though was low for other illnesses State government had the highest rate of respiratory conditions (67) among all sectors second-highest skin conditions rate and fourth highest overall rate Lost-Time Illnesses BLS obtains additional data for the subset of cases that result in lost worktime (restricted work cases are not included in this section which is about half again the number of lost worktime cases) that provide additional detail on specific conditions and causes We are presenting here this data for conditions that are more chronic in nature (usually classified as occupational illness) Musculoskeletal Conditions Musculoskeletal conditions with lost time increased 6 to 6600 cases (516 cases per 10000 workers) up from a rate of 476 in 2009 (Figure C-3) The Connecticut rate is 50 higher than the national MSD rate of 343 MSD accounted for 33 of the total of 19930 lost time injuries and illnesses in Connecticut Rates in
11
Connecticut have declined 19 over the 8-year period National rates for all private and public employees have only been available since 2008 Figure C-3 Rates of Musculoskeletal Disorders CT and US 2003-2010
Source BLS Website httpdatablsgovcgi-bindsrvch Rates are cases per 10000 full time employees Musculoskeletal conditions are the most common category of specific injury and illness conditions and is a category that includes both chronic conditions and sprains and strains from overexertion (approximately 75 of these cases nationally) BLS defines this fairly complex category as ldquoIncludes cases where the nature of injury is sprains strains tears back pain hurt back soreness pain hurt except back carpal tunnel syndrome hernia or musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases and disorders and when the event or exposure leading to the injury or illness is bodily reactionbending climbing crawling reaching twisting overexertion or repetition Cases of Raynauds phenomenon tarsal tunnel syndrome and herniated spinal discs are not includedrdquo Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) was the most common specific illness in Connecticut increasing from 22 cases per 10000 workers in 2009 to 25 in 2010 (Figure C-4) Tendonitis also increased from 05 cases to 07 cases per 10000 Connecticut was over double the national rates for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and somewhat higher for tendonitis CTS had a very high number of lost work days with a median of 28 days of lost time per case (compared to 8 days for all cases of injury and illness) in Connecticut and tendonitis was a median of 12 days
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
CT
US
12
Figure C-4 Rates of Conditions Lost-time Only Private Sector US amp CT 2007-2010
Source BLS Website httpdatablsgovcgi-bindsrvch Rates are cases per 10000 full time employees CTS=Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Connecticut lost time cases coded as ldquorepetitive motionrdquo for cause stayed almost even at 53 cases per 10000 workers from 54 in 2009 this Connecticut rate was 51 higher than the US rate of 35 Repetitive motion lost time cases had a median of 28 days away from work
0
05
1
15
2
25
CT US CT US
CTS Tendonitis
2007
2008
2009
2010
13
D Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Data There were a total of 5772 reports in the Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database for 2010 a 10 decrease from 2009 driven by a 15 decrease in the largest category of MSD with combined with a 9 decrease in infectious disease There were slight increases in lung skin and other disorders Almost two-thirds (60) of reports were due to chronic musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and tendonitis Infectious disease accounted for 13 of the cases respiratory diseases (including nonspecific respiratory illness and chronic lung conditions such as asthma and asbestos-related illnesses and exposures) 8 skin diseases 4 and ldquoOther Illnessesrdquo (which includes heart conditions stress cases noise-induced hearing loss and other conditions) 15 Table D-1 Occupational Disease by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness type Cases Cases of total
Change Musculoskeletal Disorders (MS) 4055 3435 60 -15 Infectious Disease 845 768 13 -9 Respiratory Disorders 433 465 8 7 Skin Disorders 220 239 4 9 Other Illnesses 832 865 15 4 Total 6385 5772 100 -10
Overall 44 of reports were for women but this varied by type of case (Figure D-1) with higher proportions than that average for infectious disease (57 women) musculoskeletal disorders (47) and stress (53) but lower levels for skin conditions (25 heart and hypertension (19) and ldquoother illnessrdquo (27) Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector Government and EducationHealth had the largest number of cases (20
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
19
57
47
27
41
25
53
14
each additional government cases are counted in the Education and Health care sector) followed by Manufacturing (19) and Wholesale and Retail Trade (16) Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illness is approximately 35 cases per 1000 workers with the highest rates for Manufacturing (60 or 53 higher than the overall rate) and Government (54 the actual government rate is higher because some government worker cases are classified under Education and Other sectors) TransportationUtilities (44) EducationHealth care (38) Trade (37) and Information Services (35)
ConstructionAg Mine 3
Manufacturing 19
Trade 16
TransportUtilities 4
Info Services 2
FinanceInsurRE 4
Business Services
7
EducationHealth 20
LeisureOther Services 5
Government 20
15
Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010 NAICS Sector Cases Rate Employment
Employment ConstructionAgMine 189 3 29 65000 4 Manufacturing 1066 18 60 178200 11 Trade 908 16 37 247200 15 TransportUtilities 207 4 44 46900 3 Information Services 133 2 35 38500 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 229 4 16 140700 9 Business Services 382 7 19 200300 12 EducationHealth 1105 19 38 292700 18 LeisureOther Services 273 5 13 213800 13 Government 1121 19 54 207900 13 Unknown 159 3 Total 5772 100 35 1629300 100
Notes Employment is adjusted for hours worked Rows do not add up to total due to reports that could not be coded for industry Rates are illnesses per 1000 workers Government illnesses do not include some cases that are classified under other categories such as education and health services Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
Other Respiratory Infect MSD Skin Total ConstructionAgMine 16 2 18 4 0 144 4 11 5 189 3 Manufacturing 164 19 61 13 4 1 813 24 24 10 1066 19 Trade 95 11 35 8 20 3 736 22 22 9 908 16 TransportUtilities 24 3 10 2 17 2 145 4 11 5 207 4 Information Services 10 1 7 2 4 1 107 3 5 2 133 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 38 5 15 3 7 1 166 5 3 1 229 4 Business Services 53 6 55 12 24 3 222 7 28 12 382 7 EducationHealth 95 11 100 22 398 53 476 14 36 16 1105 19 LeisureOther Services 39 5 28 6 13 2 178 5 15 6 273 5 Government 308 37 124 27 266 35 346 10 77 33 1121 20 Subtotal 842 100 453 100 753 100 3333 100 232 100 5613 100 Unknown 23 12 15 102 7 159 Total 865 465 768 3435 239 5772
16
Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseases were concentrated in EducationHealth (53) and Government (35) Respiratory diseases were concentrated in Government (27) EducationHealth (22) Manufacturing (13) and Business Services (12) Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) were most prevalent in Manufacturing (24) and Trade (22) EducationHealth (14) and Government (10) Skin cases were most common in Government (33) EducationHealth (16) Business Services (12) and Manufacturing (10) Other illnesses which include heart and hypertension stress and hearing loss cases (see below) were most common in Government (37) Manufacturing (19) Trade (11) and EducationHealth (11) These figures are based on numbers of cases and not rates so they are not adjusted for the employment size in the different sectors (which can be noted in Table D-2 for comparison) Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of illnesses at 870 reports followed by Educational services (526 reports) which are also primarily Local Government Police and Fire departments (226 reports) are categorized separately and are also primarily Local Government Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (154) Ambulatory Health Care Services (147) Professional Scientific and Technical Services (144) General Merchandise Stores (142) Hospitals (136) Machinery Manufacturing (123) Specialty Trade Contractors (122) Food Services and Drinking Places (113) and Telecommunications (107) Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Police and Fire had the highest rate at 153 followed by Educational services (101) and Food Products Manufacturing (100) All but 7 of the sectors had a rate higher than the state average of 35
17
Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010 Specific Industry Sector NAICS Cases Employment Rate Local government 921 870 137400 63 Educational Services 611 526 52000 101 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 336 365 43500 84 Food and Beverage Stores 445 255 38800 66 Nursing and Residential Care Facilities 623 237 60200 39 Police and Fire 922 226 14800 153 Administrative and Support Services 561 194 74500 26 Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 332 154 31300 49 Ambulatory Health Care Services 621 147 16100 91 Professional Scientific and Technical Services 541 144 91400 16 General Merchandise Stores 452 142 25800 55 Hospitals 622 136 60400 23 General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing 333 123 16800 73 Specialty Trade Contractors 238 122 42900 28 Food Services and Drinking Places 722 113 100200 11 Telecommunications 517 107 12600 85 Merchant Wholesalers Nondurable Goods 424 95 Merchant Wholesalers Durable Goods 423 95 Electric Power Generation 221 92 Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing 334 78 14000 56 Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (Banks) 522 73 Food Products 311 71 7100 100 Social Assistance 624 59 42800 14 Hardware Stores 444 57 15000 38 Motor Vehicle Dealers 441 54 19800 27
Local government also includes cases that are tabulated in other specific sectors such as educational services and police and fire Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) ldquoMusculoskeletal disordersrdquo is the currently-used term for conditions also known as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries There were 3435 MSDs reported to workersrsquo compensation in 2010 an decrease of 15 from 2009 (Table D-5) MSDs accounted for over half (60) of the reported occupational diseases to Workersrsquo Compensation MSDs presented here do not include any cases for the lower back (since the descriptions of back conditions are typically not sufficient to be able to distinguish between acute and cumulative back injuries) nor do MSDs include any acute injury condition from sudden events Strains and sprains (which does not include acute strains or sprains) was the most common category of MSD with 65 of reports (Table D-5) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) which is a pinching of the median nerve at the wrist accounted for 14 of total MSD reports Other nerve-related problems (with symptoms of numbness or tingling) accounted for an additional 4 of cases Tendon-related problems included tendonitis and tenosynovitis (3) and epicondylitis (ldquotennis elbowrdquo or ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo 1) ganglion cysts (1) and
18
trigger finger (1) A large number of cases did not have a specific description other than ldquoinflammationrdquo (lt1) or ldquopainrdquo (6) or no specific description (6) Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
MSD Type Cases Cases Change Sprainstrain 2193 2219 65 1 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 484 476 14 -2 Pain 859 189 6 -78 Numbness 147 153 4 4 Tendonitistenosynovitis 85 86 3 1 Ganglion cyst 42 29 1 -31 Epicondylitis 28 28 1 0 Trigger finger 24 28 1 17 Inflammation 54 16 0 -70 Arthritisbursitis 17 12 0 -29 Rotator cuff 23 0 0 -100 OtherUnknown 99 199 6 101 Total 4055 3435 100 -15
Almost all the cases of MSD were in the upper extremity of the body (note that lower back cases were excluded from these figures) Almost half (44) of total MSD cases were for the hand wrist and lower arm (Table D-6) Other affected parts of the body included 8 elbow and 25 shoulder neck and ldquoupper extremityrdquo Only 11 were for the legs knees and feet Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
Part of body Cases Percent Lower Arm Wrist Hand 1520 44 Upper Arm Shoulder Upper Extremity 842 25 Legs Knees and Feet 389 11 Elbow 277 8 Neck and Upper Back 123 4 Multiple 196 6 OtherUnknown 88 3 3435 100
Causes of conditions were often incomplete overlapping and not consistently coded nor described Approximately 81 of MSD cases had enough description to show some cause Of the MSDs that could be classified the most frequently mentioned cause was the broad category of ldquorepetitionrdquo (28 of cases) although this was frequently just from a general description and often used to describe any chronic musculoskeletal problem (see Table D-7) This was followed by lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (8) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (8)
19
Table D-7 Reported Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) WCC 2010 Cause of MSD Reports
Repetitive 784 28 Lifting 557 20 PushPull 471 17 Computerclerical 234 8 Toolsvibration 219 8 Reaching 88 3 Cleaning 58 2 Bendingkneelingcrawling 53 2 Driving 45 2 Assembly 43 2 Machine 38 1 Walkingrunningmoving 35 1 Graspinggrippingsqueezing 29 1 Exercisesportstraining 25 1 sittingstanding 23 1 Positioning 20 1 Climbing 16 1 Twistingtightening 11 0 Carrying 11 0 Shovelingsweeping 11 0 Scooping 10 0 Cake decorating 7 0 Selectingsortinginspecting 6 0 Total 2794 100
Infectious Diseases There were 768 reports of infectious diseases or exposures in the database for 2010 (Table D-8) a 9 decrease from 2009 Infectious disease reports include both actual disease and exposure to potentially infectious agents There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens (including reports of exposure to HIVAIDS and Hepatitis C) accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were 26 cases of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB There were 59 reports of tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme disease attributed to occupational exposures There were 20 reports of exposure or cases of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or staph infection that responds poorly to antibiotics) or other staph infection 15 cases of scabies or lice exposuresillnesses and 18 reports of meningitis exposure There were no reports of exposure to or cases of h1n1 flu in contrast to 2009
20
Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness Cases Cases Change Human biteUrine 301 36 273 36 -9 Bloodbody fluids 154 18 140 18 -9 Sharp and needlestick exposures 100 12 140 18 40 Lyme DiseaseTick bite 87 10 59 8 -32 Hepatitis 21 2 28 4 33 TBppd conversionexposure 40 5 26 3 -35 Other infectious 14 2 21 3 50 MRSAstaph 36 4 20 3 -44 Meningitis exposure 20 2 18 2 -10 Scabieslice 31 4 15 2 -52 Rabies 8 1 12 2 50 Chicken pox measles whooping cough 7 1 10 1 43 e-colisewage 6 1 6 1 0 h1n1 flu 22 3 0 0 -100 Total 847 100 768 100 -9
Recent court decisions have broadened the definition of compensable disease to include exposures particularly where exposure requires medical treatment such as prophylactic treatments such as for tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS (HIV) exposures There has recently been considerable attention paid to Lyme disease among outdoor workers resulting in more reports of tick bites although these reports were down in 2010 It is often difficult to determine whether the first report of injury was actual disease or only exposure (for example actual Lyme disease or only a report of a tick bite) Similarly it is usually not clear in the reports of needlestick and sharps injuries whether the source patient or client was actually infected with any of the known bloodborne diseases There were additional reports of exposure to ldquospitrdquo or ldquosputumrdquo that are not reported here since risks tend to be very low from such exposures Diseases that can be contracted through blood and body fluid exposures include hepatitis B C and HIV Human bites or exposures to body fluids such as urine are also related to bloodborne diseases Transmission is much less likely when a worker is exposed to urine or a human bite than transmission occurring from blood particularly for HIV Blood to blood exposure is the highest risk such as from needlesticks or sharps injuries Altercations or arrests with prisoners or clients accounted for the vast majority of human bites as well as some of the other bloodborne exposures Respiratory Illness and Poisonings Asbestos-related asthma lung cancer and other lung diseases are addressed in the next section In addition to these conditions there were 328 cases of other respiratory illnesses ndash mostly nonspecific respiratory illness with a few cases of pneumonia and laryngitis in the database for 2010 and 65 cases of poisonings from carbon monoxide other gases mercury or lead (Table D-9) an overall increase of 29 from 2009 Exposure to chemicals was the most common cause of illness (33) followed by exposures to dust or fumes (17) general indoor air quality (IAQ) or mold (12) and smoke (9) There were 45 cases of exposure to carbon monoxide or other gases and fumes and 13 reports of exposure to mercury and 7 to lead
21
Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10 Cause 2009 2010
Respiratory Cases Cases Change Chemical Exposure 71 23 129 33 82 Dustfumes 73 24 67 17 -8 IAQmoldodor 40 13 48 12 20 Smoke Fire 47 15 37 9 -21 Other Respiratory 40 13 47 12 18 Respiratory subtotal 271 328 83
Poisoning Lead 0 0 7 2 Mercury 0 0 13 3 Carbon monoxidegasfumes 34 11 45 11 32 Poisoning Subtotal 34 65 Total 305 100 393 100 29
In addition to the general categories of smoke specific chemical exposures mentioned included battery fumes (13) floor strippersealant (6) heavy metals in a fire (6) perfumecologne (5) bug spray (4) bleach (3) carpet cleaner (2) paint (2) spray foam (2) cement Lysol antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive Chronic Lung Conditions There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified under respiratory conditions and poisonings (above)
Asbestos There were 30 reports of asbestos-related disease or exposures in 2010 The descriptions of the cases often made it difficult to determine whether the cases were actual disease or only exposure to asbestos since it is difficult to know whether they are describing historic exposures that contributed to current disease or current exposures that raise the risk of future disease) although there was at least one fatality and four mesothelioma cases (listed under cancer) Asbestos exposure is known to increase the risk of lung disease and cancer If disease occurs as a result it often appears between 10-40 years after exposure Asbestos disease may be under-reported by traditional surveillance sources such as Workersrsquo Compensation Industries for asbestos conditions were primarily transportation equipment manufacturing (13) and government (6) Other Chronic Lung Conditions There were 30 occupational asthma cases reported in 2010 a decrease of 33 The most common causes mentioned were indoor air quality or mold (15) chemicals and cleaners (5) smoke (2) and dustfumes (2) Government and schools (13 combined) were the most common industries for asthma cases
22
Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10 Illness 2009 2010 Change
Asbestos-related 83 30 -64 Asthmabronchitis 45 30 -33 Allergies 5 -100 Cancer 5 3 -40 Other chronic lung 9 Total 138 72 -48
Skin Conditions There were 239 skin conditions in the database in 2010 (Table D-11) an increase of 9 There were 119 cases of contact dermatitis from poison ivy or other plants (50 of all skin cases) There were 8 cases of allergic reactions to latex gloves or other clothing and 4 associated with soap or cleaning products There were 20 cases caused by chemicals and 71 cases just described as rashes Substances associated with skin conditions included trichorethylene fire proofing materials hand sanitizer a calcium bag epoxy coolant antifreeze cosmetics (2) dish detergent (2) car cleaner plastic carbon fibers gasoline photographic chemicals adhesive laundry detergents (2) carpet adhesive and fiberglass Government (69 cases) and schools (27) were the most frequent industry sectors for skin conditions Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Poison Ivyplants 107 119 50 11 Chemical 36 20 8 -44 Allergic 7 17 7 143 GlovesLatexclothing 14 8 3 -43 SoapCleaning 7 4 2 -43 Patient care 2 0 0 -100 RashOtherUnknown 47 71 30 51 Total 220 239 100 9
23
Stress and Heart Conditions
Heart and Hypertension There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions 22 reported strokes or blood clots and 102 described symptoms of chest pain or mentioned angina often associated with emergency care at a hospital There were 109 cases that described the condition as hypertension or ldquoheart and hypertensionrdquo (the usual legal term for heart or hypertension cases that are covered for police and fire fighters) An additional 21 were other heart-related conditions predominately testing abnormalities on EKG or unusual symptoms involving the heart or chest Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal employees who are frequently covered under heart and hypertension laws that consider those conditions to be work-related for workersrsquo compensation purposes Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Hypertension 99 109 36 10 Chest painanginasymptoms 71 102 34 44 Heart attack 51 50 16 -2 Other heart 40 21 7 -48 Strokeclots 21 22 7 5
Total 282 304 100 8 Mental Stress There were a total of 128 stress-related claims in the database in 2010 an increase of 13 over 2009 There were 33 cases which cited reactions to violence robbery or trauma (such as witnessing or being in auto accidents) 14 cases that were attributed to conflicts with supervisors or promotions and 12 cases were attributed to harassment or hostile work environments (Table D-13) There were 17 claims related to excessive job demands or aspects of job duties There were 49 that were simply defined as ldquostressrdquo without further explanation There were also several stress-related cases that are classified under heart conditions (See Table D-12 above) Specific examples of situations causing stress include robberies with guns an explosion at the workplace assaults a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect harassment having to stay with a dead body after a shooting verbal abuse from a residentrsquos family job transfer a failed surgery and witnessing suicide
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
8
C Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Surveys In cooperation with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Conn-OSHA conducts an annual survey of employers for job-related injuries and illnesses Conn-OSHA issues an annual report that provides data on injuries (available at httpwwwctdolstatectusoshashstatshtm) Our report focuses on illnesses and includes data from Conn-OSHA that is not published in that report Since these statistics are based on a survey rather than a census numbers and rates are estimated and are rounded off The Connecticut Department of Labor acknowledges that the BLSConn-OSHA survey under-counts occupational diseases particularly chronic diseases since these are frequently not recognized nor reported Occupational Illnesses in 2010 There were approximately 3000 reported cases of occupational illnesses in 2010 (Figure C-1 and Table C-1) with a rate of 231 per 10000 workers a 12 decrease in rate from 2009 Two categories decreased including a 15 decrease in ldquoother illnessesrdquo (which consists primarily of repetitive trauma cases) which is the largest category of cases and hearing loss (40 decrease) The rate of respiratory illnesses remained constant and skin conditions increased by 17 Poisonings were too low to meet publishing criteria Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
2009 2010 Change Cases Rates Cases Rates in Rate
Skin 600 47 700 51 9 Poisonings -- -- -- -- Respiratory 300 23 300 21 -9 Hearing loss 500 35 300 25 -29 Other Illnesses 2000 15 1700 131 -13 Total 3400 256 3000 231 -10
Source BLSConn-OSHA Rates are per 10000 workers adjusted for hours worked Total differs due to rounding for the survey Includes public sector ldquomdashldquo indicates numbers too smallunreliable to publish Overall rates for Connecticut in 2010 were higher than the US rates for all types of illness (Figure C-1) The overall Connecticut rate (231 cases per 10000 workers) was 95 higher than US rate (211) Connecticutrsquos occupational illness rate was the 15th highest out of 41 reporting states (where a 1 ranking is the highest rate) The higher CT rates in relation to the US were driven by the somewhat higher rates for skin conditions (50 higher) hearing loss (19 higher) and respiratory conditions (11 higher) Rates are adjusted for hours worked and are based on 41 states that report into the system Overall illness rates were 216 for the private sector and 340 for public sector in Connecticut compared to US average rates of 181 (19 higher for CT) and 386 (12 lower for CT) respectively In Connecticut the number of illnesses increased slightly from 2002-2005 then generally decreased through 2010 (Figure C-2)
9
Figure C-1 Rates of Occupational Illness by Type US and CT 2010
Source BLS and Conn-OSHA Rates per 10000 workers adjusted for hours worked Figure C-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type and Year CT 2002-2010
Source BLSConn-OSHA Survey
0
5
10
15
20
25
Skin Poisonings Respiratory Hearing loss Other Illnesses
Total
34
03 19 21
133
211
51
21 25
131
231
US
CT
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
62 69 64 63 43 47 51 47 51
24 38 27 36
18 27 22 23 21
06 02
03
03 02 1
36 28
33 34 27 35 25
237 24 221 233
188 182 154
15 131
Other
Hearing
Poison
Respir
Skin
10
Illnesses by Industry Numbers and rates by industry sector for 2010 are presented in Table C-2 Overall the adjusted rate is 231 cases of occupational illness per 10000 CT workers slightly lower than the 2009 rate of 256 The overall private sector rate was 216 (compared to 243 in 2009) with a government rate of 340 (57 higher than the private sector rate) The government rate was much lower than last yearrsquos rate of 416 Table C-2 Illness Rates per 10000 Workers by Industry and Type of Illness CT 2010 Total Skin Respiratory Poison Hearing Other Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Total all industries 231 3000 51 700 21 300 25 300 131 1700
Private Industry only 216 2400 51 600 17 200 25 300 121 1400
Goods Producing 332 700 49 100 12 117 300 153 300
Natural resources and mining
Construction
Manufacturing 417 700 56 100 14 154 300 194 300
Service Providing 189 1700 52 500 18 200 03 113 100
Trade transport utilities 129 300 29 100 08 10 81 200
Information 170 115
Financial activities 142 200 96 100
Professionalbusiness services 120 200 86 100
Education and health 422 900 149 300 27 100 234 500
Leisure and hospitality 56 100 23 22
Other services
Government total 340 500 54 100 55 100 204 300
State Government 263 100 58 67 132 100
Local Government 384 400 52 100 48 245 200
Source Conn-OSHA Rates are adjusted for hours worked and are per 10000 full-time workers Indicates too little data for reliable estimates The highest specific sector rate was Education and Health at 422 with the highest rate of illness per 10000 workers categorized asldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 234 and second-highest for skin conditions (149) Manufacturing was second highest at 417 (a 23 decrease from 2009) with the highest rates for ldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 194 and hearing loss at 154 Local Government was third highest overall at 384 (a 28 drop from 2009) which included the highest rate of ldquoOtherrdquo (245) and second-highest for skin (52) Information services had a fairly high rate of ldquootherrdquo conditions though was low for other illnesses State government had the highest rate of respiratory conditions (67) among all sectors second-highest skin conditions rate and fourth highest overall rate Lost-Time Illnesses BLS obtains additional data for the subset of cases that result in lost worktime (restricted work cases are not included in this section which is about half again the number of lost worktime cases) that provide additional detail on specific conditions and causes We are presenting here this data for conditions that are more chronic in nature (usually classified as occupational illness) Musculoskeletal Conditions Musculoskeletal conditions with lost time increased 6 to 6600 cases (516 cases per 10000 workers) up from a rate of 476 in 2009 (Figure C-3) The Connecticut rate is 50 higher than the national MSD rate of 343 MSD accounted for 33 of the total of 19930 lost time injuries and illnesses in Connecticut Rates in
11
Connecticut have declined 19 over the 8-year period National rates for all private and public employees have only been available since 2008 Figure C-3 Rates of Musculoskeletal Disorders CT and US 2003-2010
Source BLS Website httpdatablsgovcgi-bindsrvch Rates are cases per 10000 full time employees Musculoskeletal conditions are the most common category of specific injury and illness conditions and is a category that includes both chronic conditions and sprains and strains from overexertion (approximately 75 of these cases nationally) BLS defines this fairly complex category as ldquoIncludes cases where the nature of injury is sprains strains tears back pain hurt back soreness pain hurt except back carpal tunnel syndrome hernia or musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases and disorders and when the event or exposure leading to the injury or illness is bodily reactionbending climbing crawling reaching twisting overexertion or repetition Cases of Raynauds phenomenon tarsal tunnel syndrome and herniated spinal discs are not includedrdquo Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) was the most common specific illness in Connecticut increasing from 22 cases per 10000 workers in 2009 to 25 in 2010 (Figure C-4) Tendonitis also increased from 05 cases to 07 cases per 10000 Connecticut was over double the national rates for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and somewhat higher for tendonitis CTS had a very high number of lost work days with a median of 28 days of lost time per case (compared to 8 days for all cases of injury and illness) in Connecticut and tendonitis was a median of 12 days
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
CT
US
12
Figure C-4 Rates of Conditions Lost-time Only Private Sector US amp CT 2007-2010
Source BLS Website httpdatablsgovcgi-bindsrvch Rates are cases per 10000 full time employees CTS=Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Connecticut lost time cases coded as ldquorepetitive motionrdquo for cause stayed almost even at 53 cases per 10000 workers from 54 in 2009 this Connecticut rate was 51 higher than the US rate of 35 Repetitive motion lost time cases had a median of 28 days away from work
0
05
1
15
2
25
CT US CT US
CTS Tendonitis
2007
2008
2009
2010
13
D Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Data There were a total of 5772 reports in the Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database for 2010 a 10 decrease from 2009 driven by a 15 decrease in the largest category of MSD with combined with a 9 decrease in infectious disease There were slight increases in lung skin and other disorders Almost two-thirds (60) of reports were due to chronic musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and tendonitis Infectious disease accounted for 13 of the cases respiratory diseases (including nonspecific respiratory illness and chronic lung conditions such as asthma and asbestos-related illnesses and exposures) 8 skin diseases 4 and ldquoOther Illnessesrdquo (which includes heart conditions stress cases noise-induced hearing loss and other conditions) 15 Table D-1 Occupational Disease by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness type Cases Cases of total
Change Musculoskeletal Disorders (MS) 4055 3435 60 -15 Infectious Disease 845 768 13 -9 Respiratory Disorders 433 465 8 7 Skin Disorders 220 239 4 9 Other Illnesses 832 865 15 4 Total 6385 5772 100 -10
Overall 44 of reports were for women but this varied by type of case (Figure D-1) with higher proportions than that average for infectious disease (57 women) musculoskeletal disorders (47) and stress (53) but lower levels for skin conditions (25 heart and hypertension (19) and ldquoother illnessrdquo (27) Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector Government and EducationHealth had the largest number of cases (20
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
19
57
47
27
41
25
53
14
each additional government cases are counted in the Education and Health care sector) followed by Manufacturing (19) and Wholesale and Retail Trade (16) Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illness is approximately 35 cases per 1000 workers with the highest rates for Manufacturing (60 or 53 higher than the overall rate) and Government (54 the actual government rate is higher because some government worker cases are classified under Education and Other sectors) TransportationUtilities (44) EducationHealth care (38) Trade (37) and Information Services (35)
ConstructionAg Mine 3
Manufacturing 19
Trade 16
TransportUtilities 4
Info Services 2
FinanceInsurRE 4
Business Services
7
EducationHealth 20
LeisureOther Services 5
Government 20
15
Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010 NAICS Sector Cases Rate Employment
Employment ConstructionAgMine 189 3 29 65000 4 Manufacturing 1066 18 60 178200 11 Trade 908 16 37 247200 15 TransportUtilities 207 4 44 46900 3 Information Services 133 2 35 38500 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 229 4 16 140700 9 Business Services 382 7 19 200300 12 EducationHealth 1105 19 38 292700 18 LeisureOther Services 273 5 13 213800 13 Government 1121 19 54 207900 13 Unknown 159 3 Total 5772 100 35 1629300 100
Notes Employment is adjusted for hours worked Rows do not add up to total due to reports that could not be coded for industry Rates are illnesses per 1000 workers Government illnesses do not include some cases that are classified under other categories such as education and health services Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
Other Respiratory Infect MSD Skin Total ConstructionAgMine 16 2 18 4 0 144 4 11 5 189 3 Manufacturing 164 19 61 13 4 1 813 24 24 10 1066 19 Trade 95 11 35 8 20 3 736 22 22 9 908 16 TransportUtilities 24 3 10 2 17 2 145 4 11 5 207 4 Information Services 10 1 7 2 4 1 107 3 5 2 133 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 38 5 15 3 7 1 166 5 3 1 229 4 Business Services 53 6 55 12 24 3 222 7 28 12 382 7 EducationHealth 95 11 100 22 398 53 476 14 36 16 1105 19 LeisureOther Services 39 5 28 6 13 2 178 5 15 6 273 5 Government 308 37 124 27 266 35 346 10 77 33 1121 20 Subtotal 842 100 453 100 753 100 3333 100 232 100 5613 100 Unknown 23 12 15 102 7 159 Total 865 465 768 3435 239 5772
16
Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseases were concentrated in EducationHealth (53) and Government (35) Respiratory diseases were concentrated in Government (27) EducationHealth (22) Manufacturing (13) and Business Services (12) Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) were most prevalent in Manufacturing (24) and Trade (22) EducationHealth (14) and Government (10) Skin cases were most common in Government (33) EducationHealth (16) Business Services (12) and Manufacturing (10) Other illnesses which include heart and hypertension stress and hearing loss cases (see below) were most common in Government (37) Manufacturing (19) Trade (11) and EducationHealth (11) These figures are based on numbers of cases and not rates so they are not adjusted for the employment size in the different sectors (which can be noted in Table D-2 for comparison) Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of illnesses at 870 reports followed by Educational services (526 reports) which are also primarily Local Government Police and Fire departments (226 reports) are categorized separately and are also primarily Local Government Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (154) Ambulatory Health Care Services (147) Professional Scientific and Technical Services (144) General Merchandise Stores (142) Hospitals (136) Machinery Manufacturing (123) Specialty Trade Contractors (122) Food Services and Drinking Places (113) and Telecommunications (107) Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Police and Fire had the highest rate at 153 followed by Educational services (101) and Food Products Manufacturing (100) All but 7 of the sectors had a rate higher than the state average of 35
17
Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010 Specific Industry Sector NAICS Cases Employment Rate Local government 921 870 137400 63 Educational Services 611 526 52000 101 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 336 365 43500 84 Food and Beverage Stores 445 255 38800 66 Nursing and Residential Care Facilities 623 237 60200 39 Police and Fire 922 226 14800 153 Administrative and Support Services 561 194 74500 26 Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 332 154 31300 49 Ambulatory Health Care Services 621 147 16100 91 Professional Scientific and Technical Services 541 144 91400 16 General Merchandise Stores 452 142 25800 55 Hospitals 622 136 60400 23 General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing 333 123 16800 73 Specialty Trade Contractors 238 122 42900 28 Food Services and Drinking Places 722 113 100200 11 Telecommunications 517 107 12600 85 Merchant Wholesalers Nondurable Goods 424 95 Merchant Wholesalers Durable Goods 423 95 Electric Power Generation 221 92 Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing 334 78 14000 56 Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (Banks) 522 73 Food Products 311 71 7100 100 Social Assistance 624 59 42800 14 Hardware Stores 444 57 15000 38 Motor Vehicle Dealers 441 54 19800 27
Local government also includes cases that are tabulated in other specific sectors such as educational services and police and fire Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) ldquoMusculoskeletal disordersrdquo is the currently-used term for conditions also known as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries There were 3435 MSDs reported to workersrsquo compensation in 2010 an decrease of 15 from 2009 (Table D-5) MSDs accounted for over half (60) of the reported occupational diseases to Workersrsquo Compensation MSDs presented here do not include any cases for the lower back (since the descriptions of back conditions are typically not sufficient to be able to distinguish between acute and cumulative back injuries) nor do MSDs include any acute injury condition from sudden events Strains and sprains (which does not include acute strains or sprains) was the most common category of MSD with 65 of reports (Table D-5) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) which is a pinching of the median nerve at the wrist accounted for 14 of total MSD reports Other nerve-related problems (with symptoms of numbness or tingling) accounted for an additional 4 of cases Tendon-related problems included tendonitis and tenosynovitis (3) and epicondylitis (ldquotennis elbowrdquo or ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo 1) ganglion cysts (1) and
18
trigger finger (1) A large number of cases did not have a specific description other than ldquoinflammationrdquo (lt1) or ldquopainrdquo (6) or no specific description (6) Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
MSD Type Cases Cases Change Sprainstrain 2193 2219 65 1 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 484 476 14 -2 Pain 859 189 6 -78 Numbness 147 153 4 4 Tendonitistenosynovitis 85 86 3 1 Ganglion cyst 42 29 1 -31 Epicondylitis 28 28 1 0 Trigger finger 24 28 1 17 Inflammation 54 16 0 -70 Arthritisbursitis 17 12 0 -29 Rotator cuff 23 0 0 -100 OtherUnknown 99 199 6 101 Total 4055 3435 100 -15
Almost all the cases of MSD were in the upper extremity of the body (note that lower back cases were excluded from these figures) Almost half (44) of total MSD cases were for the hand wrist and lower arm (Table D-6) Other affected parts of the body included 8 elbow and 25 shoulder neck and ldquoupper extremityrdquo Only 11 were for the legs knees and feet Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
