Work-related injuries and illnesses are preventable, and control of occupational hazards is the most effective means of prevention. Research has shown that relationships exist between the demographic characteristics of workers and the risk of occupational illness or injury. Understanding the basic characteristics of the New Hampshire workforce is vital to assessing possible occupational health risks for New Hampshire’s workers.

The New Hampshire Occupational Health Surveillance Program (NH OHSP) activities are aimed at better characterization of risk factors tied to workplace injury and illness, through dissemination of a variety of core occupational health indicators (OHIs) based on measures of health (work-related disease, injury, or disability) or factors associated with health, such as workplace exposures, hazards or interventions. These include work-related injuries and fatalities, occupational poisonings, work related asthma, and exposure to lead. The indicators represent a core set of data that, when collected at the state level, inform the development and implementation of programs to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses, to monitor trends and progress over time, and to inform policy making at the state and national level.

NH OHSP produces New Hampshire OHIs following the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) guides and recommendations (Please refer to CSTE website for more information: https://www.cste.org/page/OHIndicators). CSTE health indicator numbers are included in the indicator title on the dashboard.