TOTAL WORKER HEALTH

Activities: NIOSH Intramural Research Projects

Total Worker Health for Small Business

The purpose of this project is to better-understand the perception of the Total Worker Health^® concept in communities. This project will conduct parallel community-based activities in southwestern Ohio and northern Kentucky. It will collect and analyze data about the perceived cost/benefits of the TWH approach using a three-level (community organizations, employer, and employee). Data will be collected from community organizations that work with or serve small businesses (e.g., trade associations, public health organizations, business healthcare organizations) about their perceptions of the TWH approach as a potential product or service for them to offer small firms. The findings resulting from this project will be used to develop a model for TWH diffusion to small businesses. The community organizations will then engage in diffusion activities to encourage the use of the model by national, regional, state and other local organizations serving small firms.

Project Contact: Tom Cunningham
TCunningham@cdc.gov
Education and Information Division
(513) 533-8325
Project Period: 2012-2016

Fatigue Prevention Training Program for Commercial Pilots in Alaska

The purpose of this project is to develop a computer-based fatigue prevention training program for commercial pilots in Alaska. Working conditions for pilots in Alaska are different than conditions elsewhere; pilots working in Alaska are subject to fatigue due to being based away from home for weeks at a time, long hours of daylight and darkness, financial pressure to deliver mail on a set schedule, seasonal operations such as the flight tour season or hunting and fishing seasons, and the small size of many of the operators, which may consist of only one pilot. The goal of the training is to increase awareness of fatigue, to inform pilots about the importance of adequate sleep for health and well-being, address mitigation strategies and to educate pilots and management in fatigue prevention. Using information obtained during focus group discussions with pilots and management staff, a tailored approach will be developed to present information to pilots. The final fatigue prevention training product will be made available to all pilots and air carriers in Alaska, regardless of size or participation in the project.

Project Contact: Mary O’Connor
MBOConnor@cdc.gov
Alaska Pacific Office
(907) 271-1571
Project Period: 2013 - 2015

Promising Practices for Healthy Aging in the Workplace

This project seeks to identify and better understand organizational-level practices for creating an age-friendly workplace. These practices will be studied through the use of both quantitative and qualitative research methods, and findings disseminated to collaborating partners and other organizations interested in strategies for advancing the safety and health of an aging workforce. The information and training materials generated by this project will also inform future efforts to develop training programs on “age-friendly” workplaces for front-line supervisors and managers in sectors such as Health Care and Social Assistance and Construction.

Project Contact: Jim Grosch
JGrosch@cdc.gov
Division of Applied Research and Technology
(513) 533-8167
Project Period: 2012 - 2016