Part of body Cases Percent Lower Arm Wrist Hand 1520 44 Upper Arm Shoulder Upper Extremity 842 25 Legs Knees and Feet 389 11 Elbow 277 8 Neck and Upper Back 123 4 Multiple 196 6 OtherUnknown 88 3 3435 100
Causes of conditions were often incomplete overlapping and not consistently coded nor described Approximately 81 of MSD cases had enough description to show some cause Of the MSDs that could be classified the most frequently mentioned cause was the broad category of ldquorepetitionrdquo (28 of cases) although this was frequently just from a general description and often used to describe any chronic musculoskeletal problem (see Table D-7) This was followed by lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (8) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (8)
19
Table D-7 Reported Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) WCC 2010 Cause of MSD Reports
Repetitive 784 28 Lifting 557 20 PushPull 471 17 Computerclerical 234 8 Toolsvibration 219 8 Reaching 88 3 Cleaning 58 2 Bendingkneelingcrawling 53 2 Driving 45 2 Assembly 43 2 Machine 38 1 Walkingrunningmoving 35 1 Graspinggrippingsqueezing 29 1 Exercisesportstraining 25 1 sittingstanding 23 1 Positioning 20 1 Climbing 16 1 Twistingtightening 11 0 Carrying 11 0 Shovelingsweeping 11 0 Scooping 10 0 Cake decorating 7 0 Selectingsortinginspecting 6 0 Total 2794 100
Infectious Diseases There were 768 reports of infectious diseases or exposures in the database for 2010 (Table D-8) a 9 decrease from 2009 Infectious disease reports include both actual disease and exposure to potentially infectious agents There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens (including reports of exposure to HIVAIDS and Hepatitis C) accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were 26 cases of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB There were 59 reports of tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme disease attributed to occupational exposures There were 20 reports of exposure or cases of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or staph infection that responds poorly to antibiotics) or other staph infection 15 cases of scabies or lice exposuresillnesses and 18 reports of meningitis exposure There were no reports of exposure to or cases of h1n1 flu in contrast to 2009
20
Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness Cases Cases Change Human biteUrine 301 36 273 36 -9 Bloodbody fluids 154 18 140 18 -9 Sharp and needlestick exposures 100 12 140 18 40 Lyme DiseaseTick bite 87 10 59 8 -32 Hepatitis 21 2 28 4 33 TBppd conversionexposure 40 5 26 3 -35 Other infectious 14 2 21 3 50 MRSAstaph 36 4 20 3 -44 Meningitis exposure 20 2 18 2 -10 Scabieslice 31 4 15 2 -52 Rabies 8 1 12 2 50 Chicken pox measles whooping cough 7 1 10 1 43 e-colisewage 6 1 6 1 0 h1n1 flu 22 3 0 0 -100 Total 847 100 768 100 -9
Recent court decisions have broadened the definition of compensable disease to include exposures particularly where exposure requires medical treatment such as prophylactic treatments such as for tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS (HIV) exposures There has recently been considerable attention paid to Lyme disease among outdoor workers resulting in more reports of tick bites although these reports were down in 2010 It is often difficult to determine whether the first report of injury was actual disease or only exposure (for example actual Lyme disease or only a report of a tick bite) Similarly it is usually not clear in the reports of needlestick and sharps injuries whether the source patient or client was actually infected with any of the known bloodborne diseases There were additional reports of exposure to ldquospitrdquo or ldquosputumrdquo that are not reported here since risks tend to be very low from such exposures Diseases that can be contracted through blood and body fluid exposures include hepatitis B C and HIV Human bites or exposures to body fluids such as urine are also related to bloodborne diseases Transmission is much less likely when a worker is exposed to urine or a human bite than transmission occurring from blood particularly for HIV Blood to blood exposure is the highest risk such as from needlesticks or sharps injuries Altercations or arrests with prisoners or clients accounted for the vast majority of human bites as well as some of the other bloodborne exposures Respiratory Illness and Poisonings Asbestos-related asthma lung cancer and other lung diseases are addressed in the next section In addition to these conditions there were 328 cases of other respiratory illnesses ndash mostly nonspecific respiratory illness with a few cases of pneumonia and laryngitis in the database for 2010 and 65 cases of poisonings from carbon monoxide other gases mercury or lead (Table D-9) an overall increase of 29 from 2009 Exposure to chemicals was the most common cause of illness (33) followed by exposures to dust or fumes (17) general indoor air quality (IAQ) or mold (12) and smoke (9) There were 45 cases of exposure to carbon monoxide or other gases and fumes and 13 reports of exposure to mercury and 7 to lead
21
Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10 Cause 2009 2010
Respiratory Cases Cases Change Chemical Exposure 71 23 129 33 82 Dustfumes 73 24 67 17 -8 IAQmoldodor 40 13 48 12 20 Smoke Fire 47 15 37 9 -21 Other Respiratory 40 13 47 12 18 Respiratory subtotal 271 328 83
Poisoning Lead 0 0 7 2 Mercury 0 0 13 3 Carbon monoxidegasfumes 34 11 45 11 32 Poisoning Subtotal 34 65 Total 305 100 393 100 29
In addition to the general categories of smoke specific chemical exposures mentioned included battery fumes (13) floor strippersealant (6) heavy metals in a fire (6) perfumecologne (5) bug spray (4) bleach (3) carpet cleaner (2) paint (2) spray foam (2) cement Lysol antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive Chronic Lung Conditions There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified under respiratory conditions and poisonings (above)
Asbestos There were 30 reports of asbestos-related disease or exposures in 2010 The descriptions of the cases often made it difficult to determine whether the cases were actual disease or only exposure to asbestos since it is difficult to know whether they are describing historic exposures that contributed to current disease or current exposures that raise the risk of future disease) although there was at least one fatality and four mesothelioma cases (listed under cancer) Asbestos exposure is known to increase the risk of lung disease and cancer If disease occurs as a result it often appears between 10-40 years after exposure Asbestos disease may be under-reported by traditional surveillance sources such as Workersrsquo Compensation Industries for asbestos conditions were primarily transportation equipment manufacturing (13) and government (6) Other Chronic Lung Conditions There were 30 occupational asthma cases reported in 2010 a decrease of 33 The most common causes mentioned were indoor air quality or mold (15) chemicals and cleaners (5) smoke (2) and dustfumes (2) Government and schools (13 combined) were the most common industries for asthma cases
22
Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10 Illness 2009 2010 Change
Asbestos-related 83 30 -64 Asthmabronchitis 45 30 -33 Allergies 5 -100 Cancer 5 3 -40 Other chronic lung 9 Total 138 72 -48
Skin Conditions There were 239 skin conditions in the database in 2010 (Table D-11) an increase of 9 There were 119 cases of contact dermatitis from poison ivy or other plants (50 of all skin cases) There were 8 cases of allergic reactions to latex gloves or other clothing and 4 associated with soap or cleaning products There were 20 cases caused by chemicals and 71 cases just described as rashes Substances associated with skin conditions included trichorethylene fire proofing materials hand sanitizer a calcium bag epoxy coolant antifreeze cosmetics (2) dish detergent (2) car cleaner plastic carbon fibers gasoline photographic chemicals adhesive laundry detergents (2) carpet adhesive and fiberglass Government (69 cases) and schools (27) were the most frequent industry sectors for skin conditions Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Poison Ivyplants 107 119 50 11 Chemical 36 20 8 -44 Allergic 7 17 7 143 GlovesLatexclothing 14 8 3 -43 SoapCleaning 7 4 2 -43 Patient care 2 0 0 -100 RashOtherUnknown 47 71 30 51 Total 220 239 100 9
23
Stress and Heart Conditions
Heart and Hypertension There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions 22 reported strokes or blood clots and 102 described symptoms of chest pain or mentioned angina often associated with emergency care at a hospital There were 109 cases that described the condition as hypertension or ldquoheart and hypertensionrdquo (the usual legal term for heart or hypertension cases that are covered for police and fire fighters) An additional 21 were other heart-related conditions predominately testing abnormalities on EKG or unusual symptoms involving the heart or chest Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal employees who are frequently covered under heart and hypertension laws that consider those conditions to be work-related for workersrsquo compensation purposes Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Hypertension 99 109 36 10 Chest painanginasymptoms 71 102 34 44 Heart attack 51 50 16 -2 Other heart 40 21 7 -48 Strokeclots 21 22 7 5
Total 282 304 100 8 Mental Stress There were a total of 128 stress-related claims in the database in 2010 an increase of 13 over 2009 There were 33 cases which cited reactions to violence robbery or trauma (such as witnessing or being in auto accidents) 14 cases that were attributed to conflicts with supervisors or promotions and 12 cases were attributed to harassment or hostile work environments (Table D-13) There were 17 claims related to excessive job demands or aspects of job duties There were 49 that were simply defined as ldquostressrdquo without further explanation There were also several stress-related cases that are classified under heart conditions (See Table D-12 above) Specific examples of situations causing stress include robberies with guns an explosion at the workplace assaults a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect harassment having to stay with a dead body after a shooting verbal abuse from a residentrsquos family job transfer a failed surgery and witnessing suicide
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
9
Figure C-1 Rates of Occupational Illness by Type US and CT 2010
Source BLS and Conn-OSHA Rates per 10000 workers adjusted for hours worked Figure C-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type and Year CT 2002-2010
Source BLSConn-OSHA Survey
0
5
10
15
20
25
Skin Poisonings Respiratory Hearing loss Other Illnesses
Total
34
03 19 21
133
211
51
21 25
131
231
US
CT
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
62 69 64 63 43 47 51 47 51
24 38 27 36
18 27 22 23 21
06 02
03
03 02 1
36 28
33 34 27 35 25
237 24 221 233
188 182 154
15 131
Other
Hearing
Poison
Respir
Skin
10
Illnesses by Industry Numbers and rates by industry sector for 2010 are presented in Table C-2 Overall the adjusted rate is 231 cases of occupational illness per 10000 CT workers slightly lower than the 2009 rate of 256 The overall private sector rate was 216 (compared to 243 in 2009) with a government rate of 340 (57 higher than the private sector rate) The government rate was much lower than last yearrsquos rate of 416 Table C-2 Illness Rates per 10000 Workers by Industry and Type of Illness CT 2010 Total Skin Respiratory Poison Hearing Other Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Total all industries 231 3000 51 700 21 300 25 300 131 1700
Private Industry only 216 2400 51 600 17 200 25 300 121 1400
Goods Producing 332 700 49 100 12 117 300 153 300
Natural resources and mining
Construction
Manufacturing 417 700 56 100 14 154 300 194 300
Service Providing 189 1700 52 500 18 200 03 113 100
Trade transport utilities 129 300 29 100 08 10 81 200
Information 170 115
Financial activities 142 200 96 100
Professionalbusiness services 120 200 86 100
Education and health 422 900 149 300 27 100 234 500
Leisure and hospitality 56 100 23 22
Other services
Government total 340 500 54 100 55 100 204 300
State Government 263 100 58 67 132 100
Local Government 384 400 52 100 48 245 200
Source Conn-OSHA Rates are adjusted for hours worked and are per 10000 full-time workers Indicates too little data for reliable estimates The highest specific sector rate was Education and Health at 422 with the highest rate of illness per 10000 workers categorized asldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 234 and second-highest for skin conditions (149) Manufacturing was second highest at 417 (a 23 decrease from 2009) with the highest rates for ldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 194 and hearing loss at 154 Local Government was third highest overall at 384 (a 28 drop from 2009) which included the highest rate of ldquoOtherrdquo (245) and second-highest for skin (52) Information services had a fairly high rate of ldquootherrdquo conditions though was low for other illnesses State government had the highest rate of respiratory conditions (67) among all sectors second-highest skin conditions rate and fourth highest overall rate Lost-Time Illnesses BLS obtains additional data for the subset of cases that result in lost worktime (restricted work cases are not included in this section which is about half again the number of lost worktime cases) that provide additional detail on specific conditions and causes We are presenting here this data for conditions that are more chronic in nature (usually classified as occupational illness) Musculoskeletal Conditions Musculoskeletal conditions with lost time increased 6 to 6600 cases (516 cases per 10000 workers) up from a rate of 476 in 2009 (Figure C-3) The Connecticut rate is 50 higher than the national MSD rate of 343 MSD accounted for 33 of the total of 19930 lost time injuries and illnesses in Connecticut Rates in
11
Connecticut have declined 19 over the 8-year period National rates for all private and public employees have only been available since 2008 Figure C-3 Rates of Musculoskeletal Disorders CT and US 2003-2010
Source BLS Website httpdatablsgovcgi-bindsrvch Rates are cases per 10000 full time employees Musculoskeletal conditions are the most common category of specific injury and illness conditions and is a category that includes both chronic conditions and sprains and strains from overexertion (approximately 75 of these cases nationally) BLS defines this fairly complex category as ldquoIncludes cases where the nature of injury is sprains strains tears back pain hurt back soreness pain hurt except back carpal tunnel syndrome hernia or musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases and disorders and when the event or exposure leading to the injury or illness is bodily reactionbending climbing crawling reaching twisting overexertion or repetition Cases of Raynauds phenomenon tarsal tunnel syndrome and herniated spinal discs are not includedrdquo Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) was the most common specific illness in Connecticut increasing from 22 cases per 10000 workers in 2009 to 25 in 2010 (Figure C-4) Tendonitis also increased from 05 cases to 07 cases per 10000 Connecticut was over double the national rates for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and somewhat higher for tendonitis CTS had a very high number of lost work days with a median of 28 days of lost time per case (compared to 8 days for all cases of injury and illness) in Connecticut and tendonitis was a median of 12 days
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
CT
US
12
Figure C-4 Rates of Conditions Lost-time Only Private Sector US amp CT 2007-2010
Source BLS Website httpdatablsgovcgi-bindsrvch Rates are cases per 10000 full time employees CTS=Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Connecticut lost time cases coded as ldquorepetitive motionrdquo for cause stayed almost even at 53 cases per 10000 workers from 54 in 2009 this Connecticut rate was 51 higher than the US rate of 35 Repetitive motion lost time cases had a median of 28 days away from work
0
05
1
15
2
25
CT US CT US
CTS Tendonitis
2007
2008
2009
2010
13
D Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Data There were a total of 5772 reports in the Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database for 2010 a 10 decrease from 2009 driven by a 15 decrease in the largest category of MSD with combined with a 9 decrease in infectious disease There were slight increases in lung skin and other disorders Almost two-thirds (60) of reports were due to chronic musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and tendonitis Infectious disease accounted for 13 of the cases respiratory diseases (including nonspecific respiratory illness and chronic lung conditions such as asthma and asbestos-related illnesses and exposures) 8 skin diseases 4 and ldquoOther Illnessesrdquo (which includes heart conditions stress cases noise-induced hearing loss and other conditions) 15 Table D-1 Occupational Disease by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness type Cases Cases of total
Change Musculoskeletal Disorders (MS) 4055 3435 60 -15 Infectious Disease 845 768 13 -9 Respiratory Disorders 433 465 8 7 Skin Disorders 220 239 4 9 Other Illnesses 832 865 15 4 Total 6385 5772 100 -10
Overall 44 of reports were for women but this varied by type of case (Figure D-1) with higher proportions than that average for infectious disease (57 women) musculoskeletal disorders (47) and stress (53) but lower levels for skin conditions (25 heart and hypertension (19) and ldquoother illnessrdquo (27) Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector Government and EducationHealth had the largest number of cases (20
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
19
57
47
27
41
25
53
14
each additional government cases are counted in the Education and Health care sector) followed by Manufacturing (19) and Wholesale and Retail Trade (16) Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illness is approximately 35 cases per 1000 workers with the highest rates for Manufacturing (60 or 53 higher than the overall rate) and Government (54 the actual government rate is higher because some government worker cases are classified under Education and Other sectors) TransportationUtilities (44) EducationHealth care (38) Trade (37) and Information Services (35)
ConstructionAg Mine 3
Manufacturing 19
Trade 16
TransportUtilities 4
Info Services 2
FinanceInsurRE 4
Business Services
7
EducationHealth 20
LeisureOther Services 5
Government 20
15
Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010 NAICS Sector Cases Rate Employment
Employment ConstructionAgMine 189 3 29 65000 4 Manufacturing 1066 18 60 178200 11 Trade 908 16 37 247200 15 TransportUtilities 207 4 44 46900 3 Information Services 133 2 35 38500 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 229 4 16 140700 9 Business Services 382 7 19 200300 12 EducationHealth 1105 19 38 292700 18 LeisureOther Services 273 5 13 213800 13 Government 1121 19 54 207900 13 Unknown 159 3 Total 5772 100 35 1629300 100
Notes Employment is adjusted for hours worked Rows do not add up to total due to reports that could not be coded for industry Rates are illnesses per 1000 workers Government illnesses do not include some cases that are classified under other categories such as education and health services Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
Other Respiratory Infect MSD Skin Total ConstructionAgMine 16 2 18 4 0 144 4 11 5 189 3 Manufacturing 164 19 61 13 4 1 813 24 24 10 1066 19 Trade 95 11 35 8 20 3 736 22 22 9 908 16 TransportUtilities 24 3 10 2 17 2 145 4 11 5 207 4 Information Services 10 1 7 2 4 1 107 3 5 2 133 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 38 5 15 3 7 1 166 5 3 1 229 4 Business Services 53 6 55 12 24 3 222 7 28 12 382 7 EducationHealth 95 11 100 22 398 53 476 14 36 16 1105 19 LeisureOther Services 39 5 28 6 13 2 178 5 15 6 273 5 Government 308 37 124 27 266 35 346 10 77 33 1121 20 Subtotal 842 100 453 100 753 100 3333 100 232 100 5613 100 Unknown 23 12 15 102 7 159 Total 865 465 768 3435 239 5772
16
Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseases were concentrated in EducationHealth (53) and Government (35) Respiratory diseases were concentrated in Government (27) EducationHealth (22) Manufacturing (13) and Business Services (12) Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) were most prevalent in Manufacturing (24) and Trade (22) EducationHealth (14) and Government (10) Skin cases were most common in Government (33) EducationHealth (16) Business Services (12) and Manufacturing (10) Other illnesses which include heart and hypertension stress and hearing loss cases (see below) were most common in Government (37) Manufacturing (19) Trade (11) and EducationHealth (11) These figures are based on numbers of cases and not rates so they are not adjusted for the employment size in the different sectors (which can be noted in Table D-2 for comparison) Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of illnesses at 870 reports followed by Educational services (526 reports) which are also primarily Local Government Police and Fire departments (226 reports) are categorized separately and are also primarily Local Government Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (154) Ambulatory Health Care Services (147) Professional Scientific and Technical Services (144) General Merchandise Stores (142) Hospitals (136) Machinery Manufacturing (123) Specialty Trade Contractors (122) Food Services and Drinking Places (113) and Telecommunications (107) Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Police and Fire had the highest rate at 153 followed by Educational services (101) and Food Products Manufacturing (100) All but 7 of the sectors had a rate higher than the state average of 35
17
Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010 Specific Industry Sector NAICS Cases Employment Rate Local government 921 870 137400 63 Educational Services 611 526 52000 101 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 336 365 43500 84 Food and Beverage Stores 445 255 38800 66 Nursing and Residential Care Facilities 623 237 60200 39 Police and Fire 922 226 14800 153 Administrative and Support Services 561 194 74500 26 Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 332 154 31300 49 Ambulatory Health Care Services 621 147 16100 91 Professional Scientific and Technical Services 541 144 91400 16 General Merchandise Stores 452 142 25800 55 Hospitals 622 136 60400 23 General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing 333 123 16800 73 Specialty Trade Contractors 238 122 42900 28 Food Services and Drinking Places 722 113 100200 11 Telecommunications 517 107 12600 85 Merchant Wholesalers Nondurable Goods 424 95 Merchant Wholesalers Durable Goods 423 95 Electric Power Generation 221 92 Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing 334 78 14000 56 Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (Banks) 522 73 Food Products 311 71 7100 100 Social Assistance 624 59 42800 14 Hardware Stores 444 57 15000 38 Motor Vehicle Dealers 441 54 19800 27
Local government also includes cases that are tabulated in other specific sectors such as educational services and police and fire Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) ldquoMusculoskeletal disordersrdquo is the currently-used term for conditions also known as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries There were 3435 MSDs reported to workersrsquo compensation in 2010 an decrease of 15 from 2009 (Table D-5) MSDs accounted for over half (60) of the reported occupational diseases to Workersrsquo Compensation MSDs presented here do not include any cases for the lower back (since the descriptions of back conditions are typically not sufficient to be able to distinguish between acute and cumulative back injuries) nor do MSDs include any acute injury condition from sudden events Strains and sprains (which does not include acute strains or sprains) was the most common category of MSD with 65 of reports (Table D-5) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) which is a pinching of the median nerve at the wrist accounted for 14 of total MSD reports Other nerve-related problems (with symptoms of numbness or tingling) accounted for an additional 4 of cases Tendon-related problems included tendonitis and tenosynovitis (3) and epicondylitis (ldquotennis elbowrdquo or ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo 1) ganglion cysts (1) and
18
trigger finger (1) A large number of cases did not have a specific description other than ldquoinflammationrdquo (lt1) or ldquopainrdquo (6) or no specific description (6) Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
MSD Type Cases Cases Change Sprainstrain 2193 2219 65 1 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 484 476 14 -2 Pain 859 189 6 -78 Numbness 147 153 4 4 Tendonitistenosynovitis 85 86 3 1 Ganglion cyst 42 29 1 -31 Epicondylitis 28 28 1 0 Trigger finger 24 28 1 17 Inflammation 54 16 0 -70 Arthritisbursitis 17 12 0 -29 Rotator cuff 23 0 0 -100 OtherUnknown 99 199 6 101 Total 4055 3435 100 -15
Almost all the cases of MSD were in the upper extremity of the body (note that lower back cases were excluded from these figures) Almost half (44) of total MSD cases were for the hand wrist and lower arm (Table D-6) Other affected parts of the body included 8 elbow and 25 shoulder neck and ldquoupper extremityrdquo Only 11 were for the legs knees and feet Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
Part of body Cases Percent Lower Arm Wrist Hand 1520 44 Upper Arm Shoulder Upper Extremity 842 25 Legs Knees and Feet 389 11 Elbow 277 8 Neck and Upper Back 123 4 Multiple 196 6 OtherUnknown 88 3 3435 100
Causes of conditions were often incomplete overlapping and not consistently coded nor described Approximately 81 of MSD cases had enough description to show some cause Of the MSDs that could be classified the most frequently mentioned cause was the broad category of ldquorepetitionrdquo (28 of cases) although this was frequently just from a general description and often used to describe any chronic musculoskeletal problem (see Table D-7) This was followed by lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (8) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (8)
19
Table D-7 Reported Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) WCC 2010 Cause of MSD Reports
Repetitive 784 28 Lifting 557 20 PushPull 471 17 Computerclerical 234 8 Toolsvibration 219 8 Reaching 88 3 Cleaning 58 2 Bendingkneelingcrawling 53 2 Driving 45 2 Assembly 43 2 Machine 38 1 Walkingrunningmoving 35 1 Graspinggrippingsqueezing 29 1 Exercisesportstraining 25 1 sittingstanding 23 1 Positioning 20 1 Climbing 16 1 Twistingtightening 11 0 Carrying 11 0 Shovelingsweeping 11 0 Scooping 10 0 Cake decorating 7 0 Selectingsortinginspecting 6 0 Total 2794 100
Infectious Diseases There were 768 reports of infectious diseases or exposures in the database for 2010 (Table D-8) a 9 decrease from 2009 Infectious disease reports include both actual disease and exposure to potentially infectious agents There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens (including reports of exposure to HIVAIDS and Hepatitis C) accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were 26 cases of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB There were 59 reports of tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme disease attributed to occupational exposures There were 20 reports of exposure or cases of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or staph infection that responds poorly to antibiotics) or other staph infection 15 cases of scabies or lice exposuresillnesses and 18 reports of meningitis exposure There were no reports of exposure to or cases of h1n1 flu in contrast to 2009
20
Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness Cases Cases Change Human biteUrine 301 36 273 36 -9 Bloodbody fluids 154 18 140 18 -9 Sharp and needlestick exposures 100 12 140 18 40 Lyme DiseaseTick bite 87 10 59 8 -32 Hepatitis 21 2 28 4 33 TBppd conversionexposure 40 5 26 3 -35 Other infectious 14 2 21 3 50 MRSAstaph 36 4 20 3 -44 Meningitis exposure 20 2 18 2 -10 Scabieslice 31 4 15 2 -52 Rabies 8 1 12 2 50 Chicken pox measles whooping cough 7 1 10 1 43 e-colisewage 6 1 6 1 0 h1n1 flu 22 3 0 0 -100 Total 847 100 768 100 -9
Recent court decisions have broadened the definition of compensable disease to include exposures particularly where exposure requires medical treatment such as prophylactic treatments such as for tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS (HIV) exposures There has recently been considerable attention paid to Lyme disease among outdoor workers resulting in more reports of tick bites although these reports were down in 2010 It is often difficult to determine whether the first report of injury was actual disease or only exposure (for example actual Lyme disease or only a report of a tick bite) Similarly it is usually not clear in the reports of needlestick and sharps injuries whether the source patient or client was actually infected with any of the known bloodborne diseases There were additional reports of exposure to ldquospitrdquo or ldquosputumrdquo that are not reported here since risks tend to be very low from such exposures Diseases that can be contracted through blood and body fluid exposures include hepatitis B C and HIV Human bites or exposures to body fluids such as urine are also related to bloodborne diseases Transmission is much less likely when a worker is exposed to urine or a human bite than transmission occurring from blood particularly for HIV Blood to blood exposure is the highest risk such as from needlesticks or sharps injuries Altercations or arrests with prisoners or clients accounted for the vast majority of human bites as well as some of the other bloodborne exposures Respiratory Illness and Poisonings Asbestos-related asthma lung cancer and other lung diseases are addressed in the next section In addition to these conditions there were 328 cases of other respiratory illnesses ndash mostly nonspecific respiratory illness with a few cases of pneumonia and laryngitis in the database for 2010 and 65 cases of poisonings from carbon monoxide other gases mercury or lead (Table D-9) an overall increase of 29 from 2009 Exposure to chemicals was the most common cause of illness (33) followed by exposures to dust or fumes (17) general indoor air quality (IAQ) or mold (12) and smoke (9) There were 45 cases of exposure to carbon monoxide or other gases and fumes and 13 reports of exposure to mercury and 7 to lead
21
Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10 Cause 2009 2010
Respiratory Cases Cases Change Chemical Exposure 71 23 129 33 82 Dustfumes 73 24 67 17 -8 IAQmoldodor 40 13 48 12 20 Smoke Fire 47 15 37 9 -21 Other Respiratory 40 13 47 12 18 Respiratory subtotal 271 328 83
Poisoning Lead 0 0 7 2 Mercury 0 0 13 3 Carbon monoxidegasfumes 34 11 45 11 32 Poisoning Subtotal 34 65 Total 305 100 393 100 29
In addition to the general categories of smoke specific chemical exposures mentioned included battery fumes (13) floor strippersealant (6) heavy metals in a fire (6) perfumecologne (5) bug spray (4) bleach (3) carpet cleaner (2) paint (2) spray foam (2) cement Lysol antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive Chronic Lung Conditions There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified under respiratory conditions and poisonings (above)
Asbestos There were 30 reports of asbestos-related disease or exposures in 2010 The descriptions of the cases often made it difficult to determine whether the cases were actual disease or only exposure to asbestos since it is difficult to know whether they are describing historic exposures that contributed to current disease or current exposures that raise the risk of future disease) although there was at least one fatality and four mesothelioma cases (listed under cancer) Asbestos exposure is known to increase the risk of lung disease and cancer If disease occurs as a result it often appears between 10-40 years after exposure Asbestos disease may be under-reported by traditional surveillance sources such as Workersrsquo Compensation Industries for asbestos conditions were primarily transportation equipment manufacturing (13) and government (6) Other Chronic Lung Conditions There were 30 occupational asthma cases reported in 2010 a decrease of 33 The most common causes mentioned were indoor air quality or mold (15) chemicals and cleaners (5) smoke (2) and dustfumes (2) Government and schools (13 combined) were the most common industries for asthma cases
22
Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10 Illness 2009 2010 Change
Asbestos-related 83 30 -64 Asthmabronchitis 45 30 -33 Allergies 5 -100 Cancer 5 3 -40 Other chronic lung 9 Total 138 72 -48
Skin Conditions There were 239 skin conditions in the database in 2010 (Table D-11) an increase of 9 There were 119 cases of contact dermatitis from poison ivy or other plants (50 of all skin cases) There were 8 cases of allergic reactions to latex gloves or other clothing and 4 associated with soap or cleaning products There were 20 cases caused by chemicals and 71 cases just described as rashes Substances associated with skin conditions included trichorethylene fire proofing materials hand sanitizer a calcium bag epoxy coolant antifreeze cosmetics (2) dish detergent (2) car cleaner plastic carbon fibers gasoline photographic chemicals adhesive laundry detergents (2) carpet adhesive and fiberglass Government (69 cases) and schools (27) were the most frequent industry sectors for skin conditions Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Poison Ivyplants 107 119 50 11 Chemical 36 20 8 -44 Allergic 7 17 7 143 GlovesLatexclothing 14 8 3 -43 SoapCleaning 7 4 2 -43 Patient care 2 0 0 -100 RashOtherUnknown 47 71 30 51 Total 220 239 100 9
23
Stress and Heart Conditions
Heart and Hypertension There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions 22 reported strokes or blood clots and 102 described symptoms of chest pain or mentioned angina often associated with emergency care at a hospital There were 109 cases that described the condition as hypertension or ldquoheart and hypertensionrdquo (the usual legal term for heart or hypertension cases that are covered for police and fire fighters) An additional 21 were other heart-related conditions predominately testing abnormalities on EKG or unusual symptoms involving the heart or chest Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal employees who are frequently covered under heart and hypertension laws that consider those conditions to be work-related for workersrsquo compensation purposes Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Hypertension 99 109 36 10 Chest painanginasymptoms 71 102 34 44 Heart attack 51 50 16 -2 Other heart 40 21 7 -48 Strokeclots 21 22 7 5
Total 282 304 100 8 Mental Stress There were a total of 128 stress-related claims in the database in 2010 an increase of 13 over 2009 There were 33 cases which cited reactions to violence robbery or trauma (such as witnessing or being in auto accidents) 14 cases that were attributed to conflicts with supervisors or promotions and 12 cases were attributed to harassment or hostile work environments (Table D-13) There were 17 claims related to excessive job demands or aspects of job duties There were 49 that were simply defined as ldquostressrdquo without further explanation There were also several stress-related cases that are classified under heart conditions (See Table D-12 above) Specific examples of situations causing stress include robberies with guns an explosion at the workplace assaults a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect harassment having to stay with a dead body after a shooting verbal abuse from a residentrsquos family job transfer a failed surgery and witnessing suicide
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
10
Illnesses by Industry Numbers and rates by industry sector for 2010 are presented in Table C-2 Overall the adjusted rate is 231 cases of occupational illness per 10000 CT workers slightly lower than the 2009 rate of 256 The overall private sector rate was 216 (compared to 243 in 2009) with a government rate of 340 (57 higher than the private sector rate) The government rate was much lower than last yearrsquos rate of 416 Table C-2 Illness Rates per 10000 Workers by Industry and Type of Illness CT 2010 Total Skin Respiratory Poison Hearing Other Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Rate No Total all industries 231 3000 51 700 21 300 25 300 131 1700
Private Industry only 216 2400 51 600 17 200 25 300 121 1400
Goods Producing 332 700 49 100 12 117 300 153 300
Natural resources and mining
Construction
Manufacturing 417 700 56 100 14 154 300 194 300
Service Providing 189 1700 52 500 18 200 03 113 100
Trade transport utilities 129 300 29 100 08 10 81 200
Information 170 115
Financial activities 142 200 96 100
Professionalbusiness services 120 200 86 100
Education and health 422 900 149 300 27 100 234 500
Leisure and hospitality 56 100 23 22
Other services
Government total 340 500 54 100 55 100 204 300
State Government 263 100 58 67 132 100
Local Government 384 400 52 100 48 245 200
Source Conn-OSHA Rates are adjusted for hours worked and are per 10000 full-time workers Indicates too little data for reliable estimates The highest specific sector rate was Education and Health at 422 with the highest rate of illness per 10000 workers categorized asldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 234 and second-highest for skin conditions (149) Manufacturing was second highest at 417 (a 23 decrease from 2009) with the highest rates for ldquootherrdquo (primarily repetitive trauma) at 194 and hearing loss at 154 Local Government was third highest overall at 384 (a 28 drop from 2009) which included the highest rate of ldquoOtherrdquo (245) and second-highest for skin (52) Information services had a fairly high rate of ldquootherrdquo conditions though was low for other illnesses State government had the highest rate of respiratory conditions (67) among all sectors second-highest skin conditions rate and fourth highest overall rate Lost-Time Illnesses BLS obtains additional data for the subset of cases that result in lost worktime (restricted work cases are not included in this section which is about half again the number of lost worktime cases) that provide additional detail on specific conditions and causes We are presenting here this data for conditions that are more chronic in nature (usually classified as occupational illness) Musculoskeletal Conditions Musculoskeletal conditions with lost time increased 6 to 6600 cases (516 cases per 10000 workers) up from a rate of 476 in 2009 (Figure C-3) The Connecticut rate is 50 higher than the national MSD rate of 343 MSD accounted for 33 of the total of 19930 lost time injuries and illnesses in Connecticut Rates in
11
Connecticut have declined 19 over the 8-year period National rates for all private and public employees have only been available since 2008 Figure C-3 Rates of Musculoskeletal Disorders CT and US 2003-2010
Source BLS Website httpdatablsgovcgi-bindsrvch Rates are cases per 10000 full time employees Musculoskeletal conditions are the most common category of specific injury and illness conditions and is a category that includes both chronic conditions and sprains and strains from overexertion (approximately 75 of these cases nationally) BLS defines this fairly complex category as ldquoIncludes cases where the nature of injury is sprains strains tears back pain hurt back soreness pain hurt except back carpal tunnel syndrome hernia or musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases and disorders and when the event or exposure leading to the injury or illness is bodily reactionbending climbing crawling reaching twisting overexertion or repetition Cases of Raynauds phenomenon tarsal tunnel syndrome and herniated spinal discs are not includedrdquo Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) was the most common specific illness in Connecticut increasing from 22 cases per 10000 workers in 2009 to 25 in 2010 (Figure C-4) Tendonitis also increased from 05 cases to 07 cases per 10000 Connecticut was over double the national rates for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and somewhat higher for tendonitis CTS had a very high number of lost work days with a median of 28 days of lost time per case (compared to 8 days for all cases of injury and illness) in Connecticut and tendonitis was a median of 12 days
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
CT
US
12
Figure C-4 Rates of Conditions Lost-time Only Private Sector US amp CT 2007-2010
