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20 results for future of work

The Role of Work Arrangements in the Future of Work

  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Future of Work Initiative hosted a webinar to address the role of work arrangements in the future of work. Among the changes anticipated in the Future of Work is an increasing prevalence of nonstandard work arrangements, such as contingent, platform-based, seasonal, on-call, or other “nonstandard”

Posted on by Rene Pana-Cryan, PhD, Tapas Ray, PhD, Edward Yelin, PhD, and Molly Leshner, MPH

The Role of Skills in the Future of Work

  To survive and thrive in a fast-changing world, workers need to keep updating their skills to improve their employment chances, advance their careers, and meet the shifting needs of employers.1 Employers typically look for workers with proficiency in the technical and cognitive skills needed to do the job, but they also look for more

Posted on by Lauren Menger-Ogle, PhD; Molly Leshner, MPH; and Brian Bisson

Algorithms and the Future of Work

An algorithm is a series of precise, step-by-step instructions used by a machine to perform a mathematical operation.[1] The use of algorithm-enabled systems and devices will bring many benefits to occupational safety and health but, as with many new technologies, there are also risks to workers. A new commentary in the American Journal of Industrial

Posted on by John Howard, MD

The Role of Robotics in the Future of Work

  NIOSH established the Future of Work Initiative in response to rapid changes in the workplace, work, and workforce. The Initiative seeks to prompt research and practical approaches to address future occupational safety and health concerns. Increased use and rapid technologic advances in robotics fits within the sphere of changes in how work will increasingly

Posted on by Dawn N. Castillo, MPH; Jacob L. Carr, PhD; W. Allen Robison, PhD3 Comments

The Role of Technological Job Displacement in the Future of Work

The future of work holds many possibilities for technological advancements, which may alter the number, quality, and stability of jobs; create new jobs that vary in skill and wage level; and fundamentally change entire industries. Such developments, including digitalization, robotics, artificial intelligence, and advanced computing, have the potential to lead to automation of unsafe tasks

Posted on by Chia-Chia Chang, MPH, MBA; Sara L. Tamers, PhD, MPH; and Naomi Swanson, PhD3 Comments

Exploring the Future of Worker Health and Safety in the Post-Pandemic World

COVID-19 has had a profound effect on work. The short-term consequences of the pandemic, including new safety requirements at work, mandatory remote work arrangements, reduced working hours, and even unplanned furloughs or lost jobs, were unexpected and severe for many workers around the world [1-3]. Though the economy is now showing signs of recovery, experts

Posted on by Sarah A Felknor, MS, DrPH; Jessica MK Streit, MS, PhD, CHES®; and Nicole T Edwards, MS3 Comments

Advanced Sensor Technologies and the Future of Work

  Measuring worker exposure to hazardous substances is a key step to reducing risk and protecting workers. Sensors used in the workplace provide exposure data to inform prevention measures. Newer sensor technologies have the potential to greatly accelerate advances in occupational exposure science. A new commentary, Advanced Sensor Technologies and the Future of Work, in

Posted on by John Howard, MD; Vladimir Murashov, PhD; Emanuele Cauda, PhD; and John Snawder, PhD, DABT3 Comments

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Future of Work

As discussed in a previous NIOSH Science Blog, artificial intelligence (AI) is in the process of transforming almost all aspects of society. Whether using an application to determine the best route to drive, receiving recommendations from Netflix on what to watch, or using face detection to logon to a personal smartphone, the use of AI

Posted on by Jay Vietas, PhD, CIH, CSP6 Comments

The Role of Organizational Design in the Future of Work

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted our society and economy. Every day, employers and workers find themselves encountering unforeseen challenges, finding novel ways of working, and adapting to a “new normal.” In a time when much is unknown, one thing is clear: the future of work is already here. As it unfolds, the future of

Posted on by Sara L. Tamers, PhD, MPH; Jessica M.K. Streit, PhD, CHES®; Naomi Swanson, PhD; and Leslie Hammer, PhD6 Comments

Rising to the Challenges and Opportunities Presented by the Future of Work: NIOSH Introduces its Future of Work Initiative

The future of work is influenced by many changes to workplace, work, and workforce factors such as organizational design, work arrangements, technological job displacement, artificial intelligence, robotics, technologies, demographics, economic security, and skills. Advances in the future of work offer many opportunities, but they also create challenges for the workplace and work, with consequences for the

Posted on by Sara L. Tamers, PhD, MPH and John Howard, MD

Labor Day 2019 Message: Future of Work and Total Worker Health

At NIOSH, we spend every day focused on improving the safety and health of the U.S. workforce who maintain and propel this country forward. This year’s 125th anniversary of Labor Day gives us the opportunity as a Nation to celebrate and appreciate all workers for their contribution to this country’s prosperity, strength and well-being. This

