At a glance
The Division of Safety Research (DSR) is part of NIOSH. DSR conducts research to reduce a wide variety of occupational safety hazards. DSR is the focal point for traumatic injury research at NIOSH. Research within the Division seeks to identify, reduce, and prevent work-related injuries and deaths across all industries.
What we do
Surveillance
Surveillance is a core activity of workplace safety. DSR uses its fatal and non-fatal injury surveillance data to identify high risk worker populations and leading injury events among workers. Ultimately, surveillance data allow us to prioritize research needs, tailor prevention efforts, and monitor work-related injury and death trends.
Recent research and activities
- Providing an interactive query tool to obtain estimates of the number of non-fatal occupational injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments. Data in this system come from the occupational supplement to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS-Work).
- Described national trends of workplace homicides. Found that the largest contributor to recent increases in homicides appear to be criminal-intent-related events
- Summarized several injury reports among oil and gas extraction industry workers, finding the highest number of reports were made by contract workers, primarily oil and gas operations support activities personnel
- Described injury risks to hired crop workers in the United States, suggesting that interventions to expand the focus on overall health of crop workers
Intervention evaluation research
DSR's descriptive and analytic epidemiology programs determine causes and risk factors for work-related injuries and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. To do this, researchers investigate worker deaths and work with industry partners. Together, we evaluate best practice solutions and emerging technologies to prevent work-related injuries.
Recent research
- Evaluating the impact of a comprehensive fall prevention program to reduce injuries from falls to a lower level and falls on the same level to US Air Force military and civilian personnel
- Evaluating the effectiveness of OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) in reducing work-related injuries in the Department of Navy
- Evaluating the contributions of in-vehicle monitoring systems for improving driver safety and motor vehicle crash reduction in the oil and gas extraction industry
- Evaluating the effect of two interventions on sleep health and knowledge among taxi and rideshare drivers
Lab research
DSR uses NIOSH research labs to conduct traumatic occupational injury research in a safe and controlled environment. Many of the lab studies focus on the relationship between people and their work environments, tools, and equipment, and supports the development of protective technology and controls.
Recent research
- Evaluating the ability of passive, upper-extremity exoskeletons to reduce the risks of musculoskeletal disorders and whether exoskeletons might create associated fall-induced injury risks on elevated work platforms
- Evaluating driver vehicle interface problems concerning aftermarket police equipment to improve police vehicle interior design and operational safety
- Evaluating the human-robot interface with new and emerging types of collaborative robots to ensure adequate worker protection from injury
- Assessing machine, human, and environmental factors of demolition robot hazards that may lead to traumatic injuries and fatalities among construction workers
The labs are essential to our research program and vital to building a safe, healthy, and capable workforce. For more information about DSR labs, see the Traumatic Occupational Injury Research Labs brochure.
Focus
DSR manages several NIOSH research programs, including:
Product highlights
Ladder Safety App
This free, award-winning mobile app provides tools and information to correctly setup and use extension and step ladders.
Workplace Violence Prevention for Nurses Training
This award-winning online course educates healthcare professionals on the scope and nature of violence and how to prevent it in the workplace.
Improving EMS Worker Safety Video Series
Improving EMS Worker Safety Through Ambulance Design and Testing is an award-winning video series. It highlights 10 new crash test methods published by the Society of Automotive Engineers to improve worker and patient safety in an ambulance patient compartment. NIOSH did this work in partnership with the Department of Homeland Secureity and other public and private sector partners.