Source BLS Website httpdatablsgovcgi-bindsrvch Rates are cases per 10000 full time employees CTS=Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Connecticut lost time cases coded as ldquorepetitive motionrdquo for cause stayed almost even at 53 cases per 10000 workers from 54 in 2009 this Connecticut rate was 51 higher than the US rate of 35 Repetitive motion lost time cases had a median of 28 days away from work
0
05
1
15
2
25
CT US CT US
CTS Tendonitis
2007
2008
2009
2010
13
D Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Data There were a total of 5772 reports in the Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database for 2010 a 10 decrease from 2009 driven by a 15 decrease in the largest category of MSD with combined with a 9 decrease in infectious disease There were slight increases in lung skin and other disorders Almost two-thirds (60) of reports were due to chronic musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and tendonitis Infectious disease accounted for 13 of the cases respiratory diseases (including nonspecific respiratory illness and chronic lung conditions such as asthma and asbestos-related illnesses and exposures) 8 skin diseases 4 and ldquoOther Illnessesrdquo (which includes heart conditions stress cases noise-induced hearing loss and other conditions) 15 Table D-1 Occupational Disease by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness type Cases Cases of total
Change Musculoskeletal Disorders (MS) 4055 3435 60 -15 Infectious Disease 845 768 13 -9 Respiratory Disorders 433 465 8 7 Skin Disorders 220 239 4 9 Other Illnesses 832 865 15 4 Total 6385 5772 100 -10
Overall 44 of reports were for women but this varied by type of case (Figure D-1) with higher proportions than that average for infectious disease (57 women) musculoskeletal disorders (47) and stress (53) but lower levels for skin conditions (25 heart and hypertension (19) and ldquoother illnessrdquo (27) Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector Government and EducationHealth had the largest number of cases (20
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
19
57
47
27
41
25
53
14
each additional government cases are counted in the Education and Health care sector) followed by Manufacturing (19) and Wholesale and Retail Trade (16) Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illness is approximately 35 cases per 1000 workers with the highest rates for Manufacturing (60 or 53 higher than the overall rate) and Government (54 the actual government rate is higher because some government worker cases are classified under Education and Other sectors) TransportationUtilities (44) EducationHealth care (38) Trade (37) and Information Services (35)
ConstructionAg Mine 3
Manufacturing 19
Trade 16
TransportUtilities 4
Info Services 2
FinanceInsurRE 4
Business Services
7
EducationHealth 20
LeisureOther Services 5
Government 20
15
Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010 NAICS Sector Cases Rate Employment
Employment ConstructionAgMine 189 3 29 65000 4 Manufacturing 1066 18 60 178200 11 Trade 908 16 37 247200 15 TransportUtilities 207 4 44 46900 3 Information Services 133 2 35 38500 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 229 4 16 140700 9 Business Services 382 7 19 200300 12 EducationHealth 1105 19 38 292700 18 LeisureOther Services 273 5 13 213800 13 Government 1121 19 54 207900 13 Unknown 159 3 Total 5772 100 35 1629300 100
Notes Employment is adjusted for hours worked Rows do not add up to total due to reports that could not be coded for industry Rates are illnesses per 1000 workers Government illnesses do not include some cases that are classified under other categories such as education and health services Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
Other Respiratory Infect MSD Skin Total ConstructionAgMine 16 2 18 4 0 144 4 11 5 189 3 Manufacturing 164 19 61 13 4 1 813 24 24 10 1066 19 Trade 95 11 35 8 20 3 736 22 22 9 908 16 TransportUtilities 24 3 10 2 17 2 145 4 11 5 207 4 Information Services 10 1 7 2 4 1 107 3 5 2 133 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 38 5 15 3 7 1 166 5 3 1 229 4 Business Services 53 6 55 12 24 3 222 7 28 12 382 7 EducationHealth 95 11 100 22 398 53 476 14 36 16 1105 19 LeisureOther Services 39 5 28 6 13 2 178 5 15 6 273 5 Government 308 37 124 27 266 35 346 10 77 33 1121 20 Subtotal 842 100 453 100 753 100 3333 100 232 100 5613 100 Unknown 23 12 15 102 7 159 Total 865 465 768 3435 239 5772
16
Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseases were concentrated in EducationHealth (53) and Government (35) Respiratory diseases were concentrated in Government (27) EducationHealth (22) Manufacturing (13) and Business Services (12) Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) were most prevalent in Manufacturing (24) and Trade (22) EducationHealth (14) and Government (10) Skin cases were most common in Government (33) EducationHealth (16) Business Services (12) and Manufacturing (10) Other illnesses which include heart and hypertension stress and hearing loss cases (see below) were most common in Government (37) Manufacturing (19) Trade (11) and EducationHealth (11) These figures are based on numbers of cases and not rates so they are not adjusted for the employment size in the different sectors (which can be noted in Table D-2 for comparison) Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of illnesses at 870 reports followed by Educational services (526 reports) which are also primarily Local Government Police and Fire departments (226 reports) are categorized separately and are also primarily Local Government Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (154) Ambulatory Health Care Services (147) Professional Scientific and Technical Services (144) General Merchandise Stores (142) Hospitals (136) Machinery Manufacturing (123) Specialty Trade Contractors (122) Food Services and Drinking Places (113) and Telecommunications (107) Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Police and Fire had the highest rate at 153 followed by Educational services (101) and Food Products Manufacturing (100) All but 7 of the sectors had a rate higher than the state average of 35
17
Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010 Specific Industry Sector NAICS Cases Employment Rate Local government 921 870 137400 63 Educational Services 611 526 52000 101 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 336 365 43500 84 Food and Beverage Stores 445 255 38800 66 Nursing and Residential Care Facilities 623 237 60200 39 Police and Fire 922 226 14800 153 Administrative and Support Services 561 194 74500 26 Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 332 154 31300 49 Ambulatory Health Care Services 621 147 16100 91 Professional Scientific and Technical Services 541 144 91400 16 General Merchandise Stores 452 142 25800 55 Hospitals 622 136 60400 23 General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing 333 123 16800 73 Specialty Trade Contractors 238 122 42900 28 Food Services and Drinking Places 722 113 100200 11 Telecommunications 517 107 12600 85 Merchant Wholesalers Nondurable Goods 424 95 Merchant Wholesalers Durable Goods 423 95 Electric Power Generation 221 92 Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing 334 78 14000 56 Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (Banks) 522 73 Food Products 311 71 7100 100 Social Assistance 624 59 42800 14 Hardware Stores 444 57 15000 38 Motor Vehicle Dealers 441 54 19800 27
Local government also includes cases that are tabulated in other specific sectors such as educational services and police and fire Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) ldquoMusculoskeletal disordersrdquo is the currently-used term for conditions also known as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries There were 3435 MSDs reported to workersrsquo compensation in 2010 an decrease of 15 from 2009 (Table D-5) MSDs accounted for over half (60) of the reported occupational diseases to Workersrsquo Compensation MSDs presented here do not include any cases for the lower back (since the descriptions of back conditions are typically not sufficient to be able to distinguish between acute and cumulative back injuries) nor do MSDs include any acute injury condition from sudden events Strains and sprains (which does not include acute strains or sprains) was the most common category of MSD with 65 of reports (Table D-5) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) which is a pinching of the median nerve at the wrist accounted for 14 of total MSD reports Other nerve-related problems (with symptoms of numbness or tingling) accounted for an additional 4 of cases Tendon-related problems included tendonitis and tenosynovitis (3) and epicondylitis (ldquotennis elbowrdquo or ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo 1) ganglion cysts (1) and
18
trigger finger (1) A large number of cases did not have a specific description other than ldquoinflammationrdquo (lt1) or ldquopainrdquo (6) or no specific description (6) Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
MSD Type Cases Cases Change Sprainstrain 2193 2219 65 1 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 484 476 14 -2 Pain 859 189 6 -78 Numbness 147 153 4 4 Tendonitistenosynovitis 85 86 3 1 Ganglion cyst 42 29 1 -31 Epicondylitis 28 28 1 0 Trigger finger 24 28 1 17 Inflammation 54 16 0 -70 Arthritisbursitis 17 12 0 -29 Rotator cuff 23 0 0 -100 OtherUnknown 99 199 6 101 Total 4055 3435 100 -15
Almost all the cases of MSD were in the upper extremity of the body (note that lower back cases were excluded from these figures) Almost half (44) of total MSD cases were for the hand wrist and lower arm (Table D-6) Other affected parts of the body included 8 elbow and 25 shoulder neck and ldquoupper extremityrdquo Only 11 were for the legs knees and feet Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
Part of body Cases Percent Lower Arm Wrist Hand 1520 44 Upper Arm Shoulder Upper Extremity 842 25 Legs Knees and Feet 389 11 Elbow 277 8 Neck and Upper Back 123 4 Multiple 196 6 OtherUnknown 88 3 3435 100
Causes of conditions were often incomplete overlapping and not consistently coded nor described Approximately 81 of MSD cases had enough description to show some cause Of the MSDs that could be classified the most frequently mentioned cause was the broad category of ldquorepetitionrdquo (28 of cases) although this was frequently just from a general description and often used to describe any chronic musculoskeletal problem (see Table D-7) This was followed by lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (8) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (8)
19
Table D-7 Reported Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) WCC 2010 Cause of MSD Reports
Repetitive 784 28 Lifting 557 20 PushPull 471 17 Computerclerical 234 8 Toolsvibration 219 8 Reaching 88 3 Cleaning 58 2 Bendingkneelingcrawling 53 2 Driving 45 2 Assembly 43 2 Machine 38 1 Walkingrunningmoving 35 1 Graspinggrippingsqueezing 29 1 Exercisesportstraining 25 1 sittingstanding 23 1 Positioning 20 1 Climbing 16 1 Twistingtightening 11 0 Carrying 11 0 Shovelingsweeping 11 0 Scooping 10 0 Cake decorating 7 0 Selectingsortinginspecting 6 0 Total 2794 100
Infectious Diseases There were 768 reports of infectious diseases or exposures in the database for 2010 (Table D-8) a 9 decrease from 2009 Infectious disease reports include both actual disease and exposure to potentially infectious agents There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens (including reports of exposure to HIVAIDS and Hepatitis C) accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were 26 cases of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB There were 59 reports of tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme disease attributed to occupational exposures There were 20 reports of exposure or cases of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or staph infection that responds poorly to antibiotics) or other staph infection 15 cases of scabies or lice exposuresillnesses and 18 reports of meningitis exposure There were no reports of exposure to or cases of h1n1 flu in contrast to 2009
20
Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness Cases Cases Change Human biteUrine 301 36 273 36 -9 Bloodbody fluids 154 18 140 18 -9 Sharp and needlestick exposures 100 12 140 18 40 Lyme DiseaseTick bite 87 10 59 8 -32 Hepatitis 21 2 28 4 33 TBppd conversionexposure 40 5 26 3 -35 Other infectious 14 2 21 3 50 MRSAstaph 36 4 20 3 -44 Meningitis exposure 20 2 18 2 -10 Scabieslice 31 4 15 2 -52 Rabies 8 1 12 2 50 Chicken pox measles whooping cough 7 1 10 1 43 e-colisewage 6 1 6 1 0 h1n1 flu 22 3 0 0 -100 Total 847 100 768 100 -9
Recent court decisions have broadened the definition of compensable disease to include exposures particularly where exposure requires medical treatment such as prophylactic treatments such as for tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS (HIV) exposures There has recently been considerable attention paid to Lyme disease among outdoor workers resulting in more reports of tick bites although these reports were down in 2010 It is often difficult to determine whether the first report of injury was actual disease or only exposure (for example actual Lyme disease or only a report of a tick bite) Similarly it is usually not clear in the reports of needlestick and sharps injuries whether the source patient or client was actually infected with any of the known bloodborne diseases There were additional reports of exposure to ldquospitrdquo or ldquosputumrdquo that are not reported here since risks tend to be very low from such exposures Diseases that can be contracted through blood and body fluid exposures include hepatitis B C and HIV Human bites or exposures to body fluids such as urine are also related to bloodborne diseases Transmission is much less likely when a worker is exposed to urine or a human bite than transmission occurring from blood particularly for HIV Blood to blood exposure is the highest risk such as from needlesticks or sharps injuries Altercations or arrests with prisoners or clients accounted for the vast majority of human bites as well as some of the other bloodborne exposures Respiratory Illness and Poisonings Asbestos-related asthma lung cancer and other lung diseases are addressed in the next section In addition to these conditions there were 328 cases of other respiratory illnesses ndash mostly nonspecific respiratory illness with a few cases of pneumonia and laryngitis in the database for 2010 and 65 cases of poisonings from carbon monoxide other gases mercury or lead (Table D-9) an overall increase of 29 from 2009 Exposure to chemicals was the most common cause of illness (33) followed by exposures to dust or fumes (17) general indoor air quality (IAQ) or mold (12) and smoke (9) There were 45 cases of exposure to carbon monoxide or other gases and fumes and 13 reports of exposure to mercury and 7 to lead
21
Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10 Cause 2009 2010
Respiratory Cases Cases Change Chemical Exposure 71 23 129 33 82 Dustfumes 73 24 67 17 -8 IAQmoldodor 40 13 48 12 20 Smoke Fire 47 15 37 9 -21 Other Respiratory 40 13 47 12 18 Respiratory subtotal 271 328 83
Poisoning Lead 0 0 7 2 Mercury 0 0 13 3 Carbon monoxidegasfumes 34 11 45 11 32 Poisoning Subtotal 34 65 Total 305 100 393 100 29
In addition to the general categories of smoke specific chemical exposures mentioned included battery fumes (13) floor strippersealant (6) heavy metals in a fire (6) perfumecologne (5) bug spray (4) bleach (3) carpet cleaner (2) paint (2) spray foam (2) cement Lysol antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive Chronic Lung Conditions There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified under respiratory conditions and poisonings (above)
Asbestos There were 30 reports of asbestos-related disease or exposures in 2010 The descriptions of the cases often made it difficult to determine whether the cases were actual disease or only exposure to asbestos since it is difficult to know whether they are describing historic exposures that contributed to current disease or current exposures that raise the risk of future disease) although there was at least one fatality and four mesothelioma cases (listed under cancer) Asbestos exposure is known to increase the risk of lung disease and cancer If disease occurs as a result it often appears between 10-40 years after exposure Asbestos disease may be under-reported by traditional surveillance sources such as Workersrsquo Compensation Industries for asbestos conditions were primarily transportation equipment manufacturing (13) and government (6) Other Chronic Lung Conditions There were 30 occupational asthma cases reported in 2010 a decrease of 33 The most common causes mentioned were indoor air quality or mold (15) chemicals and cleaners (5) smoke (2) and dustfumes (2) Government and schools (13 combined) were the most common industries for asthma cases
22
Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10 Illness 2009 2010 Change
Asbestos-related 83 30 -64 Asthmabronchitis 45 30 -33 Allergies 5 -100 Cancer 5 3 -40 Other chronic lung 9 Total 138 72 -48
Skin Conditions There were 239 skin conditions in the database in 2010 (Table D-11) an increase of 9 There were 119 cases of contact dermatitis from poison ivy or other plants (50 of all skin cases) There were 8 cases of allergic reactions to latex gloves or other clothing and 4 associated with soap or cleaning products There were 20 cases caused by chemicals and 71 cases just described as rashes Substances associated with skin conditions included trichorethylene fire proofing materials hand sanitizer a calcium bag epoxy coolant antifreeze cosmetics (2) dish detergent (2) car cleaner plastic carbon fibers gasoline photographic chemicals adhesive laundry detergents (2) carpet adhesive and fiberglass Government (69 cases) and schools (27) were the most frequent industry sectors for skin conditions Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Poison Ivyplants 107 119 50 11 Chemical 36 20 8 -44 Allergic 7 17 7 143 GlovesLatexclothing 14 8 3 -43 SoapCleaning 7 4 2 -43 Patient care 2 0 0 -100 RashOtherUnknown 47 71 30 51 Total 220 239 100 9
23
Stress and Heart Conditions
Heart and Hypertension There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions 22 reported strokes or blood clots and 102 described symptoms of chest pain or mentioned angina often associated with emergency care at a hospital There were 109 cases that described the condition as hypertension or ldquoheart and hypertensionrdquo (the usual legal term for heart or hypertension cases that are covered for police and fire fighters) An additional 21 were other heart-related conditions predominately testing abnormalities on EKG or unusual symptoms involving the heart or chest Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal employees who are frequently covered under heart and hypertension laws that consider those conditions to be work-related for workersrsquo compensation purposes Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Hypertension 99 109 36 10 Chest painanginasymptoms 71 102 34 44 Heart attack 51 50 16 -2 Other heart 40 21 7 -48 Strokeclots 21 22 7 5
Total 282 304 100 8 Mental Stress There were a total of 128 stress-related claims in the database in 2010 an increase of 13 over 2009 There were 33 cases which cited reactions to violence robbery or trauma (such as witnessing or being in auto accidents) 14 cases that were attributed to conflicts with supervisors or promotions and 12 cases were attributed to harassment or hostile work environments (Table D-13) There were 17 claims related to excessive job demands or aspects of job duties There were 49 that were simply defined as ldquostressrdquo without further explanation There were also several stress-related cases that are classified under heart conditions (See Table D-12 above) Specific examples of situations causing stress include robberies with guns an explosion at the workplace assaults a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect harassment having to stay with a dead body after a shooting verbal abuse from a residentrsquos family job transfer a failed surgery and witnessing suicide
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
11
Connecticut have declined 19 over the 8-year period National rates for all private and public employees have only been available since 2008 Figure C-3 Rates of Musculoskeletal Disorders CT and US 2003-2010
Source BLS Website httpdatablsgovcgi-bindsrvch Rates are cases per 10000 full time employees Musculoskeletal conditions are the most common category of specific injury and illness conditions and is a category that includes both chronic conditions and sprains and strains from overexertion (approximately 75 of these cases nationally) BLS defines this fairly complex category as ldquoIncludes cases where the nature of injury is sprains strains tears back pain hurt back soreness pain hurt except back carpal tunnel syndrome hernia or musculoskeletal system and connective tissue diseases and disorders and when the event or exposure leading to the injury or illness is bodily reactionbending climbing crawling reaching twisting overexertion or repetition Cases of Raynauds phenomenon tarsal tunnel syndrome and herniated spinal discs are not includedrdquo Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) was the most common specific illness in Connecticut increasing from 22 cases per 10000 workers in 2009 to 25 in 2010 (Figure C-4) Tendonitis also increased from 05 cases to 07 cases per 10000 Connecticut was over double the national rates for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and somewhat higher for tendonitis CTS had a very high number of lost work days with a median of 28 days of lost time per case (compared to 8 days for all cases of injury and illness) in Connecticut and tendonitis was a median of 12 days
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
CT
US
12
Figure C-4 Rates of Conditions Lost-time Only Private Sector US amp CT 2007-2010
Source BLS Website httpdatablsgovcgi-bindsrvch Rates are cases per 10000 full time employees CTS=Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Connecticut lost time cases coded as ldquorepetitive motionrdquo for cause stayed almost even at 53 cases per 10000 workers from 54 in 2009 this Connecticut rate was 51 higher than the US rate of 35 Repetitive motion lost time cases had a median of 28 days away from work
0
05
1
15
2
25
CT US CT US
CTS Tendonitis
2007
2008
2009
2010
13
D Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Data There were a total of 5772 reports in the Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database for 2010 a 10 decrease from 2009 driven by a 15 decrease in the largest category of MSD with combined with a 9 decrease in infectious disease There were slight increases in lung skin and other disorders Almost two-thirds (60) of reports were due to chronic musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and tendonitis Infectious disease accounted for 13 of the cases respiratory diseases (including nonspecific respiratory illness and chronic lung conditions such as asthma and asbestos-related illnesses and exposures) 8 skin diseases 4 and ldquoOther Illnessesrdquo (which includes heart conditions stress cases noise-induced hearing loss and other conditions) 15 Table D-1 Occupational Disease by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness type Cases Cases of total
Change Musculoskeletal Disorders (MS) 4055 3435 60 -15 Infectious Disease 845 768 13 -9 Respiratory Disorders 433 465 8 7 Skin Disorders 220 239 4 9 Other Illnesses 832 865 15 4 Total 6385 5772 100 -10
Overall 44 of reports were for women but this varied by type of case (Figure D-1) with higher proportions than that average for infectious disease (57 women) musculoskeletal disorders (47) and stress (53) but lower levels for skin conditions (25 heart and hypertension (19) and ldquoother illnessrdquo (27) Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector Government and EducationHealth had the largest number of cases (20
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
19
57
47
27
41
25
53
14
each additional government cases are counted in the Education and Health care sector) followed by Manufacturing (19) and Wholesale and Retail Trade (16) Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illness is approximately 35 cases per 1000 workers with the highest rates for Manufacturing (60 or 53 higher than the overall rate) and Government (54 the actual government rate is higher because some government worker cases are classified under Education and Other sectors) TransportationUtilities (44) EducationHealth care (38) Trade (37) and Information Services (35)
ConstructionAg Mine 3
Manufacturing 19
Trade 16
TransportUtilities 4
Info Services 2
FinanceInsurRE 4
Business Services
7
EducationHealth 20
LeisureOther Services 5
Government 20
15
Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010 NAICS Sector Cases Rate Employment
Employment ConstructionAgMine 189 3 29 65000 4 Manufacturing 1066 18 60 178200 11 Trade 908 16 37 247200 15 TransportUtilities 207 4 44 46900 3 Information Services 133 2 35 38500 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 229 4 16 140700 9 Business Services 382 7 19 200300 12 EducationHealth 1105 19 38 292700 18 LeisureOther Services 273 5 13 213800 13 Government 1121 19 54 207900 13 Unknown 159 3 Total 5772 100 35 1629300 100
Notes Employment is adjusted for hours worked Rows do not add up to total due to reports that could not be coded for industry Rates are illnesses per 1000 workers Government illnesses do not include some cases that are classified under other categories such as education and health services Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
Other Respiratory Infect MSD Skin Total ConstructionAgMine 16 2 18 4 0 144 4 11 5 189 3 Manufacturing 164 19 61 13 4 1 813 24 24 10 1066 19 Trade 95 11 35 8 20 3 736 22 22 9 908 16 TransportUtilities 24 3 10 2 17 2 145 4 11 5 207 4 Information Services 10 1 7 2 4 1 107 3 5 2 133 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 38 5 15 3 7 1 166 5 3 1 229 4 Business Services 53 6 55 12 24 3 222 7 28 12 382 7 EducationHealth 95 11 100 22 398 53 476 14 36 16 1105 19 LeisureOther Services 39 5 28 6 13 2 178 5 15 6 273 5 Government 308 37 124 27 266 35 346 10 77 33 1121 20 Subtotal 842 100 453 100 753 100 3333 100 232 100 5613 100 Unknown 23 12 15 102 7 159 Total 865 465 768 3435 239 5772
16
Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseases were concentrated in EducationHealth (53) and Government (35) Respiratory diseases were concentrated in Government (27) EducationHealth (22) Manufacturing (13) and Business Services (12) Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) were most prevalent in Manufacturing (24) and Trade (22) EducationHealth (14) and Government (10) Skin cases were most common in Government (33) EducationHealth (16) Business Services (12) and Manufacturing (10) Other illnesses which include heart and hypertension stress and hearing loss cases (see below) were most common in Government (37) Manufacturing (19) Trade (11) and EducationHealth (11) These figures are based on numbers of cases and not rates so they are not adjusted for the employment size in the different sectors (which can be noted in Table D-2 for comparison) Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of illnesses at 870 reports followed by Educational services (526 reports) which are also primarily Local Government Police and Fire departments (226 reports) are categorized separately and are also primarily Local Government Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (154) Ambulatory Health Care Services (147) Professional Scientific and Technical Services (144) General Merchandise Stores (142) Hospitals (136) Machinery Manufacturing (123) Specialty Trade Contractors (122) Food Services and Drinking Places (113) and Telecommunications (107) Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Police and Fire had the highest rate at 153 followed by Educational services (101) and Food Products Manufacturing (100) All but 7 of the sectors had a rate higher than the state average of 35
17
Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010 Specific Industry Sector NAICS Cases Employment Rate Local government 921 870 137400 63 Educational Services 611 526 52000 101 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 336 365 43500 84 Food and Beverage Stores 445 255 38800 66 Nursing and Residential Care Facilities 623 237 60200 39 Police and Fire 922 226 14800 153 Administrative and Support Services 561 194 74500 26 Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 332 154 31300 49 Ambulatory Health Care Services 621 147 16100 91 Professional Scientific and Technical Services 541 144 91400 16 General Merchandise Stores 452 142 25800 55 Hospitals 622 136 60400 23 General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing 333 123 16800 73 Specialty Trade Contractors 238 122 42900 28 Food Services and Drinking Places 722 113 100200 11 Telecommunications 517 107 12600 85 Merchant Wholesalers Nondurable Goods 424 95 Merchant Wholesalers Durable Goods 423 95 Electric Power Generation 221 92 Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing 334 78 14000 56 Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (Banks) 522 73 Food Products 311 71 7100 100 Social Assistance 624 59 42800 14 Hardware Stores 444 57 15000 38 Motor Vehicle Dealers 441 54 19800 27
Local government also includes cases that are tabulated in other specific sectors such as educational services and police and fire Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) ldquoMusculoskeletal disordersrdquo is the currently-used term for conditions also known as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries There were 3435 MSDs reported to workersrsquo compensation in 2010 an decrease of 15 from 2009 (Table D-5) MSDs accounted for over half (60) of the reported occupational diseases to Workersrsquo Compensation MSDs presented here do not include any cases for the lower back (since the descriptions of back conditions are typically not sufficient to be able to distinguish between acute and cumulative back injuries) nor do MSDs include any acute injury condition from sudden events Strains and sprains (which does not include acute strains or sprains) was the most common category of MSD with 65 of reports (Table D-5) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) which is a pinching of the median nerve at the wrist accounted for 14 of total MSD reports Other nerve-related problems (with symptoms of numbness or tingling) accounted for an additional 4 of cases Tendon-related problems included tendonitis and tenosynovitis (3) and epicondylitis (ldquotennis elbowrdquo or ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo 1) ganglion cysts (1) and
18
trigger finger (1) A large number of cases did not have a specific description other than ldquoinflammationrdquo (lt1) or ldquopainrdquo (6) or no specific description (6) Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
MSD Type Cases Cases Change Sprainstrain 2193 2219 65 1 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 484 476 14 -2 Pain 859 189 6 -78 Numbness 147 153 4 4 Tendonitistenosynovitis 85 86 3 1 Ganglion cyst 42 29 1 -31 Epicondylitis 28 28 1 0 Trigger finger 24 28 1 17 Inflammation 54 16 0 -70 Arthritisbursitis 17 12 0 -29 Rotator cuff 23 0 0 -100 OtherUnknown 99 199 6 101 Total 4055 3435 100 -15
Almost all the cases of MSD were in the upper extremity of the body (note that lower back cases were excluded from these figures) Almost half (44) of total MSD cases were for the hand wrist and lower arm (Table D-6) Other affected parts of the body included 8 elbow and 25 shoulder neck and ldquoupper extremityrdquo Only 11 were for the legs knees and feet Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
Part of body Cases Percent Lower Arm Wrist Hand 1520 44 Upper Arm Shoulder Upper Extremity 842 25 Legs Knees and Feet 389 11 Elbow 277 8 Neck and Upper Back 123 4 Multiple 196 6 OtherUnknown 88 3 3435 100
Causes of conditions were often incomplete overlapping and not consistently coded nor described Approximately 81 of MSD cases had enough description to show some cause Of the MSDs that could be classified the most frequently mentioned cause was the broad category of ldquorepetitionrdquo (28 of cases) although this was frequently just from a general description and often used to describe any chronic musculoskeletal problem (see Table D-7) This was followed by lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (8) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (8)
19
Table D-7 Reported Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) WCC 2010 Cause of MSD Reports
Repetitive 784 28 Lifting 557 20 PushPull 471 17 Computerclerical 234 8 Toolsvibration 219 8 Reaching 88 3 Cleaning 58 2 Bendingkneelingcrawling 53 2 Driving 45 2 Assembly 43 2 Machine 38 1 Walkingrunningmoving 35 1 Graspinggrippingsqueezing 29 1 Exercisesportstraining 25 1 sittingstanding 23 1 Positioning 20 1 Climbing 16 1 Twistingtightening 11 0 Carrying 11 0 Shovelingsweeping 11 0 Scooping 10 0 Cake decorating 7 0 Selectingsortinginspecting 6 0 Total 2794 100
Infectious Diseases There were 768 reports of infectious diseases or exposures in the database for 2010 (Table D-8) a 9 decrease from 2009 Infectious disease reports include both actual disease and exposure to potentially infectious agents There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens (including reports of exposure to HIVAIDS and Hepatitis C) accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were 26 cases of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB There were 59 reports of tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme disease attributed to occupational exposures There were 20 reports of exposure or cases of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or staph infection that responds poorly to antibiotics) or other staph infection 15 cases of scabies or lice exposuresillnesses and 18 reports of meningitis exposure There were no reports of exposure to or cases of h1n1 flu in contrast to 2009
20
Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness Cases Cases Change Human biteUrine 301 36 273 36 -9 Bloodbody fluids 154 18 140 18 -9 Sharp and needlestick exposures 100 12 140 18 40 Lyme DiseaseTick bite 87 10 59 8 -32 Hepatitis 21 2 28 4 33 TBppd conversionexposure 40 5 26 3 -35 Other infectious 14 2 21 3 50 MRSAstaph 36 4 20 3 -44 Meningitis exposure 20 2 18 2 -10 Scabieslice 31 4 15 2 -52 Rabies 8 1 12 2 50 Chicken pox measles whooping cough 7 1 10 1 43 e-colisewage 6 1 6 1 0 h1n1 flu 22 3 0 0 -100 Total 847 100 768 100 -9
Recent court decisions have broadened the definition of compensable disease to include exposures particularly where exposure requires medical treatment such as prophylactic treatments such as for tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS (HIV) exposures There has recently been considerable attention paid to Lyme disease among outdoor workers resulting in more reports of tick bites although these reports were down in 2010 It is often difficult to determine whether the first report of injury was actual disease or only exposure (for example actual Lyme disease or only a report of a tick bite) Similarly it is usually not clear in the reports of needlestick and sharps injuries whether the source patient or client was actually infected with any of the known bloodborne diseases There were additional reports of exposure to ldquospitrdquo or ldquosputumrdquo that are not reported here since risks tend to be very low from such exposures Diseases that can be contracted through blood and body fluid exposures include hepatitis B C and HIV Human bites or exposures to body fluids such as urine are also related to bloodborne diseases Transmission is much less likely when a worker is exposed to urine or a human bite than transmission occurring from blood particularly for HIV Blood to blood exposure is the highest risk such as from needlesticks or sharps injuries Altercations or arrests with prisoners or clients accounted for the vast majority of human bites as well as some of the other bloodborne exposures Respiratory Illness and Poisonings Asbestos-related asthma lung cancer and other lung diseases are addressed in the next section In addition to these conditions there were 328 cases of other respiratory illnesses ndash mostly nonspecific respiratory illness with a few cases of pneumonia and laryngitis in the database for 2010 and 65 cases of poisonings from carbon monoxide other gases mercury or lead (Table D-9) an overall increase of 29 from 2009 Exposure to chemicals was the most common cause of illness (33) followed by exposures to dust or fumes (17) general indoor air quality (IAQ) or mold (12) and smoke (9) There were 45 cases of exposure to carbon monoxide or other gases and fumes and 13 reports of exposure to mercury and 7 to lead
21
Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10 Cause 2009 2010
Respiratory Cases Cases Change Chemical Exposure 71 23 129 33 82 Dustfumes 73 24 67 17 -8 IAQmoldodor 40 13 48 12 20 Smoke Fire 47 15 37 9 -21 Other Respiratory 40 13 47 12 18 Respiratory subtotal 271 328 83
Poisoning Lead 0 0 7 2 Mercury 0 0 13 3 Carbon monoxidegasfumes 34 11 45 11 32 Poisoning Subtotal 34 65 Total 305 100 393 100 29
In addition to the general categories of smoke specific chemical exposures mentioned included battery fumes (13) floor strippersealant (6) heavy metals in a fire (6) perfumecologne (5) bug spray (4) bleach (3) carpet cleaner (2) paint (2) spray foam (2) cement Lysol antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive Chronic Lung Conditions There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified under respiratory conditions and poisonings (above)
Asbestos There were 30 reports of asbestos-related disease or exposures in 2010 The descriptions of the cases often made it difficult to determine whether the cases were actual disease or only exposure to asbestos since it is difficult to know whether they are describing historic exposures that contributed to current disease or current exposures that raise the risk of future disease) although there was at least one fatality and four mesothelioma cases (listed under cancer) Asbestos exposure is known to increase the risk of lung disease and cancer If disease occurs as a result it often appears between 10-40 years after exposure Asbestos disease may be under-reported by traditional surveillance sources such as Workersrsquo Compensation Industries for asbestos conditions were primarily transportation equipment manufacturing (13) and government (6) Other Chronic Lung Conditions There were 30 occupational asthma cases reported in 2010 a decrease of 33 The most common causes mentioned were indoor air quality or mold (15) chemicals and cleaners (5) smoke (2) and dustfumes (2) Government and schools (13 combined) were the most common industries for asthma cases
22
Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10 Illness 2009 2010 Change
Asbestos-related 83 30 -64 Asthmabronchitis 45 30 -33 Allergies 5 -100 Cancer 5 3 -40 Other chronic lung 9 Total 138 72 -48
Skin Conditions There were 239 skin conditions in the database in 2010 (Table D-11) an increase of 9 There were 119 cases of contact dermatitis from poison ivy or other plants (50 of all skin cases) There were 8 cases of allergic reactions to latex gloves or other clothing and 4 associated with soap or cleaning products There were 20 cases caused by chemicals and 71 cases just described as rashes Substances associated with skin conditions included trichorethylene fire proofing materials hand sanitizer a calcium bag epoxy coolant antifreeze cosmetics (2) dish detergent (2) car cleaner plastic carbon fibers gasoline photographic chemicals adhesive laundry detergents (2) carpet adhesive and fiberglass Government (69 cases) and schools (27) were the most frequent industry sectors for skin conditions Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Poison Ivyplants 107 119 50 11 Chemical 36 20 8 -44 Allergic 7 17 7 143 GlovesLatexclothing 14 8 3 -43 SoapCleaning 7 4 2 -43 Patient care 2 0 0 -100 RashOtherUnknown 47 71 30 51 Total 220 239 100 9
23
Stress and Heart Conditions
Heart and Hypertension There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions 22 reported strokes or blood clots and 102 described symptoms of chest pain or mentioned angina often associated with emergency care at a hospital There were 109 cases that described the condition as hypertension or ldquoheart and hypertensionrdquo (the usual legal term for heart or hypertension cases that are covered for police and fire fighters) An additional 21 were other heart-related conditions predominately testing abnormalities on EKG or unusual symptoms involving the heart or chest Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal employees who are frequently covered under heart and hypertension laws that consider those conditions to be work-related for workersrsquo compensation purposes Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Hypertension 99 109 36 10 Chest painanginasymptoms 71 102 34 44 Heart attack 51 50 16 -2 Other heart 40 21 7 -48 Strokeclots 21 22 7 5
