Category: Prevention Through Design
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 1 CommentPrevention 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 3 CommentsOpportunities 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 4 CommentsThe 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 4 CommentsBuy 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 12 CommentsGreen 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 16 CommentsBuy 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 26 CommentsPrevention 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 20 CommentsSafety 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 35 CommentsMaking 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 16 Comments