Agricultural Safety & Health Surveillance Program

Agriculture is among the highest risk sectors in the economy, and hired migrant and seasonal farmworkers (FWs) are arguably the highest risk worker population within this sector. Surveillance for work-related illnesses and injuries (WRIIs) is critical for prevention. FWs are hard to reach and count, and the U.S. surveillance system for WRIIs is fragmented and incomplete. We will build a “system of systems approach” to more effectively use surveillance data to identify and mitigate workplace hazards in Illinois. Our ultimate aim is to reduce the morbidity and mortality burden and improve the wellbeing of hired FWs. The proposed project will: 1) develop a comprehensive and integrated state-based occupational health surveillance system for identifying and characterizing WRIIs among hired FWs, utilizing existing data systems that principally capture acute moderate to severe illnesses and injuries: 2) integrate outpatient health data from clinics serving FW communities into our surveillance data repository, which would capture minor and chronic injuries and health conditions; and 3) translate evidence-based surveillance findings for targeted stakeholders for adoption, adaptation, integration, scale-up and sustainability in Illinois, the Midwest, and across the country.