Total 282 304 100 8 Mental Stress There were a total of 128 stress-related claims in the database in 2010 an increase of 13 over 2009 There were 33 cases which cited reactions to violence robbery or trauma (such as witnessing or being in auto accidents) 14 cases that were attributed to conflicts with supervisors or promotions and 12 cases were attributed to harassment or hostile work environments (Table D-13) There were 17 claims related to excessive job demands or aspects of job duties There were 49 that were simply defined as ldquostressrdquo without further explanation There were also several stress-related cases that are classified under heart conditions (See Table D-12 above) Specific examples of situations causing stress include robberies with guns an explosion at the workplace assaults a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect harassment having to stay with a dead body after a shooting verbal abuse from a residentrsquos family job transfer a failed surgery and witnessing suicide
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
12
Figure C-4 Rates of Conditions Lost-time Only Private Sector US amp CT 2007-2010
Source BLS Website httpdatablsgovcgi-bindsrvch Rates are cases per 10000 full time employees CTS=Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Connecticut lost time cases coded as ldquorepetitive motionrdquo for cause stayed almost even at 53 cases per 10000 workers from 54 in 2009 this Connecticut rate was 51 higher than the US rate of 35 Repetitive motion lost time cases had a median of 28 days away from work
0
05
1
15
2
25
CT US CT US
CTS Tendonitis
2007
2008
2009
2010
13
D Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Data There were a total of 5772 reports in the Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database for 2010 a 10 decrease from 2009 driven by a 15 decrease in the largest category of MSD with combined with a 9 decrease in infectious disease There were slight increases in lung skin and other disorders Almost two-thirds (60) of reports were due to chronic musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and tendonitis Infectious disease accounted for 13 of the cases respiratory diseases (including nonspecific respiratory illness and chronic lung conditions such as asthma and asbestos-related illnesses and exposures) 8 skin diseases 4 and ldquoOther Illnessesrdquo (which includes heart conditions stress cases noise-induced hearing loss and other conditions) 15 Table D-1 Occupational Disease by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness type Cases Cases of total
Change Musculoskeletal Disorders (MS) 4055 3435 60 -15 Infectious Disease 845 768 13 -9 Respiratory Disorders 433 465 8 7 Skin Disorders 220 239 4 9 Other Illnesses 832 865 15 4 Total 6385 5772 100 -10
Overall 44 of reports were for women but this varied by type of case (Figure D-1) with higher proportions than that average for infectious disease (57 women) musculoskeletal disorders (47) and stress (53) but lower levels for skin conditions (25 heart and hypertension (19) and ldquoother illnessrdquo (27) Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector Government and EducationHealth had the largest number of cases (20
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
19
57
47
27
41
25
53
14
each additional government cases are counted in the Education and Health care sector) followed by Manufacturing (19) and Wholesale and Retail Trade (16) Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illness is approximately 35 cases per 1000 workers with the highest rates for Manufacturing (60 or 53 higher than the overall rate) and Government (54 the actual government rate is higher because some government worker cases are classified under Education and Other sectors) TransportationUtilities (44) EducationHealth care (38) Trade (37) and Information Services (35)
ConstructionAg Mine 3
Manufacturing 19
Trade 16
TransportUtilities 4
Info Services 2
FinanceInsurRE 4
Business Services
7
EducationHealth 20
LeisureOther Services 5
Government 20
15
Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010 NAICS Sector Cases Rate Employment
Employment ConstructionAgMine 189 3 29 65000 4 Manufacturing 1066 18 60 178200 11 Trade 908 16 37 247200 15 TransportUtilities 207 4 44 46900 3 Information Services 133 2 35 38500 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 229 4 16 140700 9 Business Services 382 7 19 200300 12 EducationHealth 1105 19 38 292700 18 LeisureOther Services 273 5 13 213800 13 Government 1121 19 54 207900 13 Unknown 159 3 Total 5772 100 35 1629300 100
Notes Employment is adjusted for hours worked Rows do not add up to total due to reports that could not be coded for industry Rates are illnesses per 1000 workers Government illnesses do not include some cases that are classified under other categories such as education and health services Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
Other Respiratory Infect MSD Skin Total ConstructionAgMine 16 2 18 4 0 144 4 11 5 189 3 Manufacturing 164 19 61 13 4 1 813 24 24 10 1066 19 Trade 95 11 35 8 20 3 736 22 22 9 908 16 TransportUtilities 24 3 10 2 17 2 145 4 11 5 207 4 Information Services 10 1 7 2 4 1 107 3 5 2 133 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 38 5 15 3 7 1 166 5 3 1 229 4 Business Services 53 6 55 12 24 3 222 7 28 12 382 7 EducationHealth 95 11 100 22 398 53 476 14 36 16 1105 19 LeisureOther Services 39 5 28 6 13 2 178 5 15 6 273 5 Government 308 37 124 27 266 35 346 10 77 33 1121 20 Subtotal 842 100 453 100 753 100 3333 100 232 100 5613 100 Unknown 23 12 15 102 7 159 Total 865 465 768 3435 239 5772
16
Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseases were concentrated in EducationHealth (53) and Government (35) Respiratory diseases were concentrated in Government (27) EducationHealth (22) Manufacturing (13) and Business Services (12) Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) were most prevalent in Manufacturing (24) and Trade (22) EducationHealth (14) and Government (10) Skin cases were most common in Government (33) EducationHealth (16) Business Services (12) and Manufacturing (10) Other illnesses which include heart and hypertension stress and hearing loss cases (see below) were most common in Government (37) Manufacturing (19) Trade (11) and EducationHealth (11) These figures are based on numbers of cases and not rates so they are not adjusted for the employment size in the different sectors (which can be noted in Table D-2 for comparison) Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of illnesses at 870 reports followed by Educational services (526 reports) which are also primarily Local Government Police and Fire departments (226 reports) are categorized separately and are also primarily Local Government Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (154) Ambulatory Health Care Services (147) Professional Scientific and Technical Services (144) General Merchandise Stores (142) Hospitals (136) Machinery Manufacturing (123) Specialty Trade Contractors (122) Food Services and Drinking Places (113) and Telecommunications (107) Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Police and Fire had the highest rate at 153 followed by Educational services (101) and Food Products Manufacturing (100) All but 7 of the sectors had a rate higher than the state average of 35
17
Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010 Specific Industry Sector NAICS Cases Employment Rate Local government 921 870 137400 63 Educational Services 611 526 52000 101 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 336 365 43500 84 Food and Beverage Stores 445 255 38800 66 Nursing and Residential Care Facilities 623 237 60200 39 Police and Fire 922 226 14800 153 Administrative and Support Services 561 194 74500 26 Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 332 154 31300 49 Ambulatory Health Care Services 621 147 16100 91 Professional Scientific and Technical Services 541 144 91400 16 General Merchandise Stores 452 142 25800 55 Hospitals 622 136 60400 23 General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing 333 123 16800 73 Specialty Trade Contractors 238 122 42900 28 Food Services and Drinking Places 722 113 100200 11 Telecommunications 517 107 12600 85 Merchant Wholesalers Nondurable Goods 424 95 Merchant Wholesalers Durable Goods 423 95 Electric Power Generation 221 92 Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing 334 78 14000 56 Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (Banks) 522 73 Food Products 311 71 7100 100 Social Assistance 624 59 42800 14 Hardware Stores 444 57 15000 38 Motor Vehicle Dealers 441 54 19800 27
Local government also includes cases that are tabulated in other specific sectors such as educational services and police and fire Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) ldquoMusculoskeletal disordersrdquo is the currently-used term for conditions also known as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries There were 3435 MSDs reported to workersrsquo compensation in 2010 an decrease of 15 from 2009 (Table D-5) MSDs accounted for over half (60) of the reported occupational diseases to Workersrsquo Compensation MSDs presented here do not include any cases for the lower back (since the descriptions of back conditions are typically not sufficient to be able to distinguish between acute and cumulative back injuries) nor do MSDs include any acute injury condition from sudden events Strains and sprains (which does not include acute strains or sprains) was the most common category of MSD with 65 of reports (Table D-5) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) which is a pinching of the median nerve at the wrist accounted for 14 of total MSD reports Other nerve-related problems (with symptoms of numbness or tingling) accounted for an additional 4 of cases Tendon-related problems included tendonitis and tenosynovitis (3) and epicondylitis (ldquotennis elbowrdquo or ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo 1) ganglion cysts (1) and
18
trigger finger (1) A large number of cases did not have a specific description other than ldquoinflammationrdquo (lt1) or ldquopainrdquo (6) or no specific description (6) Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
MSD Type Cases Cases Change Sprainstrain 2193 2219 65 1 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 484 476 14 -2 Pain 859 189 6 -78 Numbness 147 153 4 4 Tendonitistenosynovitis 85 86 3 1 Ganglion cyst 42 29 1 -31 Epicondylitis 28 28 1 0 Trigger finger 24 28 1 17 Inflammation 54 16 0 -70 Arthritisbursitis 17 12 0 -29 Rotator cuff 23 0 0 -100 OtherUnknown 99 199 6 101 Total 4055 3435 100 -15
Almost all the cases of MSD were in the upper extremity of the body (note that lower back cases were excluded from these figures) Almost half (44) of total MSD cases were for the hand wrist and lower arm (Table D-6) Other affected parts of the body included 8 elbow and 25 shoulder neck and ldquoupper extremityrdquo Only 11 were for the legs knees and feet Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
Part of body Cases Percent Lower Arm Wrist Hand 1520 44 Upper Arm Shoulder Upper Extremity 842 25 Legs Knees and Feet 389 11 Elbow 277 8 Neck and Upper Back 123 4 Multiple 196 6 OtherUnknown 88 3 3435 100
Causes of conditions were often incomplete overlapping and not consistently coded nor described Approximately 81 of MSD cases had enough description to show some cause Of the MSDs that could be classified the most frequently mentioned cause was the broad category of ldquorepetitionrdquo (28 of cases) although this was frequently just from a general description and often used to describe any chronic musculoskeletal problem (see Table D-7) This was followed by lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (8) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (8)
19
Table D-7 Reported Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) WCC 2010 Cause of MSD Reports
Repetitive 784 28 Lifting 557 20 PushPull 471 17 Computerclerical 234 8 Toolsvibration 219 8 Reaching 88 3 Cleaning 58 2 Bendingkneelingcrawling 53 2 Driving 45 2 Assembly 43 2 Machine 38 1 Walkingrunningmoving 35 1 Graspinggrippingsqueezing 29 1 Exercisesportstraining 25 1 sittingstanding 23 1 Positioning 20 1 Climbing 16 1 Twistingtightening 11 0 Carrying 11 0 Shovelingsweeping 11 0 Scooping 10 0 Cake decorating 7 0 Selectingsortinginspecting 6 0 Total 2794 100
Infectious Diseases There were 768 reports of infectious diseases or exposures in the database for 2010 (Table D-8) a 9 decrease from 2009 Infectious disease reports include both actual disease and exposure to potentially infectious agents There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens (including reports of exposure to HIVAIDS and Hepatitis C) accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were 26 cases of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB There were 59 reports of tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme disease attributed to occupational exposures There were 20 reports of exposure or cases of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or staph infection that responds poorly to antibiotics) or other staph infection 15 cases of scabies or lice exposuresillnesses and 18 reports of meningitis exposure There were no reports of exposure to or cases of h1n1 flu in contrast to 2009
20
Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness Cases Cases Change Human biteUrine 301 36 273 36 -9 Bloodbody fluids 154 18 140 18 -9 Sharp and needlestick exposures 100 12 140 18 40 Lyme DiseaseTick bite 87 10 59 8 -32 Hepatitis 21 2 28 4 33 TBppd conversionexposure 40 5 26 3 -35 Other infectious 14 2 21 3 50 MRSAstaph 36 4 20 3 -44 Meningitis exposure 20 2 18 2 -10 Scabieslice 31 4 15 2 -52 Rabies 8 1 12 2 50 Chicken pox measles whooping cough 7 1 10 1 43 e-colisewage 6 1 6 1 0 h1n1 flu 22 3 0 0 -100 Total 847 100 768 100 -9
Recent court decisions have broadened the definition of compensable disease to include exposures particularly where exposure requires medical treatment such as prophylactic treatments such as for tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS (HIV) exposures There has recently been considerable attention paid to Lyme disease among outdoor workers resulting in more reports of tick bites although these reports were down in 2010 It is often difficult to determine whether the first report of injury was actual disease or only exposure (for example actual Lyme disease or only a report of a tick bite) Similarly it is usually not clear in the reports of needlestick and sharps injuries whether the source patient or client was actually infected with any of the known bloodborne diseases There were additional reports of exposure to ldquospitrdquo or ldquosputumrdquo that are not reported here since risks tend to be very low from such exposures Diseases that can be contracted through blood and body fluid exposures include hepatitis B C and HIV Human bites or exposures to body fluids such as urine are also related to bloodborne diseases Transmission is much less likely when a worker is exposed to urine or a human bite than transmission occurring from blood particularly for HIV Blood to blood exposure is the highest risk such as from needlesticks or sharps injuries Altercations or arrests with prisoners or clients accounted for the vast majority of human bites as well as some of the other bloodborne exposures Respiratory Illness and Poisonings Asbestos-related asthma lung cancer and other lung diseases are addressed in the next section In addition to these conditions there were 328 cases of other respiratory illnesses ndash mostly nonspecific respiratory illness with a few cases of pneumonia and laryngitis in the database for 2010 and 65 cases of poisonings from carbon monoxide other gases mercury or lead (Table D-9) an overall increase of 29 from 2009 Exposure to chemicals was the most common cause of illness (33) followed by exposures to dust or fumes (17) general indoor air quality (IAQ) or mold (12) and smoke (9) There were 45 cases of exposure to carbon monoxide or other gases and fumes and 13 reports of exposure to mercury and 7 to lead
21
Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10 Cause 2009 2010
Respiratory Cases Cases Change Chemical Exposure 71 23 129 33 82 Dustfumes 73 24 67 17 -8 IAQmoldodor 40 13 48 12 20 Smoke Fire 47 15 37 9 -21 Other Respiratory 40 13 47 12 18 Respiratory subtotal 271 328 83
Poisoning Lead 0 0 7 2 Mercury 0 0 13 3 Carbon monoxidegasfumes 34 11 45 11 32 Poisoning Subtotal 34 65 Total 305 100 393 100 29
In addition to the general categories of smoke specific chemical exposures mentioned included battery fumes (13) floor strippersealant (6) heavy metals in a fire (6) perfumecologne (5) bug spray (4) bleach (3) carpet cleaner (2) paint (2) spray foam (2) cement Lysol antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive Chronic Lung Conditions There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified under respiratory conditions and poisonings (above)
Asbestos There were 30 reports of asbestos-related disease or exposures in 2010 The descriptions of the cases often made it difficult to determine whether the cases were actual disease or only exposure to asbestos since it is difficult to know whether they are describing historic exposures that contributed to current disease or current exposures that raise the risk of future disease) although there was at least one fatality and four mesothelioma cases (listed under cancer) Asbestos exposure is known to increase the risk of lung disease and cancer If disease occurs as a result it often appears between 10-40 years after exposure Asbestos disease may be under-reported by traditional surveillance sources such as Workersrsquo Compensation Industries for asbestos conditions were primarily transportation equipment manufacturing (13) and government (6) Other Chronic Lung Conditions There were 30 occupational asthma cases reported in 2010 a decrease of 33 The most common causes mentioned were indoor air quality or mold (15) chemicals and cleaners (5) smoke (2) and dustfumes (2) Government and schools (13 combined) were the most common industries for asthma cases
22
Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10 Illness 2009 2010 Change
Asbestos-related 83 30 -64 Asthmabronchitis 45 30 -33 Allergies 5 -100 Cancer 5 3 -40 Other chronic lung 9 Total 138 72 -48
Skin Conditions There were 239 skin conditions in the database in 2010 (Table D-11) an increase of 9 There were 119 cases of contact dermatitis from poison ivy or other plants (50 of all skin cases) There were 8 cases of allergic reactions to latex gloves or other clothing and 4 associated with soap or cleaning products There were 20 cases caused by chemicals and 71 cases just described as rashes Substances associated with skin conditions included trichorethylene fire proofing materials hand sanitizer a calcium bag epoxy coolant antifreeze cosmetics (2) dish detergent (2) car cleaner plastic carbon fibers gasoline photographic chemicals adhesive laundry detergents (2) carpet adhesive and fiberglass Government (69 cases) and schools (27) were the most frequent industry sectors for skin conditions Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Poison Ivyplants 107 119 50 11 Chemical 36 20 8 -44 Allergic 7 17 7 143 GlovesLatexclothing 14 8 3 -43 SoapCleaning 7 4 2 -43 Patient care 2 0 0 -100 RashOtherUnknown 47 71 30 51 Total 220 239 100 9
23
Stress and Heart Conditions
Heart and Hypertension There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions 22 reported strokes or blood clots and 102 described symptoms of chest pain or mentioned angina often associated with emergency care at a hospital There were 109 cases that described the condition as hypertension or ldquoheart and hypertensionrdquo (the usual legal term for heart or hypertension cases that are covered for police and fire fighters) An additional 21 were other heart-related conditions predominately testing abnormalities on EKG or unusual symptoms involving the heart or chest Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal employees who are frequently covered under heart and hypertension laws that consider those conditions to be work-related for workersrsquo compensation purposes Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Hypertension 99 109 36 10 Chest painanginasymptoms 71 102 34 44 Heart attack 51 50 16 -2 Other heart 40 21 7 -48 Strokeclots 21 22 7 5
Total 282 304 100 8 Mental Stress There were a total of 128 stress-related claims in the database in 2010 an increase of 13 over 2009 There were 33 cases which cited reactions to violence robbery or trauma (such as witnessing or being in auto accidents) 14 cases that were attributed to conflicts with supervisors or promotions and 12 cases were attributed to harassment or hostile work environments (Table D-13) There were 17 claims related to excessive job demands or aspects of job duties There were 49 that were simply defined as ldquostressrdquo without further explanation There were also several stress-related cases that are classified under heart conditions (See Table D-12 above) Specific examples of situations causing stress include robberies with guns an explosion at the workplace assaults a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect harassment having to stay with a dead body after a shooting verbal abuse from a residentrsquos family job transfer a failed surgery and witnessing suicide
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
13
D Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Data There were a total of 5772 reports in the Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database for 2010 a 10 decrease from 2009 driven by a 15 decrease in the largest category of MSD with combined with a 9 decrease in infectious disease There were slight increases in lung skin and other disorders Almost two-thirds (60) of reports were due to chronic musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and tendonitis Infectious disease accounted for 13 of the cases respiratory diseases (including nonspecific respiratory illness and chronic lung conditions such as asthma and asbestos-related illnesses and exposures) 8 skin diseases 4 and ldquoOther Illnessesrdquo (which includes heart conditions stress cases noise-induced hearing loss and other conditions) 15 Table D-1 Occupational Disease by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness type Cases Cases of total
Change Musculoskeletal Disorders (MS) 4055 3435 60 -15 Infectious Disease 845 768 13 -9 Respiratory Disorders 433 465 8 7 Skin Disorders 220 239 4 9 Other Illnesses 832 865 15 4 Total 6385 5772 100 -10
Overall 44 of reports were for women but this varied by type of case (Figure D-1) with higher proportions than that average for infectious disease (57 women) musculoskeletal disorders (47) and stress (53) but lower levels for skin conditions (25 heart and hypertension (19) and ldquoother illnessrdquo (27) Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector Government and EducationHealth had the largest number of cases (20
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
19
57
47
27
41
25
53
14
each additional government cases are counted in the Education and Health care sector) followed by Manufacturing (19) and Wholesale and Retail Trade (16) Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illness is approximately 35 cases per 1000 workers with the highest rates for Manufacturing (60 or 53 higher than the overall rate) and Government (54 the actual government rate is higher because some government worker cases are classified under Education and Other sectors) TransportationUtilities (44) EducationHealth care (38) Trade (37) and Information Services (35)
ConstructionAg Mine 3
Manufacturing 19
Trade 16
TransportUtilities 4
Info Services 2
FinanceInsurRE 4
Business Services
7
EducationHealth 20
LeisureOther Services 5
Government 20
15
Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010 NAICS Sector Cases Rate Employment
Employment ConstructionAgMine 189 3 29 65000 4 Manufacturing 1066 18 60 178200 11 Trade 908 16 37 247200 15 TransportUtilities 207 4 44 46900 3 Information Services 133 2 35 38500 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 229 4 16 140700 9 Business Services 382 7 19 200300 12 EducationHealth 1105 19 38 292700 18 LeisureOther Services 273 5 13 213800 13 Government 1121 19 54 207900 13 Unknown 159 3 Total 5772 100 35 1629300 100
Notes Employment is adjusted for hours worked Rows do not add up to total due to reports that could not be coded for industry Rates are illnesses per 1000 workers Government illnesses do not include some cases that are classified under other categories such as education and health services Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
Other Respiratory Infect MSD Skin Total ConstructionAgMine 16 2 18 4 0 144 4 11 5 189 3 Manufacturing 164 19 61 13 4 1 813 24 24 10 1066 19 Trade 95 11 35 8 20 3 736 22 22 9 908 16 TransportUtilities 24 3 10 2 17 2 145 4 11 5 207 4 Information Services 10 1 7 2 4 1 107 3 5 2 133 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 38 5 15 3 7 1 166 5 3 1 229 4 Business Services 53 6 55 12 24 3 222 7 28 12 382 7 EducationHealth 95 11 100 22 398 53 476 14 36 16 1105 19 LeisureOther Services 39 5 28 6 13 2 178 5 15 6 273 5 Government 308 37 124 27 266 35 346 10 77 33 1121 20 Subtotal 842 100 453 100 753 100 3333 100 232 100 5613 100 Unknown 23 12 15 102 7 159 Total 865 465 768 3435 239 5772
16
Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseases were concentrated in EducationHealth (53) and Government (35) Respiratory diseases were concentrated in Government (27) EducationHealth (22) Manufacturing (13) and Business Services (12) Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) were most prevalent in Manufacturing (24) and Trade (22) EducationHealth (14) and Government (10) Skin cases were most common in Government (33) EducationHealth (16) Business Services (12) and Manufacturing (10) Other illnesses which include heart and hypertension stress and hearing loss cases (see below) were most common in Government (37) Manufacturing (19) Trade (11) and EducationHealth (11) These figures are based on numbers of cases and not rates so they are not adjusted for the employment size in the different sectors (which can be noted in Table D-2 for comparison) Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of illnesses at 870 reports followed by Educational services (526 reports) which are also primarily Local Government Police and Fire departments (226 reports) are categorized separately and are also primarily Local Government Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (154) Ambulatory Health Care Services (147) Professional Scientific and Technical Services (144) General Merchandise Stores (142) Hospitals (136) Machinery Manufacturing (123) Specialty Trade Contractors (122) Food Services and Drinking Places (113) and Telecommunications (107) Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Police and Fire had the highest rate at 153 followed by Educational services (101) and Food Products Manufacturing (100) All but 7 of the sectors had a rate higher than the state average of 35
17
Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010 Specific Industry Sector NAICS Cases Employment Rate Local government 921 870 137400 63 Educational Services 611 526 52000 101 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 336 365 43500 84 Food and Beverage Stores 445 255 38800 66 Nursing and Residential Care Facilities 623 237 60200 39 Police and Fire 922 226 14800 153 Administrative and Support Services 561 194 74500 26 Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 332 154 31300 49 Ambulatory Health Care Services 621 147 16100 91 Professional Scientific and Technical Services 541 144 91400 16 General Merchandise Stores 452 142 25800 55 Hospitals 622 136 60400 23 General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing 333 123 16800 73 Specialty Trade Contractors 238 122 42900 28 Food Services and Drinking Places 722 113 100200 11 Telecommunications 517 107 12600 85 Merchant Wholesalers Nondurable Goods 424 95 Merchant Wholesalers Durable Goods 423 95 Electric Power Generation 221 92 Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing 334 78 14000 56 Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (Banks) 522 73 Food Products 311 71 7100 100 Social Assistance 624 59 42800 14 Hardware Stores 444 57 15000 38 Motor Vehicle Dealers 441 54 19800 27
Local government also includes cases that are tabulated in other specific sectors such as educational services and police and fire Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) ldquoMusculoskeletal disordersrdquo is the currently-used term for conditions also known as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries There were 3435 MSDs reported to workersrsquo compensation in 2010 an decrease of 15 from 2009 (Table D-5) MSDs accounted for over half (60) of the reported occupational diseases to Workersrsquo Compensation MSDs presented here do not include any cases for the lower back (since the descriptions of back conditions are typically not sufficient to be able to distinguish between acute and cumulative back injuries) nor do MSDs include any acute injury condition from sudden events Strains and sprains (which does not include acute strains or sprains) was the most common category of MSD with 65 of reports (Table D-5) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) which is a pinching of the median nerve at the wrist accounted for 14 of total MSD reports Other nerve-related problems (with symptoms of numbness or tingling) accounted for an additional 4 of cases Tendon-related problems included tendonitis and tenosynovitis (3) and epicondylitis (ldquotennis elbowrdquo or ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo 1) ganglion cysts (1) and
18
trigger finger (1) A large number of cases did not have a specific description other than ldquoinflammationrdquo (lt1) or ldquopainrdquo (6) or no specific description (6) Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
MSD Type Cases Cases Change Sprainstrain 2193 2219 65 1 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 484 476 14 -2 Pain 859 189 6 -78 Numbness 147 153 4 4 Tendonitistenosynovitis 85 86 3 1 Ganglion cyst 42 29 1 -31 Epicondylitis 28 28 1 0 Trigger finger 24 28 1 17 Inflammation 54 16 0 -70 Arthritisbursitis 17 12 0 -29 Rotator cuff 23 0 0 -100 OtherUnknown 99 199 6 101 Total 4055 3435 100 -15
Almost all the cases of MSD were in the upper extremity of the body (note that lower back cases were excluded from these figures) Almost half (44) of total MSD cases were for the hand wrist and lower arm (Table D-6) Other affected parts of the body included 8 elbow and 25 shoulder neck and ldquoupper extremityrdquo Only 11 were for the legs knees and feet Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
Part of body Cases Percent Lower Arm Wrist Hand 1520 44 Upper Arm Shoulder Upper Extremity 842 25 Legs Knees and Feet 389 11 Elbow 277 8 Neck and Upper Back 123 4 Multiple 196 6 OtherUnknown 88 3 3435 100
Causes of conditions were often incomplete overlapping and not consistently coded nor described Approximately 81 of MSD cases had enough description to show some cause Of the MSDs that could be classified the most frequently mentioned cause was the broad category of ldquorepetitionrdquo (28 of cases) although this was frequently just from a general description and often used to describe any chronic musculoskeletal problem (see Table D-7) This was followed by lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (8) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (8)
19
Table D-7 Reported Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) WCC 2010 Cause of MSD Reports
Repetitive 784 28 Lifting 557 20 PushPull 471 17 Computerclerical 234 8 Toolsvibration 219 8 Reaching 88 3 Cleaning 58 2 Bendingkneelingcrawling 53 2 Driving 45 2 Assembly 43 2 Machine 38 1 Walkingrunningmoving 35 1 Graspinggrippingsqueezing 29 1 Exercisesportstraining 25 1 sittingstanding 23 1 Positioning 20 1 Climbing 16 1 Twistingtightening 11 0 Carrying 11 0 Shovelingsweeping 11 0 Scooping 10 0 Cake decorating 7 0 Selectingsortinginspecting 6 0 Total 2794 100
Infectious Diseases There were 768 reports of infectious diseases or exposures in the database for 2010 (Table D-8) a 9 decrease from 2009 Infectious disease reports include both actual disease and exposure to potentially infectious agents There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens (including reports of exposure to HIVAIDS and Hepatitis C) accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were 26 cases of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB There were 59 reports of tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme disease attributed to occupational exposures There were 20 reports of exposure or cases of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or staph infection that responds poorly to antibiotics) or other staph infection 15 cases of scabies or lice exposuresillnesses and 18 reports of meningitis exposure There were no reports of exposure to or cases of h1n1 flu in contrast to 2009
20
Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness Cases Cases Change Human biteUrine 301 36 273 36 -9 Bloodbody fluids 154 18 140 18 -9 Sharp and needlestick exposures 100 12 140 18 40 Lyme DiseaseTick bite 87 10 59 8 -32 Hepatitis 21 2 28 4 33 TBppd conversionexposure 40 5 26 3 -35 Other infectious 14 2 21 3 50 MRSAstaph 36 4 20 3 -44 Meningitis exposure 20 2 18 2 -10 Scabieslice 31 4 15 2 -52 Rabies 8 1 12 2 50 Chicken pox measles whooping cough 7 1 10 1 43 e-colisewage 6 1 6 1 0 h1n1 flu 22 3 0 0 -100 Total 847 100 768 100 -9
Recent court decisions have broadened the definition of compensable disease to include exposures particularly where exposure requires medical treatment such as prophylactic treatments such as for tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS (HIV) exposures There has recently been considerable attention paid to Lyme disease among outdoor workers resulting in more reports of tick bites although these reports were down in 2010 It is often difficult to determine whether the first report of injury was actual disease or only exposure (for example actual Lyme disease or only a report of a tick bite) Similarly it is usually not clear in the reports of needlestick and sharps injuries whether the source patient or client was actually infected with any of the known bloodborne diseases There were additional reports of exposure to ldquospitrdquo or ldquosputumrdquo that are not reported here since risks tend to be very low from such exposures Diseases that can be contracted through blood and body fluid exposures include hepatitis B C and HIV Human bites or exposures to body fluids such as urine are also related to bloodborne diseases Transmission is much less likely when a worker is exposed to urine or a human bite than transmission occurring from blood particularly for HIV Blood to blood exposure is the highest risk such as from needlesticks or sharps injuries Altercations or arrests with prisoners or clients accounted for the vast majority of human bites as well as some of the other bloodborne exposures Respiratory Illness and Poisonings Asbestos-related asthma lung cancer and other lung diseases are addressed in the next section In addition to these conditions there were 328 cases of other respiratory illnesses ndash mostly nonspecific respiratory illness with a few cases of pneumonia and laryngitis in the database for 2010 and 65 cases of poisonings from carbon monoxide other gases mercury or lead (Table D-9) an overall increase of 29 from 2009 Exposure to chemicals was the most common cause of illness (33) followed by exposures to dust or fumes (17) general indoor air quality (IAQ) or mold (12) and smoke (9) There were 45 cases of exposure to carbon monoxide or other gases and fumes and 13 reports of exposure to mercury and 7 to lead
21
Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10 Cause 2009 2010
Respiratory Cases Cases Change Chemical Exposure 71 23 129 33 82 Dustfumes 73 24 67 17 -8 IAQmoldodor 40 13 48 12 20 Smoke Fire 47 15 37 9 -21 Other Respiratory 40 13 47 12 18 Respiratory subtotal 271 328 83
Poisoning Lead 0 0 7 2 Mercury 0 0 13 3 Carbon monoxidegasfumes 34 11 45 11 32 Poisoning Subtotal 34 65 Total 305 100 393 100 29
In addition to the general categories of smoke specific chemical exposures mentioned included battery fumes (13) floor strippersealant (6) heavy metals in a fire (6) perfumecologne (5) bug spray (4) bleach (3) carpet cleaner (2) paint (2) spray foam (2) cement Lysol antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive Chronic Lung Conditions There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified under respiratory conditions and poisonings (above)
Asbestos There were 30 reports of asbestos-related disease or exposures in 2010 The descriptions of the cases often made it difficult to determine whether the cases were actual disease or only exposure to asbestos since it is difficult to know whether they are describing historic exposures that contributed to current disease or current exposures that raise the risk of future disease) although there was at least one fatality and four mesothelioma cases (listed under cancer) Asbestos exposure is known to increase the risk of lung disease and cancer If disease occurs as a result it often appears between 10-40 years after exposure Asbestos disease may be under-reported by traditional surveillance sources such as Workersrsquo Compensation Industries for asbestos conditions were primarily transportation equipment manufacturing (13) and government (6) Other Chronic Lung Conditions There were 30 occupational asthma cases reported in 2010 a decrease of 33 The most common causes mentioned were indoor air quality or mold (15) chemicals and cleaners (5) smoke (2) and dustfumes (2) Government and schools (13 combined) were the most common industries for asthma cases
22
Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10 Illness 2009 2010 Change
Asbestos-related 83 30 -64 Asthmabronchitis 45 30 -33 Allergies 5 -100 Cancer 5 3 -40 Other chronic lung 9 Total 138 72 -48
Skin Conditions There were 239 skin conditions in the database in 2010 (Table D-11) an increase of 9 There were 119 cases of contact dermatitis from poison ivy or other plants (50 of all skin cases) There were 8 cases of allergic reactions to latex gloves or other clothing and 4 associated with soap or cleaning products There were 20 cases caused by chemicals and 71 cases just described as rashes Substances associated with skin conditions included trichorethylene fire proofing materials hand sanitizer a calcium bag epoxy coolant antifreeze cosmetics (2) dish detergent (2) car cleaner plastic carbon fibers gasoline photographic chemicals adhesive laundry detergents (2) carpet adhesive and fiberglass Government (69 cases) and schools (27) were the most frequent industry sectors for skin conditions Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Poison Ivyplants 107 119 50 11 Chemical 36 20 8 -44 Allergic 7 17 7 143 GlovesLatexclothing 14 8 3 -43 SoapCleaning 7 4 2 -43 Patient care 2 0 0 -100 RashOtherUnknown 47 71 30 51 Total 220 239 100 9
23
Stress and Heart Conditions
Heart and Hypertension There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions 22 reported strokes or blood clots and 102 described symptoms of chest pain or mentioned angina often associated with emergency care at a hospital There were 109 cases that described the condition as hypertension or ldquoheart and hypertensionrdquo (the usual legal term for heart or hypertension cases that are covered for police and fire fighters) An additional 21 were other heart-related conditions predominately testing abnormalities on EKG or unusual symptoms involving the heart or chest Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal employees who are frequently covered under heart and hypertension laws that consider those conditions to be work-related for workersrsquo compensation purposes Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Hypertension 99 109 36 10 Chest painanginasymptoms 71 102 34 44 Heart attack 51 50 16 -2 Other heart 40 21 7 -48 Strokeclots 21 22 7 5
Total 282 304 100 8 Mental Stress There were a total of 128 stress-related claims in the database in 2010 an increase of 13 over 2009 There were 33 cases which cited reactions to violence robbery or trauma (such as witnessing or being in auto accidents) 14 cases that were attributed to conflicts with supervisors or promotions and 12 cases were attributed to harassment or hostile work environments (Table D-13) There were 17 claims related to excessive job demands or aspects of job duties There were 49 that were simply defined as ldquostressrdquo without further explanation There were also several stress-related cases that are classified under heart conditions (See Table D-12 above) Specific examples of situations causing stress include robberies with guns an explosion at the workplace assaults a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect harassment having to stay with a dead body after a shooting verbal abuse from a residentrsquos family job transfer a failed surgery and witnessing suicide
