scholarly journals Toward an Expanded Focus for Occupational Safety and Health: A Commentary

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (24) ◽  
pp. 4946 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A. Schulte ◽  
George Delclos ◽  
Sarah A. Felknor ◽  
L. Casey Chosewood
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
New Professionals ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Worker Health ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Concept ◽  
Total Worker Health

Powerful and ongoing changes in how people work, the workforce, and the workplace require a more holistic view of each of these. We argue that an expanded focus for occupational safety and health (OSH) is necessary to prepare for and respond rapidly to future changes in the world of work that will certainly challenge traditional OSH systems. The WHO Model for Action, various European efforts at well-being, and the Total Worker Health concept provide a foundation for addressing changes in the world of work. However, a paradigm expansion to include the recognition of worker and workforce well-being as an important outcome of OSH will be needed. It will also be vital to stimulate transdisciplinary efforts and find innovative ways to attract and train students into OSH professions as the paradigm expands. This will require active marketing of the OSH field as vibrant career choice, as a profession filled with meaningful, engaging responsibilities, and as a well-placed investment for industry and society. An expanded paradigm will result in the need for new disciplines and specialties in OSH, which may be useful in new market efforts to attract new professionals. Ultimately, to achieve worker and workforce well-being we must consider how to implement this expanded focus.

scholarly journals Occupational safety and health education and training: an innovative format and experience

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Pietrafesa ◽  
Sergio Iavicoli ◽  
Agnese Martini ◽  
Rosalba Simeone ◽  
Antonella Polimeni
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Integrated Management ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
World Health ◽  
New Professionals ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
The World ◽  
Training Courses

Health begins at home and in community where people live and work, in fact, the World Health Organisation (WHO) defines health as ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being’. Experts and professionals, of all sectors and specialities, need to take account the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) in all aspects of their working lives. Mainstreaming OSH into education concerns integrating one policy area – OSH – into another – education. This study started from a first analysis of an international and national OSH training offer, in which  some critical aspects emerged: there are mostly sectoral training courses, qualifying some prevention actor roles, most linked to traditional risks, and primarily focused on the safety aspects rather than the health ones. The current study is related to an innovative format and experience for an integrated management of OSH in the evolution of the world of work. The concept was born from the need to train new professionals figures when the rapid demographic changes and technological innovation are changing the working world and therefore also the required skills to prevention actors. A first test has been conducted on 26 students who attended the first edition of this innovative training. 

scholarly journals Defining ‘Integration’ for Total Worker Health®: A New Proposal

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Punnett ◽  
Jennifer M Cavallari ◽  
Robert A Henning ◽  
Suzanne Nobrega ◽  
Alicia G Dugan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Worker Safety ◽  
Workplace Health ◽  
Worker Health ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Building Program ◽  
Total Worker Health

Abstract The effects of work and the conditions of employment on health behaviors and intermediate health conditions have been demonstrated, to the extent that these relationships should be addressed in efforts to prevent chronic disease. However, conventional health promotion practice generally focuses on personal risk factors and individual behavior change. In an effort to find solutions to the myriad of health challenges faced by the American workforce, the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) established the Total Worker Health® (TWH) program. Originally organized around the paradigm of integrating traditional occupational safety and health protections with workplace health promotion, TWH has evolved to a broader emphasis on workplace programs for enhancing worker safety, health, and well-being. Among the research programs and approaches developed by investigators at NIOSH Centers of Excellence for TWH and elsewhere, definitions of ‘integration’ in workplace interventions vary widely. There is no consensus about which organizational or individual outcomes are the most salient, how much to emphasize organizational contexts of work, or which program elements are necessary in order to qualify as ‘Total Worker Health’. Agreement about the dimensions of integration would facilitate comparison of programs and interventions which are self-defined as TWH, although diverse in content. The specific criteria needed to define integration should be unique to that concept—i.e. distinct from and additive to conventional criteria for predicting or evaluating the success of a workplace health program. We propose a set of four TWH-specific metrics for integrated interventions that address both program content and process: (i) coordination and interaction of workplace programs across domains; (ii) assessment of both work and non-work exposures; (iii) emphasis on interventions to make the workplace more health-promoting; and (iv) participatory engagement of workers in pivotal ways during intervention prioritization and planning to develop self-efficacy in addressing root causes, skill transfer, building program ownership, empowerment, and continuous improvement. Thus we find that integration requires organizational change, both to engage two managerial functions with different goals, legal responsibilities, and (often) internal incentives & resources, and also to orient the organization toward salutogenesis. Examples from research activity within the Center for the Promotion of Health in the New England Workplace illustrate how these criteria have been applied in practice.

