OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH DISPARITIES

Outputs: Publications

Selected Publications

Safe Lifting and Movement of Nursing Home Residents
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2006-117 (February 2006)
Research has shown that safe resident lifting programs that incorporate mechanical lifting equipment can protect workers from injury, reduce workers’ compensation costs, and improve the quality of care delivered to residents. Investment in lifting equipment and training can be recovered through reduced workers’ compensation expenses and costs associated with lost and restricted work days. Employee morale and resident quality of care are also improved.

This document outlines the risks involved in movement of patients in a long term care facility as well as the costs and benefits of implementing a safe-lifting program. Common questions about adoption of safe-lifting technology by staff and patients, suggestions for written facility policy and procedures, and training are answered.

Black non-Hispanic workers are over represented in the Nursing and Residential Care Facilities [(827-829) NAICS 623] workforce. Approximately 9.8% of all workers are black compared to 21.2% of those working in nursing and residential care facilities. This is equally true for males and females (8.4% versus 20.8% for males, and 11.3% versus 21.3% in total workforce versus nursing and residential care, respectively). Asian and American Indian Alaska Natives are similarly represented in all industries versus nursing and residential care industry ( http://www.census.gov/eeo2000/ Accessed 10/27/2006).

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001-111 (February 2001) en español
Most ergonomic research has focused on manufacturing or office settings. Focusing on agriculture, this document offers solutions for a variety of agricultural settings and raises awareness that musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are preventable in agriculture -- they are not just part of farm life. In addition to specific solutions, the publication also inspires people to devise with their own solutions through guidelines, resources, and a "how-to build ergonomic teams" section. Since many farmers are small employers with limited resources, it focuses on low-cost solutions and even includes diagrams for building them on the farm. Simple Solutions takes research and puts it into the hands of those who can use it.

This document has become a new model for other NIOSH documents. Because of the success of this document, NIOSH plans to develop another similar publication for construction workers. Other NIOSH researchers have mentioned that they would like to use the same format for additional health problems among other worker populations, e.g., Simple Solutions: Lead Avoidance for Constructions Workers.

The document is truly outstanding and will be well used by the agricultural community for the application of engineering solutions to MSDs.