In 2006, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) was awarded a cooperative agreement from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to implement and state-based occupational condition surveillance system. Since then, DSHS has used methods specified by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists' (CSTE) to systematically collect occupational health indicator data.
An occupational health indicator is a specific measurement of a work-related disease or injury. OHIs allow a state to monitor trends over time, identify high-risk groups, and develop targeted interventions to reduce worker morbidity and mortality.