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
14
each additional government cases are counted in the Education and Health care sector) followed by Manufacturing (19) and Wholesale and Retail Trade (16) Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illness is approximately 35 cases per 1000 workers with the highest rates for Manufacturing (60 or 53 higher than the overall rate) and Government (54 the actual government rate is higher because some government worker cases are classified under Education and Other sectors) TransportationUtilities (44) EducationHealth care (38) Trade (37) and Information Services (35)
ConstructionAg Mine 3
Manufacturing 19
Trade 16
TransportUtilities 4
Info Services 2
FinanceInsurRE 4
Business Services
7
EducationHealth 20
LeisureOther Services 5
Government 20
15
Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010 NAICS Sector Cases Rate Employment
Employment ConstructionAgMine 189 3 29 65000 4 Manufacturing 1066 18 60 178200 11 Trade 908 16 37 247200 15 TransportUtilities 207 4 44 46900 3 Information Services 133 2 35 38500 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 229 4 16 140700 9 Business Services 382 7 19 200300 12 EducationHealth 1105 19 38 292700 18 LeisureOther Services 273 5 13 213800 13 Government 1121 19 54 207900 13 Unknown 159 3 Total 5772 100 35 1629300 100
Notes Employment is adjusted for hours worked Rows do not add up to total due to reports that could not be coded for industry Rates are illnesses per 1000 workers Government illnesses do not include some cases that are classified under other categories such as education and health services Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
Other Respiratory Infect MSD Skin Total ConstructionAgMine 16 2 18 4 0 144 4 11 5 189 3 Manufacturing 164 19 61 13 4 1 813 24 24 10 1066 19 Trade 95 11 35 8 20 3 736 22 22 9 908 16 TransportUtilities 24 3 10 2 17 2 145 4 11 5 207 4 Information Services 10 1 7 2 4 1 107 3 5 2 133 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 38 5 15 3 7 1 166 5 3 1 229 4 Business Services 53 6 55 12 24 3 222 7 28 12 382 7 EducationHealth 95 11 100 22 398 53 476 14 36 16 1105 19 LeisureOther Services 39 5 28 6 13 2 178 5 15 6 273 5 Government 308 37 124 27 266 35 346 10 77 33 1121 20 Subtotal 842 100 453 100 753 100 3333 100 232 100 5613 100 Unknown 23 12 15 102 7 159 Total 865 465 768 3435 239 5772
16
Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseases were concentrated in EducationHealth (53) and Government (35) Respiratory diseases were concentrated in Government (27) EducationHealth (22) Manufacturing (13) and Business Services (12) Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) were most prevalent in Manufacturing (24) and Trade (22) EducationHealth (14) and Government (10) Skin cases were most common in Government (33) EducationHealth (16) Business Services (12) and Manufacturing (10) Other illnesses which include heart and hypertension stress and hearing loss cases (see below) were most common in Government (37) Manufacturing (19) Trade (11) and EducationHealth (11) These figures are based on numbers of cases and not rates so they are not adjusted for the employment size in the different sectors (which can be noted in Table D-2 for comparison) Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of illnesses at 870 reports followed by Educational services (526 reports) which are also primarily Local Government Police and Fire departments (226 reports) are categorized separately and are also primarily Local Government Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (154) Ambulatory Health Care Services (147) Professional Scientific and Technical Services (144) General Merchandise Stores (142) Hospitals (136) Machinery Manufacturing (123) Specialty Trade Contractors (122) Food Services and Drinking Places (113) and Telecommunications (107) Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Police and Fire had the highest rate at 153 followed by Educational services (101) and Food Products Manufacturing (100) All but 7 of the sectors had a rate higher than the state average of 35
17
Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010 Specific Industry Sector NAICS Cases Employment Rate Local government 921 870 137400 63 Educational Services 611 526 52000 101 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 336 365 43500 84 Food and Beverage Stores 445 255 38800 66 Nursing and Residential Care Facilities 623 237 60200 39 Police and Fire 922 226 14800 153 Administrative and Support Services 561 194 74500 26 Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 332 154 31300 49 Ambulatory Health Care Services 621 147 16100 91 Professional Scientific and Technical Services 541 144 91400 16 General Merchandise Stores 452 142 25800 55 Hospitals 622 136 60400 23 General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing 333 123 16800 73 Specialty Trade Contractors 238 122 42900 28 Food Services and Drinking Places 722 113 100200 11 Telecommunications 517 107 12600 85 Merchant Wholesalers Nondurable Goods 424 95 Merchant Wholesalers Durable Goods 423 95 Electric Power Generation 221 92 Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing 334 78 14000 56 Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (Banks) 522 73 Food Products 311 71 7100 100 Social Assistance 624 59 42800 14 Hardware Stores 444 57 15000 38 Motor Vehicle Dealers 441 54 19800 27
Local government also includes cases that are tabulated in other specific sectors such as educational services and police and fire Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) ldquoMusculoskeletal disordersrdquo is the currently-used term for conditions also known as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries There were 3435 MSDs reported to workersrsquo compensation in 2010 an decrease of 15 from 2009 (Table D-5) MSDs accounted for over half (60) of the reported occupational diseases to Workersrsquo Compensation MSDs presented here do not include any cases for the lower back (since the descriptions of back conditions are typically not sufficient to be able to distinguish between acute and cumulative back injuries) nor do MSDs include any acute injury condition from sudden events Strains and sprains (which does not include acute strains or sprains) was the most common category of MSD with 65 of reports (Table D-5) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) which is a pinching of the median nerve at the wrist accounted for 14 of total MSD reports Other nerve-related problems (with symptoms of numbness or tingling) accounted for an additional 4 of cases Tendon-related problems included tendonitis and tenosynovitis (3) and epicondylitis (ldquotennis elbowrdquo or ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo 1) ganglion cysts (1) and
18
trigger finger (1) A large number of cases did not have a specific description other than ldquoinflammationrdquo (lt1) or ldquopainrdquo (6) or no specific description (6) Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
MSD Type Cases Cases Change Sprainstrain 2193 2219 65 1 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 484 476 14 -2 Pain 859 189 6 -78 Numbness 147 153 4 4 Tendonitistenosynovitis 85 86 3 1 Ganglion cyst 42 29 1 -31 Epicondylitis 28 28 1 0 Trigger finger 24 28 1 17 Inflammation 54 16 0 -70 Arthritisbursitis 17 12 0 -29 Rotator cuff 23 0 0 -100 OtherUnknown 99 199 6 101 Total 4055 3435 100 -15
Almost all the cases of MSD were in the upper extremity of the body (note that lower back cases were excluded from these figures) Almost half (44) of total MSD cases were for the hand wrist and lower arm (Table D-6) Other affected parts of the body included 8 elbow and 25 shoulder neck and ldquoupper extremityrdquo Only 11 were for the legs knees and feet Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
Part of body Cases Percent Lower Arm Wrist Hand 1520 44 Upper Arm Shoulder Upper Extremity 842 25 Legs Knees and Feet 389 11 Elbow 277 8 Neck and Upper Back 123 4 Multiple 196 6 OtherUnknown 88 3 3435 100
Causes of conditions were often incomplete overlapping and not consistently coded nor described Approximately 81 of MSD cases had enough description to show some cause Of the MSDs that could be classified the most frequently mentioned cause was the broad category of ldquorepetitionrdquo (28 of cases) although this was frequently just from a general description and often used to describe any chronic musculoskeletal problem (see Table D-7) This was followed by lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (8) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (8)
19
Table D-7 Reported Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) WCC 2010 Cause of MSD Reports
Repetitive 784 28 Lifting 557 20 PushPull 471 17 Computerclerical 234 8 Toolsvibration 219 8 Reaching 88 3 Cleaning 58 2 Bendingkneelingcrawling 53 2 Driving 45 2 Assembly 43 2 Machine 38 1 Walkingrunningmoving 35 1 Graspinggrippingsqueezing 29 1 Exercisesportstraining 25 1 sittingstanding 23 1 Positioning 20 1 Climbing 16 1 Twistingtightening 11 0 Carrying 11 0 Shovelingsweeping 11 0 Scooping 10 0 Cake decorating 7 0 Selectingsortinginspecting 6 0 Total 2794 100
Infectious Diseases There were 768 reports of infectious diseases or exposures in the database for 2010 (Table D-8) a 9 decrease from 2009 Infectious disease reports include both actual disease and exposure to potentially infectious agents There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens (including reports of exposure to HIVAIDS and Hepatitis C) accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were 26 cases of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB There were 59 reports of tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme disease attributed to occupational exposures There were 20 reports of exposure or cases of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or staph infection that responds poorly to antibiotics) or other staph infection 15 cases of scabies or lice exposuresillnesses and 18 reports of meningitis exposure There were no reports of exposure to or cases of h1n1 flu in contrast to 2009
20
Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness Cases Cases Change Human biteUrine 301 36 273 36 -9 Bloodbody fluids 154 18 140 18 -9 Sharp and needlestick exposures 100 12 140 18 40 Lyme DiseaseTick bite 87 10 59 8 -32 Hepatitis 21 2 28 4 33 TBppd conversionexposure 40 5 26 3 -35 Other infectious 14 2 21 3 50 MRSAstaph 36 4 20 3 -44 Meningitis exposure 20 2 18 2 -10 Scabieslice 31 4 15 2 -52 Rabies 8 1 12 2 50 Chicken pox measles whooping cough 7 1 10 1 43 e-colisewage 6 1 6 1 0 h1n1 flu 22 3 0 0 -100 Total 847 100 768 100 -9
Recent court decisions have broadened the definition of compensable disease to include exposures particularly where exposure requires medical treatment such as prophylactic treatments such as for tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS (HIV) exposures There has recently been considerable attention paid to Lyme disease among outdoor workers resulting in more reports of tick bites although these reports were down in 2010 It is often difficult to determine whether the first report of injury was actual disease or only exposure (for example actual Lyme disease or only a report of a tick bite) Similarly it is usually not clear in the reports of needlestick and sharps injuries whether the source patient or client was actually infected with any of the known bloodborne diseases There were additional reports of exposure to ldquospitrdquo or ldquosputumrdquo that are not reported here since risks tend to be very low from such exposures Diseases that can be contracted through blood and body fluid exposures include hepatitis B C and HIV Human bites or exposures to body fluids such as urine are also related to bloodborne diseases Transmission is much less likely when a worker is exposed to urine or a human bite than transmission occurring from blood particularly for HIV Blood to blood exposure is the highest risk such as from needlesticks or sharps injuries Altercations or arrests with prisoners or clients accounted for the vast majority of human bites as well as some of the other bloodborne exposures Respiratory Illness and Poisonings Asbestos-related asthma lung cancer and other lung diseases are addressed in the next section In addition to these conditions there were 328 cases of other respiratory illnesses ndash mostly nonspecific respiratory illness with a few cases of pneumonia and laryngitis in the database for 2010 and 65 cases of poisonings from carbon monoxide other gases mercury or lead (Table D-9) an overall increase of 29 from 2009 Exposure to chemicals was the most common cause of illness (33) followed by exposures to dust or fumes (17) general indoor air quality (IAQ) or mold (12) and smoke (9) There were 45 cases of exposure to carbon monoxide or other gases and fumes and 13 reports of exposure to mercury and 7 to lead
21
Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10 Cause 2009 2010
Respiratory Cases Cases Change Chemical Exposure 71 23 129 33 82 Dustfumes 73 24 67 17 -8 IAQmoldodor 40 13 48 12 20 Smoke Fire 47 15 37 9 -21 Other Respiratory 40 13 47 12 18 Respiratory subtotal 271 328 83
Poisoning Lead 0 0 7 2 Mercury 0 0 13 3 Carbon monoxidegasfumes 34 11 45 11 32 Poisoning Subtotal 34 65 Total 305 100 393 100 29
In addition to the general categories of smoke specific chemical exposures mentioned included battery fumes (13) floor strippersealant (6) heavy metals in a fire (6) perfumecologne (5) bug spray (4) bleach (3) carpet cleaner (2) paint (2) spray foam (2) cement Lysol antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive Chronic Lung Conditions There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified under respiratory conditions and poisonings (above)
Asbestos There were 30 reports of asbestos-related disease or exposures in 2010 The descriptions of the cases often made it difficult to determine whether the cases were actual disease or only exposure to asbestos since it is difficult to know whether they are describing historic exposures that contributed to current disease or current exposures that raise the risk of future disease) although there was at least one fatality and four mesothelioma cases (listed under cancer) Asbestos exposure is known to increase the risk of lung disease and cancer If disease occurs as a result it often appears between 10-40 years after exposure Asbestos disease may be under-reported by traditional surveillance sources such as Workersrsquo Compensation Industries for asbestos conditions were primarily transportation equipment manufacturing (13) and government (6) Other Chronic Lung Conditions There were 30 occupational asthma cases reported in 2010 a decrease of 33 The most common causes mentioned were indoor air quality or mold (15) chemicals and cleaners (5) smoke (2) and dustfumes (2) Government and schools (13 combined) were the most common industries for asthma cases
22
Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10 Illness 2009 2010 Change
Asbestos-related 83 30 -64 Asthmabronchitis 45 30 -33 Allergies 5 -100 Cancer 5 3 -40 Other chronic lung 9 Total 138 72 -48
Skin Conditions There were 239 skin conditions in the database in 2010 (Table D-11) an increase of 9 There were 119 cases of contact dermatitis from poison ivy or other plants (50 of all skin cases) There were 8 cases of allergic reactions to latex gloves or other clothing and 4 associated with soap or cleaning products There were 20 cases caused by chemicals and 71 cases just described as rashes Substances associated with skin conditions included trichorethylene fire proofing materials hand sanitizer a calcium bag epoxy coolant antifreeze cosmetics (2) dish detergent (2) car cleaner plastic carbon fibers gasoline photographic chemicals adhesive laundry detergents (2) carpet adhesive and fiberglass Government (69 cases) and schools (27) were the most frequent industry sectors for skin conditions Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Poison Ivyplants 107 119 50 11 Chemical 36 20 8 -44 Allergic 7 17 7 143 GlovesLatexclothing 14 8 3 -43 SoapCleaning 7 4 2 -43 Patient care 2 0 0 -100 RashOtherUnknown 47 71 30 51 Total 220 239 100 9
23
Stress and Heart Conditions
Heart and Hypertension There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions 22 reported strokes or blood clots and 102 described symptoms of chest pain or mentioned angina often associated with emergency care at a hospital There were 109 cases that described the condition as hypertension or ldquoheart and hypertensionrdquo (the usual legal term for heart or hypertension cases that are covered for police and fire fighters) An additional 21 were other heart-related conditions predominately testing abnormalities on EKG or unusual symptoms involving the heart or chest Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal employees who are frequently covered under heart and hypertension laws that consider those conditions to be work-related for workersrsquo compensation purposes Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Hypertension 99 109 36 10 Chest painanginasymptoms 71 102 34 44 Heart attack 51 50 16 -2 Other heart 40 21 7 -48 Strokeclots 21 22 7 5
Total 282 304 100 8 Mental Stress There were a total of 128 stress-related claims in the database in 2010 an increase of 13 over 2009 There were 33 cases which cited reactions to violence robbery or trauma (such as witnessing or being in auto accidents) 14 cases that were attributed to conflicts with supervisors or promotions and 12 cases were attributed to harassment or hostile work environments (Table D-13) There were 17 claims related to excessive job demands or aspects of job duties There were 49 that were simply defined as ldquostressrdquo without further explanation There were also several stress-related cases that are classified under heart conditions (See Table D-12 above) Specific examples of situations causing stress include robberies with guns an explosion at the workplace assaults a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect harassment having to stay with a dead body after a shooting verbal abuse from a residentrsquos family job transfer a failed surgery and witnessing suicide
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
15
Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010 NAICS Sector Cases Rate Employment
Employment ConstructionAgMine 189 3 29 65000 4 Manufacturing 1066 18 60 178200 11 Trade 908 16 37 247200 15 TransportUtilities 207 4 44 46900 3 Information Services 133 2 35 38500 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 229 4 16 140700 9 Business Services 382 7 19 200300 12 EducationHealth 1105 19 38 292700 18 LeisureOther Services 273 5 13 213800 13 Government 1121 19 54 207900 13 Unknown 159 3 Total 5772 100 35 1629300 100
Notes Employment is adjusted for hours worked Rows do not add up to total due to reports that could not be coded for industry Rates are illnesses per 1000 workers Government illnesses do not include some cases that are classified under other categories such as education and health services Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
Other Respiratory Infect MSD Skin Total ConstructionAgMine 16 2 18 4 0 144 4 11 5 189 3 Manufacturing 164 19 61 13 4 1 813 24 24 10 1066 19 Trade 95 11 35 8 20 3 736 22 22 9 908 16 TransportUtilities 24 3 10 2 17 2 145 4 11 5 207 4 Information Services 10 1 7 2 4 1 107 3 5 2 133 2 FinanceInsuranceRE 38 5 15 3 7 1 166 5 3 1 229 4 Business Services 53 6 55 12 24 3 222 7 28 12 382 7 EducationHealth 95 11 100 22 398 53 476 14 36 16 1105 19 LeisureOther Services 39 5 28 6 13 2 178 5 15 6 273 5 Government 308 37 124 27 266 35 346 10 77 33 1121 20 Subtotal 842 100 453 100 753 100 3333 100 232 100 5613 100 Unknown 23 12 15 102 7 159 Total 865 465 768 3435 239 5772
16
Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseases were concentrated in EducationHealth (53) and Government (35) Respiratory diseases were concentrated in Government (27) EducationHealth (22) Manufacturing (13) and Business Services (12) Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) were most prevalent in Manufacturing (24) and Trade (22) EducationHealth (14) and Government (10) Skin cases were most common in Government (33) EducationHealth (16) Business Services (12) and Manufacturing (10) Other illnesses which include heart and hypertension stress and hearing loss cases (see below) were most common in Government (37) Manufacturing (19) Trade (11) and EducationHealth (11) These figures are based on numbers of cases and not rates so they are not adjusted for the employment size in the different sectors (which can be noted in Table D-2 for comparison) Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of illnesses at 870 reports followed by Educational services (526 reports) which are also primarily Local Government Police and Fire departments (226 reports) are categorized separately and are also primarily Local Government Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (154) Ambulatory Health Care Services (147) Professional Scientific and Technical Services (144) General Merchandise Stores (142) Hospitals (136) Machinery Manufacturing (123) Specialty Trade Contractors (122) Food Services and Drinking Places (113) and Telecommunications (107) Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Police and Fire had the highest rate at 153 followed by Educational services (101) and Food Products Manufacturing (100) All but 7 of the sectors had a rate higher than the state average of 35
17
Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010 Specific Industry Sector NAICS Cases Employment Rate Local government 921 870 137400 63 Educational Services 611 526 52000 101 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 336 365 43500 84 Food and Beverage Stores 445 255 38800 66 Nursing and Residential Care Facilities 623 237 60200 39 Police and Fire 922 226 14800 153 Administrative and Support Services 561 194 74500 26 Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 332 154 31300 49 Ambulatory Health Care Services 621 147 16100 91 Professional Scientific and Technical Services 541 144 91400 16 General Merchandise Stores 452 142 25800 55 Hospitals 622 136 60400 23 General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing 333 123 16800 73 Specialty Trade Contractors 238 122 42900 28 Food Services and Drinking Places 722 113 100200 11 Telecommunications 517 107 12600 85 Merchant Wholesalers Nondurable Goods 424 95 Merchant Wholesalers Durable Goods 423 95 Electric Power Generation 221 92 Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing 334 78 14000 56 Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (Banks) 522 73 Food Products 311 71 7100 100 Social Assistance 624 59 42800 14 Hardware Stores 444 57 15000 38 Motor Vehicle Dealers 441 54 19800 27
Local government also includes cases that are tabulated in other specific sectors such as educational services and police and fire Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) ldquoMusculoskeletal disordersrdquo is the currently-used term for conditions also known as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries There were 3435 MSDs reported to workersrsquo compensation in 2010 an decrease of 15 from 2009 (Table D-5) MSDs accounted for over half (60) of the reported occupational diseases to Workersrsquo Compensation MSDs presented here do not include any cases for the lower back (since the descriptions of back conditions are typically not sufficient to be able to distinguish between acute and cumulative back injuries) nor do MSDs include any acute injury condition from sudden events Strains and sprains (which does not include acute strains or sprains) was the most common category of MSD with 65 of reports (Table D-5) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) which is a pinching of the median nerve at the wrist accounted for 14 of total MSD reports Other nerve-related problems (with symptoms of numbness or tingling) accounted for an additional 4 of cases Tendon-related problems included tendonitis and tenosynovitis (3) and epicondylitis (ldquotennis elbowrdquo or ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo 1) ganglion cysts (1) and
18
trigger finger (1) A large number of cases did not have a specific description other than ldquoinflammationrdquo (lt1) or ldquopainrdquo (6) or no specific description (6) Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
MSD Type Cases Cases Change Sprainstrain 2193 2219 65 1 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 484 476 14 -2 Pain 859 189 6 -78 Numbness 147 153 4 4 Tendonitistenosynovitis 85 86 3 1 Ganglion cyst 42 29 1 -31 Epicondylitis 28 28 1 0 Trigger finger 24 28 1 17 Inflammation 54 16 0 -70 Arthritisbursitis 17 12 0 -29 Rotator cuff 23 0 0 -100 OtherUnknown 99 199 6 101 Total 4055 3435 100 -15
Almost all the cases of MSD were in the upper extremity of the body (note that lower back cases were excluded from these figures) Almost half (44) of total MSD cases were for the hand wrist and lower arm (Table D-6) Other affected parts of the body included 8 elbow and 25 shoulder neck and ldquoupper extremityrdquo Only 11 were for the legs knees and feet Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
Part of body Cases Percent Lower Arm Wrist Hand 1520 44 Upper Arm Shoulder Upper Extremity 842 25 Legs Knees and Feet 389 11 Elbow 277 8 Neck and Upper Back 123 4 Multiple 196 6 OtherUnknown 88 3 3435 100
Causes of conditions were often incomplete overlapping and not consistently coded nor described Approximately 81 of MSD cases had enough description to show some cause Of the MSDs that could be classified the most frequently mentioned cause was the broad category of ldquorepetitionrdquo (28 of cases) although this was frequently just from a general description and often used to describe any chronic musculoskeletal problem (see Table D-7) This was followed by lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (8) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (8)
19
Table D-7 Reported Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) WCC 2010 Cause of MSD Reports
Repetitive 784 28 Lifting 557 20 PushPull 471 17 Computerclerical 234 8 Toolsvibration 219 8 Reaching 88 3 Cleaning 58 2 Bendingkneelingcrawling 53 2 Driving 45 2 Assembly 43 2 Machine 38 1 Walkingrunningmoving 35 1 Graspinggrippingsqueezing 29 1 Exercisesportstraining 25 1 sittingstanding 23 1 Positioning 20 1 Climbing 16 1 Twistingtightening 11 0 Carrying 11 0 Shovelingsweeping 11 0 Scooping 10 0 Cake decorating 7 0 Selectingsortinginspecting 6 0 Total 2794 100
Infectious Diseases There were 768 reports of infectious diseases or exposures in the database for 2010 (Table D-8) a 9 decrease from 2009 Infectious disease reports include both actual disease and exposure to potentially infectious agents There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens (including reports of exposure to HIVAIDS and Hepatitis C) accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were 26 cases of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB There were 59 reports of tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme disease attributed to occupational exposures There were 20 reports of exposure or cases of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or staph infection that responds poorly to antibiotics) or other staph infection 15 cases of scabies or lice exposuresillnesses and 18 reports of meningitis exposure There were no reports of exposure to or cases of h1n1 flu in contrast to 2009
20
Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness Cases Cases Change Human biteUrine 301 36 273 36 -9 Bloodbody fluids 154 18 140 18 -9 Sharp and needlestick exposures 100 12 140 18 40 Lyme DiseaseTick bite 87 10 59 8 -32 Hepatitis 21 2 28 4 33 TBppd conversionexposure 40 5 26 3 -35 Other infectious 14 2 21 3 50 MRSAstaph 36 4 20 3 -44 Meningitis exposure 20 2 18 2 -10 Scabieslice 31 4 15 2 -52 Rabies 8 1 12 2 50 Chicken pox measles whooping cough 7 1 10 1 43 e-colisewage 6 1 6 1 0 h1n1 flu 22 3 0 0 -100 Total 847 100 768 100 -9
Recent court decisions have broadened the definition of compensable disease to include exposures particularly where exposure requires medical treatment such as prophylactic treatments such as for tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS (HIV) exposures There has recently been considerable attention paid to Lyme disease among outdoor workers resulting in more reports of tick bites although these reports were down in 2010 It is often difficult to determine whether the first report of injury was actual disease or only exposure (for example actual Lyme disease or only a report of a tick bite) Similarly it is usually not clear in the reports of needlestick and sharps injuries whether the source patient or client was actually infected with any of the known bloodborne diseases There were additional reports of exposure to ldquospitrdquo or ldquosputumrdquo that are not reported here since risks tend to be very low from such exposures Diseases that can be contracted through blood and body fluid exposures include hepatitis B C and HIV Human bites or exposures to body fluids such as urine are also related to bloodborne diseases Transmission is much less likely when a worker is exposed to urine or a human bite than transmission occurring from blood particularly for HIV Blood to blood exposure is the highest risk such as from needlesticks or sharps injuries Altercations or arrests with prisoners or clients accounted for the vast majority of human bites as well as some of the other bloodborne exposures Respiratory Illness and Poisonings Asbestos-related asthma lung cancer and other lung diseases are addressed in the next section In addition to these conditions there were 328 cases of other respiratory illnesses ndash mostly nonspecific respiratory illness with a few cases of pneumonia and laryngitis in the database for 2010 and 65 cases of poisonings from carbon monoxide other gases mercury or lead (Table D-9) an overall increase of 29 from 2009 Exposure to chemicals was the most common cause of illness (33) followed by exposures to dust or fumes (17) general indoor air quality (IAQ) or mold (12) and smoke (9) There were 45 cases of exposure to carbon monoxide or other gases and fumes and 13 reports of exposure to mercury and 7 to lead
21
Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10 Cause 2009 2010
Respiratory Cases Cases Change Chemical Exposure 71 23 129 33 82 Dustfumes 73 24 67 17 -8 IAQmoldodor 40 13 48 12 20 Smoke Fire 47 15 37 9 -21 Other Respiratory 40 13 47 12 18 Respiratory subtotal 271 328 83
Poisoning Lead 0 0 7 2 Mercury 0 0 13 3 Carbon monoxidegasfumes 34 11 45 11 32 Poisoning Subtotal 34 65 Total 305 100 393 100 29
In addition to the general categories of smoke specific chemical exposures mentioned included battery fumes (13) floor strippersealant (6) heavy metals in a fire (6) perfumecologne (5) bug spray (4) bleach (3) carpet cleaner (2) paint (2) spray foam (2) cement Lysol antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive Chronic Lung Conditions There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified under respiratory conditions and poisonings (above)
Asbestos There were 30 reports of asbestos-related disease or exposures in 2010 The descriptions of the cases often made it difficult to determine whether the cases were actual disease or only exposure to asbestos since it is difficult to know whether they are describing historic exposures that contributed to current disease or current exposures that raise the risk of future disease) although there was at least one fatality and four mesothelioma cases (listed under cancer) Asbestos exposure is known to increase the risk of lung disease and cancer If disease occurs as a result it often appears between 10-40 years after exposure Asbestos disease may be under-reported by traditional surveillance sources such as Workersrsquo Compensation Industries for asbestos conditions were primarily transportation equipment manufacturing (13) and government (6) Other Chronic Lung Conditions There were 30 occupational asthma cases reported in 2010 a decrease of 33 The most common causes mentioned were indoor air quality or mold (15) chemicals and cleaners (5) smoke (2) and dustfumes (2) Government and schools (13 combined) were the most common industries for asthma cases
22
Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10 Illness 2009 2010 Change
Asbestos-related 83 30 -64 Asthmabronchitis 45 30 -33 Allergies 5 -100 Cancer 5 3 -40 Other chronic lung 9 Total 138 72 -48
Skin Conditions There were 239 skin conditions in the database in 2010 (Table D-11) an increase of 9 There were 119 cases of contact dermatitis from poison ivy or other plants (50 of all skin cases) There were 8 cases of allergic reactions to latex gloves or other clothing and 4 associated with soap or cleaning products There were 20 cases caused by chemicals and 71 cases just described as rashes Substances associated with skin conditions included trichorethylene fire proofing materials hand sanitizer a calcium bag epoxy coolant antifreeze cosmetics (2) dish detergent (2) car cleaner plastic carbon fibers gasoline photographic chemicals adhesive laundry detergents (2) carpet adhesive and fiberglass Government (69 cases) and schools (27) were the most frequent industry sectors for skin conditions Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Poison Ivyplants 107 119 50 11 Chemical 36 20 8 -44 Allergic 7 17 7 143 GlovesLatexclothing 14 8 3 -43 SoapCleaning 7 4 2 -43 Patient care 2 0 0 -100 RashOtherUnknown 47 71 30 51 Total 220 239 100 9
23
Stress and Heart Conditions
Heart and Hypertension There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions 22 reported strokes or blood clots and 102 described symptoms of chest pain or mentioned angina often associated with emergency care at a hospital There were 109 cases that described the condition as hypertension or ldquoheart and hypertensionrdquo (the usual legal term for heart or hypertension cases that are covered for police and fire fighters) An additional 21 were other heart-related conditions predominately testing abnormalities on EKG or unusual symptoms involving the heart or chest Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal employees who are frequently covered under heart and hypertension laws that consider those conditions to be work-related for workersrsquo compensation purposes Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Hypertension 99 109 36 10 Chest painanginasymptoms 71 102 34 44 Heart attack 51 50 16 -2 Other heart 40 21 7 -48 Strokeclots 21 22 7 5
Total 282 304 100 8 Mental Stress There were a total of 128 stress-related claims in the database in 2010 an increase of 13 over 2009 There were 33 cases which cited reactions to violence robbery or trauma (such as witnessing or being in auto accidents) 14 cases that were attributed to conflicts with supervisors or promotions and 12 cases were attributed to harassment or hostile work environments (Table D-13) There were 17 claims related to excessive job demands or aspects of job duties There were 49 that were simply defined as ldquostressrdquo without further explanation There were also several stress-related cases that are classified under heart conditions (See Table D-12 above) Specific examples of situations causing stress include robberies with guns an explosion at the workplace assaults a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect harassment having to stay with a dead body after a shooting verbal abuse from a residentrsquos family job transfer a failed surgery and witnessing suicide
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
16
Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseases were concentrated in EducationHealth (53) and Government (35) Respiratory diseases were concentrated in Government (27) EducationHealth (22) Manufacturing (13) and Business Services (12) Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) were most prevalent in Manufacturing (24) and Trade (22) EducationHealth (14) and Government (10) Skin cases were most common in Government (33) EducationHealth (16) Business Services (12) and Manufacturing (10) Other illnesses which include heart and hypertension stress and hearing loss cases (see below) were most common in Government (37) Manufacturing (19) Trade (11) and EducationHealth (11) These figures are based on numbers of cases and not rates so they are not adjusted for the employment size in the different sectors (which can be noted in Table D-2 for comparison) Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of illnesses at 870 reports followed by Educational services (526 reports) which are also primarily Local Government Police and Fire departments (226 reports) are categorized separately and are also primarily Local Government Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (154) Ambulatory Health Care Services (147) Professional Scientific and Technical Services (144) General Merchandise Stores (142) Hospitals (136) Machinery Manufacturing (123) Specialty Trade Contractors (122) Food Services and Drinking Places (113) and Telecommunications (107) Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Police and Fire had the highest rate at 153 followed by Educational services (101) and Food Products Manufacturing (100) All but 7 of the sectors had a rate higher than the state average of 35
17
Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010 Specific Industry Sector NAICS Cases Employment Rate Local government 921 870 137400 63 Educational Services 611 526 52000 101 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 336 365 43500 84 Food and Beverage Stores 445 255 38800 66 Nursing and Residential Care Facilities 623 237 60200 39 Police and Fire 922 226 14800 153 Administrative and Support Services 561 194 74500 26 Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 332 154 31300 49 Ambulatory Health Care Services 621 147 16100 91 Professional Scientific and Technical Services 541 144 91400 16 General Merchandise Stores 452 142 25800 55 Hospitals 622 136 60400 23 General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing 333 123 16800 73 Specialty Trade Contractors 238 122 42900 28 Food Services and Drinking Places 722 113 100200 11 Telecommunications 517 107 12600 85 Merchant Wholesalers Nondurable Goods 424 95 Merchant Wholesalers Durable Goods 423 95 Electric Power Generation 221 92 Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing 334 78 14000 56 Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (Banks) 522 73 Food Products 311 71 7100 100 Social Assistance 624 59 42800 14 Hardware Stores 444 57 15000 38 Motor Vehicle Dealers 441 54 19800 27
Local government also includes cases that are tabulated in other specific sectors such as educational services and police and fire Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) ldquoMusculoskeletal disordersrdquo is the currently-used term for conditions also known as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries There were 3435 MSDs reported to workersrsquo compensation in 2010 an decrease of 15 from 2009 (Table D-5) MSDs accounted for over half (60) of the reported occupational diseases to Workersrsquo Compensation MSDs presented here do not include any cases for the lower back (since the descriptions of back conditions are typically not sufficient to be able to distinguish between acute and cumulative back injuries) nor do MSDs include any acute injury condition from sudden events Strains and sprains (which does not include acute strains or sprains) was the most common category of MSD with 65 of reports (Table D-5) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) which is a pinching of the median nerve at the wrist accounted for 14 of total MSD reports Other nerve-related problems (with symptoms of numbness or tingling) accounted for an additional 4 of cases Tendon-related problems included tendonitis and tenosynovitis (3) and epicondylitis (ldquotennis elbowrdquo or ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo 1) ganglion cysts (1) and
18
trigger finger (1) A large number of cases did not have a specific description other than ldquoinflammationrdquo (lt1) or ldquopainrdquo (6) or no specific description (6) Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
MSD Type Cases Cases Change Sprainstrain 2193 2219 65 1 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 484 476 14 -2 Pain 859 189 6 -78 Numbness 147 153 4 4 Tendonitistenosynovitis 85 86 3 1 Ganglion cyst 42 29 1 -31 Epicondylitis 28 28 1 0 Trigger finger 24 28 1 17 Inflammation 54 16 0 -70 Arthritisbursitis 17 12 0 -29 Rotator cuff 23 0 0 -100 OtherUnknown 99 199 6 101 Total 4055 3435 100 -15
