NIOSH, AIHA Jointly Announce “Safety Matters” Initiative for Young Workers

Press Contact: Stephanie Stevens (202) 245-0641

Today, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the American Industrial Hygiene Association^® (AIHA) jointly introduced a new initiative called “Safety Matters” that is intended to teach young people about work safety and health. Representatives from NIOSH and AIHA made the announcement at AIHA’s Fall Conference taking place in Orlando, Florida.

More than a million teenagers are employed in the U.S. and every nine minutes, one of those young workers is injured on the job. The new “Safety Matters” program is designed to equip young people with the skills and knowledge they need to participate in safe and healthy work environments throughout their working lives.

“ Safety Matters ” is based on NIOSH’s “ Youth@Work: Talking Safety ” foundation curriculum in occupational safety and health, which was developed for schools nationwide. The new program is a one-hour interactive teaching module and PowerPoint presentation targeted to students in grades 7 through 12, and can be delivered by educators and safety professionals.

The “Safety Matters” program is intended to raise awareness among young workers about workplace safety and health, and teach them about topics such as:

• identifying hazards at work
• injury and illness prevention
• identifying emergencies at work and deciding on the best ways to address them
• how workers can communicate with others—including people in authority—when they feel unsafe or threatened

For more information or to download the free “Safety Matters” presentation, visit the NIOSH website or the Safety Matters Center on AIHA’s website.

NIOSH is the federal agency that conducts research and makes recommendations for preventing work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths. For more information about NIOSH visit www.cdc.gov/niosh/.

Founded in 1939, the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) is the premier association of occupational and environmental health and safety professionals. AIHA’s 10,000 members play a crucial role on the front line of worker health and safety every day. Members represent a cross-section of industry, private business, labor, government and academia. More information is available at www.aiha.org.