Occupational Health

Workplace injuries and illness can be prevented. Information about where, how, and why working people in New York are getting sick or hurt on the job is needed to develop effective prevention strategies. Public health data can guide the development of new, safer technologies, educational activities, and regulatory and policy changes to make workplaces healthier and safe.

In order to promote the health, safety and quality of life of working people in New York, the Department of Health:

  • Collects, analyzes, interprets and disseminates information about work-related injuries, illnesses, and hazards in New York.
  • Uses this information to target intervention activities, guide the development of prevention programs and policies, and raise public awareness work workplace risks.
  • Educates workers, employers, and health care providers to address identified occupational health and safety problems, placing special emphasis on reaching under served worker populations.

Workplace Programs

  • National Toxic Substance Incidents Program - Information on hazardous substances spills/releases as part of the federal program.
  • Injury Prevention - Information on helmet safety, child passenger safety, driving safety and fall prevention.
  • Latex Allergy Information - Information on latex allergies with additional information for health care providers.
  • Occupational Health
    • Asbestos: Information on asbestos safety training providers and general information on asbestos
    • Heavy Metals Exposure: Lead, Mercury, Arsenic, and Cadmium - Information on the Heavy Metals Registry as well as preventing lead exposure
    • Industrial Hygiene Consultation Services: Industrial hygiene staff provide technical assistance and expertise to individuals, companies and industries for controlling workplace hazards.
    • Occupational Health Clinic Network: Information on the seven regionally based Clinics along with an agricultural medicine clinic. These clinics provide objective diagnosis of workers who are at increased risk of occupational illness; make referrals for treatment to other medical specialists, if necessary; perform industrial hygiene evaluation of workplaces of concern; and provide education and prevention programs
    • Occupational Lung Disease: Asthma, Silicosis, etc. - Information on the Occupational Lung Disease Registry as well as tools for health care providers on diagnosing occupational related lung diseases
    • Occupational Health Surveillance: Information on where, how and why workers get sick or hurt on the job
    • NYS Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation: Information about occupational fatalities, including reports, fact sheets, and prevention training materials
    • Promoting Worksite Wellness: Information on worksite wellness offering tools and resources for enhancing physical activity and nutrition and decreasing tobacco-use at the worksite
    • Right To Know Law: Information on the law that requires that employers make employees aware of the hazards and provide employees with the information needed to work safety
  • World Trade Center - Information on studies involving residents, and New York State employees and National Guard personnel as well as information on the data collection on deaths among WTC responders, recovery workers and volunteers.