Almost all the cases of MSD were in the upper extremity of the body (note that lower back cases were excluded from these figures) Almost half (44) of total MSD cases were for the hand wrist and lower arm (Table D-6) Other affected parts of the body included 8 elbow and 25 shoulder neck and ldquoupper extremityrdquo Only 11 were for the legs knees and feet Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
Part of body Cases Percent Lower Arm Wrist Hand 1520 44 Upper Arm Shoulder Upper Extremity 842 25 Legs Knees and Feet 389 11 Elbow 277 8 Neck and Upper Back 123 4 Multiple 196 6 OtherUnknown 88 3 3435 100
Causes of conditions were often incomplete overlapping and not consistently coded nor described Approximately 81 of MSD cases had enough description to show some cause Of the MSDs that could be classified the most frequently mentioned cause was the broad category of ldquorepetitionrdquo (28 of cases) although this was frequently just from a general description and often used to describe any chronic musculoskeletal problem (see Table D-7) This was followed by lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (8) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (8)
19
Table D-7 Reported Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) WCC 2010 Cause of MSD Reports
Repetitive 784 28 Lifting 557 20 PushPull 471 17 Computerclerical 234 8 Toolsvibration 219 8 Reaching 88 3 Cleaning 58 2 Bendingkneelingcrawling 53 2 Driving 45 2 Assembly 43 2 Machine 38 1 Walkingrunningmoving 35 1 Graspinggrippingsqueezing 29 1 Exercisesportstraining 25 1 sittingstanding 23 1 Positioning 20 1 Climbing 16 1 Twistingtightening 11 0 Carrying 11 0 Shovelingsweeping 11 0 Scooping 10 0 Cake decorating 7 0 Selectingsortinginspecting 6 0 Total 2794 100
Infectious Diseases There were 768 reports of infectious diseases or exposures in the database for 2010 (Table D-8) a 9 decrease from 2009 Infectious disease reports include both actual disease and exposure to potentially infectious agents There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens (including reports of exposure to HIVAIDS and Hepatitis C) accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were 26 cases of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB There were 59 reports of tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme disease attributed to occupational exposures There were 20 reports of exposure or cases of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or staph infection that responds poorly to antibiotics) or other staph infection 15 cases of scabies or lice exposuresillnesses and 18 reports of meningitis exposure There were no reports of exposure to or cases of h1n1 flu in contrast to 2009
20
Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness Cases Cases Change Human biteUrine 301 36 273 36 -9 Bloodbody fluids 154 18 140 18 -9 Sharp and needlestick exposures 100 12 140 18 40 Lyme DiseaseTick bite 87 10 59 8 -32 Hepatitis 21 2 28 4 33 TBppd conversionexposure 40 5 26 3 -35 Other infectious 14 2 21 3 50 MRSAstaph 36 4 20 3 -44 Meningitis exposure 20 2 18 2 -10 Scabieslice 31 4 15 2 -52 Rabies 8 1 12 2 50 Chicken pox measles whooping cough 7 1 10 1 43 e-colisewage 6 1 6 1 0 h1n1 flu 22 3 0 0 -100 Total 847 100 768 100 -9
Recent court decisions have broadened the definition of compensable disease to include exposures particularly where exposure requires medical treatment such as prophylactic treatments such as for tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS (HIV) exposures There has recently been considerable attention paid to Lyme disease among outdoor workers resulting in more reports of tick bites although these reports were down in 2010 It is often difficult to determine whether the first report of injury was actual disease or only exposure (for example actual Lyme disease or only a report of a tick bite) Similarly it is usually not clear in the reports of needlestick and sharps injuries whether the source patient or client was actually infected with any of the known bloodborne diseases There were additional reports of exposure to ldquospitrdquo or ldquosputumrdquo that are not reported here since risks tend to be very low from such exposures Diseases that can be contracted through blood and body fluid exposures include hepatitis B C and HIV Human bites or exposures to body fluids such as urine are also related to bloodborne diseases Transmission is much less likely when a worker is exposed to urine or a human bite than transmission occurring from blood particularly for HIV Blood to blood exposure is the highest risk such as from needlesticks or sharps injuries Altercations or arrests with prisoners or clients accounted for the vast majority of human bites as well as some of the other bloodborne exposures Respiratory Illness and Poisonings Asbestos-related asthma lung cancer and other lung diseases are addressed in the next section In addition to these conditions there were 328 cases of other respiratory illnesses ndash mostly nonspecific respiratory illness with a few cases of pneumonia and laryngitis in the database for 2010 and 65 cases of poisonings from carbon monoxide other gases mercury or lead (Table D-9) an overall increase of 29 from 2009 Exposure to chemicals was the most common cause of illness (33) followed by exposures to dust or fumes (17) general indoor air quality (IAQ) or mold (12) and smoke (9) There were 45 cases of exposure to carbon monoxide or other gases and fumes and 13 reports of exposure to mercury and 7 to lead
21
Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10 Cause 2009 2010
Respiratory Cases Cases Change Chemical Exposure 71 23 129 33 82 Dustfumes 73 24 67 17 -8 IAQmoldodor 40 13 48 12 20 Smoke Fire 47 15 37 9 -21 Other Respiratory 40 13 47 12 18 Respiratory subtotal 271 328 83
Poisoning Lead 0 0 7 2 Mercury 0 0 13 3 Carbon monoxidegasfumes 34 11 45 11 32 Poisoning Subtotal 34 65 Total 305 100 393 100 29
In addition to the general categories of smoke specific chemical exposures mentioned included battery fumes (13) floor strippersealant (6) heavy metals in a fire (6) perfumecologne (5) bug spray (4) bleach (3) carpet cleaner (2) paint (2) spray foam (2) cement Lysol antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive Chronic Lung Conditions There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified under respiratory conditions and poisonings (above)
Asbestos There were 30 reports of asbestos-related disease or exposures in 2010 The descriptions of the cases often made it difficult to determine whether the cases were actual disease or only exposure to asbestos since it is difficult to know whether they are describing historic exposures that contributed to current disease or current exposures that raise the risk of future disease) although there was at least one fatality and four mesothelioma cases (listed under cancer) Asbestos exposure is known to increase the risk of lung disease and cancer If disease occurs as a result it often appears between 10-40 years after exposure Asbestos disease may be under-reported by traditional surveillance sources such as Workersrsquo Compensation Industries for asbestos conditions were primarily transportation equipment manufacturing (13) and government (6) Other Chronic Lung Conditions There were 30 occupational asthma cases reported in 2010 a decrease of 33 The most common causes mentioned were indoor air quality or mold (15) chemicals and cleaners (5) smoke (2) and dustfumes (2) Government and schools (13 combined) were the most common industries for asthma cases
22
Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10 Illness 2009 2010 Change
Asbestos-related 83 30 -64 Asthmabronchitis 45 30 -33 Allergies 5 -100 Cancer 5 3 -40 Other chronic lung 9 Total 138 72 -48
Skin Conditions There were 239 skin conditions in the database in 2010 (Table D-11) an increase of 9 There were 119 cases of contact dermatitis from poison ivy or other plants (50 of all skin cases) There were 8 cases of allergic reactions to latex gloves or other clothing and 4 associated with soap or cleaning products There were 20 cases caused by chemicals and 71 cases just described as rashes Substances associated with skin conditions included trichorethylene fire proofing materials hand sanitizer a calcium bag epoxy coolant antifreeze cosmetics (2) dish detergent (2) car cleaner plastic carbon fibers gasoline photographic chemicals adhesive laundry detergents (2) carpet adhesive and fiberglass Government (69 cases) and schools (27) were the most frequent industry sectors for skin conditions Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Poison Ivyplants 107 119 50 11 Chemical 36 20 8 -44 Allergic 7 17 7 143 GlovesLatexclothing 14 8 3 -43 SoapCleaning 7 4 2 -43 Patient care 2 0 0 -100 RashOtherUnknown 47 71 30 51 Total 220 239 100 9
23
Stress and Heart Conditions
Heart and Hypertension There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions 22 reported strokes or blood clots and 102 described symptoms of chest pain or mentioned angina often associated with emergency care at a hospital There were 109 cases that described the condition as hypertension or ldquoheart and hypertensionrdquo (the usual legal term for heart or hypertension cases that are covered for police and fire fighters) An additional 21 were other heart-related conditions predominately testing abnormalities on EKG or unusual symptoms involving the heart or chest Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal employees who are frequently covered under heart and hypertension laws that consider those conditions to be work-related for workersrsquo compensation purposes Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Hypertension 99 109 36 10 Chest painanginasymptoms 71 102 34 44 Heart attack 51 50 16 -2 Other heart 40 21 7 -48 Strokeclots 21 22 7 5
Total 282 304 100 8 Mental Stress There were a total of 128 stress-related claims in the database in 2010 an increase of 13 over 2009 There were 33 cases which cited reactions to violence robbery or trauma (such as witnessing or being in auto accidents) 14 cases that were attributed to conflicts with supervisors or promotions and 12 cases were attributed to harassment or hostile work environments (Table D-13) There were 17 claims related to excessive job demands or aspects of job duties There were 49 that were simply defined as ldquostressrdquo without further explanation There were also several stress-related cases that are classified under heart conditions (See Table D-12 above) Specific examples of situations causing stress include robberies with guns an explosion at the workplace assaults a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect harassment having to stay with a dead body after a shooting verbal abuse from a residentrsquos family job transfer a failed surgery and witnessing suicide
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
17
Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010 Specific Industry Sector NAICS Cases Employment Rate Local government 921 870 137400 63 Educational Services 611 526 52000 101 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 336 365 43500 84 Food and Beverage Stores 445 255 38800 66 Nursing and Residential Care Facilities 623 237 60200 39 Police and Fire 922 226 14800 153 Administrative and Support Services 561 194 74500 26 Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 332 154 31300 49 Ambulatory Health Care Services 621 147 16100 91 Professional Scientific and Technical Services 541 144 91400 16 General Merchandise Stores 452 142 25800 55 Hospitals 622 136 60400 23 General Purpose Machinery Manufacturing 333 123 16800 73 Specialty Trade Contractors 238 122 42900 28 Food Services and Drinking Places 722 113 100200 11 Telecommunications 517 107 12600 85 Merchant Wholesalers Nondurable Goods 424 95 Merchant Wholesalers Durable Goods 423 95 Electric Power Generation 221 92 Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing 334 78 14000 56 Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (Banks) 522 73 Food Products 311 71 7100 100 Social Assistance 624 59 42800 14 Hardware Stores 444 57 15000 38 Motor Vehicle Dealers 441 54 19800 27
Local government also includes cases that are tabulated in other specific sectors such as educational services and police and fire Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) ldquoMusculoskeletal disordersrdquo is the currently-used term for conditions also known as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries There were 3435 MSDs reported to workersrsquo compensation in 2010 an decrease of 15 from 2009 (Table D-5) MSDs accounted for over half (60) of the reported occupational diseases to Workersrsquo Compensation MSDs presented here do not include any cases for the lower back (since the descriptions of back conditions are typically not sufficient to be able to distinguish between acute and cumulative back injuries) nor do MSDs include any acute injury condition from sudden events Strains and sprains (which does not include acute strains or sprains) was the most common category of MSD with 65 of reports (Table D-5) Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) which is a pinching of the median nerve at the wrist accounted for 14 of total MSD reports Other nerve-related problems (with symptoms of numbness or tingling) accounted for an additional 4 of cases Tendon-related problems included tendonitis and tenosynovitis (3) and epicondylitis (ldquotennis elbowrdquo or ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo 1) ganglion cysts (1) and
18
trigger finger (1) A large number of cases did not have a specific description other than ldquoinflammationrdquo (lt1) or ldquopainrdquo (6) or no specific description (6) Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
MSD Type Cases Cases Change Sprainstrain 2193 2219 65 1 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 484 476 14 -2 Pain 859 189 6 -78 Numbness 147 153 4 4 Tendonitistenosynovitis 85 86 3 1 Ganglion cyst 42 29 1 -31 Epicondylitis 28 28 1 0 Trigger finger 24 28 1 17 Inflammation 54 16 0 -70 Arthritisbursitis 17 12 0 -29 Rotator cuff 23 0 0 -100 OtherUnknown 99 199 6 101 Total 4055 3435 100 -15
Almost all the cases of MSD were in the upper extremity of the body (note that lower back cases were excluded from these figures) Almost half (44) of total MSD cases were for the hand wrist and lower arm (Table D-6) Other affected parts of the body included 8 elbow and 25 shoulder neck and ldquoupper extremityrdquo Only 11 were for the legs knees and feet Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
Part of body Cases Percent Lower Arm Wrist Hand 1520 44 Upper Arm Shoulder Upper Extremity 842 25 Legs Knees and Feet 389 11 Elbow 277 8 Neck and Upper Back 123 4 Multiple 196 6 OtherUnknown 88 3 3435 100
Causes of conditions were often incomplete overlapping and not consistently coded nor described Approximately 81 of MSD cases had enough description to show some cause Of the MSDs that could be classified the most frequently mentioned cause was the broad category of ldquorepetitionrdquo (28 of cases) although this was frequently just from a general description and often used to describe any chronic musculoskeletal problem (see Table D-7) This was followed by lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (8) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (8)
19
Table D-7 Reported Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) WCC 2010 Cause of MSD Reports
Repetitive 784 28 Lifting 557 20 PushPull 471 17 Computerclerical 234 8 Toolsvibration 219 8 Reaching 88 3 Cleaning 58 2 Bendingkneelingcrawling 53 2 Driving 45 2 Assembly 43 2 Machine 38 1 Walkingrunningmoving 35 1 Graspinggrippingsqueezing 29 1 Exercisesportstraining 25 1 sittingstanding 23 1 Positioning 20 1 Climbing 16 1 Twistingtightening 11 0 Carrying 11 0 Shovelingsweeping 11 0 Scooping 10 0 Cake decorating 7 0 Selectingsortinginspecting 6 0 Total 2794 100
Infectious Diseases There were 768 reports of infectious diseases or exposures in the database for 2010 (Table D-8) a 9 decrease from 2009 Infectious disease reports include both actual disease and exposure to potentially infectious agents There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens (including reports of exposure to HIVAIDS and Hepatitis C) accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were 26 cases of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB There were 59 reports of tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme disease attributed to occupational exposures There were 20 reports of exposure or cases of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or staph infection that responds poorly to antibiotics) or other staph infection 15 cases of scabies or lice exposuresillnesses and 18 reports of meningitis exposure There were no reports of exposure to or cases of h1n1 flu in contrast to 2009
20
Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness Cases Cases Change Human biteUrine 301 36 273 36 -9 Bloodbody fluids 154 18 140 18 -9 Sharp and needlestick exposures 100 12 140 18 40 Lyme DiseaseTick bite 87 10 59 8 -32 Hepatitis 21 2 28 4 33 TBppd conversionexposure 40 5 26 3 -35 Other infectious 14 2 21 3 50 MRSAstaph 36 4 20 3 -44 Meningitis exposure 20 2 18 2 -10 Scabieslice 31 4 15 2 -52 Rabies 8 1 12 2 50 Chicken pox measles whooping cough 7 1 10 1 43 e-colisewage 6 1 6 1 0 h1n1 flu 22 3 0 0 -100 Total 847 100 768 100 -9
Recent court decisions have broadened the definition of compensable disease to include exposures particularly where exposure requires medical treatment such as prophylactic treatments such as for tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS (HIV) exposures There has recently been considerable attention paid to Lyme disease among outdoor workers resulting in more reports of tick bites although these reports were down in 2010 It is often difficult to determine whether the first report of injury was actual disease or only exposure (for example actual Lyme disease or only a report of a tick bite) Similarly it is usually not clear in the reports of needlestick and sharps injuries whether the source patient or client was actually infected with any of the known bloodborne diseases There were additional reports of exposure to ldquospitrdquo or ldquosputumrdquo that are not reported here since risks tend to be very low from such exposures Diseases that can be contracted through blood and body fluid exposures include hepatitis B C and HIV Human bites or exposures to body fluids such as urine are also related to bloodborne diseases Transmission is much less likely when a worker is exposed to urine or a human bite than transmission occurring from blood particularly for HIV Blood to blood exposure is the highest risk such as from needlesticks or sharps injuries Altercations or arrests with prisoners or clients accounted for the vast majority of human bites as well as some of the other bloodborne exposures Respiratory Illness and Poisonings Asbestos-related asthma lung cancer and other lung diseases are addressed in the next section In addition to these conditions there were 328 cases of other respiratory illnesses ndash mostly nonspecific respiratory illness with a few cases of pneumonia and laryngitis in the database for 2010 and 65 cases of poisonings from carbon monoxide other gases mercury or lead (Table D-9) an overall increase of 29 from 2009 Exposure to chemicals was the most common cause of illness (33) followed by exposures to dust or fumes (17) general indoor air quality (IAQ) or mold (12) and smoke (9) There were 45 cases of exposure to carbon monoxide or other gases and fumes and 13 reports of exposure to mercury and 7 to lead
21
Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10 Cause 2009 2010
Respiratory Cases Cases Change Chemical Exposure 71 23 129 33 82 Dustfumes 73 24 67 17 -8 IAQmoldodor 40 13 48 12 20 Smoke Fire 47 15 37 9 -21 Other Respiratory 40 13 47 12 18 Respiratory subtotal 271 328 83
Poisoning Lead 0 0 7 2 Mercury 0 0 13 3 Carbon monoxidegasfumes 34 11 45 11 32 Poisoning Subtotal 34 65 Total 305 100 393 100 29
In addition to the general categories of smoke specific chemical exposures mentioned included battery fumes (13) floor strippersealant (6) heavy metals in a fire (6) perfumecologne (5) bug spray (4) bleach (3) carpet cleaner (2) paint (2) spray foam (2) cement Lysol antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive Chronic Lung Conditions There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified under respiratory conditions and poisonings (above)
Asbestos There were 30 reports of asbestos-related disease or exposures in 2010 The descriptions of the cases often made it difficult to determine whether the cases were actual disease or only exposure to asbestos since it is difficult to know whether they are describing historic exposures that contributed to current disease or current exposures that raise the risk of future disease) although there was at least one fatality and four mesothelioma cases (listed under cancer) Asbestos exposure is known to increase the risk of lung disease and cancer If disease occurs as a result it often appears between 10-40 years after exposure Asbestos disease may be under-reported by traditional surveillance sources such as Workersrsquo Compensation Industries for asbestos conditions were primarily transportation equipment manufacturing (13) and government (6) Other Chronic Lung Conditions There were 30 occupational asthma cases reported in 2010 a decrease of 33 The most common causes mentioned were indoor air quality or mold (15) chemicals and cleaners (5) smoke (2) and dustfumes (2) Government and schools (13 combined) were the most common industries for asthma cases
22
Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10 Illness 2009 2010 Change
Asbestos-related 83 30 -64 Asthmabronchitis 45 30 -33 Allergies 5 -100 Cancer 5 3 -40 Other chronic lung 9 Total 138 72 -48
Skin Conditions There were 239 skin conditions in the database in 2010 (Table D-11) an increase of 9 There were 119 cases of contact dermatitis from poison ivy or other plants (50 of all skin cases) There were 8 cases of allergic reactions to latex gloves or other clothing and 4 associated with soap or cleaning products There were 20 cases caused by chemicals and 71 cases just described as rashes Substances associated with skin conditions included trichorethylene fire proofing materials hand sanitizer a calcium bag epoxy coolant antifreeze cosmetics (2) dish detergent (2) car cleaner plastic carbon fibers gasoline photographic chemicals adhesive laundry detergents (2) carpet adhesive and fiberglass Government (69 cases) and schools (27) were the most frequent industry sectors for skin conditions Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Poison Ivyplants 107 119 50 11 Chemical 36 20 8 -44 Allergic 7 17 7 143 GlovesLatexclothing 14 8 3 -43 SoapCleaning 7 4 2 -43 Patient care 2 0 0 -100 RashOtherUnknown 47 71 30 51 Total 220 239 100 9
23
Stress and Heart Conditions
Heart and Hypertension There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions 22 reported strokes or blood clots and 102 described symptoms of chest pain or mentioned angina often associated with emergency care at a hospital There were 109 cases that described the condition as hypertension or ldquoheart and hypertensionrdquo (the usual legal term for heart or hypertension cases that are covered for police and fire fighters) An additional 21 were other heart-related conditions predominately testing abnormalities on EKG or unusual symptoms involving the heart or chest Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal employees who are frequently covered under heart and hypertension laws that consider those conditions to be work-related for workersrsquo compensation purposes Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Hypertension 99 109 36 10 Chest painanginasymptoms 71 102 34 44 Heart attack 51 50 16 -2 Other heart 40 21 7 -48 Strokeclots 21 22 7 5
Total 282 304 100 8 Mental Stress There were a total of 128 stress-related claims in the database in 2010 an increase of 13 over 2009 There were 33 cases which cited reactions to violence robbery or trauma (such as witnessing or being in auto accidents) 14 cases that were attributed to conflicts with supervisors or promotions and 12 cases were attributed to harassment or hostile work environments (Table D-13) There were 17 claims related to excessive job demands or aspects of job duties There were 49 that were simply defined as ldquostressrdquo without further explanation There were also several stress-related cases that are classified under heart conditions (See Table D-12 above) Specific examples of situations causing stress include robberies with guns an explosion at the workplace assaults a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect harassment having to stay with a dead body after a shooting verbal abuse from a residentrsquos family job transfer a failed surgery and witnessing suicide
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
18
trigger finger (1) A large number of cases did not have a specific description other than ldquoinflammationrdquo (lt1) or ldquopainrdquo (6) or no specific description (6) Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
MSD Type Cases Cases Change Sprainstrain 2193 2219 65 1 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 484 476 14 -2 Pain 859 189 6 -78 Numbness 147 153 4 4 Tendonitistenosynovitis 85 86 3 1 Ganglion cyst 42 29 1 -31 Epicondylitis 28 28 1 0 Trigger finger 24 28 1 17 Inflammation 54 16 0 -70 Arthritisbursitis 17 12 0 -29 Rotator cuff 23 0 0 -100 OtherUnknown 99 199 6 101 Total 4055 3435 100 -15
Almost all the cases of MSD were in the upper extremity of the body (note that lower back cases were excluded from these figures) Almost half (44) of total MSD cases were for the hand wrist and lower arm (Table D-6) Other affected parts of the body included 8 elbow and 25 shoulder neck and ldquoupper extremityrdquo Only 11 were for the legs knees and feet Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
Part of body Cases Percent Lower Arm Wrist Hand 1520 44 Upper Arm Shoulder Upper Extremity 842 25 Legs Knees and Feet 389 11 Elbow 277 8 Neck and Upper Back 123 4 Multiple 196 6 OtherUnknown 88 3 3435 100
Causes of conditions were often incomplete overlapping and not consistently coded nor described Approximately 81 of MSD cases had enough description to show some cause Of the MSDs that could be classified the most frequently mentioned cause was the broad category of ldquorepetitionrdquo (28 of cases) although this was frequently just from a general description and often used to describe any chronic musculoskeletal problem (see Table D-7) This was followed by lifting (20) pushing or pulling (17) computing and clerical tasks (8) and tool use including references specifically to pneumatic tools or vibration exposure (8)
19
Table D-7 Reported Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) WCC 2010 Cause of MSD Reports
Repetitive 784 28 Lifting 557 20 PushPull 471 17 Computerclerical 234 8 Toolsvibration 219 8 Reaching 88 3 Cleaning 58 2 Bendingkneelingcrawling 53 2 Driving 45 2 Assembly 43 2 Machine 38 1 Walkingrunningmoving 35 1 Graspinggrippingsqueezing 29 1 Exercisesportstraining 25 1 sittingstanding 23 1 Positioning 20 1 Climbing 16 1 Twistingtightening 11 0 Carrying 11 0 Shovelingsweeping 11 0 Scooping 10 0 Cake decorating 7 0 Selectingsortinginspecting 6 0 Total 2794 100
Infectious Diseases There were 768 reports of infectious diseases or exposures in the database for 2010 (Table D-8) a 9 decrease from 2009 Infectious disease reports include both actual disease and exposure to potentially infectious agents There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens (including reports of exposure to HIVAIDS and Hepatitis C) accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were 26 cases of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB There were 59 reports of tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme disease attributed to occupational exposures There were 20 reports of exposure or cases of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or staph infection that responds poorly to antibiotics) or other staph infection 15 cases of scabies or lice exposuresillnesses and 18 reports of meningitis exposure There were no reports of exposure to or cases of h1n1 flu in contrast to 2009
20
Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness Cases Cases Change Human biteUrine 301 36 273 36 -9 Bloodbody fluids 154 18 140 18 -9 Sharp and needlestick exposures 100 12 140 18 40 Lyme DiseaseTick bite 87 10 59 8 -32 Hepatitis 21 2 28 4 33 TBppd conversionexposure 40 5 26 3 -35 Other infectious 14 2 21 3 50 MRSAstaph 36 4 20 3 -44 Meningitis exposure 20 2 18 2 -10 Scabieslice 31 4 15 2 -52 Rabies 8 1 12 2 50 Chicken pox measles whooping cough 7 1 10 1 43 e-colisewage 6 1 6 1 0 h1n1 flu 22 3 0 0 -100 Total 847 100 768 100 -9
Recent court decisions have broadened the definition of compensable disease to include exposures particularly where exposure requires medical treatment such as prophylactic treatments such as for tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS (HIV) exposures There has recently been considerable attention paid to Lyme disease among outdoor workers resulting in more reports of tick bites although these reports were down in 2010 It is often difficult to determine whether the first report of injury was actual disease or only exposure (for example actual Lyme disease or only a report of a tick bite) Similarly it is usually not clear in the reports of needlestick and sharps injuries whether the source patient or client was actually infected with any of the known bloodborne diseases There were additional reports of exposure to ldquospitrdquo or ldquosputumrdquo that are not reported here since risks tend to be very low from such exposures Diseases that can be contracted through blood and body fluid exposures include hepatitis B C and HIV Human bites or exposures to body fluids such as urine are also related to bloodborne diseases Transmission is much less likely when a worker is exposed to urine or a human bite than transmission occurring from blood particularly for HIV Blood to blood exposure is the highest risk such as from needlesticks or sharps injuries Altercations or arrests with prisoners or clients accounted for the vast majority of human bites as well as some of the other bloodborne exposures Respiratory Illness and Poisonings Asbestos-related asthma lung cancer and other lung diseases are addressed in the next section In addition to these conditions there were 328 cases of other respiratory illnesses ndash mostly nonspecific respiratory illness with a few cases of pneumonia and laryngitis in the database for 2010 and 65 cases of poisonings from carbon monoxide other gases mercury or lead (Table D-9) an overall increase of 29 from 2009 Exposure to chemicals was the most common cause of illness (33) followed by exposures to dust or fumes (17) general indoor air quality (IAQ) or mold (12) and smoke (9) There were 45 cases of exposure to carbon monoxide or other gases and fumes and 13 reports of exposure to mercury and 7 to lead
21
Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10 Cause 2009 2010
Respiratory Cases Cases Change Chemical Exposure 71 23 129 33 82 Dustfumes 73 24 67 17 -8 IAQmoldodor 40 13 48 12 20 Smoke Fire 47 15 37 9 -21 Other Respiratory 40 13 47 12 18 Respiratory subtotal 271 328 83
Poisoning Lead 0 0 7 2 Mercury 0 0 13 3 Carbon monoxidegasfumes 34 11 45 11 32 Poisoning Subtotal 34 65 Total 305 100 393 100 29
In addition to the general categories of smoke specific chemical exposures mentioned included battery fumes (13) floor strippersealant (6) heavy metals in a fire (6) perfumecologne (5) bug spray (4) bleach (3) carpet cleaner (2) paint (2) spray foam (2) cement Lysol antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive Chronic Lung Conditions There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified under respiratory conditions and poisonings (above)
Asbestos There were 30 reports of asbestos-related disease or exposures in 2010 The descriptions of the cases often made it difficult to determine whether the cases were actual disease or only exposure to asbestos since it is difficult to know whether they are describing historic exposures that contributed to current disease or current exposures that raise the risk of future disease) although there was at least one fatality and four mesothelioma cases (listed under cancer) Asbestos exposure is known to increase the risk of lung disease and cancer If disease occurs as a result it often appears between 10-40 years after exposure Asbestos disease may be under-reported by traditional surveillance sources such as Workersrsquo Compensation Industries for asbestos conditions were primarily transportation equipment manufacturing (13) and government (6) Other Chronic Lung Conditions There were 30 occupational asthma cases reported in 2010 a decrease of 33 The most common causes mentioned were indoor air quality or mold (15) chemicals and cleaners (5) smoke (2) and dustfumes (2) Government and schools (13 combined) were the most common industries for asthma cases
22
Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10 Illness 2009 2010 Change
Asbestos-related 83 30 -64 Asthmabronchitis 45 30 -33 Allergies 5 -100 Cancer 5 3 -40 Other chronic lung 9 Total 138 72 -48
Skin Conditions There were 239 skin conditions in the database in 2010 (Table D-11) an increase of 9 There were 119 cases of contact dermatitis from poison ivy or other plants (50 of all skin cases) There were 8 cases of allergic reactions to latex gloves or other clothing and 4 associated with soap or cleaning products There were 20 cases caused by chemicals and 71 cases just described as rashes Substances associated with skin conditions included trichorethylene fire proofing materials hand sanitizer a calcium bag epoxy coolant antifreeze cosmetics (2) dish detergent (2) car cleaner plastic carbon fibers gasoline photographic chemicals adhesive laundry detergents (2) carpet adhesive and fiberglass Government (69 cases) and schools (27) were the most frequent industry sectors for skin conditions Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Poison Ivyplants 107 119 50 11 Chemical 36 20 8 -44 Allergic 7 17 7 143 GlovesLatexclothing 14 8 3 -43 SoapCleaning 7 4 2 -43 Patient care 2 0 0 -100 RashOtherUnknown 47 71 30 51 Total 220 239 100 9
23
Stress and Heart Conditions
Heart and Hypertension There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions 22 reported strokes or blood clots and 102 described symptoms of chest pain or mentioned angina often associated with emergency care at a hospital There were 109 cases that described the condition as hypertension or ldquoheart and hypertensionrdquo (the usual legal term for heart or hypertension cases that are covered for police and fire fighters) An additional 21 were other heart-related conditions predominately testing abnormalities on EKG or unusual symptoms involving the heart or chest Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal employees who are frequently covered under heart and hypertension laws that consider those conditions to be work-related for workersrsquo compensation purposes Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Hypertension 99 109 36 10 Chest painanginasymptoms 71 102 34 44 Heart attack 51 50 16 -2 Other heart 40 21 7 -48 Strokeclots 21 22 7 5
Total 282 304 100 8 Mental Stress There were a total of 128 stress-related claims in the database in 2010 an increase of 13 over 2009 There were 33 cases which cited reactions to violence robbery or trauma (such as witnessing or being in auto accidents) 14 cases that were attributed to conflicts with supervisors or promotions and 12 cases were attributed to harassment or hostile work environments (Table D-13) There were 17 claims related to excessive job demands or aspects of job duties There were 49 that were simply defined as ldquostressrdquo without further explanation There were also several stress-related cases that are classified under heart conditions (See Table D-12 above) Specific examples of situations causing stress include robberies with guns an explosion at the workplace assaults a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect harassment having to stay with a dead body after a shooting verbal abuse from a residentrsquos family job transfer a failed surgery and witnessing suicide
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
19
Table D-7 Reported Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) WCC 2010 Cause of MSD Reports
Repetitive 784 28 Lifting 557 20 PushPull 471 17 Computerclerical 234 8 Toolsvibration 219 8 Reaching 88 3 Cleaning 58 2 Bendingkneelingcrawling 53 2 Driving 45 2 Assembly 43 2 Machine 38 1 Walkingrunningmoving 35 1 Graspinggrippingsqueezing 29 1 Exercisesportstraining 25 1 sittingstanding 23 1 Positioning 20 1 Climbing 16 1 Twistingtightening 11 0 Carrying 11 0 Shovelingsweeping 11 0 Scooping 10 0 Cake decorating 7 0 Selectingsortinginspecting 6 0 Total 2794 100
Infectious Diseases There were 768 reports of infectious diseases or exposures in the database for 2010 (Table D-8) a 9 decrease from 2009 Infectious disease reports include both actual disease and exposure to potentially infectious agents There were 581 reports of exposure to bloodborne pathogens (including reports of exposure to HIVAIDS and Hepatitis C) accounting for 76 of all infectious disease reports These included 273 reports of exposures to human bites (including a few reports of exposure to human urine to the eyes) 140 reports of exposure to blood and 140 needlesticks or cuts from surgical instruments that resulted in blood exposure There were 26 cases of tuberculosis infection (PPD conversion) or exposures to clients with TB There were 59 reports of tick bites rashes from tick bites andor Lyme disease attributed to occupational exposures There were 20 reports of exposure or cases of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or staph infection that responds poorly to antibiotics) or other staph infection 15 cases of scabies or lice exposuresillnesses and 18 reports of meningitis exposure There were no reports of exposure to or cases of h1n1 flu in contrast to 2009
20
Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness Cases Cases Change Human biteUrine 301 36 273 36 -9 Bloodbody fluids 154 18 140 18 -9 Sharp and needlestick exposures 100 12 140 18 40 Lyme DiseaseTick bite 87 10 59 8 -32 Hepatitis 21 2 28 4 33 TBppd conversionexposure 40 5 26 3 -35 Other infectious 14 2 21 3 50 MRSAstaph 36 4 20 3 -44 Meningitis exposure 20 2 18 2 -10 Scabieslice 31 4 15 2 -52 Rabies 8 1 12 2 50 Chicken pox measles whooping cough 7 1 10 1 43 e-colisewage 6 1 6 1 0 h1n1 flu 22 3 0 0 -100 Total 847 100 768 100 -9
Recent court decisions have broadened the definition of compensable disease to include exposures particularly where exposure requires medical treatment such as prophylactic treatments such as for tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS (HIV) exposures There has recently been considerable attention paid to Lyme disease among outdoor workers resulting in more reports of tick bites although these reports were down in 2010 It is often difficult to determine whether the first report of injury was actual disease or only exposure (for example actual Lyme disease or only a report of a tick bite) Similarly it is usually not clear in the reports of needlestick and sharps injuries whether the source patient or client was actually infected with any of the known bloodborne diseases There were additional reports of exposure to ldquospitrdquo or ldquosputumrdquo that are not reported here since risks tend to be very low from such exposures Diseases that can be contracted through blood and body fluid exposures include hepatitis B C and HIV Human bites or exposures to body fluids such as urine are also related to bloodborne diseases Transmission is much less likely when a worker is exposed to urine or a human bite than transmission occurring from blood particularly for HIV Blood to blood exposure is the highest risk such as from needlesticks or sharps injuries Altercations or arrests with prisoners or clients accounted for the vast majority of human bites as well as some of the other bloodborne exposures Respiratory Illness and Poisonings Asbestos-related asthma lung cancer and other lung diseases are addressed in the next section In addition to these conditions there were 328 cases of other respiratory illnesses ndash mostly nonspecific respiratory illness with a few cases of pneumonia and laryngitis in the database for 2010 and 65 cases of poisonings from carbon monoxide other gases mercury or lead (Table D-9) an overall increase of 29 from 2009 Exposure to chemicals was the most common cause of illness (33) followed by exposures to dust or fumes (17) general indoor air quality (IAQ) or mold (12) and smoke (9) There were 45 cases of exposure to carbon monoxide or other gases and fumes and 13 reports of exposure to mercury and 7 to lead
