Since October 1997, the Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risk (SENSOR) Pesticide Poisoning California program has maintained a multi-source statewide surveillance and reporting system for occupational pesticide poisoning. Pesticide surveillance data will be summarized over the 12 months period January 1998 – December 1998. For the first 6 months of surveillance, a total of 343 potential pesticide poisoning reports were identified from all Doctors’ First Reports (DFRs) and Pesticide Illness Reports (PIRs) received, resulting in 272 unique case reports for all pesticide exposures. To supplement case classification, medical records are requested from the treating physician or secondary referred physician for every unique DFR and PIR report. A descriptive analysis of these data will be presented, including frequency of report sources, dates of receipt, and case classification categorized by occupation, industry, chemical category, age and gender. For the first 6 months surveillance period, non-disinfectant pesticide-related DFRs generated a mean case ascertainment of 36 cases per month, and PIRs generated a mean case ascertainment of 21 cases per month. The overall projected annual rate of occupational pesticide poisoning for all industries is 3.9 per 100,000 employed in California. The projected annual rates of reported occupational pesticide poisoning using Annual Average Labor Force data vary across industry groups, ranging from 0.1 per 100,000 (transportation/communications) to 69.7 per 100,000 (agriculture, forestry and fishing). Surveillance data, along with work site investigations serve as the basis for making recommendations for prevention of occupational pesticide illness.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation participants will obtain information about the SENSOR Pesticide Poisoning California program; what methods are used in obtaining data, their advantages and limitations, and how surveillance and work site investigations of occupational pesticide exposures help in the prevention of pesticide illness
Keywords: Pesticides, Occupational Surveillance
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.