scholarly journals Using a Mixed Method Approach to Tailor the Implementation of a Participatory Total Worker Health® Program in Public Healthcare Facilities

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne Nobrega ◽  
Cesar Morocho ◽  
Michelle M. Robertson ◽  
Alicia Kurowski ◽  
Serena Rice ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Program ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Public Healthcare ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Worker Health ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Facilitators And Barriers ◽  
Total Worker Health

Abstract Background: The Total Worker Health program represents a holistic approach to advancing worker well-being that combines occupational safety and health practices with other workplace policies and programs that are not traditionally linked. Total Worker Health requires new types of interdisciplinary collaboration and programmatic coordination. Pre-implementation assessment is thus important to plan for successful organizational “fit” when the program is introduced. This study prospectively identified potential implementation facilitators and barriers among five public healthcare facilities that had already agreed to participate in a study to implement and evaluate the Healthy Workplace Participatory Program.Methods: A mixed methods baseline assessment comprised an online survey and follow-up interviews. Key organizational and labor leaders were asked to identify resources and skills available for successful program implementation; potential barriers inside or outside the organization; and key performance indicators. Findings were presented to implementation stakeholders in study sites and used for planning how to tailor implementation to fit the organizational context and to provide the resources needed for success. Results: Potential facilitators included leaders’ willingness and commitment to develop interventions addressing a broad range of occupational safety and well-being health priorities (consistent with Total Worker Health); existing staff expertise in occupational safety and health; favorable attitudes regarding expected program outcomes; and positive alignment between the program and organizational mission and values. Potential implementation barriers included limited staff time to attend meetings, limited resources to support locally designed interventions, and poor management communication systems. Examples of tailoring strategies included extending time and effort to recruit leaders and workers while gaining their trust and securing program resources; developing sample program communication templates to strength health and safety communication efforts; and providing detailed training around issue selection procedures, communication, local intervention development, and change management. Conclusions: The prospective identification of potential facilitators and barriers represents a useful strategy for tailoring the implementation of a participatory, Total Worker Health program. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT 04251429. Registered January 31, 2020 – Retrospectively registered. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT04251429.

scholarly journals Total worker health® is the future of worker safety, health, and well-being

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Tamers
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Worker Safety ◽  
Future Of Work ◽  
Worker Health ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
The Future ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Total Worker Health

Abstract The future of work is being shaped by rapid changes in the workplace, work, and workforce. Driven by advances in industry, this movement is marked by the accelerated pace of developments connecting people, places, and things. All these advances and developments have implications for worker safety, health, and well-being and require innovative occupational safety and health strategies. Because of these new realities, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently launched the Future of Work (FOW) Initiative. This Initiative is a collaborative effort of multidisciplinary research, communication, and partnerships throughout NIOSH, other agencies, and organizations that aims to identify novel research solutions, practical approaches, and partnership opportunities to address the future of work. To more broadly address worker safety, health, and well-being, the FOW Initiative applies the Total Worker Health® (TWH) framework. TWH is defined as policies, programs, and practices that integrate protection from work-related safety and health hazards with promotion of injury and illness prevention efforts to advance worker well-being. The TWH approach prioritizes changes to improve physical, organizational, and psychosocial factors that present possible risks in the work environment for today's and tomorrow's workforce. This presentation will first introduce CDC/NIOSH's FOW Initiative. Next, the TWH integrated approach will be defined and described. Centering on CDC/NIOSH's future of work priority topics in the areas of workplace (organizational design, technological displacement, work arrangements), work (artificial intelligence, robotics, technologies), and workforce (demographics, economic security, skills), the presenter will then provide evidence-based solutions to address future of work issues and related outcomes, using the TWH approach. Key messages The future of work has world-wide implications for the workplace, work, workforce. The Total Worker Health framework is a transdisciplinary approach by which to view and address the future of work. Public health professionals and other stakeholders must take a proactive approach to address worker safety, health, and well-being issues impacted by the future of work.

scholarly journals Dissemination and Implementation Science Approaches for Occupational Safety and Health Research: Implications for Advancing Total Worker Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 11050
Author(s):  
Rebecca J. Guerin ◽  
Samantha M. Harden ◽  
Borsika A. Rabin ◽  
Diane S. Rohlman ◽  
Thomas R. Cunningham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Research ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Dissemination And Implementation ◽  
Science Literature ◽  
Plain Language ◽  
Worker Health ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Total Worker Health

