DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The primary objective of this proposed project is to expand capacity for occupational disease surveillance in Connecticut. This surveillance capacity includes not only the ability to collect and analyze data pertaining to occupational diseases through the Connecticut Occupational Disease Surveillance System, but also the ability to utilize the results of those analyses to target specific intervention activities. In addition, the degree to which information exchange is established and maintained between the Connecticut Department of Public Health Occupational Health Unit and its partners interested in protecting worker health within our state, regionally, and nationally is critical to the continued success of the program. We propose to achieve this primary objective through activities addressing the specific aims of the proposed project, which are: 1) to continue longitudinal analysis of occupational disease underreporting in Connecticut through comparison of existing data sources 2) to continue longitudinal analysis of the occupational health indicators for Connecticut 3) to continue expanded surveillance activities for work-related asthma and heavy metals poisoning 4) to broaden the scope of duties for the Connecticut Occupational Safety and Health Planning and Action Network to include goal setting activities and recommendations for improving occupational health surveillance and intervention in our state 5) to maintain regional collaboration with occupational health partners from the other Northeast states on specific surveillance activities, including expanded analysis of selected occupational health indicators These specific aims have been developed to support the core capacity for occupational disease surveillance in Connecticut and to maintain continuity in existing surveillance and intervention programs for the duration of the project period. These programs and the staff they support provide the basis for the protection of worker health in Connecticut, not only through surveillance and intervention activities but also through the generation of ideas of how to make our program activities more efficient, effective, and beneficial to the health of the Connecticut workforce.