Category: Prevention Through Design

Prevention Through Design to Address Continuing Construction Workplace Deaths and Injuries

Nearly 1 in 5 of all workplace fatalities occur in the construction industry (BLS, 2024). In 2022 there were 1,092 fatalities in the construction industry (BLS, 2024); in 2021 and 2022 there were 144,480 cases of construction industry workers missing days away from work from a non-fatal injury or illness (BLS, 2023). These and other Read More >

Posted on by Amber Trueblood, Babak Memarian, Trudi McCleery, Douglas Trout, G. Scott EarnestLeave a comment

Partnering to Design Safe and Healthy Workplaces for the Construction Workforce

The NIOSH Office of Construction Safety and Health has partnered with industry, government, academia, insurance companies, and labor to address construction-related injuries and fatalities. Working together, these partnerships can tackle many of the serious issues the Construction industry faces today. Prevention through Design (PtD) is an important approach to addressing many of these hazards. A Read More >

Posted on by LT Bryan Wimer; Scott Earnest, PhD, PE, CSP; CDR Elizabeth Garza, MPH, CPH; J’ette Novakovich, PhD, MS, MA; and Douglas Trout, MD, MHS1 Comment

Prevention Through Design

Prevention through Design, or PtD, is the process of designing OUT a hazard and it is the most reliable and effective way to protect workers.  If a hazard doesn’t exist, there is no need to purchase protective equipment and establish ongoing programs to maintain it, inspect it, and train and supervise workers to use it. Read More >

Posted on by Jonathan A. Bach, PE, CSP, CIH3 Comments

Opportunities for Integrating Safety and Health into Sustainable Building Projects: Have You Tried the Prevention through Design (PtD) Pilot Credit?

Ten years ago the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) launched the concept of Prevention through Design (PtD), which champions preventing and controlling occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities by “designing out” or minimizing hazards and risks. Since then, many safety and health professionals have become familiar with the concept and implemented it in Read More >

Posted on by Christine Branche, Ph.D., FACE, Heather Langford, LEED AP BD+C, O+M, and Matthew E. Gillen, FAIHA4 Comments

The New ANSI Nail Gun Standard is a Lost Opportunity for Safety

Pneumatic nail guns have (PNGs) caused injury and death to both workers and consumers. These easy-to-use tools are designed to quickly drive nails into work surfaces. Commercially available first in the 1960s, PNGs are now the most popular type of nail gun in use. These tools are able to drive any size nail into wood Read More >

Posted on by John Howard, MD; Christine M. Branche, PhD, FACE; and Scott Earnest, PhD, PE, CSP 4 Comments

Buy Quiet Update

Several years ago NIOSH started the planning process for a “buy quiet” initiative to encourage companies to purchase or rent quieter machinery and tools to reduce worker noise exposure. This initiative also aimed to provide information on equipment noise levels and promote manufacturers to design quieter equipment. NIOSH is now pleased to announce the official Read More >

Posted on by Holly Poynter, MPH; Trudi McCleery, MPH; and CAPT Charles S. Hayden, MS, PE12 Comments

Green Buildings and Human Health

Earlier this year I participated in the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Summit on Green Buildings and Human Health. At USGBC’s invitation, I authored a blog that appears on their website. We are co-posting the blog on the NIOSH Science Blog. The Summit was very successful, and USGBC is open to including worker issues into Read More >

Posted on by Christine Branche, Ph.D.16 Comments

Buy Quiet

Quieter tools and machines lead to decreased hearing loss among the workers who use them. So why aren't companies "buying quiet"? Read more about the challenges in this area and what NIOSH is doing to make it easier to "buy quiet."  Read More >

Posted on by Heidi Hudson, MPH, and Chuck Hayden, MS, PE26 CommentsTags

Prevention through Design Standard

A new ANSI/ASSE Prevention through Design standard provides guidance on how to avoid, eliminate, reduce and control occupational safety and health hazards in the design and redesign process.  Read More >

Posted on by Donna S. Heidel, CIH20 Comments

Safety Has Not Been Asked to Prom

Environmental responsibility and occupational safety share many fundamental characteristics when it comes to changing behavior and making an impact. Recently, the green movement has become a mainstream movement. What can proponents of occupational safety learn from green campaigns?  Read More >

Posted on by Thomas Cunningham, PhD, and Garrett Burnett, MS, MBA35 Comments

Making the Business Case for Prevention through Design

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is leading a National Prevention through Design (PtD) initiative to promote the concept of "designing out" or minimizing occupational hazards and risks early in the design process. Read more on the NIOSH Science Blog and provide insight about your successes and challenges in implementing PtD. Read More >

Posted on by Administrator16 Comments