21
Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10 Cause 2009 2010
Respiratory Cases Cases Change Chemical Exposure 71 23 129 33 82 Dustfumes 73 24 67 17 -8 IAQmoldodor 40 13 48 12 20 Smoke Fire 47 15 37 9 -21 Other Respiratory 40 13 47 12 18 Respiratory subtotal 271 328 83
Poisoning Lead 0 0 7 2 Mercury 0 0 13 3 Carbon monoxidegasfumes 34 11 45 11 32 Poisoning Subtotal 34 65 Total 305 100 393 100 29
In addition to the general categories of smoke specific chemical exposures mentioned included battery fumes (13) floor strippersealant (6) heavy metals in a fire (6) perfumecologne (5) bug spray (4) bleach (3) carpet cleaner (2) paint (2) spray foam (2) cement Lysol antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive Chronic Lung Conditions There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified under respiratory conditions and poisonings (above)
Asbestos There were 30 reports of asbestos-related disease or exposures in 2010 The descriptions of the cases often made it difficult to determine whether the cases were actual disease or only exposure to asbestos since it is difficult to know whether they are describing historic exposures that contributed to current disease or current exposures that raise the risk of future disease) although there was at least one fatality and four mesothelioma cases (listed under cancer) Asbestos exposure is known to increase the risk of lung disease and cancer If disease occurs as a result it often appears between 10-40 years after exposure Asbestos disease may be under-reported by traditional surveillance sources such as Workersrsquo Compensation Industries for asbestos conditions were primarily transportation equipment manufacturing (13) and government (6) Other Chronic Lung Conditions There were 30 occupational asthma cases reported in 2010 a decrease of 33 The most common causes mentioned were indoor air quality or mold (15) chemicals and cleaners (5) smoke (2) and dustfumes (2) Government and schools (13 combined) were the most common industries for asthma cases
22
Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10 Illness 2009 2010 Change
Asbestos-related 83 30 -64 Asthmabronchitis 45 30 -33 Allergies 5 -100 Cancer 5 3 -40 Other chronic lung 9 Total 138 72 -48
Skin Conditions There were 239 skin conditions in the database in 2010 (Table D-11) an increase of 9 There were 119 cases of contact dermatitis from poison ivy or other plants (50 of all skin cases) There were 8 cases of allergic reactions to latex gloves or other clothing and 4 associated with soap or cleaning products There were 20 cases caused by chemicals and 71 cases just described as rashes Substances associated with skin conditions included trichorethylene fire proofing materials hand sanitizer a calcium bag epoxy coolant antifreeze cosmetics (2) dish detergent (2) car cleaner plastic carbon fibers gasoline photographic chemicals adhesive laundry detergents (2) carpet adhesive and fiberglass Government (69 cases) and schools (27) were the most frequent industry sectors for skin conditions Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Poison Ivyplants 107 119 50 11 Chemical 36 20 8 -44 Allergic 7 17 7 143 GlovesLatexclothing 14 8 3 -43 SoapCleaning 7 4 2 -43 Patient care 2 0 0 -100 RashOtherUnknown 47 71 30 51 Total 220 239 100 9
23
Stress and Heart Conditions
Heart and Hypertension There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions 22 reported strokes or blood clots and 102 described symptoms of chest pain or mentioned angina often associated with emergency care at a hospital There were 109 cases that described the condition as hypertension or ldquoheart and hypertensionrdquo (the usual legal term for heart or hypertension cases that are covered for police and fire fighters) An additional 21 were other heart-related conditions predominately testing abnormalities on EKG or unusual symptoms involving the heart or chest Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal employees who are frequently covered under heart and hypertension laws that consider those conditions to be work-related for workersrsquo compensation purposes Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Hypertension 99 109 36 10 Chest painanginasymptoms 71 102 34 44 Heart attack 51 50 16 -2 Other heart 40 21 7 -48 Strokeclots 21 22 7 5
Total 282 304 100 8 Mental Stress There were a total of 128 stress-related claims in the database in 2010 an increase of 13 over 2009 There were 33 cases which cited reactions to violence robbery or trauma (such as witnessing or being in auto accidents) 14 cases that were attributed to conflicts with supervisors or promotions and 12 cases were attributed to harassment or hostile work environments (Table D-13) There were 17 claims related to excessive job demands or aspects of job duties There were 49 that were simply defined as ldquostressrdquo without further explanation There were also several stress-related cases that are classified under heart conditions (See Table D-12 above) Specific examples of situations causing stress include robberies with guns an explosion at the workplace assaults a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect harassment having to stay with a dead body after a shooting verbal abuse from a residentrsquos family job transfer a failed surgery and witnessing suicide
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
20
Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10 2009 2010
Illness Cases Cases Change Human biteUrine 301 36 273 36 -9 Bloodbody fluids 154 18 140 18 -9 Sharp and needlestick exposures 100 12 140 18 40 Lyme DiseaseTick bite 87 10 59 8 -32 Hepatitis 21 2 28 4 33 TBppd conversionexposure 40 5 26 3 -35 Other infectious 14 2 21 3 50 MRSAstaph 36 4 20 3 -44 Meningitis exposure 20 2 18 2 -10 Scabieslice 31 4 15 2 -52 Rabies 8 1 12 2 50 Chicken pox measles whooping cough 7 1 10 1 43 e-colisewage 6 1 6 1 0 h1n1 flu 22 3 0 0 -100 Total 847 100 768 100 -9
Recent court decisions have broadened the definition of compensable disease to include exposures particularly where exposure requires medical treatment such as prophylactic treatments such as for tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS (HIV) exposures There has recently been considerable attention paid to Lyme disease among outdoor workers resulting in more reports of tick bites although these reports were down in 2010 It is often difficult to determine whether the first report of injury was actual disease or only exposure (for example actual Lyme disease or only a report of a tick bite) Similarly it is usually not clear in the reports of needlestick and sharps injuries whether the source patient or client was actually infected with any of the known bloodborne diseases There were additional reports of exposure to ldquospitrdquo or ldquosputumrdquo that are not reported here since risks tend to be very low from such exposures Diseases that can be contracted through blood and body fluid exposures include hepatitis B C and HIV Human bites or exposures to body fluids such as urine are also related to bloodborne diseases Transmission is much less likely when a worker is exposed to urine or a human bite than transmission occurring from blood particularly for HIV Blood to blood exposure is the highest risk such as from needlesticks or sharps injuries Altercations or arrests with prisoners or clients accounted for the vast majority of human bites as well as some of the other bloodborne exposures Respiratory Illness and Poisonings Asbestos-related asthma lung cancer and other lung diseases are addressed in the next section In addition to these conditions there were 328 cases of other respiratory illnesses ndash mostly nonspecific respiratory illness with a few cases of pneumonia and laryngitis in the database for 2010 and 65 cases of poisonings from carbon monoxide other gases mercury or lead (Table D-9) an overall increase of 29 from 2009 Exposure to chemicals was the most common cause of illness (33) followed by exposures to dust or fumes (17) general indoor air quality (IAQ) or mold (12) and smoke (9) There were 45 cases of exposure to carbon monoxide or other gases and fumes and 13 reports of exposure to mercury and 7 to lead
21
Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10 Cause 2009 2010
Respiratory Cases Cases Change Chemical Exposure 71 23 129 33 82 Dustfumes 73 24 67 17 -8 IAQmoldodor 40 13 48 12 20 Smoke Fire 47 15 37 9 -21 Other Respiratory 40 13 47 12 18 Respiratory subtotal 271 328 83
Poisoning Lead 0 0 7 2 Mercury 0 0 13 3 Carbon monoxidegasfumes 34 11 45 11 32 Poisoning Subtotal 34 65 Total 305 100 393 100 29
In addition to the general categories of smoke specific chemical exposures mentioned included battery fumes (13) floor strippersealant (6) heavy metals in a fire (6) perfumecologne (5) bug spray (4) bleach (3) carpet cleaner (2) paint (2) spray foam (2) cement Lysol antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive Chronic Lung Conditions There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified under respiratory conditions and poisonings (above)
Asbestos There were 30 reports of asbestos-related disease or exposures in 2010 The descriptions of the cases often made it difficult to determine whether the cases were actual disease or only exposure to asbestos since it is difficult to know whether they are describing historic exposures that contributed to current disease or current exposures that raise the risk of future disease) although there was at least one fatality and four mesothelioma cases (listed under cancer) Asbestos exposure is known to increase the risk of lung disease and cancer If disease occurs as a result it often appears between 10-40 years after exposure Asbestos disease may be under-reported by traditional surveillance sources such as Workersrsquo Compensation Industries for asbestos conditions were primarily transportation equipment manufacturing (13) and government (6) Other Chronic Lung Conditions There were 30 occupational asthma cases reported in 2010 a decrease of 33 The most common causes mentioned were indoor air quality or mold (15) chemicals and cleaners (5) smoke (2) and dustfumes (2) Government and schools (13 combined) were the most common industries for asthma cases
22
Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10 Illness 2009 2010 Change
Asbestos-related 83 30 -64 Asthmabronchitis 45 30 -33 Allergies 5 -100 Cancer 5 3 -40 Other chronic lung 9 Total 138 72 -48
Skin Conditions There were 239 skin conditions in the database in 2010 (Table D-11) an increase of 9 There were 119 cases of contact dermatitis from poison ivy or other plants (50 of all skin cases) There were 8 cases of allergic reactions to latex gloves or other clothing and 4 associated with soap or cleaning products There were 20 cases caused by chemicals and 71 cases just described as rashes Substances associated with skin conditions included trichorethylene fire proofing materials hand sanitizer a calcium bag epoxy coolant antifreeze cosmetics (2) dish detergent (2) car cleaner plastic carbon fibers gasoline photographic chemicals adhesive laundry detergents (2) carpet adhesive and fiberglass Government (69 cases) and schools (27) were the most frequent industry sectors for skin conditions Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Poison Ivyplants 107 119 50 11 Chemical 36 20 8 -44 Allergic 7 17 7 143 GlovesLatexclothing 14 8 3 -43 SoapCleaning 7 4 2 -43 Patient care 2 0 0 -100 RashOtherUnknown 47 71 30 51 Total 220 239 100 9
23
Stress and Heart Conditions
Heart and Hypertension There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions 22 reported strokes or blood clots and 102 described symptoms of chest pain or mentioned angina often associated with emergency care at a hospital There were 109 cases that described the condition as hypertension or ldquoheart and hypertensionrdquo (the usual legal term for heart or hypertension cases that are covered for police and fire fighters) An additional 21 were other heart-related conditions predominately testing abnormalities on EKG or unusual symptoms involving the heart or chest Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal employees who are frequently covered under heart and hypertension laws that consider those conditions to be work-related for workersrsquo compensation purposes Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Hypertension 99 109 36 10 Chest painanginasymptoms 71 102 34 44 Heart attack 51 50 16 -2 Other heart 40 21 7 -48 Strokeclots 21 22 7 5
Total 282 304 100 8 Mental Stress There were a total of 128 stress-related claims in the database in 2010 an increase of 13 over 2009 There were 33 cases which cited reactions to violence robbery or trauma (such as witnessing or being in auto accidents) 14 cases that were attributed to conflicts with supervisors or promotions and 12 cases were attributed to harassment or hostile work environments (Table D-13) There were 17 claims related to excessive job demands or aspects of job duties There were 49 that were simply defined as ldquostressrdquo without further explanation There were also several stress-related cases that are classified under heart conditions (See Table D-12 above) Specific examples of situations causing stress include robberies with guns an explosion at the workplace assaults a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect harassment having to stay with a dead body after a shooting verbal abuse from a residentrsquos family job transfer a failed surgery and witnessing suicide
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
21
Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10 Cause 2009 2010
Respiratory Cases Cases Change Chemical Exposure 71 23 129 33 82 Dustfumes 73 24 67 17 -8 IAQmoldodor 40 13 48 12 20 Smoke Fire 47 15 37 9 -21 Other Respiratory 40 13 47 12 18 Respiratory subtotal 271 328 83
Poisoning Lead 0 0 7 2 Mercury 0 0 13 3 Carbon monoxidegasfumes 34 11 45 11 32 Poisoning Subtotal 34 65 Total 305 100 393 100 29
In addition to the general categories of smoke specific chemical exposures mentioned included battery fumes (13) floor strippersealant (6) heavy metals in a fire (6) perfumecologne (5) bug spray (4) bleach (3) carpet cleaner (2) paint (2) spray foam (2) cement Lysol antifreeze Freon hairspray stainless steel cleaner isocyanate brake cleaner fire extinguisher Varsol morpholine ammonia glycol sulfur dioxide coolant furan block whitener and tile adhesive Chronic Lung Conditions There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified under respiratory conditions and poisonings (above)
Asbestos There were 30 reports of asbestos-related disease or exposures in 2010 The descriptions of the cases often made it difficult to determine whether the cases were actual disease or only exposure to asbestos since it is difficult to know whether they are describing historic exposures that contributed to current disease or current exposures that raise the risk of future disease) although there was at least one fatality and four mesothelioma cases (listed under cancer) Asbestos exposure is known to increase the risk of lung disease and cancer If disease occurs as a result it often appears between 10-40 years after exposure Asbestos disease may be under-reported by traditional surveillance sources such as Workersrsquo Compensation Industries for asbestos conditions were primarily transportation equipment manufacturing (13) and government (6) Other Chronic Lung Conditions There were 30 occupational asthma cases reported in 2010 a decrease of 33 The most common causes mentioned were indoor air quality or mold (15) chemicals and cleaners (5) smoke (2) and dustfumes (2) Government and schools (13 combined) were the most common industries for asthma cases
22
Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10 Illness 2009 2010 Change
Asbestos-related 83 30 -64 Asthmabronchitis 45 30 -33 Allergies 5 -100 Cancer 5 3 -40 Other chronic lung 9 Total 138 72 -48
Skin Conditions There were 239 skin conditions in the database in 2010 (Table D-11) an increase of 9 There were 119 cases of contact dermatitis from poison ivy or other plants (50 of all skin cases) There were 8 cases of allergic reactions to latex gloves or other clothing and 4 associated with soap or cleaning products There were 20 cases caused by chemicals and 71 cases just described as rashes Substances associated with skin conditions included trichorethylene fire proofing materials hand sanitizer a calcium bag epoxy coolant antifreeze cosmetics (2) dish detergent (2) car cleaner plastic carbon fibers gasoline photographic chemicals adhesive laundry detergents (2) carpet adhesive and fiberglass Government (69 cases) and schools (27) were the most frequent industry sectors for skin conditions Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Poison Ivyplants 107 119 50 11 Chemical 36 20 8 -44 Allergic 7 17 7 143 GlovesLatexclothing 14 8 3 -43 SoapCleaning 7 4 2 -43 Patient care 2 0 0 -100 RashOtherUnknown 47 71 30 51 Total 220 239 100 9
23
Stress and Heart Conditions
Heart and Hypertension There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions 22 reported strokes or blood clots and 102 described symptoms of chest pain or mentioned angina often associated with emergency care at a hospital There were 109 cases that described the condition as hypertension or ldquoheart and hypertensionrdquo (the usual legal term for heart or hypertension cases that are covered for police and fire fighters) An additional 21 were other heart-related conditions predominately testing abnormalities on EKG or unusual symptoms involving the heart or chest Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal employees who are frequently covered under heart and hypertension laws that consider those conditions to be work-related for workersrsquo compensation purposes Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Hypertension 99 109 36 10 Chest painanginasymptoms 71 102 34 44 Heart attack 51 50 16 -2 Other heart 40 21 7 -48 Strokeclots 21 22 7 5
Total 282 304 100 8 Mental Stress There were a total of 128 stress-related claims in the database in 2010 an increase of 13 over 2009 There were 33 cases which cited reactions to violence robbery or trauma (such as witnessing or being in auto accidents) 14 cases that were attributed to conflicts with supervisors or promotions and 12 cases were attributed to harassment or hostile work environments (Table D-13) There were 17 claims related to excessive job demands or aspects of job duties There were 49 that were simply defined as ldquostressrdquo without further explanation There were also several stress-related cases that are classified under heart conditions (See Table D-12 above) Specific examples of situations causing stress include robberies with guns an explosion at the workplace assaults a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect harassment having to stay with a dead body after a shooting verbal abuse from a residentrsquos family job transfer a failed surgery and witnessing suicide
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
22
Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10 Illness 2009 2010 Change
Asbestos-related 83 30 -64 Asthmabronchitis 45 30 -33 Allergies 5 -100 Cancer 5 3 -40 Other chronic lung 9 Total 138 72 -48
Skin Conditions There were 239 skin conditions in the database in 2010 (Table D-11) an increase of 9 There were 119 cases of contact dermatitis from poison ivy or other plants (50 of all skin cases) There were 8 cases of allergic reactions to latex gloves or other clothing and 4 associated with soap or cleaning products There were 20 cases caused by chemicals and 71 cases just described as rashes Substances associated with skin conditions included trichorethylene fire proofing materials hand sanitizer a calcium bag epoxy coolant antifreeze cosmetics (2) dish detergent (2) car cleaner plastic carbon fibers gasoline photographic chemicals adhesive laundry detergents (2) carpet adhesive and fiberglass Government (69 cases) and schools (27) were the most frequent industry sectors for skin conditions Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Poison Ivyplants 107 119 50 11 Chemical 36 20 8 -44 Allergic 7 17 7 143 GlovesLatexclothing 14 8 3 -43 SoapCleaning 7 4 2 -43 Patient care 2 0 0 -100 RashOtherUnknown 47 71 30 51 Total 220 239 100 9
23
Stress and Heart Conditions
Heart and Hypertension There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions 22 reported strokes or blood clots and 102 described symptoms of chest pain or mentioned angina often associated with emergency care at a hospital There were 109 cases that described the condition as hypertension or ldquoheart and hypertensionrdquo (the usual legal term for heart or hypertension cases that are covered for police and fire fighters) An additional 21 were other heart-related conditions predominately testing abnormalities on EKG or unusual symptoms involving the heart or chest Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal employees who are frequently covered under heart and hypertension laws that consider those conditions to be work-related for workersrsquo compensation purposes Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Hypertension 99 109 36 10 Chest painanginasymptoms 71 102 34 44 Heart attack 51 50 16 -2 Other heart 40 21 7 -48 Strokeclots 21 22 7 5
Total 282 304 100 8 Mental Stress There were a total of 128 stress-related claims in the database in 2010 an increase of 13 over 2009 There were 33 cases which cited reactions to violence robbery or trauma (such as witnessing or being in auto accidents) 14 cases that were attributed to conflicts with supervisors or promotions and 12 cases were attributed to harassment or hostile work environments (Table D-13) There were 17 claims related to excessive job demands or aspects of job duties There were 49 that were simply defined as ldquostressrdquo without further explanation There were also several stress-related cases that are classified under heart conditions (See Table D-12 above) Specific examples of situations causing stress include robberies with guns an explosion at the workplace assaults a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect harassment having to stay with a dead body after a shooting verbal abuse from a residentrsquos family job transfer a failed surgery and witnessing suicide
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
23
Stress and Heart Conditions
Heart and Hypertension There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions 22 reported strokes or blood clots and 102 described symptoms of chest pain or mentioned angina often associated with emergency care at a hospital There were 109 cases that described the condition as hypertension or ldquoheart and hypertensionrdquo (the usual legal term for heart or hypertension cases that are covered for police and fire fighters) An additional 21 were other heart-related conditions predominately testing abnormalities on EKG or unusual symptoms involving the heart or chest Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal employees who are frequently covered under heart and hypertension laws that consider those conditions to be work-related for workersrsquo compensation purposes Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
Category 2009 2010 Change Hypertension 99 109 36 10 Chest painanginasymptoms 71 102 34 44 Heart attack 51 50 16 -2 Other heart 40 21 7 -48 Strokeclots 21 22 7 5
Total 282 304 100 8 Mental Stress There were a total of 128 stress-related claims in the database in 2010 an increase of 13 over 2009 There were 33 cases which cited reactions to violence robbery or trauma (such as witnessing or being in auto accidents) 14 cases that were attributed to conflicts with supervisors or promotions and 12 cases were attributed to harassment or hostile work environments (Table D-13) There were 17 claims related to excessive job demands or aspects of job duties There were 49 that were simply defined as ldquostressrdquo without further explanation There were also several stress-related cases that are classified under heart conditions (See Table D-12 above) Specific examples of situations causing stress include robberies with guns an explosion at the workplace assaults a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect harassment having to stay with a dead body after a shooting verbal abuse from a residentrsquos family job transfer a failed surgery and witnessing suicide
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
24
Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10 Sources of Stress Conditions 2009 2010 Change
Violencerobberytrauma 15 33 26 120 Job dutiesdemands 20 17 13 -15 Supervisorco-worker 9 14 11 56 Harassmenthostile environment 11 12 9 9 Client 6 2 2 -67 Job insecurity 3 1 1 Unknownother 49 49 38 0 Total 113 128 100 13
Other Occupational Diseases
Hearing Loss There were 179 reports of hearing loss in 2010 (Table D-14) 6 fewer than in 2009 Of these cases 21 appeared to be caused by acute (single incident) noises or injuries primarily explosions close proximity to sirens or diving incidents The rest appeared due to long-term exposure to noise or were noted as being found on routine audiograms Most cases were from manufacturing in particular transportation equipment manufacturing (82 cases) aircraft parts manufacturing (31) and firefightinggovernment (19 cases) Table D-14 Other Occupational Illnesses WCC 2009-10
Type of illness 2009 2010 Change Hearing loss 190 179 41 -6 Dizzinesspassing outseizure 137 133 31 -3 Coldheat related conditions 75 85 20 13 Allergic 11 16 4 45 Cancer 3 4 1 33 Other conditions 21 16 4 -24 Total 437 433 100 -1
Other Disease Conditions There were 85 reports of temperature-related problems from heat or cold a 13 increase from 2009 There were 133 reports of workers becoming dizzy fainting or similar conditions such as seizures some of these are likely from pre-existing conditions that occurred while at work There were 16 cases of allergic reactions reported in addition to those noted above under respiratory and skin conditions There were 4 cases of cancer reported (in addition to those under lung conditions above) There were 16 ldquootherrdquo conditions that were difficult to classify due to incomplete information
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
25
E Occupational Disease Surveillance System 2009 2010 Physiciansrsquo Reports Physicians are required to report known and suspected occupational disease to the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS) that is maintained by the Department of Public Health Although all physicians are required to report most reports are received from Connecticutrsquos occupational health clinics and industrial medicine programs Data for 2010 appears to be incomplete for this report so this section provides updated information for 2009 physician reports and preliminary data for 2010 Information on blood lead level laboratory reports are taken from the Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program and are complete for both years There were 746 occupational illness reports received from physicians for 2010 and 1742 for 2009 (Table E-1) Infectious diseases which were not previously reported into the system dominated the reports with 47 of the total physician reports followed by MSD (Musculoskeletal Disorders) with 28 of reports skin diseases (14) respiratory conditions and poisonings (8) and 4 were ldquootherrdquo conditions In addition there were 443 laboratory reports of blood lead levels in adults of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) or more in 2010 (304 in 2009) giving a total of 1189 occupational illnesses reported by physicians and laboratories combined in 2010 Table E-1 Occupational Disease Case Reports by Type OIISS and ABLES 1998-2010
Category 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
MSD 754 823 1174 841 921 624 488 511 751 838 827 411 208
Skin 237 295 339 274 338 181 194 241 256 273 302 193 102
Lung 206 139 291 190 283 156 173 191 154 59 142 140 56
Other 31 31 74 56 30 20 36 70 69 58 31 59 33
Infectious 13 22 27 68 34 21 33 30 50 20 66 939 347
Sub-total ODSS
1241 1310 1905 1429 1606 1002 924 1043 1280 1248 1368 1742 746
Lead (Lab) 203 212 616 530 476 400 342 463 465 363 364 304 443
Total 1444 1522 2521 1959 2082 1402 1266 1506 1745 1611 1732 2046 1189 Preliminary reports Infectious did not include most bloodborne pathogen exposures between 1998 and 2008 Lead values for 1998-99 did not include cases in the blood lead level range of 10-19 ugdl Over the last 10 years reported illnesses initially declined between 2000 and 2004 and then generally increased In 2010 57 physicians from 14 clinics (at 21 locations) reported at least one case into the OIISS Six clinic networks reported 50 or more cases and contributed 80 of the cases Fourteen of the physicians reported 20 or more cases and accounted for 70 of the reports Many workers with occupationally-related illness seek care from their primary care providers Although it is a state law that known and suspected occupational diseases diagnosed by any physician in the state must be reported to CT Departments of Labor and Public Health (CGS sect 31-40a) the majority of reporters are from the academic occupational health clinics and auxiliary occupational health clinics Therefore these reports should be viewed as a portion of physician-diagnosed occupational diseases in Connecticut Eighty-one percent (81) of the cases were classed as ldquohigh certaintyrdquo for being an occupationally-related disease 16 were ldquomoderate certaintyrdquo and 1 ldquolow certaintyrdquo where certainty was reported There was a very low amount of reporting on whether exposure was continuing or if others are likely to be exposed
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
26
Of the 462 reports where race was known 81 (18) were identified as black and 61 (10) of 591cases (where ethnicity was known) were identified as Hispanic The largest number of cases were in their 40rsquos or 50rsquos (24 for each) followed by those in their 20rsquos (23) and 30rsquos (20 Figure E-1) Only 3 cases were reported in workers less than 20 years of age
Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
lt20 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+
3
171
146
176 180
68
Const Agric 4
Manuf 11 Trade 3
TransUtility 3
Info 0
FinInsurRE 1
Business Serv 5
EducHealth 57
Service 4 Govt 13
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
27
However industry distribution was somewhat different by condition (Table E-2) Infectious disease was highly concentrated in Education and Health (86) MSDrsquos were primarily from Education and Health (32) and Manufacturing (27) Dermatitis (skin disorders) was primarily from Government (32) Education and Health (26) and Business Services (12) Respiratory cases were primarily from Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) Transportation and Utilities (13) and Government (11) Table E-2 Type of Illness by Industry Sector (NAICS) OIISS 2010 Industry All Infectious Lung MSD Other Skin Construction Agriculture 29 14 7 8 Manufacturing 82 7 9 55 4 7 Trade 23 2 1 18 2 TransportUtilities 23 1 7 10 1 4 Information Services 1 1 FinanceInsuranceReal Estate 9 1 7 1 Business Service 34 1 2 18 1 12 EducationHealth 421 295 16 67 16 27 Other Services 27 9 1 6 1 10 Government 94 29 6 18 8 33 Unknown Total 743 345 56 207 33 102
The North American Industry Classification System Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) There were a total of 411 reports of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in 2009 and 208 in 2010 (Table E-3) This table only includes upper-extremity MSDs (does not include MSDs caused by acute incidents such as falls or individual lifts) and excludes lower back diagnoses even if caused by cumulative strain The most common specific diagnoses for musculoskeletal disorders in 2010 were epicondylitis (tennis elbow) with 24 of the cases carpal tunnel syndrome (15) tenosynovitis (13) and tendonitis with 7 (Table E-3 also see descriptions of conditions below)
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
28
Table E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Musculoskeletal disorders (also referred to as cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive strain injuries) include tendon-related conditions nerve problems circulatory as well as combined conditions Specific descriptions of these disorders include Tendon Disorders bull Tendonitis swelling of the tendons bull Epicondylitis tendon irritation in the elbow area including ldquogolferrsquos elbowrdquo and ldquotennis elbowrdquo bull Rotator Cuff Syndrome tendonitis in the shoulder area bull Tenosynovitis inflammation of the tendon sheaths lubricated covers that surround the tendons particularly
in the hand bull DeQuervainrsquos Syndrome tendon sheath disorder of side of wrist and base of thumb bull Trigger Finger a bump on the tendon that catches on the tendon sheath that makes the finger or thumb
difficult to move bull Ganglion Cysts swelling of the tendon sheaths from excess lubricating fluid bull Bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs around ligaments and tendons
Nerve Disorders bull Carpal Tunnel Syndrome pinching of the median nerve in the wrist usually by swollen tendons that pass
through the carpal tunnel (the median nerve can also be pinched in the elbow shoulder or neck areas)
CirculatoryCombinedOther bull Thoracic Outlet Syndrome pinching of the nerves and blood vessels in the neck shoulder area The largest number of MSDs 2010 was from Education and health (32) followed by Manufacturing (27) Trade (9) and Government (9) public education is included under Education and Health) (Figure E-3)
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 PercentEpicondylitis 95 23 49 24Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) 80 19 32 15Tenosynovitis 55 13 26 13Tendonitis 49 12 15 7Ganglion 21 5 15 7BursitisArthritis 21 5 5 2Trigger Finger 16 4 4 2DeQuervains 3 1 1 0StrainSprain 27 7 1 0Plantar fasciitis 8 2 1 0Other MSD 36 9 59 28 Total 411 100 208 100
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
29
Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
Cause Cases Repetitive 25 Lifting 25 Computerclerical 11 Tools amp Vibration 11 Pushpull 6 Machine 2 Twisting 2 Gripping 2 Kneeling 2
Causes for MSDs are difficult to classify since they are frequently described differently by the various people recording the case and were not available for most cases The most common specific cause noted for MSDs (Table E-4) was lifting (25 cases) computer use and data entry (11) tools and vibration (11) and pushing or pulling (6) The generic category of ldquorepetitive motionrdquo accounted for 25 reports Skin Conditions There were 193 reports of skin disorders in 2009 and 102 for 2010 (Table E-5) In 2010 the largest category was poison ivy or other plant exposures (46 of all cases) and contact dermatitis (45 of cases) and other skin conditions (9) Causes included poison ivy cleaning chemicals (6) other chemicals (5) dust (3) solvents (2) and latex or gloves (2)
Bus Service
9
Const Ag 3
EducHealth 32
FinInsurRE 3
Govt 9
Info 0
Manuf 27
Serv Other 3
Trade 9
TransUtil 5
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
30
Table E-5 Skin Conditions by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Skin conditions (Figure E-4) occurred most commonly in the State and Local Government sector (32) Education and Health sector (26) Business Services (12) and Other Services (10) Figure E-4 Skin Conditions by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
LungRespiratory Diseases and Poisonings There were 140 cases of respiratory disease and poisonings reported in 2009 and 56 reported in 2010 (Table E-6) Nonspecific and upper respiratory illnesses were the most common type of condition with 46 of 2010 reports followed by asbestos exposures or diseases (21) poisonings such as lead and mercury (9) and asthma and Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS) at 5 In addition to lead mercury and asbestos (most of the asbestos cases appeared to be reports of exposures rather than asbestos-related disease) exposures associated with respiratory conditions included isocyanates fumes from tiling tetrahydrofuran bleach pepper spray smoke mold ammonia-based cleaner fire extinguisher dust bleach-based cleaners methyl methacrylate and colophony
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Poison ivy amp other plants 57 30 47 46
Dermatitis 97 50 46 45
Other ski n conditions 39 20 9 9
Total 193 100 102 100
Const Ag 8 Manuf
7
Trade 0 TransUtil
4 Info 0
FinanceInsurRE 1
Bus Service 12
EducHealth 26 Serv Other
10
Govt 32
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
31
Table E-6 Respiratory Diseases and Poisoning by Type OIISS 2009 2010
Illness 2009 Percent 2010 Percent
Respiratory 70 50 26 46
Asbestos exposuredisease 34 24 12 21
Poisoning 19 14 5 9 AsthmaReactive airway dysfunction syndrome 9 6 3 5
Bronchitis 2 1 0
Other lung 6 4 10 18
Total 140 100 56 100 Figure E-5 Respiratory Disease and Poisonings by Industry OIISS 2010
Respiratory disease and poisoning cases mainly occurred in Education and Health (29) Construction and Agriculture (25) Manufacturing (16) and Transportation and Utilities (12) (Figure E-5) Lead Poisoning (Laboratory Reports) Connecticut requires laboratories to report all blood lead tests of 10 micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood or greater to the Connecticut Department of Public Health (CGS sect 19a-110) These cases are classified into childhood (less than 16 years of age) and adult cases (only the latter are reported here) with the majority of adult cases being attributed to an individualrsquos occupation (although some cases occur in individuals engaged in hobbies such as home improvement or target shooting) The numbers are based on the highest level measured
Const Ag 25
Manuf 16
Trade 2
TransUtil 12
Bus Service 3
Other Service 2
EducHealth 29
Govt 11
FinInsurRE 0
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
32
for each individual during the calendar year they do not include multiple tests on the same individual OSHA medical removal protections apply at the level of 50 ugdl of whole blood or above (40 ugdl to return to work) Lead can have neurological and other negative effects on health at much lower levels of exposure The total number of lead poisoning reports in 2010 (443 cases) increased 46 from 2009 (304 cases) The lowest level (10-24 ugdl) of recorded elevated lead levels accounted for 83 of all cases (Table E-7) There was an increase in all but the highest blood lead level category where only 1 case was reported Almost all of the reported lead poisoning cases occurred in men there were only 25 reports among women Table E-7 Lead Cases by Level of Blood Lead CT ABLES 2009-2010
Blood lead level 2009 2010 Percent Change 10-24 244 368 83 51 25-39 44 59 13 34 40-49 9 11 2 22 50-59 3 4 1 33 gt=60 4 1 0 -75 Total 304 443 100 46
Connecticut Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES program) micrograms per deciliter (ugdl) of whole blood Infectious and Other Diseases Between 1998 and 2009 most bloodborne disease exposures such as needlesticks were not reported into the OIISS but this changed in 2009 so reports in this category cannot be compared to earlier years As shown on Table E-8 there was a very large number reported in 2009 (768 cases) In 2010 available reports in the OIISS data decreased to 284 Of the 2010 reports 55 were reports of exposures due to needlesticks or other injuries from contaminated sharps The other exposures were either to blood or other body fluids (exposures to spit were not included since the risk level is low) with 26 of reports or human bites that broke the skin (19) There were 22 reports of scabies 13 of pinworm or ringworm (almost all pinworm) and 12 reports of tuberculosis test conversions In addition to the infectious diseases there were 33 miscellaneous occupational illnesses reported by physicians in 2010 (Table E-8) This included 13 allergic reactions 6 cases of hearing loss and 4 cases of headache dizziness or similar symptoms
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
33
Table E-8 Infectious and Other Illnesses 2009 2010 Illness 2009 2010 Bloodborne 768 284 Scabies 55 22 Pinworm or ringworm 2 13 TBPPD 57 12 Lice 3 8 Flu 15 0 Lymetick bite 3 0 Other infectious 36 8 Subtotal Infectious 939 347 Allergic 14 13 Hearing loss 5 6 Stressheart 8 3 Headachedizzy 11 4 Heatcold 5 1 Other 16 6 Subtotal Other 59 33 Total 998 380
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
34
