Setting the Worker-Safety Research Agenda

To identify the top research needs for Houston-area workers, especially
in health care, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) held a public forum Jan. 23 at The University of Texas School of
Public Health. NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D., center, talks with
meeting organizer Sarah A. Felknor, Dr.P.H., interim director of the
Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health at the
school, and Dean Guy S. Parcel, Ph.D., the John P. McGovern Professor
in Health Promotion and holder of the M. David Low Chair in Public Health.

To help frame the upcoming National Occupational Research Agenda,
speakers addressed NIOSH officials with more than 30 presentations on
different workplace risks and hazards. More than 100 registered
participants – including representatives from industry and worker
organizations, researchers, occupational health practitioners and
students – listened attentively to the all-day “town hall” meeting.

Felknor pointed out that over 12,000 injuries and illnesses are reported
daily in the United States, and many more go unreported. “This was an
important event, and the testimony provided will be articulated into
funding priorities for the next decade,” she said.

Photo by Michele Mocco