BACKGROUND: In the context of the establishment of a new surveillance system, the aim was to assess the proportion of cases of lumbar disc surgery (LDS) attributable to work according to occupation category and industry sector. 

METHODS: The sociodemographic and socioeconomic data of 3150 inpatients living in a French region discharged in 2007-2008 from spine centers of the region following LDS were compared with those of the regional population. Occupational history was gathered using a mailed questionnaire. The attributable fraction of risk for exposed individuals (AFE) and population attributable fraction of risk (PAF) were calculated in relation to occupations and industries. RESULTS: Three occupational subcategories presented an AFE >50% for men (police and armed forces, unskilled agricultural and skilled craft blue-collar workers). There were eight subcategories for women, including material handlers and related equipment workers, and skilled industrial and unskilled agricultural blue-collar workers. The PAF for men was highest for construction and for women it was highest for wholesale and retail trades. CONCLUSION: The AFE and PAF are valuable for public policy. Although PAF could be used to help public health policy makers to implement preventive measures, the AFE could assist expert tribunals who take decisions about compensation for occupational diseases.