The purpose for the June 2012 Use of Workers' Compensation Data for Occupational Safety and Health Workshop was to explore ways in which workers' compensation information can be used for public health research and surveillance. Thirty-five poster and platform presentations described studies that utilized workers' compensation information while exploring limitations of these resources. The workshop proceedings contain summary articles for the presentations plus notes from the discussion groups for the 6 white papers that were drafted for the workshop. The workshop was co-sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC), National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, Safety and Health Assessment for Research and Prevention (SHARP) program.

The Use of Workers' Compensation Data for Occupational Safety and Health Workshop was convened in June 2012 at the Frances Perkins Department of Labor Building in Washington DC. This was the second workshop that provided an opportunity for workers' compensation insurance industry organizations, public health practitioners and researchers, and government administrative agencies to discuss uses of workers' compensation data for public health issues. The burden of occupational injuries, illnesses and fatalities is substantial. In the U.S. alone, costs are estimated at $250 billion annually. Tracking these costs and underlying hazards is essential for control of the economic and social burdens. Workers' compensation insurance covers but a fraction of these costs, although nearly all employers are required by the individual state mandates to have policies. Seemingly, claims records would be available for each incident yet investigators report at this workshop and elsewhere that the records are incomplete. Collaboration across the vested interests is needed to make workers' compensation data more suitable for research and surveillance purposes. In combination with other occupational safety and health resources, further utilization of workers' compensation data can help alleviate the burden of occupational injuries and illnesses in the U.S. and elsewhere.

The Use of Workers' Compensation Data for Occupational Safety and Health Workshop was convened in June 2012 at the Frances Perkins Department of Labor Building in Washington DC. This was the second workshop that provided an opportunity for workers' compensation insurance industry organizations, public health practitioners and researchers, and government administrative agencies to discuss uses of workers' compensation data for public health issues.The purpose for the June 2012 Use of Workers' Compensation Data for Occupational Safety and Health Workshop was to continue to explore ways in which workers' compensation information can be used for these purposes. The National Academies has called for greater use of surveillance data in order to identify priorities, focus resources and evaluate prevention program effectiveness.Six white papers were drafted for the workshop and discussed in breakout groups. At the meeting, thirty-five poster and platform presentations described studies that utilized workers' compensation information while exploring limitations of these resources. These workshop proceedings contain summary articles for the presentations plus notes from the discussion groups for the 6 white papers.

Tracking health outcomes and their related behavioral and environmental factors is a vital public health function. The National Academies has urged greater use of occupational injury and illness tracking data at the national level to identify priorities, focus resources, and evaluate prevention program effectiveness. In September 2009, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) partnered with the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) and the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, Safety and Health Assessment and Research for Prevention (SHARP) program to sponsor a workshop on the use of workers' compensation data for occupational safety and health surveillance. Workshop participants came from academia, insurance companies and associations, self-insured corporations, labor unions, and state and federal government. Prominent researchers and stakeholders described and discussed potential use of workers' compensation data to track occupational injuries and illnesses, assess their burden, and identify innovative ideas for intervention. Panels concentrated on methods, the roles and perspectives of different stakeholders, and the factors that drive changes in incidence and cost. Opportunities and next steps were discussed in general sessions. These proceedings serve to inform the many stakeholders who did not attend the workshop. More importantly, these contents form a basis for continuing a dialogue on the use of workers' compensation data to track occupational injuries and to identify opportunities for protection of workers' health and well-being.

"The Workers' Compensation Data Use Workshop was convened to discuss opportunities for collaboration in the analysis of WC data in order to help reduce the risks of occupational injuries and illnesses. Stakeholders from private insurance carriers, insurance associations, self-insured corporations, academic institutions and government agencies participated. Presentations described differences among state laws, proper interpretation of common industry terms, proprietary interests in insurance data, public release of internal analyses, and methods for linking WC data with other health and employment data."--NIOSHTIC-2.

The workplace is where 156 million working adults in the United States spend many waking hours, and it has a profound influence on health and well-being. Although some occupations and work-related activities are more hazardous than others and face higher rates of injuries, illness, disease, and fatalities, workers in all occupations face some form of work-related safety and health concerns. Understanding those risks to prevent injury, illness, or even fatal incidents is an important function of society. Occupational safety and health (OSH) surveillance provides the data and analyses needed to understand the relationships between work and injuries and illnesses in order to improve worker safety and health and prevent work-related injuries and illnesses. Information about the circumstances in which workers are injured or made ill on the job and how these patterns change over time is essential to develop effective prevention programs and target future research. The nation needs a robust OSH surveillance system to provide this critical information for informing policy development, guiding educational and regulatory activities, developing safer technologies, and enabling research and prevention strategies that serves and protects all workers. A Smarter National Surveillance System for Occupational Safety and Health in the 21st Century provides a comprehensive assessment of the state of OSH surveillance. This report is intended to be useful to federal and state agencies that have an interest in occupational safety and health, but may also be of interest broadly to employers, labor unions and other worker advocacy organizations, the workers' compensation insurance industry, as well as state epidemiologists, academic researchers, and the broader public health community. The recommendations address the strengths and weaknesses of the envisioned system relative to the status quo and both short- and long-term actions and strategies needed to bring about a progressive evolution of the current system.

The purpose of this document is to help public health researchers and practitioners, particularly those in occupational safety and health, to broaden their understanding of workers' compensation insurance, relevant aspects of the insurance industry records, and the potential uses of that information for public health purposes. Workers' compensation insurance has been established in all states to provide income protection, medical treatment, and rehabilitation for employees who are injured or become ill as a result of work. Workers' compensation claims and medical treatment records along with other information resources have been used to conduct occupational safety and health research and surveillance and to identify intervention needs. Occupational safety and health research and surveillance are essential for the prevention and control of injuries, illnesses and hazards that arise from the workplace. Research and surveillance can fill gaps in knowledge about where hazards exist and what interventions are effective at preventing workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities. Workers' compensation insurance records are a resource used for these primary prevention purposes. In addition, workers' compensation records may be used for early detection of health outcomes in populations of workers which is part of secondary prevention. They may also be used to help identify effective medical treatment which is part of tertiary prevention. Workers' compensation insurance covers nearly all workers in the U.S. and provides those who are injured or become ill as a result of work with medical treatment, a portion of lost wages, and a lump sum for some permanent impairments. Nonetheless, there are limitations to conducting studies that rely on workers' compensation records since not all injuries and illnesses result in claims being filed. Furthermore, the data that are collected are not readily combined if obtained from multiple sources since requirements vary substantially among the states. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) joined with a number of public and private sector co-sponsors to convene two workshops on the use of workers' compensation data for occupational safety and health. Creation of this document was suggested at the second workshop as a means to describe elements of the workers' compensation insurance programs in the U.S. and the potential to utilize the records for public health purposes. Public health agencies, the workers' compensation industry, trade associations and the state-level programs share interests in utilizing these data to protect workers from occupational injuries and illnesses