F Summary of Diseases Figure F-1 shows the totals by disease category for 2010 (the database appears incomplete for the OIISS) for three reporting systems the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA (BLS) Workersrsquo Compensation (WCC) and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS physician reports) Categories have been combined to make comparisons as close as possible however differences in the three systemsrsquo definitions make comparisons incomplete For example Workersrsquo Compensation only requires reporting for lost-time or restricted duty cases while the other two reporting systems require all occupational illnesses to be reported According to the Department of Public Health although all physicians are legally required to report occupational disease only a minority report Lead reports from the laboratory reporting system are combined into ldquolung and poisoningrdquo under the OIISS The BLSConn-OSHA system discontinued collecting ldquorepetitive traumardquo as a category in 2002 so MSD has been estimated based on the proportion of ldquoother illnessrdquo in the 2001 dataset which was 85 Appendix 1 details differences in the data systems Figure F-1 Summary of Diseases Reported By System 2010
Notes BLS=Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnOSHA survey WC=Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury Database OIISS= Physicians reports from the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System MSD for the BLS database was estimated using prior proportions from ldquootherrdquo (85) The Workersrsquo Compensation database showed the highest number of cases with 5772 cases reported followed by BLS with 3000 and the (incomplete) physiciansrsquo reportinglaboratory database with 1189 cases Previous research has shown that there is a fairly low amount of overlap between these systems so total cases are higher than these figures might indicate Overall BLS reports in 2010 decreased 12 from 2009 Workersrsquo Compensation reports decreased 10 and physicians (incomplete) reports decreased by 57 Longer term trends in number of reports are complex with BLS trends generally declining Workersrsquo Compensation data showing an early increase and then a dramatic
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
Lung amp Poisoning Skin Infectious MSD Other
BLS
WC
OIISS
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
35
increase in 2008 and 2009 (the Workersrsquo Compensation database appears incomplete in 2003 and 2005-2007) and physician reports remaining fairly stable until the 2010 data Figure F-2 Trend in Occupational Disease Reports by Reporting System 1998-2010
Notes BLS= Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA survey WCC= Workersrsquo Compensation First Report of Injury OIISS= Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System (physician reports) Note BLS figures in 2002 not comparable to prior years due to changes in data collection WCC data may not be complete for 2003 2005-2007 OIISS was not complete for 2010
-
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
BLS
WCC
OIISS
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
36
G Appendix 1 Databases and Methods Determining the incidence of occupational illness in Connecticut is difficult The problem is two-fold 1) occupationally-related illness is not consistently recognized as work-related and 2) the cases reported to either the Department of Labor andor the occupational health surveillance division of the Department of Public Health are not complete Consequently this assessment of occupational disease reviews a number of sources of information the Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Report of Injury database the Bureau of Labor StatisticsConnecticut Occupational Safety and Health Administration Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System and the Connecticut Adult Blood Level Epidemiology Surveillance Program The Workersrsquo Compensation database was provided in electronic form from the CT Workersrsquo Compensation Commission and the physiciansrsquo report from the CT Department of Public Health The BLSConn-OSHA survey data was provided in table form from the Connecticut Department of Labor
Assumptions and Conventions The Workersrsquo Compensation Commissionrsquos First Reports of Injury database and the Occupational Illnesses and Injury Surveillance System (OIISS referred to as Physiciansrsquo Reports) were reviewed in depth A rationale for the data review was developed to differentiate occupational illnesses from injuries and to classify the workplace reports by nature and cause of the illness Each entry was reviewed for internal consistency and reasonableness Specifically the process employed the following steps
1) Clear acute injuries were eliminated (approximately 90 of the Workersrsquo Compensation database and 30 of the Physicians Reports) In assessing the Workersrsquo Compensation First Reports of Injury a line by line review of injury descriptions nature descriptions and codes listed causes and part of body were used to determine whether an injury or illness was described The determination relied most heavily on the injury description and then on the other data fields in the order listed above
The Physiciansrsquo Reports are organized differently Numerical ldquoNature of Injury or Illnessrdquo codes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System (ANSI Z162-1995 American National Standard for Information Management for Occupational Safety and Health) were used as the primary indicator to evaluate the records Cause certainty diagnosis ICD codes suspected agent and symptom fields were also reviewed in determining illness or injury Categories that were eliminated included all burns eye problems such as conjunctivitis or chemical exposures lower back problems (including sciatica) hernias infected wounds or burns insect and animal bites (with the exception of tick bites because of the relationship with Lyme Disease) and electrical shocks
2) Validity of remaining records was determined Records were reviewed to be sure that the coding
of types of disease was consistent with other information in the record In addition diseases were categorized by type of disease References used include Occupational Health Recognizing and Preventing Work-Related Disease Fourth Edition Levy Barry S and Wegman David H Little Brown and Company 2000 and Chemical Hazards of the Workplace Proctor Nick H and Hughes James P JP Lippincott Company 1978 Physicians at the University of Connecticut Health Centerrsquos Division of Occupational Medicine reviewed specific data records where there were questions about diagnoses
3) Fields were either revised or added to the databases Illness Type and Nature of Illness The
Nature of Illness was based on the information in the databases research and general information
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
37
about the illnesses Then each entry was categorized by Illness Type The specific nature categories were grouped into broader categories to support graphic representation For the Workersrsquo Compensation database the description of injury was used as the key description of the illness if it disagreed with the coding for other variables
4) Employers were coded for industry utilizing a comprehensive list of Connecticut employers from
the CT Department of Labor Prior to 2003 this coding utilized the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) but beginning in 2003 this was changed to the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) for the BLS and workersrsquo compensation data in response to the national change to that system for BLS data Rates were calculated using employment figures from the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics Division of the CT Labor Dept
5) Data was cleaned tabulated and put into presentation form using SPSS for Windows Microsoft
Access Excel and Word software
6) The report is reviewed by the Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission prior to publication
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
38
H Appendix 2 Occupational Disease Detail by Type and Year Table H-1 Cases of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979 ndash 2010
Employ All Ill Skin MSD Lung-dust Respir Poison Physical Other
1979 1358 3322 1716 471 25 317 175 250 368 1980 1394 3066 1586 513 88 214 66 199 400 1981 1409 3214 1509 701 38 290 89 192 395 1982 1400 2549 1130 580 31 223 31 216 323 1983 1419 2930 1236 665 20 154 152 176 519 1984 1490 2735 1109 665 24 273 65 162 432 1985 1528 2809 928 727 44 233 51 130 693 1986 1567 2719 808 761 39 274 65 235 538 1987 1607 4643 1352 1430 31 300 62 704 754 1988 1637 4364 1257 405 35 332 56 405 733 1989 1634 5844 1248 2629 57 277 74 468 1087 1990 1593 5307 1032 2535 93 457 54 496 641 1991 1518 6094 946 3454 62 422 113 501 591 1992 1483 6458 1084 3852 37 471 53 349 612 1993 1487 8369 965 5526 52 512 166 346 802 1994 1502 7319 957 4482 74 410 97 313 986 1995 1520 6787 884 4220 80 323 35 349 896 1996 1538 6021 827 3711 40 418 34 235 756 1997 1570 5419 620 3335 21 287 70 150 936 1998 1597 5510 989 3398 10 459 45 92 517 1999 1630 5513 793 3306 20 386 71 265 671 2000 1653 6396 897 3827 65 438 29 137 1003 2001 1572 5514 916 3220 10 630 29 118 591
Employ All Ill Skin Respir Poison Hearing Other 2002 1602 4387 831 320 78 3159 2003 1605 4559 903 490 32 3132 2004 1603 4572 832 354 35 466 2886 2005 1614 4850 848 480 8 381 3134 2006 1636 3787 575 235 38 439 2500 2007 1667 3904 624 358 22 457 2443 2008 1675 3562 690 293 130 360 2088 2009 1629 3400 600 300 -- 500 2000 2010 1629 3000 700 300 300 1700
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years Employment in thousands Since this data is based on a weighted survey some of these numbers (particularly the smaller numbers) are not reliable
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
39
Table H-2 Rate per 10000 Workers of Occupational Disease by Type Bureau of Labor StatisticsConn-OSHA 1979-2010
Year Employed Skin MSD RespLung Poisoning Other Hearing Total 1979 1358000 126 35 25 13 82 245 1980 1394000 114 37 22 05 86 220 1981 1409000 107 5 23 06 94 228 1982 1400000 81 41 18 02 82 182 1983 1419000 87 47 12 11 97 206 1984 1490000 74 45 2 04 86 184 1985 1528000 61 48 18 03 104 184 1986 1567000 52 49 2 04 10 174 1987 1607000 84 89 21 04 182 289 1988 1637000 77 25 22 03 96 267 1989 1634000 76 161 2 05 26 358 1990 1593000 65 159 35 03 236 333 1991 1518000 62 228 32 07 304 401 1992 1483000 73 26 34 04 327 435 1993 1487000 65 372 38 11 452 563 1994 1501800 64 298 32 06 39 487 1995 1520000 58 278 27 02 365 447 1996 1538000 54 241 3 02 308 391 1997 1570500 39 212 2 04 283 345 1998 1596900 62 213 29 03 252 345 1999 1630100 49 203 25 04 261 338 2000 1653000 54 232 3 02 304 387 2001 1571000 58 205 41 02 251 351 Year Employ Skin Respiratory Poison Other Hearing Total 2002 1602000 62 24 06 237 329 2003 1605000 69 38 02 240 349 2004 1603100 64 27 03 221 36 349 2005 1614100 63 36 233 28 360 2006 1635700 43 18 03 188 33 284 2007 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2008 1666600 47 27 02 182 34 292 2009 1675000 51 22 1 154 27 263 2010 1639300 51 21 131 25 231
Source BLSConn-OSHA Data collection methods and categories changed in 2002 and are not comparable to prior years ldquoOtherrdquo includes the pre-2002 categories of MSD Physical Lung-dust and Other
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
40
I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health General Health and Safety Sites One of the best sources of information for job health and safety on the internet is the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) homepage which includes an ergonomics homepage a searchable index of standards and a listing of health and safety sites on the internet httpwwwoshagov To look up OSHA citations by company or industry httpwwwoshagovplsimisestablishmenthtml NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) is another good general source httpwwwcdcgovnioshhomepagehtml EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a number of sites relevant to occupational health on indoor air quality asbestos and other topics wwwepagov wwwepagoviaq The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center is the home for the occupational health listserve (formerly based at Duke) with a good set of technical links to other occupational health resources httpwwwocchealthnewsnet The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has hundreds of resources on their health and safety internet resource list Start at their home page then choose Resources (on the top bar) then Internet Directory httpwwwccohsca New Jersey Health Dept has 1600 excellent chemical hazard factsheets that are free independently researched and clearly written (650 in Spanish) on hundreds of substances httpwebdohstatenjusrtkhsfsindexfsaspx Vermont safety information resources has a database of material safety data sheets (MSDS) from a large number of chemical companies httpwwwsiriorg Several safety organizations have useful websites wwwnscorg The National Safety Council wwwaihaorg The American Industrial Hygiene Association wwwasseorg American Society of Safety Engineers wwwnfpaorg National Fire Protection Assoc wwwsafetycentralorg International Safety Equipment Association For a labor perspective the national AFL-CIO includes a health and safety page httpwwwaflcioorgIssuesJob-Safety and NYCOSH (New York Council for Occupational Safety and Health) covers a lot of news and has a list serve httpwwwnycoshorg The Connecticut Business and Industry Association has a health and safety page that helps businesses understand what OSHA laws apply to them and provides information on upcoming conferences and events httpwww5cbiacomhrs=health+and+safety
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
41
The Environmental Defense Fund has a scorecard page with information about the health effects of chemical emissions from 17000 industrial facilities and the testing of chemicals with maps and interactive databases httpwwwscorecardorg The Cal-OSHA Reporter carries current stories on job health and safety at httpwwwcal-oshacom There are at least a couple of blogs that carry job health and safety news and commentary These include httpweeklytollblogspotcom which includes a listing of those who have been killed on the job in the past week the Pump Handle at httpscienceblogscomthepumphandle which continues the legacy of Jordan Barabrsquos blog and httpworkerscompinsidercom which covers workersrsquo compensation issues The Toxic Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell has extensive resources on safer alternatives to toxic substances including a database on alternatives to solvents at httpwwwturiorg UMass-Lowellrsquos Center for Sustainable Production has information on changing chemical policies at httpwwwsustainableproductionorg The Health and Safety Executive of Great Britain has extensive information on the new European Unionrsquos REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) at httpwwwhsegovukreachindexhtm OSHA has a discussion of the US program that responds to the International Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication httpwwwoshagovdsghazcomglobalhtml State of Connecticut Resources The Connecticut Workersrsquo Compensation Commission has an excellent website including information on the locations of offices a searchable version of the workersrsquo compensation statutes new decisions and other information httpwccstatectus The ConneCT website allows access to all state agencies httpwwwstatectus The State Department of Public Health includes a site for the occupational health program including versions of the occupational lung disease newsletter factsheets httpwwwctgovdphoccupationalhealth The Connecticut Labor Department includes an occupational health services site which includes information on their free consultation program and a great set of links to other health and safety sites httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm The Connecticut General Assembly website lets you search for any bill being considered or get information about relevant committees such as Labor and Public Employees or Public Health httpwwwcgactgov You can track national bills on the National Library of Congress site known as Thomas httpthomaslocgov You can search the medical literature at PubMed at wwwpubmedgov or more general academic searches httpscholargooglecomschhptab=ws through Google Scholar UConn Health Centerrsquos Occupational and Environmental Health Center has information and links on job health and safety httpwwwoehcuchcedu and has a center on Healthy Workplaces with UMass Lowell at httpwwwoehcuchceduhealthywork In addition the Center for Indoor Environments and Health httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp provides guidance on environmental concerns in schools and office buildings
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
42
Ergonomic Sites and Links ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp Ergoweb has a lot of good factsheets documents and news httpwwwergowebcom Tom Bernardrsquos website at University of South Florida has many of the standards and excellent free electronic ergonomic analysis tools such as the NIOSH lifting equation at httppersonalhealthusfedutbernardergotoolsindexhtml Tom Armstrong at the University of Michigan runs one of the most respected university training programs for ergonomics and at httpwww-personalumichedu~tja has extensive information tools and lectures Cornell Universityrsquos Alan Hedge has an active ergonomics program with reports posted on graduate student projects and evaluation of ergonomic products at httpergohumancornelledu The University of Virginia has ergonomics training and resources at httpehsvirginiaeduehsehsergoergohtml A download of an interesting ergonomics software program developed by Battelle Labs for the Dept of Energy called ErgoEaser is available for free The program lets you input measurements of workstations and operators to help analyze computer workstations and lifting httphssenergygovergoeaserdownloadhtml Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the main professional association in ergonomics httpwwwhfesorg CTD News Monthly Newsletter homepage httpwwwctdnewscom User and injured workers groups include lots of links and info from injured workers at the Typing Injury FAQ at httpwwwtifaqorg and RSIUK Information about Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) originating from the UK with information gathered from sources around the globe httpwwwrsi-ukorguk The Job Stress Network web page is dedicated to increasing communication among researchers and others interested in job stress and its impact on health httpwwwworkhealthorg Usernomics Ergonomics is a commercial site around disability and usability issues httpwwwusernomicscom IBMrsquos websiteon computer ergonomics is at httpwwwpcibmcomwwhealthycomputingindexhtml Medical Multimedia Group has patient education materials with good graphics and explanations httpwwwmedicalmultimediagroupcom Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
43
J Appendix 4 Whos Who Resources in Connecticut on Job Safety and Health Academic Programs and Courses Central Connecticut State University School of Technology Type of Degree Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with a Specialization in Environmental and
Occupational Safety Faculty contact Paul J Resetarits PhD Address Copernicus Hall Rm 2121000 CCSU 1615 Stanley Rd New Britain CT 06050 Phone (860) 832-1834 e-mail Resetaritsccsuedu Web httpfinalsiteccsuedupagecfmp=6665 University of Connecticut Health Center Department of Community Medicine MPH Program Masters in Public Health program with ergonomicoccupational health courses Director David Gregorio PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6325 Phone (860) 679-5480 Fax (860) 679-1581 e-mail gregorionsouchcedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedmphindexhtml University of Connecticut Health Center PhD in Public Health with a concentration in Occupational
and Environmental Health Sciences Co-Directors Nick Warren ScD MAT and Larry Silbart PhD Address UConn Health Center 263 Farmington Ave Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4023 Fax (860-679-1349 e-mail warrennsouchcedu lawrencesilbartuconnedu Web httpwwwcommeduchceduedphdindexhtml OSHA ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies Director Ken Tucker Address Labor Dept 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 263-6900 Fax (860) 263-6940 Web httpwwwctdolstatectusoshaoshahtm Publications ConnOSHA Quarterly OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Federal OSHA inspects workplaces in the private sector for violations of standards and also has information and pamphlets OSHA Bridgeport Office (Fairfield New Haven and Middlesex counties) Director Kang Yi Address 1057 Broad Street 4th Floor Bridgeport Connecticut 06604 Phone (203) 579-5581 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (203) 579-5516 Web wwwoshagov (national)
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
44
OSHA Hartford Office Director Robert W Kowalski Address 450 Main St Room 613 Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 240-3152 National Hotline after hours etc (800) 321-OSHA (6742) Fax (860) 240-3155 Academic Occupational Health Clinics University of Connecticut Occupational and Environmental Health Center Clinic Director Dr Oluremi Aliyu Address UConn Health Center 270 Farmington Ave The Exchange Suite 262 Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2893 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail aliyuuchcedu Web wwwoehcuchcedu Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program Director Dr Carrie A Redlich Address Occupational and Environmental Medicine 135 College St Rm 366 New Haven CT 06510
Phone (203) 785-4197 Fax (203) 785-7391 e-mail CarrieRedlichyaleedu Web httpinfomedyaleeduintmedoccmed Occupational Health Clinics Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health Director Peter Kowalski Business Development Director Address 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield CT 06109 Phone (860) 696-2400 Fax (860) 696-2411 e-mail pkowalskiharthosporg Web httpwwwhartfordmedicalgroupcomindexcfmfuseactionsitecontenttype44158custom1cfm Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Suite 203 Avon (860) 284-5111 1776 Boston Turnpike Coventry (860) 742-7315 265 Ellington Rd East Hartford (860) 569-8800 100 Hazard Avenue Suite 101 Enfield (860) 696-2380 676 Hebron Avenue Glastonbury (860) 696-2250 256 N Main Street Manchester (860) 696-2300 336 N Main Street West Hartford (860) 232-4891 445 S Main Street West Hartford (860) 561-7111 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 683-2690 Occupational Health Plus St Raphael Hospital Medical Director Dr Peter Amato Address 175 Sherman Ave New Haven CT 06511 Phone (203) 789-3392 Fax (203) 867-5455 e-mail pamatosrhsorg General Contact Debbie Hunter- dhuntersrhsorg Web httpwwwsrhsorgocchealth Other Offices 84 North Main Street Suite 200 Branford (203) 789-5195 2080 Whitney Ave Suite 150 Hamden (203) 789-6240
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
45
Griffin Hospital Occupational Medicine Address 100 Commerce Drive Shelton CT 06484 Director Dave Maffei Phone (203) 944-3718 Fax (203) 929-3068 General Contact Lisa Bisson (203) 944-3718 or lbissongriffinhealthorg e-mail dmaffeigriffinhealthorg Web httpwwwgriffinhealthorgOccupational-Medicine-Centeraspx Concentra Address 701 Main Street East Hartford CT 06108 Medical Director David Feinstein Phone (860) 289-5561 Fax (860) 291-1895 e-mail david_feinsteinconcentracom Web wwwconcentracom Other Offices 972 A West Main Street New Britain (860) 827-0745 1080 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 298-8442 8 South Commons Rd Waterbury (203) 759-1229 333 Kennedy Drive Torrington (860) 482-4552 900 Northrup Rd Wallingford (203) 949-1534 370 James Street New Haven (203) 503-0482 555 Lordship Blvd Stratford (203) 380-5945 15 Commerce Road 3rd Floor Stamford (203) 324-9100 10 Connecticut Avenue Norwich (860) 859-5100 Eastern Rehabilitation Network Hartford Hospital Director Subramani Seegharama Address 181Patricia M Genova Drive Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 696-2500 Fax (860) 696-2525 e-mail maileasternrehabnet Web wwweasternrehabnet Other Offices 100 Simsbury Road Avon (860) 674-0255 100 Hazard Avenue Enfield (860) 696-2690 265 Ellington Road East Hartford (860) 291-2789 330 Western Boulevard Glastonbury (860) 657-4723 18 East Granby Road Granby (860) 653-2301 85 Seymour Street Suite 604 Hartford (860) 545-5130 252 North Main Street Manchester (860) 643-3562 1064 East Main Street Meriden (203) 235-9622 445 South Main Street West Hartford (860) 521-8800 334 North Main Street West Hartford (860) 236-7771 Blue Back Square 65 Memorial Road West Hartford (860)231-1707 1025 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield (860) 696-2670 1060 Day Hill Road Windsor (860) 688-0236 863 North Main St Ext Wallingford (203) 694-5528 Middlesex Hospital Occupational Med Director Dr Thomas J Danyliw Address 534 Saybrook Rd Middletown CT 06457 Phone (860) 358-2750 Fax (860) 348-2757 e-mail tom_danyliw_mdmidhosporg Web httpmiddlesexhospitalorgour-serviceshospital-servicesoccupational-medicineoverviewoccupational-medicine-at-middlesex-hospital Other Office 192 Westbrook Road Essex (860) 358-3840 Johnson Occupational Medicine Coordinator Kathleen Heim Address 140 Hazard Ave Suite 101 Enfield CT 06082 Phone (860) 763-7668 Fax (860) 763-7676 Web httpwwwjmmccomjomc-mainphp
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
46
St Maryrsquos Hospital Occupational Health and Diagnostic Center Medical Director Dr Erica Martinucci Address 1320 West Main St Building 1 Waterbury CT 06708 Phone (203) 709-3740 Fax (203) 709-3741 Web httpwwwstmhorgpatient_servicesoccupational_healthhtml Lawrence and Memorial Occupational Health Center (Pequot Health Center) Medical Director Dr Geraldine Ruffa Contact Ruth Moreau Address 52 Hazlenut Hill Rd Groton CT 06340 Phone (860) 446-8265 x 7074 Fax (860) 448-6961 Email rmoreaulmhosporg Web httpwwwlmhospitalorgconditions-servicesoccupational-health-centeraspx Other site 248 Flanders Road Niantic (860) 691-1890 Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center Manager Hunter Giroux CEO Address (corporate) 675 Tower Avenue Suite 404B Hartford CT 06112 Phone (860) 714-6188 Fax (860) 714-8068 e-mail hgirouxstfranciscareorg Web httpcompllcorg Other sites 114 Woodland Street Hartford 860-714-4270 1598 East Main St Torrington (860) 482-3467
100 Deerfield Road Windsor 860-714-9444 Affliates
MedWorks of Bristol Hospital Address 539 Farmington Ave Bristol CT 06010 Phone (860) 589-0114 e-mail lleonettbristolhospitalorg Web httpwwwbristolhospitalorgServicesmedworksaspx Other Office 375 East Cedar St Newington (860) 667- 4418 prussobristolhospitalorg ECHN CorpCare Director Carol Holman Address 1075 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 Phone (860) 647-4796 Fax (860) 646-3945 e-mail cholmanechnorg Web httpwwwechnorgLocationsCorpCare-Occupational-Healthaspx
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
47
Organizations American Lung Association of New England A non-profit association geared towards preventing lung disease including occupational lung disease Senior Director Cathie Arnold Connecticut Address 45 Ash St East Hartford CT 06108 Phone (860) 289-5401 Fax (860) 289-5405 e-mail alaofctaolcom Web httpwwwlungorgassociationschartersnortheast Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Connecticut A community-based coalition of environmental public health and labor organizations providing resources and
advocacy for reducing the use of toxic chemicals through substitution of safer alternatives Coordinator Anne Hulick RN JD Address co Clean Water Action 645 Farmington Ave Fl 3 Hartford CT 06105 Phone (860) 232-6232 Fax (860) 232-6334 e-mail ahulicklcleanwaterorg Web httpwwwsafehealthyctorg Connecticut Safety CouncilSafety Roundtable Associated with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the Council offers seminars training courses consulting and policy discussions on safety and regulations Contact Mark Soycher Address 350 Church St Hartford CT 06103-1126 Phone (860) 244-1900 Fax (860) 278-8562 e-mail MarkSoychercbiacom Web httpwww5cbiacomhrs=Ct+Safety+Council ConnectiCOSH (The Connecticut Council for Occupational Safety and Health) CTCOSH is a union-based non-profit organization for education and political action on job safety and health They have conferences fact sheets and speakers Director Mike Fitts Address 683 No Mountain Rd Newington CT 06111 Phone (860) 953-COSH (2674) Fax (860) 953-1038 e-mail mikectcoshsnetnet Web httpconnecticoshorg Ergonomic Technology Center (ErgoCenter) and Healthy Workplace Center (Center for the Promotion
of Health in the New England Workplace) The ErgoCenter is a center for prevention of repetitive strain injuries based at UConn Health Center which does training research consulting and clinical care and the Healthy Workplace Center is a NIOSH-funded center combining occupational safety and health with health promotion Director Martin Cherniack MD MPH Address ErgoCenterHealthy Workplace Center UCHC Farmington CT 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-4916 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail cherniacknsouchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
48
Center for Indoor Environments and Health (CIEH) The CIEH at the University of Connecticut Health Center works with public health agencies companies clinics and individuals to promote indoor environments which protect the health of building occupants and provide productive creative spaces for learning and work Asst Director Paula Schenck MPH Address The Exchange Bldg Suite 262 270 Farmington Avenue Farmington Connecticut 06030-6210 Phone (860) 679-2368 Fax (860) 679-1349 e-mail schencknso2uchcedu Web httpwwwoehcuchceduCIEHasp Professional Associations American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Connecticut River Valley Section A professional association for industrial hygienists President 2011 David M Gioiello Jr CIH CSP Address Hamilton IHampSC Inc 17 Hazel Terrace Woodbridge CT 06525 Phone (203) 389-8550 e-mail dgioielloih-sccom Web httpwwwaihaorglocalsectionshtmlcrvcrvhtml Connecticut Safety Society A professional association for safety inspectors President Bill Moran Wallingford CT 06492 Phone (203) 260-3444 e-mail presidentctsafetyorg Web httpwwwctsafetyorg American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) A non-profit association for enhancing the competence and
knowledge of the safety profession Connecticut Valley Chapter (Northern CT) Address Box 106 1131-0 Tolland Turnpike Manchester CT 06040 President John Able- ablejohndolgov Communications Chair David Gelpke CSP Phone (203) 639-2440 e-mail dgelpkecanberracom Web httpctvalleyasseorg Nutmeg Chapter (Southern CT) President David Pataky safeteeoptonlinenet Web httpnutmegasseorgindexphp Air amp Waste Management Association (AWMA) Connecticut Chapter The Air amp Waste Management Association provides training information and networking opportunities to
environmental professionals The Connecticut Chapter New England Section provides periodic forums for discussion and sponsors an annual student scholarship
Secretary Dana Lowes-Hobson Phone (860) 298-6203 e-mail dlowes-hobsontrcsolutionscom Web httpwwwawmanewenglandorgconnecticut_chapterhtm
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
49
Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Workers Compensation Committee An association of attorneys specializing in workers compensation mostly for claimants Executive Director Neil Ferstand Address 150 Trumbull Street 2nd Floor Hartford CT 06103 Phone (860) 522-4345 Fax (860) 522-1027 Web wwwcttriallawyersorg CT Bar Association Workers Compensation Section This is a professional association of attorneys who concentrate in workers compensation Chair Attn David Weil Phone (203) 250-2000 e-mail dweilnuzzo-robertscom Web httpswwwctbarorgPageaspxId=868 New England College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine The association for occupational
medicine doctors including many of the physicians working for industry Executive Director Dianne Plantamura MSW Address 22 Mill Street Groveland MA 01834 Phone (978) 373-5597 e-mail diannepnecoemorg Web httpwwwnecoemorg Northeast Association of Occupational Health Nurses CT Chapter The association of occupational health
nurses including most of the nurses working in industry President Meg Gildea APRNMSN e-mail margueritegildeapwutccom Web httpctneaohnorg State Agencies Department of Public Health (DPH) Occupational Health Unit Investigates clusters of occupational
diseases Programs for radon asbestos AIDS lead asthma CT Schools Environmental Resource Team TB control and infectious disease also at the DPH)
Director Tom St Louis Address DPH OHP 410 Capitol Ave MS 11EOH PO Box 340308 Hartford CT 06134-0308 Phone 860) 509-7740 Fax (860) 509-7785 Web httpwwwctgovdphcwpviewaspa=3140ampq=387472ampdphNav_GID=1828 State Office of Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Reuben F Bradford Phone (860) 256-0800 Fax (860) 256-0815 e-mail commdemhsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdemhssitedefaultasp
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
-
- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
-
- Assumptions and Conventions
-
- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
-
- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
-
- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
-
- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
-
- ECHN CorpCare
-
- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
-
- Workers Compensation Commission
-
50
State Emergency Response Commission DEP Bureau of Waste Management Oversees plans for response to chemical accidents and collects chemical information for the public under Community Right to Know Chairman Gerard P Goudreau Address 79 Elm St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-5127 Phone (860) 424-3373 Fax (860) 424-4062 e-mail depctepcractgov Web httpwwwctgovserc Connecticut Fire Academy Commission on Fire Prevention amp Control Safety training amp standards compliance Training Director Adam Piskura Address 34 Perimeter Road Windsor Locks CT 06096-1069 Phone (860) 627-6363 or toll free (877) 5CT-FIRE (only in CT) Fax (860) 654-1889 e-mail adampiskuractgov Web wwwstatectuscfpc Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Radiation Safety Unit Director Edward Wilds Phone (860) 424-3029 (860) 424-3333 247 Emergency Fax (860) 424-4065 e-mail edwardwildsctgov Web httpwwwctgovdepcwpviewaspa=2713ampq=324824ampdepNav_GID=1639ampdepNav=| Workers Compensation Commission Chairmans Office and Review Board Oversees Workersrsquo Compensation benefits provides educational services on occupational safety and health safety and health committees and provides rehabilitation services for workers injured on the job Chairman John A Mastropietro Address 21 Oak St 4th Floor Hartford CT 06106-8011 Phone (860) 493-1500 Information (800) 223-WORK (9675) Fax (860) 247-1361 e-mail wccchairmansofficepostatectus Web httpwccstatectus Workers Compensation District Offices 1 999 Asylum Ave Hartford CT 06105 (860) 566-4154 Fax (860) 566-6137 2 55 Main St Norwich CT 06360 (860) 823-3900 Fax (860) 823-1725 3 700 State St New Haven CT 06511 (203) 789-7512 Fax (203) 789-7168 4 350 Fairfield Ave 2nd Floor Bridgeport CT 06604 (203) 382-5600 Fax (203) 335-8760 5 55 West Main St Waterbury CT 06702 (203) 596-4207 Fax (203) 805-6501 6 233 Main St New Britain CT 06051 (860) 827-7180 Fax (860) 827-7913 7 111 High Ridge Rd Stamford CT 06905-5111 (203) 325-3881 Fax (203) 967-7264 8 90 Court St Middletown CT 06457 (860) 344-7453 Fax (860) 344-7487 The Whorsquos Who is compiled by Tim Morse PhD and Paula Schenck MPH at the UConn Health Center To update or add a listing please contact them at tmorseuchcedu schenckuchcedu
- Overview of Report
- Table C-1 Occupational Disease by Type BLSConn-OSHA 2009 2010
- Figure D-1 Percent of Women by Disease Type WCC 2010
- Numbers and rates of occupational illnesses are presented by major North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) sector in Figure D-3 and Table D-2 Ninety-seven percent (97) of reported cases were able to be coded for major industry sector
- Figure D-2 Occupational Illness Cases by Industry WCC CT 2010
- The percent of illnesses by industry may be compared to the percent of employment to understand which industries are at higher risk for illness Table D-2 shows these figures excluding cases where the industry was unknown Overall the rate of illnes
- Table D-2 Cases of Occupational Disease by Major Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 Type of Disease by Industry Sector WCC 2010
- Table D-3 provides the detail of industry sector by type of condition Patterns of illness by industry differed by the type of illness although Government was high in all categories particularly when including the Education sector Infectious diseas
- Table D-4 shows those specific industry (3-digit NAICS code) sectors that reported 50 or more cases of occupational illness in 2010 The list is ordered by the sectors with the highest number of cases listed first Government had the largest number of
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing had the next highest number (365 cases) followed by Food and Beverage stores (255) Nursing and Residential Care (237 cases) Administrative and Support Services (194) Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (15
- Numbers of cases are strongly affected by the size of employment in the sector (that is larger employers have more illnesses) Rates per 1000 employees were calculated for sectors with employment figures available to adjust for employment size Poli
- Table D-4 Specific Industry Sectors with over 50 Cases of Occupational Disease WCC 2010
- Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
- Table D-5 Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) by Type WCC 2009-10
- Table D-6 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Part of Body WCC 2010
- Infectious Diseases
- Table D-8 Infectious Diseases and Exposures by Type WCC 2009-10
- Respiratory Illness and Poisonings
- Table D-9 Respiratory Conditions and Poisonings by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Chronic Lung Conditions
-
- There were 72 cases of chronic lung conditions in 2010 a decrease of 48 from 2009 (Table D-10) These included asbestos-related diseases and exposures occupational asthma and other chronic lung diseases Acute respiratory illness are classified un
- Asbestos
-
- Table D-10 Chronic Lung Diseases by Type WCC 2009-10
- Skin Conditions
- Table D-11 Skin Diseases by Cause WCC 2009-10
- Stress and Heart Conditions
-
- Heart and Hypertension
- There were 304 cases involving heart conditions stroke chest pain hypertension or stress in the database for 2010 (Tables D-12 and D-13) a slight increase from 2009 Fifty (50) cases specifically mentioned heart attacks or myocardial infarctions
- Though not generally well described causes of the heart cases included multiple cases attributed to stress walkingrunning exertion violent situations and heat Over half of the cases (55) involved police or firefighters or other municipal emp
- Table D-12 Heart and Hypertension Conditions by Type WCC 2009-10
- Mental Stress
-
- Table D-13 Stress Conditions by Source WCC 2009-10
- Other Occupational Diseases
-
- Hearing Loss
- Other Disease Conditions
-
- Figure E-1 Occupational Disease by Age Range OISS 2010
-
- The Education and Health sector reported by far the most cases (57) followed by Government (13 Education and Health also includes government workers) and Manufacturing (11 Figure E-2 and Table E-2)
- Figure E-2 Occupational Disease by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Nerve Disorders
- CirculatoryCombinedOther
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- Figure E-3 Musculoskeletal Disorders by Industry Sector OIISS 2010
- Table E-4 Common causes of MSD OIISS 2010
- Skin Conditions
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- Assumptions and Conventions
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- I Appendix 3 Internet Resources for Job Safety and Health
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- ErgoCenter at UConn Health Center at httpwwwoehcuchceduergoasp
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- ConnOSHA ConnOSHA enforces state occupational safety and health regulations as they apply to state and municipal employees and offers free consultations to public agencies school districts and private companies
- Hartford Medical GroupmdashOccupational Health
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- Connecticut Occupational Medicine Partners LLC St Francis Hospital and Medical Center
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- ECHN CorpCare
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- Connecticut Safety Society
- A professional association for safety inspectors
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- Workers Compensation Commission
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