ILMA Compoundings December 2016 - 33

THE WHITE PAPER

Looking Forward to
Improved Workplace
Health & Safety
Eugene M. White, Ph.D., M.S., CMFS

T

he National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA)
was initiated by the National Institute for Occupational
Health and Safety (NIOSH) and other stakeholders in
1996 to foster workplace research and improved workplace
practices.1 While I was mainly occupied with my NIOSH
laboratory research projects during that period (which
included investigating metalworking fluid bacteriology), I
was nevertheless aware of a sense of excitement and chatter
about NORA that swept through federal public health offices
and meeting rooms, and I wondered at the time how this new
occupational health and safety (OH&S) initiative would affect
the lives of workers. Well, NORA is now 20 years old and has
proven to be a very effective research movement to address
the following occupational areas:
* Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
* Construction
* Health Care and Social Assistance
* Manufacturing
* Mining
* Oil and Gas Extraction
* Public Safety
* Services
* Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities
* Wholesale and Retail Trade

* Demographic changes - causing increased risks of workrelated diseases, injuries and deaths
* Workplace evolution - jobs shifting from manufacturing
to service-related work
* Work organization - longer hours, shift work, part-time
and temp work, etc.
* Emerging risks - new chemicals, materials, processes and
equipment
According to a program called "Healthy People 2020" (under
the auspices of the Department of Health and Human Services)
that is implemented through NORA, the United States is
determined to make improvements in the quality of the work
experience for all workers:3
"...The Nation is poised to make significant improvements
over the coming decade in the quality of life for all working
people. Occupational safety and health research has
led to many changes in workplaces and work processes
that prevent injuries, illnesses, and deaths in workers.
Ongoing research seeks to identify new and better ways to
improve the health and safety of workers and to identify
and address emerging hazards. In addition, scientists and
partners are working together to translate and transfer
research findings, technologies, and information into highly
effective interventions and products that can be readily
integrated into the workplace, resulting in more immediate
improvements in the lives of workers."

Emerging Issue

The U.S. workforce employed approximately 140 million people
in 2015.2 Many workers spend up to half of their waking lives at
work and commuting to and fro, and work is one of the most
important determinants of a person's health. Therefore, it's
good to know that there are public health researchers who are
specifically investigating how occupational activities affect the
lives of workers. Although it might not always be evident, the
workplace is rapidly evolving:3

Even though NORA and Health 2020 activities are tackling
OH&S challenges on all fronts, the issue of nanoparticle
exposures is an area that needs more study and understanding.
There is still a pressing need for more data to assess the impact
of nanoparticles on worker health. These ultrafine particles are
increasingly appearing in many industrial applications, including
manufacturing, and promise to become a trillion-dollar industry
which will employ millions of workers during the next decade.4

Compoundings December 2016 * 33 * Vol. 66 No. 12
ILMA Compoundings December 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ILMA Compoundings December 2016
