SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE

Program Goals

A key leadership role for the Small Business Assistance Program is the development of goals for small businesses. The Small Business Assistance Program is in the process of developing goals to guide NIOSH research and partnership efforts over the next decade. 

NIOSH Program Portfolio Approach

NIOSH organizes its research, guidance, information, and service efforts into specific programs that can be readily communicated and strategically governed and evaluated. Ten sector programs represent industrial sectors, and seven cross-sector programs are organized around health and safety outcomes. There are also numerous core and specialty programs that represent special emphasis areas, methodological approaches, core activities and legislatively mandated programs.

The sector programs intersect with cross-sector programs in a matrix-like fashion, with relevant core and specialty programs playing a supporting role. For example, an Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Program goal of reducing farm-related deaths and injuries due to tractor rollovers and trucks would likely be a shared goal with the Traumatic Injury Prevention Program and if appropriate would be adopted by both programs. This approach provides an added advantage and will allow multiple Programs to work towards accomplishment of intersecting NIOSH goals.

Below are the current goals for the Nation developed during the second decade of the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA).

Small Business Assistance Program Strategic Goals for Intramural Research

Strategic Goal 1:  Reduce fatal and serious injuries associated with: 1) struck-by incidents associated with objects, vehicles, and collapsing materials and structures, and 2) falls to a lower level in the construction industry.

• Priority Intermediate Goal: Local, state, and national construction trade associations and/or labor groups will engage in new or enhanced activities to prevent struck-by and fall injuries in smaller businesses.

Strategic Goal 2: By 2015, reduce the frequency of injuries by 30% among food service workers.

• Priority Intermediate Goal: Local, state, and national wholesale and/or retail trade associations and/or labor groups will engage in new or enhanced activities to prevent MSDs and motor-vehicle related injuries in smaller businesses.

Strategic Goal 3: Reduce chronic musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and motor-vehicle related injuries and fatalities in wholesale and retail trade workers.

• Priority Intermediate Goal: Analyze the value propositions that are made to smaller enterprises by different intermediary organizations including insurance companies, trade associations, chambers of commerce and small business development centers for purposes of identifying where OSH information and activities make sense for such organizations to offer.

Strategic Goal 4: Reduce injuries and illnesses in smaller businesses by better-understanding intermediary organizations, their structure operations and networks, and by better-understanding the work environment of smaller enterprises.

• Priority Intermediate Goal: Investigate the work environment in smaller businesses and the barriers to workplace illness/injury/fatality prevention efforts. This includes understanding the perceptions and behaviors of employees, managers, and owner/operators of smaller businesses.
• Priority Intermediate Goal: Investigate integrated approaches to workplace health promotion (WHP) and occupational safety and health (OSH) in smaller businesses.