Funeral Directors: Recording Usual Occupation and Industry on Death Certificates Funeral directors play a critical role in obtaining information researchers need to examine whether a person’s job could be related to their cause of death. The data may be used in public health prevention and intervention activities. To ensure the best data are collected, it is important to: 1) understand that occupation is different from industry, 2) collect usual occupation and corresponding industry, and 3) provide sufficient detail of the occupation and industry. If the occupation and industry information on a death certificate is incomplete or inaccurate, researchers will not be able to correctly identify links between a cause of death and a specific occupation or industry. Uses of Usual Occupation and Industry Information • Detect new illnesses or injuries occurring in relation to specific industries or occupations • Monitor known associations between job hazards and illnesses (e.g., Black Lung Disease, once thought to be on the decline within the coal industry, reemerged in 2019) • Calculate burden of illness for specific industries or occupations to prioritize research • Guide prevention efforts and more in-depth research on links between work and health Occupation Is Different From Industry Occupation is what the person did for a living or the type of job they had – usually, this is the job title. Examples include architects, registered nurses, computer programmers, medical laboratory technicians, elementary school teachers, and auto mechanics. Industry is the type of business or activity where the person worked. Industry pertains only to what the business does and not what the worker did at that business. Examples include a movie theater, an airline, a general hospital, a golf course, a high school, and a beer bottling facility. 20 Montana Funeral Directors Association
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