|
Be Part of NORA’s
Second Decade of Research
We all pay a high price for occupational injuries and illnesses. The
burden they impose on families, communities, businesses and the
economy is huge. Sure, they’re on the decline, according to the
latest government figures, but still too many people don’t go home
at the end of the day in the same condition they left. With a new
year upon us, safety professionals have a new opportunity to resolve
to do something about it.
The National Occupational Research Agenda, or NORA, is beginning its
second decade of work to address longstanding safety and health
issues, and organizations like the American Society of Safety
Engineers are encouraging their members to participate.
Ten years ago, in the face of a rapidly expanding and increasingly
diverse workplace, NIOSH formed NORA and asked the question: What
will the workplace of 2006 look like? As the pace of technology
advances with unprecedented momentum, it makes sense to ask that
same question today about 2016.
Before NORA, no previous occupational research agenda had captured
such broad input and consensus. More than 500 individuals and
organizations outside of NIOSH have contributed to its development.
To review their work, go to www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora/pastnora.html and
download the Ten-Year Team Document, which describes both a decade
of leadership in the 21 NORA priority areas and the teams’ visions
for the future of occupational safety and health research.
“Preventing injury and illness on the job, where working men and
women spend an important part of their adult lives, is vital for
sustaining workers and families, reducing health care costs, and
maintaining a strong economy,” said John Howard, MD, director of the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
NORA has made its mark for helping create safer, healthier
workplaces. But during the next decade more effort will be needed to
compile information on successful interventions aimed at preventing
things like hazardous exposures to the skin and to demonstrate the
efficiencies resulting from such effective efforts.
Increased awareness of dangers like occupational skin exposures and
their effects is still needed for dermatologists, occupational
physicians and occupational hygienists. Although there are numerous
opportunities for these health professionals to take courses or read
books about the identification and prevention of hazardous
occupational skin exposures, NORA says recent efforts have not
demonstrated an increased awareness of the potential problems. As a
result, many opportunities to prevent harm are not recognized.
Eight councils are being formed to create and maintain a
sector-specific research strategy for the nation — and to maximize
the impact of this agenda through partnerships. Each council will be
led by a Manager, who is typically a NIOSH Division or Laboratory
Director, and by a Coordinator, who provides day-to-day Program
leadership. If you are interested in contributing to a Sector
Research Council, you may contact either the Coordinator of any
sector that interests you or Sid Soderholm, NORA Coordinator, at
NORACoordinator@cdc.gov.
After nomination by the NORA Sector Program leaders, NORA Research
Council members will be asked to serve by the NIOSH Director. Each
NORA Sector Research Council is expected to meet before the end of
the summer. Please consider participating.
Thanks, good luck and Happy New Year.
 |
