Police officers, firefighters, and other public safety workers face exceptionally high rates of injury and fatality relative to the general workforce. This document provides an analysis of the risk factors associated with different aspects of public safety occupations, to help policymakers in their efforts to improve the health and safety of these employees.
Despite many advances, 20 American workers die each day as a result of occupational injuries. And occupational safety and health (OSH) is becoming even more complex as workers move away from the long-term, fixed-site, employer relationship. This book looks at worker safety in the changing workplace and the challenge of ensuring a supply of top-notch OSH professionals. Recommendations are addressed to federal and state agencies, OSH organizations, educational institutions, employers, unions, and other stakeholders. The committee reviews trends in workforce demographics, the nature of work in the information age, globalization of work, and the revolution in health care deliveryâ€"exploring the implications for OSH education and training in the decade ahead. The core professions of OSH (occupational safety, industrial hygiene, and occupational medicine and nursing) and key related roles (employee assistance professional, ergonomist, and occupational health psychologist) are profiled-how many people are in the field, where they work, and what they do. The book reviews in detail the education, training, and education grants available to OSH professionals from public and private sources.
The workplace is where 156 million working adults in the United States spend many waking hours, and it has a profound influence on health and well-being. Although some occupations and work-related activities are more hazardous than others and face higher rates of injuries, illness, disease, and fatalities, workers in all occupations face some form of work-related safety and health concerns. Understanding those risks to prevent injury, illness, or even fatal incidents is an important function of society. Occupational safety and health (OSH) surveillance provides the data and analyses needed to understand the relationships between work and injuries and illnesses in order to improve worker safety and health and prevent work-related injuries and illnesses. Information about the circumstances in which workers are injured or made ill on the job and how these patterns change over time is essential to develop effective prevention programs and target future research. The nation needs a robust OSH surveillance system to provide this critical information for informing policy development, guiding educational and regulatory activities, developing safer technologies, and enabling research and prevention strategies that serves and protects all workers. A Smarter National Surveillance System for Occupational Safety and Health in the 21st Century provides a comprehensive assessment of the state of OSH surveillance. This report is intended to be useful to federal and state agencies that have an interest in occupational safety and health, but may also be of interest broadly to employers, labor unions and other worker advocacy organizations, the workers' compensation insurance industry, as well as state epidemiologists, academic researchers, and the broader public health community. The recommendations address the strengths and weaknesses of the envisioned system relative to the status quo and both short- and long-term actions and strategies needed to bring about a progressive evolution of the current system.
Before effective treatments were introduced in the 1950s, tuberculosis was a leading cause of death and disability in the United States. Health care workers were at particular risk. Although the occupational risk of tuberculosis has been declining in recent years, this new book from the Institute of Medicine concludes that vigilance in tuberculosis control is still needed in workplaces and communities. Tuberculosis in the Workplace reviews evidence about the effectiveness of control measuresâ€"such as those recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionâ€"intended to prevent transmission of tuberculosis in health care and other workplaces. It discusses whether proposed regulations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration would likely increase or sustain compliance with effective control measures and would allow adequate flexibility to adapt measures to the degree of risk facing workers.
Designed for use within courses based on the Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) Occupational Safety and Health for Emergency Services model curriculum, Occupational Safety and Health in the Emergency Services, Fifth Edition provides a comprehensive overview of the many components of occupational safety and health for the emergency services.
Mirroring a worldwide phenomenon in industrialized nations, the U.S. is experiencing a change in its demographic structure known as population aging. Concern about the aging population tends to focus on the adequacy of Medicare and Social Security, retirement of older Americans, and the need to identify policies, programs, and strategies that address the health and safety needs of older workers. Older workers differ from their younger counterparts in a variety of physical, psychological, and social factors. Evaluating the extent, causes, and effects of these factors and improving the research and data systems necessary to address the health and safety needs of older workers may significantly impact both their ability to remain in the workforce and their well being in retirement. Health and Safety Needs of Older Workers provides an image of what is currently known about the health and safety needs of older workers and the research needed to encourage social polices that guarantee older workers a meaningful share of the nation's work opportunities.
Designed for use within courses based on the Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) Occupational Safety and Health for Emergency Services model curriculum, Occupational Safety and Health in the Emergency Services, Fourth Edition provides a comprehensive overview of the many components of occupational safety and health for the emergency services. This textbook provides a historical look at industrial safety and health and how history has impacted the emergency services by providing a safer work environment that reduces first responder deaths and injuries. Occupational Safety and Health in the Emergency Services features a laser-like focus on fire fighter health and safety and details how to stay safe and healthy in a high-risk environment and includes: - Thorough coverage of the "16 Fire Fighter Life safety Initiatives" with emphasis on the positive impact these Initiatives can have when implemented. - Case studies, review and discussion questions, and additional resources for each chapter.- Discussion on the latest research from Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
Workplace safety and health is serious business. In work environments where the safety and health of employees is a significant issue, a major leadership challenge is to instill shared, companywide values that establish the safety, health, and well-being of each individual as a paramount concern of the business. Now in its second edition, the Handbook of Occupational Safety and Health, originally edited by Lawrence Slote, remains an essential first source for quick, practical answers on this pivotal workplace issue. Concise chapters detail specific issues of biological, chemical, and physical hazards to workplace safety and health, and also address a broad spectrum of management concerns including training, workers' compensation, liability coverage, and regulatory matters. While adhering to the requirements set by the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 1971, the authors of this volume advocate a progressive approach that exceeds basic compliance with established regulations. Chapters emphasize not only worker protection through safe equipment and management supervision, but also the safety training of workers. Throughout, contributors stress the need to align safety and health concerns fully with a company's business objectives, offering insight into how these dual interests can be integrated. With many chapters structured in an accessible "how-to" format, even those professionals inexperienced in occupational safety issues can rapidly gain a practical knowledge of the particular concerns of their industry. For launching or updating a comprehensive workplace safety program, or for assistance with confronting specific problems when they occur, the Handbook is an ideal starting point for assessing risks and initiating proactive measures to prevent accidents in any industry. A new edition of the one-stop source for practical information on occupational safety and health. Now expanded by more than 50 percent, this Second Edition of the Handbook of Occupational Safety and Health, originally edited by Lawrence Slote, demonstrates how to control hazards to safety and health in many types of work environments-and how to deal with injuries when they do occur. It features 30 concise chapters that enable even those not formally trained in occupational safety to get up to speed quickly, plus more than 150 helpful illustrations that complement the text. With up-to-date contributions from occupational physicians, public health professionals, legal experts, and specialists in areas ranging from chemicals and radiation to noise exposure, this comprehensive Handbook presents a complete program of effective responses to a vast range of occupational safety and health problems. It includes: * An overview of the field and its recent advances, with a clear explanation of managerial roles and responsibilities for safety and health * Five sections on a variety of issues-safety evaluations, health assessment, control practices, physical hazards, and legal affairs-that make it simple to pinpoint information quickly * How-to advice-step-by-step guidance on how to conduct an accident investigation, maintain a quality medical surveillance program, and much more * Chapters on the prevention of specific hazards such as dermatoses, heat stress, radiation, respiratory illness,and infection * Includes updated material based on chapters from Patty's Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology, Fourth Edition
"Compilation of historical information for occupational safety and health professionals and advocates regarding policy formulation and implementation"--Provided by publisher.