Posted on by John Howard, MD6 Comments

Artificial Intelligence: Implications for the Future of Work

What does Artificial Intelligence (AI) have to do with workplace safety and health? NIOSH has been at the forefront of workplace safety and robotics, creating the Center for Occupational Robotics Research (CORR) and posting blogs such as A Robot May Not Injure a Worker: Working safely with robots. However, much remains unknown regarding the related

Posted on by John Howard, MD65 Comments

NIOSH Working Hours, Sleep and Fatigue Forum: A Recap and Future Directions

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), has had a longstanding interest in nonstandard work hours and associated health and safety effects. The last NIOSH meeting on this topic was held in 2004 and centered around long working hours and the impact on injuries, illnesses, and health behaviors. To build on this expertise,

Posted on by Imelda Wong, PhD, and Naomi Swanson, PhD11 Comments

Transforming Construction: Automation and Robotics for a Safer Future

Introduction At its core, automation is the use of technology to perform tasks that were once done by humans. Technology includes software, tools to automate workflows, and machinery. Some of the early examples of automation in construction are power tools. As technology progresses, construction automation has seen rapid progress over the last decade with the

Posted on by Scott Breloff, PhD; Scott Earnest, PhD, PE, CSP; Douglas Trout, MD, MHS; Asha Brogan, MS; Marvin Cheng, PhD; Jacob Carr, PhD1 Comment

A New Partnership Focuses on the Occupational Safety and Health Needs of Lone Workers

  Working alone is common in many industries and may introduce safety and health risks for workers. In 2023, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) formed a partnership to improve safety and health for lone workers by developing and disseminating information about the risks

Posted on by Ryan Hill, MPH; Ken Scott, PhD; Chandran Achutan, PhD, CIH; Deborah Hornback, MS; Todd Jordan, MSPH, CIH; Trapper Braegger, CIH, CSP4 Comments

Protecting Workers on the Roadways: The Use of Truck-Mounted Attenuators in the Fire and Emergency Services

  Workers who respond to roadway emergencies, such as vehicle crashes, can face multiple hazards. Working at roadway incidents frequently exposes responders to potentially being struck by passing motor vehicle traffic leading to serious injury or death. These secondary crashes during responses to roadway incidents contribute to about 50 emergency responder fatalities and injuries annually.[1][2] Additionally,

Posted on by Wesley R. Attwood, DrCJ; Meghan Kiederer, BA; David E. Fosbroke, BS, MSF; Tammy L. Schaeffer; Jarrad E. Clift, MBA; Joseph Tebo; David Bryson, EMT14 Comments

Primary Care and the Working Patient — Occupational Health Principles in Practice

  What someone does for work, and where and when they do it, can have broad health impacts. This includes direct effects from physical job exposures and hazards. Many aspects of work also affect health in other ways such as through sleep and eating patterns, social connectedness, mental health stressors, and access to benefits like

Posted on by Nadia Saif, MD, MPH; Christina Socias-Morales, DrPH; Vidisha Parasram, DrPH; Audrey Reichard, MPH; Sara Luckhaupt, MD, MPH; Marianne Cloeren, MD, MPH; Stella Hines, MD, MSPH; Sophia Chiu, MD, MPH; Dallas Shi, MD, PhD; and Nicholas Somerville, MD, MPH1 Comment

Exploring Approaches to Keep an AI-Enabled Workplace Safe for Workers

  Artificial intelligence (AI)—the field of computer science that designs machines to perform tasks that typically require human intelligence—has seen rapid advances leading to cutting‐edge innovations in language, vision, reasoning, and human‐machine collaboration across industries, economies, and labor markets.[1] [2] In the workplace, the adoption of AI technologies can result in a broad range of

Posted on by John Howard, MD, and Paul A. Schulte, PhD

COFE – The Future of Forest Operations

What does safety have to do with forest engineering? Everything. For the first time, Safety, Health, and Workforce Development was highlighted as a distinct track at the Council on Forest Engineering’s (COFE) Annual Meeting. Hosted by the University of Idaho’s College of Natural Resources and the University of Idaho Experimental Forest on May 21-24 in

Posted on by Marcy Harrington, MPA; Robert Keefe, PhD; Jennifer Lincoln, PhD, CSP; and Kitty Hendricks, MA

Farmworker Appreciation Day 2024 – Celebrate the workers who bring us our daily bread (and everything else on our plate)

  Few jobs are as essential as the ones that help to produce the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and many other products which get us through the day. From our morning coffee to a midnight snack, we benefit from the labor of farmworkers. The U.S employed approximately 2.6 million farmworkers in 2022

Posted on by KC Elliott, Amanda Wickman1 Comment