Andrea Okun

NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE LIFE TABLE ANALYSIS SYSTEM OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

In the 1970s, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health developed a Life Table Analysis System to analyze occupational cohort studies. We have updated the original system by adding two new features: direct standardization with a test for linear trend, and analyses by lagged exposure (either duration of exposure or cumulative exposure). We have also updated US reference rates through 1989. The updated systems and documentation (version F) are available upon request. In collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, we have also developed multiple cause-of-death rate files, which consider contributory as well as underlying cause. These files (also available upon request) will enable investigators to derive the expected prevalence of diseases at death, which can then be compared with the observed prevalence in an exposed cohort. Work is currently underway to produce a personal computer version of the Life Table Analysis System.

Integrating Occupational Safety and Health Information Into Vocational and Technical Education and Other Workforce Preparation Programs

The high rates of injury among young workers are a pressing public health issue, especially given the demand of the job market for new workers. Young and new workers experience the highest rates of occupational injuries of any age group. Incorporating occupational safety and health (OSH) information into the more than 20 000 vocational and other workforce preparation programs in the United States might provide a mechanism for reducing work-related injuries and illnesses among young and new workers. We assessed the status of including OSH information or training in workforce preparation programs and found there is an inconsistent emphasis on OSH information.

Identifying high-risk small business industries for occupational safety and health interventions†

BACKGROUND Approximately one-third (32%) of U.S. workers are employed in small business industries (those with 80% of workers in establishments with fewer than 100 employees), and approximately 53 million persons in private industry work in small business establishments. This study was performed to identify small business industries at high risk for occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. METHODS Small business industries were identified from among all three- and four-digit Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes and ranked using Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data by rates and numbers of occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. Both incidence rates and number of injury, illness, and fatality cases were evaluated. RESULTS The 253 small business industries identified accounted for 1,568 work-related fatalities (34% of all private industry). Transportation incidents and violent acts were the leading causes of these fatalities. Detailed injury and illness data were available for 105 small business industries, that accounted for 1,476,400 work-related injuries, and 55,850 occupational illnesses. Many of the small business industries had morbidity and mortality rates exceeding the average rates for all private industry. The highest risk small business industries, based on a combined morbidity and mortality index, included logging, cut stone and stone products, truck terminals, and roofing, siding, and sheet metal work. CONCLUSIONS Identification of high-risk small business industries indicates priorities for those interested in developing targeted prevention programs.

Occupational safety and health, green chemistry, and sustainability: a review of areas of convergence

With increasing numbers and quantities of chemicals in commerce and use, scientific attention continues to focus on the environmental and public health consequences of chemical production processes and exposures. Concerns about environmental stewardship have been gaining broader traction through emphases on sustainability and “green chemistry” principles. Occupational safety and health has not been fully promoted as a component of environmental sustainability. However, there is a natural convergence of green chemistry/sustainability and occupational safety and health efforts. Addressing both together can have a synergistic effect. Failure to promote this convergence could lead to increasing worker hazards and lack of support for sustainability efforts. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has made a concerted effort involving multiple stakeholders to anticipate and identify potential hazards associated with sustainable practices and green jobs for workers. Examples of potential hazards are presented in case studies with suggested solutions such as implementing the hierarchy of controls and prevention through design principles in green chemistry and green building practices. Practical considerations and strategies for green chemistry, and environmental stewardship could benefit from the incorporation of occupational safety and health concepts which in turn protect affected workers.

Foundational workplace safety and health competencies for the emerging workforce.

INTRODUCTION Young workers (aged 15-24) suffer disproportionately from workplace injuries, with a nonfatal injury rate estimated to be two times higher than among workers age 25 or over. These workers make up approximately 9% of the U.S. workforce and studies have shown that nearly 80% of high school students work at some point during high school. Although young worker injuries are a pressing public health problem, the critical knowledge and skills needed to prepare youth for safe and healthy work are missing from most frameworks used to prepare the emerging U.S. workforce. METHODS A framework of foundational workplace safety and health knowledge and skills (the NIOSH 8 Core Competencies) was developed based on the Health Belief Model (HBM). RESULTS The proposed NIOSH Core Competencies utilize the HBM to provide a framework for foundational workplace safety and health knowledge and skills. An examination of how these competencies and the HBM apply to actions that workers take to protect themselves is provided. The social and physical environments that influence these actions are also discussed. CONCLUSIONS The NIOSH 8 Core Competencies, grounded in one of the most widely used health behavior theories, fill a critical gap in preparing the emerging U.S. workforce to be cognizant of workplace risks. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Integration of the NIOSH 8 Core Competencies into school curricula is one way to ensure that every young person has the foundational workplace safety and health knowledge and skills to participate in, and benefit from, safe and healthy work.

Trade associations and labor organizations as intermediaries for disseminating workplace safety and health information

BACKGROUND There has not been a systematic study of the nature and extent to which business and professional trade associations and labor organizations obtain and communicate workplace safety and health information to their members. These organizations can serve as important intermediaries and play a central role in transferring this information to their members. METHODS A sample of 2294 business and professional trade associations and labor organizations in eight industrial sectors identified by the National Occupational Research Agenda was surveyed via telephone. RESULTS A small percent of these organizations (40.9% of labor organizations, 15.6% of business associations, and 9.6% of professional associations) were shown to distribute workplace safety and health information to their members. Large differences were also observed between industrial sectors with construction having the highest total percent of organizations disseminating workplace safety and health information. CONCLUSION There appears to be significant potential to utilize trade and labor organizations as intermediaries for transferring workplace safety and health information to their members. Government agencies have a unique opportunity to partner with these organizations and to utilize their existing communication channels to address high risk workplace safety and health concerns.

Using a Modified Theory of Planned Behavior to Examine Adolescents’ Workplace Safety and Health Knowledge, Perceptions, and Behavioral Intention: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Work, a defining feature of adolescence in the United States, has many benefits. Work also has risks, as adolescents experience a higher rate of serious job-related injuries compared to adults. Talking Safety, a free curriculum from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, is one tool educators may adopt to provide teens with essential workplace safety and health education. Adolescents (N = 2503; female, 50.1%; Hispanic, 50.0%) in a large urban school district received Talking Safety from their eighth-grade science teachers. This study used a modified theory of planned behavior (which included a knowledge construct), to examine students’ pre- and post-intervention scores on workplace safety and health knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention to enact job safety skills. The results from confirmatory factor analyses indicate three unique dimensions reflecting the theory, with a separate knowledge factor. Reliability estimates are ω ≥ .83. The findings from the structural equation models demonstrate that all paths, except pre- to posttest behavioral intention, are statistically significant. Self-efficacy is the largest contributor to the total effect of these associations. As hypothesized, knowledge has indirect effects on behavioral intention. Hispanic students scored lower at posttest on all but the behavioral intention measure, possibly suggesting the need for tailored materials to reach some teens. Overall the findings support the use of a modified theory of planned behavior to evaluate the effectiveness of a foundational workplace safety and health curriculum. This study may inform future efforts to ensure that safe and healthy work becomes integral to the adolescent experience.