Each year, approximately 5,000 fatal work-related injuries and 4 million non-fatal injuries and illnesses occur in the United States. This number represents both unnecessary human suffering and high economic costs. .
Committee on the Review of NIOSH Research Programs; Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Authoring Organizations
Description:
In order to assist in better evaluating workplace safety and create safer work environments, the Institute of Medicine conducted a series of evaluations of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) research programs, assessing the relevance and impact of NIOSH's work on improving worker safety and health.
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This report covers a variety of strategies such as:
Reduce Fatigue and Stress
Preventing tractor rollovers on farmers, protecting construction
workers from falls, improving the health of miners in dusty environments,
reducing back injuries in nursing aides, developing substitute materials
to eliminate hazardous chemical exposures, and designing work
conditions to reduce fatigue and stress are among the issues critical to
improving worker safety and health.
One estimate puts the costs of occupational injury and illnesses for all industries for 2005 at more than $160 billion.
(Yes, Virginia, we need better health care for our workforce!)
"Evaluation Process" is an important part of best practices and continual improvement.
Steps in the Evaluation Process
1. Gather appropriate information
2. Assess external factors.
3. Identify time frame to be evaluated.
4. Identify major occupational safety and health challenges in program area.
5. Analyze program goals and objectives.
6. Identify major program components.
7. Evaluate program inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes.
8. Determine scores for relevance and impact and provide the rationale.
9. Assess the NIOSH process for targeting priority research needs and provide the committee's assessment of emerging issues.
10. Prepare report by using the template provided as a guide