Total Worker Health® (TWH), an initiative of the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, is defined as policies, programs, and practices that integrate protection from work-related health and safety hazards by promoting efforts that advance worker well-being. Interventions that apply the TWH paradigm improve workplace health more rapidly than wellness programs alone. Evidence of the barriers and facilitators to the adoption, implementation, and long-term maintenance of TWH programs is limited. Dissemination and implementation (D&I) science, the study of methods and strategies for bridging the gap between public health research and practice, can help address these system-, setting-, and worker-level factors to increase the uptake, impact, and sustainment of TWH activities. The purpose of this paper is to draw upon a synthesis of existing D&I science literature to provide TWH researchers and practitioners with: (1) an overview of D&I science; (2) a plain language explanation of key concepts in D&I science; (3) a case study example of moving a TWH intervention down the research-to-practice pipeline; and (4) a discussion of future opportunities for conducting D&I science in complex and dynamic workplace settings to increase worker safety, health, and well-being.

scholarly journals Using a Mixed Method Approach to Tailor the Implementation of a Participatory Total Worker Health® Program in Public Healthcare Facilities

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne M Nobrega ◽  
Cesar Morocho ◽  
Michelle M. Robertson ◽  
Alicia Kurowski ◽  
Serena Rice ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Organizational Readiness ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Public Healthcare ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Worker Health ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Facilitators And Barriers ◽  
Total Worker Health

Abstract Background: Total Worker Health® programs represent a holistic approach for advancing worker safety, health, and well-being that combines occupational safety and health practices with other well-being policies and programs that are not traditionally linked. Total Worker Health requires new practices of interdisciplinary collaboration and programmatic coordination, accompanied with employee involvement and shared decision-making in the design and delivery of health-focused interventions. Pre-implementation assessment regarding organizational readiness is important to plan proactively for organizational “fit” when the program is introduced. This study examined potential implementation facilitators and barriers among five public healthcare facilities that had already agreed to participate in a study to implement and evaluate a participatory Total Worker Health program.Methods: A mixed-methods baseline assessment comprised an online organizational readiness survey and follow-up interviews. Key organizational and labor leaders were asked to identify resources and skills available for program implementation, potential barriers inside or outside the organization, and specific performance indicators. Findings at each facility were presented to implementation stakeholders and used to plan how to tailor implementation to the organizational context and provide resources necessary for success. Results: Implementation facilitators included leaders’ willingness and commitment to develop interventions addressing a broad range of occupational safety and well-being health priorities; existing staff expertise in occupational safety and health; favorable attitudes regarding expected program outcomes; and positive alignment between the program and organizational mission and values. Implementation barriers included limited staff time to attend meetings, limited resources to support locally designed interventions, and poor management communication systems. Examples of proactive tailoring strategies included extending the recruitment time and effort to gain the trust of leaders and workers while also allowing more time to secure needed program resources; developing sample program communication templates to strengthen communication on safety and health; and detailed training around health and safety issue identification and prioritization procedures, program communication, intervention planning and development, and change management. Conclusions: Prospective identification of potential program facilitators and barriers represents a useful strategy for tailoring implementation of a participatory Total Worker Health program. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT 04251429. Registered January 31, 2020 – Retrospectively registered. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT04251429.

Managing Workplace Safety and Health

2013 ◽  
pp. 512-536
Author(s):  
Thomas Kniesner ◽  
John D. Leeth
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Workplace Safety ◽  
Economic Incentive ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Market Forces ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Worker Health ◽  
Safety And Health

This entry explicates how market forces incent managers to be concerned with worker health and safety. It also notes how supplementing market forces are government actions intended to improve work-related health and safety. These include the legal system under tort laws, states’ workers’ compensation insurance Programs, research into the causes of health hazards at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the federal government’s workplace regulations under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). An important empirical conclusion emerging is that the labor market, via the additional compensation workers require for exposure to health and safety risks, provides the largest economic incentive for managers making workplace decisions involving worker health-related well being.

scholarly journals How Will the Future of Work Shape OSH Research and Practice? A Workshop Summary

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5696
Author(s):  
Sarah Felknor ◽  
Jessica Streit ◽  
Michelle McDaniel ◽  
Paul Schulte ◽  
L. Chosewood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Research Methods ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Economic Sectors ◽  
Workplace Hazards ◽  
Health Safety ◽  
Worker Health ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
The Future

