Report Highlights Occupational Disease Risks

Occupational disease is far from an abstract concept in Connecticut workplaces, according to a newly released report that highlights job-related health risks. 

The Occupational Disease in Connecticut 2025 report, based on 2023 data, underscores that illness and injury remain persistent challenges for employers and workers alike.

Compiled by UConn Health and the Workers’ Compensation Commission, the report draws on three major data sources: Connecticut’s First Report of Injury database, physician-reported Occupational Illness and Injury Surveillance System, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics Survey of Occupational Illnesses and Injuries. 

Key Findings

Musculoskeletal disorders were the most commonly reported occupational condition.

These include injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, and similar overuse injuries.

They accounted for 49% of workers’ compensation reports and 26% of physician reports, making them the most frequently reported category.

Infectious disease was the second-largest category for workers’ compensation claims and the top category in physician reports.

Infectious disease was the second-largest category for workers’ compensation claims (22%) and the top category in physician reports (41%).

COVID-19 continues to appear in the data, although in declining numbers.

COVID-19 accounted for 15% of infectious disease workers’ compensation reports, representing a dramatic decline from previous years.

Other Findings

Respiratory diseases and poisonings, such as asthma, carbon monoxide exposure, and lead, show up at varying rates across the data systems.

Respiratory diseases represented 9% of physician reports and 7% of workers’ compensation reports.

Other conditions, including cancer, allergies, and unclassified illnesses, made up 19% of workers’ compensation cases, and 12% of physician reports.

Skin disorders were less common but still notable.

Respiratory diseases represented 9% of physician reports and 7% of workers’ compensation reports.

Lead poisoning data is captured separately through the Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance system, maintained by the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

There were 202 confirmed cases of lead poisoning in adults in 2023.

Notably, very few of these cases were reported through workers’ comp or physician surveillance channels, suggesting underreporting or a disconnect between lab-confirmed exposure and occupational reporting mechanisms.

Employer Takeaways

This report is a practical roadmap for identifying real, recurring risks in Connecticut workplaces.

Ergonomic injuries remain widespread, infectious disease persists beyond the pandemic, and environmental hazards continue to affect sectors like manufacturing, construction, and healthcare.

For employers, this is a reminder to evaluate health and safety programs holistically. Prevention efforts should include not just physical hazard controls but also infection protocols, respiratory protection, and better tracking of exposure-related conditions like lead.

Keeping illness and injury data abstract is easy. But for the workers behind these reports, the impact is anything but. And for employers, ignoring these trends carries both human and regulatory consequences.

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For more information, contact CBIA’s Delmarina López (860.244.1982).