At a glance
The following states were funded by NIOSH during the 2021–2026 State-Based Occupational Safety and Health Surveillance Program funding cycle for case-based work-related asthma (WRA) surveillance.
WRA states
The ascertainment source for work-related asthma cases varies by state. Massachusetts, Michigan, California, and Washington all ascertain WRA cases from workers' compensation data.
Washington identifies cases solely through their state Workers' Compensation system. Employers in Washington are required to obtain State Fund insurance unless they are able to self-insure. Other data sources used to identify cases include reports from:
- Healthcare professionals
- Hospital discharge data
- Emergency room data
- Poison Control data in Michigan
State surveillance staff collect demographic, work-history, and medical information for case confirmation, classification, and description. This is done through a combination of:
- Data sources
- Medical records review
- Follow-up interview with reported cases or next of kin (when possible)
State surveillance guidelines
Recommended guidelines for identifying and reporting actual or suspected cases of work-related asthma can be found on the WRA State Reporting Guidelines page.
Asthmagen resources
An exposure coding scheme which includes agents classified as "known asthma inducers" and is maintained by the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics. The scheme facilitates consistency in agent coding across states and putative causes of WRA for each case are coded using this scheme.
An open, searchable chemistry database at the National Institutes of Health that has become a key chemical reaction resource.
Formerly known as Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), Safety Data Sheets (SDS) include information on chemical, environmental, and health hazards. Employees can request an SDS from their employers.
NIOSHTIC-2 searches
NIOSHTIC-2 is a searchable bibliographic database of occupational safety and health publications, documents, grant reports and journal articles supported in whole or in part by NIOSH.
Search results for WRA – Search Terms: work-related asthma OR occupational asthma OR exacerbated asthma OR aggravated asthma OR irritant-induced asthma.
Other selected resources
British Occupational Health Research Foundation (BOHRF)
A collection of reports that include evidence-based review and guidelines for identifying, managing, and preventing occupational asthma.
Clinical Evaluation, Management, and Prevention of Work-Related Asthma
A practical stepwise organization of the diagnostic evaluation of work-related asthma. It is used by primary care physicians and physicians specializing in occupational diseases and asthma (2000).
Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), Occupational Health Indicators
Occupational health indicator data from states and, where available, the United States from 2000 through 2017. One indicator relates to work-related asthma, Indicator #21: Asthma Among Adults Caused or Made Worse by Work.
State-based surveillance data for work-related asthma from participating states.