JOB SAFETY, HEALTH PARTNERING SUCCESSES HIGHLIGHTED AT NORA SYMPOSIUM 2001

Contact: Fred Blosser (202) 401-3749
June 27, 2001

Accomplishments under the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) in advancing national partnerships in occupational safety and health research, and opportunities for further research collaborations among industry, labor, government, and others, were highlighted June 27, 2001, at the NORA Symposium 2001.

The symposium was hosted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention�s (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in Washington, D.C.

NORA provides a national blueprint for research in 21 priority areas that will do the most to prevent job-related injury, illness, and death over the coming decade. NORA was established by NIOSH in 1996 with input and review from more than 500 individuals and organizations. Since then, NIOSH has worked closely with diverse partners to implement NORA in public- and private-sector planning for occupational safety and health research.

The NORA Symposium 2001 included:

Presentation of the 2001 NORA Partnering Award for Worker Health and Safety, which recognizes exemplary teamwork, innovative thinking, and strong science in the interest of worker health and safety.

Presentations on national and international experiences in using NORA as a model for collaborative research partnerships. Speakers included Shunichi Araki, President, National Institute of Industrial Health, Japan; Thomas F. Bresnahan, Deputy Executive Director and Director of Professional Affairs for the American Society of Safety Engineers; and Irina Nemirovsky, Research Program Specialist, Commission on Health and Safety and Workers� Compensation, California State Department of Industrial Relations.

Presentations on new research by industry, labor, government, and others under NORA.

The keynote speaker for the NORA Symposium 2001 was Ellen Galinsky, President, Families and Work Institute. The plenary speaker was Edward L. Baker, Jr., Assistant Surgeon General and Director, Public Health Practice Program Office, CDC. NIOSH Acting Director Kathleen Rest, Ph.D., M.P.A., offered a welcome and an update on NORA implementation.

For further information on NORA, call the NIOSH toll-free information number, 1-800-35-NIOSH (1-800-356-4674) or visit NIOSH on the Web .