​What is oc​​cupational health and safety?

About 3 million people work in Maryland. Each year, roughly 3% of Maryland workers suffer a work-related injury or illness. Occupational injuries and illnesses are preventable. To protect Maryland’s workers, the Maryland Occupational Health and Safety Surveillance Project (OHSSP), with funding from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), does the following:

• Reports statistics and indicators on occupational illness and injury rates in Maryland;
• Collects reports from health care providers in Maryland who treat patients with reportable work-related illness and injury; and
• Provides assistance to Maryland Occupational Safety and Health and other agenc​ies concerned about possible work-related illness.​

Occupational Health Indicator​s

Maryland tracks 20 Occupational Health Indicator​s to provide more information about the health and safety of workers in Maryland

• An occupational health indicator is a measure of a work-related disease or injury, or a factor associated with occupational health, such as workplace exposures, hazards, or interventions, in a workforce population.
• These indicators are a set of 19 measures that are used to monitor the health of Maryland's workforce. Each indicator highlights a risk factor or category of injury or illness that can be tracked over time and compared to other states and the nation to highlight both successes and areas that may need additional exploration to protect the safety and health of Maryland's workers.​

What should I do if I​ have an occupational health concern?

Information for c​linicians

In Maryland, health care providers are required to report known or suspected cases of occupational diseases or health conditions aggravated by workplace exposures. Reports should be sent to the Environmental Health Coordination Program at MDH.

Click here​ to download the form that clinicians should use to report occupational illnesses and exposures. 

Reportable conditions include occupational lung disease, chemical exposures, carpal tunnel syndrome, work-related injuries in persons less than 18 years of age, and work-related disease outbreaks. Detailed reporting guidelines can be found on page 2 of the above form.

Resources by topic in occupational health and safety

Surveillan​​​ce and Maryland Indicators

• Maryland Occupational Health Surveillance Report, 2000-2013
  

CO​​VID​-19

• OSHA - Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace
• OSHA - COVID-19 Healthcare Emergency Temporary Standard​
• MOSH - COVID-19 Facemasks vs. Respirators: Understanding the Difference​​​
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Heat ​​Stress

• OSHA - Heat Illness Prevention
• MOSH - In accordance with House Bill 722, the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MOSH) will host four regional informational sessions prior to developing and adopting regulations to protect employees from heat-related stress in the workplace. Learn more. ​  ​
  

Opio​ids

• In November 2018 MDH hosted a workshop to address opioids in the workplace. You can find materials from that meeting here​ and the final report, Opioids in the Maryland Workplace: Challengs and Solutions (August 2019)
  
• ​HHS -Guide for Clinicians on the Appropriate Dosage Reduction or Discontinuation of Long-Term Opioid
• University of Maryland - Evaluation of an online training program focused on health care providers who treat work-related pain/injuries​
  

Zika​ virus

• OSHA - Interim Guidance for Protecting Workers from Occupational Exposure to Zika Virus
  

Asth​ma

• Asthma in the Workplace: What Every Health Care Provider and Worker Should Know (2015)​

Environmental hazards

• Confidential Report of Occupational/Environmental Disease and Reporting Guidelines for Physicians
  
• Baltimore City and DHMH final report on a building investigation (2013)