Partners

Illinois Department of Public Health -The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is a key partner in our occupational health and safety activities in the State. The goal of partnership is to reduce workplace injuries and illnesses, and improve the health of the working public. IDPH provides us with important data and helps facilitate interventions and education programs with other State partners. Our work with IDPH has included managing the state Adult Blood Lead Registry, data sharing and providing data for several State reports to the Governor, serving on EMS/Trauma strategic planning committees, assisting with general injury strategic planning, placing multiple CSTE Epidemiology Fellows in the State Health Department, and coordinating HRSA Preventive Medicine training.

Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission– We work extensively with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (IWCC) on an array of projects. The goal of the inter-agency agreement between IWCC and UIC is to establish workers’ compensation data for use in describing occupational illnesses and injuries in Illinois. Since the agreement was finalized on December 5, 2006, we…

1. Process IWCC First Reports of Injury, Supplemental Reports of Injury and Case Management data on an ongoing basis.
2. Conduct research relating to construction related injuries, amputations, temp workers, ethnic disparities in accessing workers’ compensation, COVID among meatpackers, injuries among law enforcement and security officers, lifting injuries among nurses, and low wage workers.
3. Provide student and worker training programs.
4. Co-host national Occupational Health Disparities conferences and participate in regional and national workers’ compensation workgroups.
5. Participate in meetings and leadership activities related to occupational injury and illness prevention, serving as a hub for occupational illness and injury prevention activities among Illinois state agencies.
6. Expand sentinel warning systems for occupational amputations and pesticide exposures. See our presentation
7. Assisted the State Attorney General and IWCC in investigations and mandatory reporting to the Governor, including an investigation of cumulative trauma disorders among prison guards in Illinois. See some of the photos taken during our site walk-through.

Cook County Department of Public Health -We were contracted by CCDPH to analyze medical record data in order to evaluate the trauma system in southern Cook County and to analyze data relating to the ongoing opioid epidemic. We also regularly utilize CCDPH data for occupational health surveillance through the CCDPH Open Data Portal. For the full final report click here.

Chicago Department of Public Health – We work with the Chicago Department of Public Health on developing occupational health indicators for the Health Atlas and collaborate on monitoring elevate blood lead levels in the population.

Illinois Department of Labor – IDOL regulates the public sector workforce in Illinois.  They are a key partner in developing programs to protect public sector workers and workers hired through temporary employment agencies.  We have presented amputations data from the trauma registry, work comp data, and hospital discharge records showing that the repeat offenders and the worst injuries were among workers employed by temporary employment agencies and the State of Illinois (public sector employees are under the enforcement purview of IDOL).

Region 5 OSHA – OSHA regulates the private sector workforce in Illinois which comprises of 90% of all employed persons.  We work with OSHA in developing local emphasis programs, evaluate compliance with mandatory reporting of workplace injuries and coordinate referrals of workers with elevated blood lead levels and those that suffer serious injuries. Our team regularly meets OSHA staff and present on different topics.

Mine Safety and Health Administration – In collaboration with our UIC Miner Center, we conduct novel research on injuries in the mining sector.  Illinois is one of the largest coal producers and sand & gravel producers in the U.S.  In addition to high rates of respiratory illness among Illinois miners, our research identified increased risk of injury during overtime work, during the first hour on a shift and  in mines that poorly adhere to safety and hygiene regulations.

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency – IEPA is one of the main governmental agencies responsible for regulating pesticide use in Illinois.  We collaborate with IEPA as part of our pesticide related illness program.

Illinois Department of Agriculture – Illinois Department of Agriculture is a strategic partner for protecting farm workers in Illinois from acute traumatic injuries and pesticide exposures.  We coordinate with ILDA and OSHA as part of our referral program that focuses on pesticides and the grain handling local emphasis program. Our research team was also recently funded by NIOSH to be the newest Ag Center.  As part of the Ag Center, we are expanding surveillance of acute traumatic injuries suffered by hired farm workers in Illinois.

Consumer Products Safety Commission – Our team manages the reporting from the University of Illinois Hospital to the CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS).  NEISS is the main surveillance tool used nationally to monitor traumatic injuries in the U.S. population and identify hazardous consumer products that need to be recalled.