State Occupational Safety and Health Surveillance Program (U60)

NIOSH has provided financial and technical assistance to develop or expand state-level OSH surveillance capacity and infrastructure since the 1970s. From 2021-2026, NIOSH funded cooperative agreements in 23 states under announcement PAR-20-312. These programs varied in scope and focus, each providing a level of occupational health expertise to the public health system in their state. Grantees included 19 state health departments, 2 state Departments of Labor, and 5 formal partnerships between state health departments and universities (bona fide agents). More information about these OSH surveillance programs is available on the NIOSH Extramural Program website. 

With this funding announcement, NIOSH maintains its priority to develop OSH surveillance capacity within state and jurisdictional public health systems, utilizing public and other data sources such as electronic medical and laboratory reporting, hospital discharge databases, death records, cancer registries, and public health surveys. OSH surveillance, when coupled with other public health surveillance efforts, also provides the opportunity to assess the role of work in the overall health status of the U.S. population.

State public health agencies and their partners can link OSH surveillance findings with voluntary interventions, education, and outreach activities. While federal and state regulatory programs establish and enforce health and safety standards, they do not include all workplaces and may have limited jurisdictional authority. Through the application of public health approaches, state OSH surveillance programs can identify new problems, develop tailored interventions, encourage participation, and evaluate impacts with a broader scope and in ways that regulatory counterparts cannot. By working in partnership with NIOSH, these programs help fill critical gaps to protect the health and safety of all working people.