Occupational determinants have a significant impact on population health, generate high costs, and contribute to social inequalities in health. The French occupational health system is well-developed, but no system for the epidemiological surveillance of occupational health existed at the population level. The main objectives of epidemiological surveillance of occupational risks are to quantify the impact of occupational factors on population health and to identify high-risk occupations and sectors, in order to inform prevention and remediation policies and to evaluate their outcomes; surveillance also aims to identify emerging occupational health issues. Given the diversity of occupational risks, epidemiological surveillance methods must be tailored to each specific issue. In this context, the Occupational Health Department of the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance has been developing a program since 1998 that relies on the development of general-purpose tools (cohorts, job-exposure matrices), the systematic use of existing data from various sources, the implementation of programs for specific issues, and the establishment of early warning systems. The long-term goal is the regular production of national occupational health indicators. (R.A.)