Inventory of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Environmental and Occupational Health Data
Sources and Surveillance Activities

Inventory of Data Sources

Central Information System (CIS) (Occupational Health, Newfoundland)

Contact
Trudy Northover
Workplace Health and Safety Inspections
Occupational Health and Safety Division
Newfoundland Dept of Labour
Confederation Bldg West, 4^th Floor
P.O. Box 8700
St. John's, NL
A1B 4J6
Tel: (709) 729-1108
E-mail: tnorthover@gov.nf.ca

Organization Maintaining the Database
Occupational Health and Safety Division, Newfoundland
Department of Labour

Purpose of Database
To track all inspections activity of occupational and health safety officers in Newfoundland and Labrador. This includes tracking Directives and 'Stop Work Orders' issued for all companies in Newfoundland and Labrador; as well as contact information for OHS Committee members and worker representatives; and notes to file and general information regarding inspected firms.

Content
Occupational data types: workplace dust, fumes, pesticides, heavy metals, solvents, chemicals, UV radiation (e.g., sunlight), dangerous machinery, noise, ionizing radiation, and other identified hazards. Also data on contaminant levels in the workplace; ergonomic and musculo-skeletal data; and data on mental fatigue. Geolocators: postal codes.

Data elements: company name and address; reason for inspection (i.e., Regular; Required; Complaint; Accident; Incident; Work Refusal); site and location; employer and employer co-chair or worker representative; number of employees; general findings of inspection; number of violations and section of legislative Act or Regulations violated; complied by date and date of compliance. There are approximately 14,375 records in the database.

Data coding/classification codes: Newfoundland Industrial Classification Codes (NIC) (based on SIC Code).

Year Database Established
1996

Coverage Period
1996 to present

Data Updates
Annually for data from the Workplace Health and Safety Inspections Claims Commissions (WHSCC); monthly for data from officer uploads.

Data Providers
Access to the data is limited to WHSCC occupational health and safety inspectors. Information pertaining to firm name, address, firm number, and NIC Code are downloaded from the WHSCC Database.

OHS officers input data at the inspection site. This information is then uploaded to an FTP site and taken from FTP to the central database. In this way reports, queries, and other statistical information can be generated.

Data Availability
Access is limited to the Nfld Department of Labour and to WHSCC for information purposes. A security protocol restricting access to the database is in place (passwords); also guidelines restricting use or disclosure of data (information is not released to third parties). Contact person responsible for privacy, use, and disclosure of data is: Jackie Manuel, Director, Workplace Health & Safety Inspections, 4^th Floor West Block, PO Box 8700, St., John's, NL, A1B 4J6; telephone: (709)729-7454; e-mail: jmanuel@mail.gov.nf.ca

Reports
Monthly Flash-sheet for internal purposes only.

Additional Comments
Data are collected under the authority of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Radiation Health and Safety Act, and the Smoke-Free Environment Act.

The database links with information in the WHSCC database.

Documentation on the database is available in printed format.