Growth of the information economy and globalization of labor markets will be marked by exponential growth in emerging technologies that will cause considerable disruption of the social and economic sectors that drive the global job market. These disruptions will alter the way we work, where we work, and will be further affected by the changing demographic characteristics and level of training of the available workforce. These changes will likely result in scenarios where existing workplace hazards are exacerbated and new hazards with unknown health effects are created. The pace of these changes heralds an urgent need for a proactive approach to understand the potential effects new and emerging workplace hazards will have on worker health, safety, and well-being. As employers increasingly rely on non-standard work arrangements, research is needed to better understand the work organization and employment models that best support decent work and improved worker health, safety, and well-being. This need has been made more acute by the SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic that has resulted in dramatic changes in employment patterns, millions of lost jobs, an erosion of many economic sectors, and widespread disparities which further challenge occupational safety and health (OSH) systems to ensure a healthy and productive workplace. To help identify new research approaches to address OSH challenges in the future, a virtual workshop was organized in June 2020 with leading experts in the fields of OSH, well-being, research methods, mental health, economics, and life-course analysis. A paradigm shift will be needed for OSH research in the future of work that embraces key stakeholders and thinks differently about research that will improve lives of workers and enhance enterprise success. A more transdisciplinary approach to research will be needed that integrates the skills of traditional and non-traditional OSH research disciplines, as well as broader research methods that support the transdisciplinary character of an expanded OSH paradigm. This article provides a summary of the presentations, discussion, and recommendations that will inform the agenda of the Expanded Focus for Occupational Safety and Health (Ex4OSH) International Conference, planned for December 2021.

scholarly journals Total Worker Health® 2014–2018: The Novel Approach to Worker Safety, Health, and Well-Being Evolves

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Tamers ◽  
L. Chosewood ◽  
Adele Childress ◽  
Heidi Hudson ◽  
Jeannie Nigam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Worker Safety ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Worker Health ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Building Information ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Total Worker Health

Background: The objective of this article is to provide an overview of and update on the Office for Total Worker Health® (TWH) program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (CDC/NIOSH). Methods: This article describes the evolution of the TWH program from 2014 to 2018 and future steps and directions. Results: The TWH framework is defined as policies, programs, and practices that integrate protection from work-related safety and health hazards with promotion of injury and illness prevention efforts to advance worker well-being. Conclusions: The CDC/NIOSH TWH program continues to evolve in order to respond to demands for research, practice, policy, and capacity building information and solutions to the safety, health, and well-being challenges that workers and their employers face.

scholarly journals A Total Worker Health Approach to Skin Exposure Assessment: Experiences from the Firefighter Cancer Initiative

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto J Caban-Martinez ◽  
Jeff Hughes ◽  
Christopher Bator
Keyword(s):  
Skin Cancer ◽  
Exposure Assessment ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Skin Cancer Prevention ◽  
Skin Protection ◽  
Worker Health ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Total Worker Health

Abstract Increasing scientific evidence suggests that addressing complex, wide-ranging concerns among worker populations should include the integration of traditional occupational safety and health with often siloed worksite wellness programs. The Total Worker Health (TWH) approach developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health can support skin cancer prevention efforts by integrating organizational-level policies, programs, and practices that strategically merge both skin protection from work-related safety and health hazards with promotion of skin illness prevention efforts. In the firefighter workforce, epidemiologic studies suggest an increased risk of skin cancer despite the use of personal protective equipment during fire incident response. Mechanisms for dermal absorption of carcinogenic compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons have given insight into how these hazardous chemicals can enter the skin and increase cancer risk. Mitigation of carcinogenic exposures requires a TWH approach that merges skin protection and promotion, routine surveillance, skin health assessment, worksite-based interventions, and regular evaluation of program activities. In this commentary, an example of a TWH approach is provided from the Firefighter Cancer Initiative (FCI), a transdisciplinary initiative focused at addressing excess burden of cancer in the firefighter workforce. The FCI builds on the TWH approach through the following components: (i) organizational leadership commitment; (ii) elimination of workplace hazards and promotion of worker well-being; (iii) engagement of workers in program design and delivery; (iv) ensuring confidentiality and privacy in program participation; and (v) integrating systems effectively. Occupational hygienists have strong potential to play a crucial role beyond traditional risk assessment, exposure assessment, and health protection that further includes skin health promotion and integration of related programs into a TWH framework.

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