Montana Occupational Health and Safety Surveillance

MOHSS Newsletter - Summer 2024

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.
Aaron Bender - MOHSS Principle Investigator
aaron.bender@mt.gov

Mission Statement

The Montana Occupational Health & Safety Surveillance program (MOHSS) identifies and tracks trends in work-related fatalities, injuries, and illnesses in order to improve worker health and safety across Montana.

The MOHSS Program will:
- Build a strong and dependable occupational health surveillance system for Montana
- Conduct high quality research on workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities in Montana
- Provide useful and timely information so that workers and employers in Montana can be aware of health hazards in the workplace
- Collaborate with workers, organizations, and other stakeholders to identify opportunities for improvement and intervention
- Tackle occupational health projects to address the needs of the Montana workforce
- Do our best work for the people of Montana
Trends in Montana Occupational Health and Safety

2023 MOHSS Trends Report for Montana

Health & Safety Tools

Agriculture
Helpful Links:
Reports:
- Acute Pesticide Illnesses Associated with Off-Target Pesticide Drift from Agricultural Applications: 11 States, 1998-2006 - Environmental Health Perspectives
- Grain Engulfment & Entrapment - Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health
Contacts:
- Montana State University Extension
Asbestos
Helpful Links:
- Asbestos Control Program - Montana Department of Environmental Quality
- Asbestos Safety & Health Topic Page - NIOSH
Reports:
Contacts:
- Montana Department of Environmental Quality
Construction
Helpful Links:
- CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training website: training programs, informational webinars, research and publications
- Construction Industry (OSHA) website: useful information and training topics
- Construction Solutions: safety solutions by line of work, task, and hazard - website
- Electronic Library of Construction Occupational Safety & Health (elcosh) - website
- Handouts and Toolbox Talks - website
- Infographics: Prevent Construction Falls - website
- Keep Your Fall Prevention Program Alive All Year Long - website
- Nail Gun Safety topic page (NIOSH) - website
- Preventing Falls in Construction - training workbook
- Strengthen Your Jobsite Safety Climate: Worksheets and a Rating Tool - workbook
Reports:
- Building a Safety Culture: Improving Safety and Health Management in the Construction Industry - report
- Fatal and Nonfatal Struck-by Injuries in the Construction Industry, 2011-2019 - report
Contacts:
- Montana Department of Labor & Industry
Manufacturing
Helpful Links:
- Industrial Safety - safety and risk management program, Montana State University - website
- Manufacturing Program from National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) - website
- Manufacturing Safety Topics (NIOSH) - website
- Welding and Manganese topic page (NIOSH) - website
Reports:
- Occupational Injuries and Fatalities Due to Falls in Manufacturing Sector - report
- Musculoskeletal Disorders in Manufacturing - report
- Work-related Respiratory Diseases in Manufacturing - report
- Forklift Safety Guide - WA State Department of Labor and Industries - report
Contacts:
- Montana Department of Labor & Industry
Mental Health
Helpful Links:
- Mental Health in the Workplace - website
- Mental Health Toolkit for Employers - website
- National Alliance on Mental Illness - website
- Prioritizing your Mental Health at Work - website
- Stress Screener - website
- Total Worker Health - website
Reports:
- Mental Health and Work: Impact, Issues, and Good Practices - report
Contacts:
- Montana County Mental Health Resource Guides - website
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 988
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline - 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
Mining, Oil, & Gas
Helpful Links:
- Mining Program - Montana Department of Environmental Quality - website
- Diesel Exhaust in Mining topic page (NIOSH) - website
- Oil and Gas Extraction Fatalities topics page (NIOSH) - website
- Respiratory Diseases in Mining topic page (NIOSH) - website
- Waste Management & Remediation Division - Montana Department of Environmental Quality - website
Reports:
- Diesel Aerosols and Gases in Underground Mines: Guide to Exposure Assessment and Control - report
- Dust Control Handbook for Industrial Minerals Mining and Processing - report
- Occupational exposures to respirable crystalline silica during hydraulic fracturing - report
- Oil and Gas Extraction Worker Fatalities, 2014 Mid-Year Report - report
- Prevent Worker Deaths from Exposures to Hydrocarbon Gases and Vapors at Oil and Gas Wellsites - report
- Sudden Deaths Among Oil and Gas Extraction Workers Resulting from Oxygen Deficiency and Inhalation of Hydrocarbon Gases and Vapors - report
Contacts:
Safety Trainings
- Free safety trainings at SafetyFestMT with locations across Montana
- Safety trainings available from the Montana Safety Services Council
- Small Business Assistance Program: research and resource guides on safety and health challenges focused on small businesses
- Strengthen Jobsite Safety Climate workbook - assessment tools that can be used to improve workplace safety climate, focused on construction
Transportation
Helpful Links:
- Behind the Wheel at Work eNewsletter: All Things Safety - newsletter
- Behind the Wheel at Work eNewsletter Archives (NIOSH) - website
- Center for Motor Vehicle Safety at Work (NIOSH) - website
- Distracted Driving at Work topic page (NIOSH) - website
- Keep Workers Safe on the Road Infographic (NIOSH) - infographic
- Long-Haul Truck Drivers topic page (NIOSH) - website
- Preventing work-related motor vehicle crashes (NIOSH) - fact sheet
- Prevention Information for Employers and Workers - Motor Vehicle Safety at Work (NIOSH) - website
- Quick Sleep Tips for Truck Drivers (NIOSH) - report
- Seat Belts: Take Pride in Your Job video for oil and gas extraction workers - video
- Trucking Industry Safety and Health Info (OSHA) - webpage
Reports:
- Law Enforcement Officer Motor Vehicle Crash and Struck-by Fatality Investigations: A Pilot Program - report
- National survey of long-haul truck drivers: injury and safety (NIOSH) - report
- Trucker sleep patterns influence safety-critical events - report
- Work-Related Roadway Crashes: Challenges and Opportunities for Prevention - report
Contacts:
- Montana Department of Transportation
Other Topics
- Prevent Lead Exposure in Indoor Shooting and Firing Ranges - brochure
- Workplace Safety & Health Topic Webpages (NIOSH)

Montana Worker Health

Newsletters & Noteworthy News
- November 2023 Newsletter
- October 2023 Newsletter
- August 2023 Newsletter
- July 2023 Newsletter
- June 2023 Newsletter
- May 2023 Newsletter
- April 2023 Newsletter
- March 2023 Newsletter
- Occupational Health Success Story: Work-Related Fatalities in a Frontier State - story
New! Interactive Dashboards are now available! They include data from the MT Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) on health conditions and behaviors of Montana workers by industry and workers' compensation data on work-related injury characteristics and wage and loss benefits.

Montana are affected by arthritis and programs offered by the Montana Arthritis Program that can help workers manage their arthritis symptoms. (May 2019)
Need to report a workplace safety or health hazard?
- If you work for a public-sector employer, call the Montana Department of Labor & Industry at 406-444-6543 or visit the Montana DLI Workplace Safety Hazard website.
- If you work for a private-sector employer, call the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at 1-800-321-6742 or visit the OSHA website.
- If you need to report a hazard that may also affect the environment or human health, call 406-444-0379 or fill out the DEQ Enforcement Complaint Form

Montana Occupational Health and Safety Surveillance

Mission Statement

Health & Safety Tools

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Reports:

Contacts:

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Montana Worker Health

Montana Reports

Mailing Address

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Physical Address