Occupational Safety and Health Data Collection

And Injury Prevention Work Group

 

Minutes

 

Bureau of Labor Standards

First Floor Training Room

September 15, 2004

9:30 AM – 11:30 AM

 

 

Present: Bill Peabody, Chair (Maine Department of Labor), Brad Brown (Maine Bureau of Insurance), Peter Doran (Maine Occupational Research Agenda), Carol Grenier (sitting in for Stefanie LaRose, Cannon Cochran Management Services, Inc.), Kim Lim (Maine Department of Labor), Louise Morang (Maine Association of Occupational Nurses), Pat Philbrook (Maine State Nurses Association), John Rioux (Maine Department of Labor), and Leslie Walleigh (Workplace Health). 

 

Absent: Gary Baxter (Maine Employers Mutual Insurance Company), Brian Doe (Hannaford), Denise Dumont (US HealthWorks), Vanessa Santarelli (Maine Department of Labor), Saskia Janes (Maine Public Health Association), Stefanie LaRose (Canon Cochran Management Services, Inc.), Jeff Levesque (Workers’ Compensation Board), Steve Minkowsky (Workers’ Compensation Board), Ralph Tucker (McTeague-Higbee), and Dave Wacker (Maine Department of Labor).

 

Staff:  Ted Bradstreet and Terry Hathaway (Maine Department of Labor).

 

Guests: Ann Beaulieu and Desi-Rae Mason (Maine Department of Labor) and Al May (Maine Department of Health and Human Services).

 

Chair Bill Peabody opened the ninth meeting of the Occupational Safety and Health Data Collection and Injury Prevention Work Group at 9: 40 A.M.

 

Introduction of Members.  Members and guests introduced themselves.

 

Approval of July 21, 2004 Minutes.  Before approval of the minutes, John Rioux noted a typo on page 3, line 20; it should be “joint grants”. Peter Doran made a motion to accept the minutes, as corrected. Pat Philbrook, seconded. Vote, unanimous.

 

A hard copy of Kurtis Peterson’s “Self-Employed’s Study” will be available at the next meeting.  Bill Peabody informed the group that this information also is to be published in a larger report from Harvard Public Health.

 

Workers’ Compensation Annual Compliance Report – Jeff Levesque. Tabled to October meeting.

 

A Progress Report on the Development and Implementation of Occupational Safety and Health Indicators – Kim Lim. Kim Lim handed out a draft of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists’ Occupational Health Indicators, Results of a Pilot Project – 2000 Data. Kim explained the definition of an Occupational Health Indicator; it is a specific measure that describes a work-related adverse health outcome or factor associated with adverse health outcomes, such as workplace exposures, hazards or interventions. These indicators can be generated by each state to track trends in the occupational health status of workers in the U.S. The study consists of 13 participating states and not all indicators were used in every state. Kim also presented an overview of the charts, explaining how data was obtained. If there was less than five (5), the data is not publishable due to confidentiality.

 

After the presentation, questions were asked. Leslie Walleigh asked how the Research and Statistics data is used to develop programs with SafetyWorks! Kim explained that the Safety Division requests company profiles from the Research and Statistics Unit. Bill Peabody added the Research and Statistics Unit also has a liaison with the Migrant and Immigrant Services Division and the Wage and Hour Division regarding using data.

 

John Rioux suggested that perhaps Kim should do this presentation for MORA.

 

Other. Leslie Walleigh requested a review of the purpose of the work group. Mr. Peabody stated that the purpose of the work group is to review the status of data sources and availability and use as to what is going on with injury and illness prevention and does the group have any recommendations for improving that. Bill suggested using MORA’s outline of data sources (John Rioux presented this at the first work group meeting), going through them one-by-one. Leslie asked who would be writing the report. Bill responded that a Bureau of Labor Standards staff person would draft a report.

 

Peter Doran suggested that the Maine Health Access Foundation may be a source of funding to strengthen the data systems and to fund initiatives.

 

Bill Peabody said that there is a continuing working relationship between Health and Labor. There has been a joint application with the Bureau of Health for a cooperative program. If that grant doesn’t come through, the Bureau of Labor Standards could use SETF (Safety Education and Training Fund) money, which is collected from insurers and self-insurers.

 

Next Meeting. As Bill Peabody will be out of state that week, the next meeting of the Occupational Safety and Health Data Collection and Injury Prevention work group will be held on Wednesday, October 27, 2004. The primary purpose of this meeting will be to review the data sources as well as review of the “parking lot”.

 

Adjournment. Mr. Peabody adjourned the meeting at 11:06 AM.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

Terry M. Hathaway

Recording Secretary