At a glance
The Division of Safety Research (DSR) is part of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). DSR conducts research to reduce a wide variety of occupational safety hazards. DSR is the focal point for traumatic injury research at NIOSH.
What we do
Research across the Division seeks to identify, reduce, and prevent work-related injuries and deaths across all industries.
Surveillance
DSR uses a number of fatal and non-fatal injury surveillance systems. These data surveillance systems allow us to prioritize research needs, target prevention efforts, and monitor work-related injury and death trends.
Surveillance Systems
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries: This system provides detailed analyses and interpretation of occupational injury deaths occurring since 1992.
- National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS-Work): This system includes occupational injury and illness data of workers treated in hospital emergency departments. This system was developed in collaboration with the Consumer Products Safety Commission.
- Work-Related Injury Statistics Query System (Work-RISQS): This system provides an interactive query tool to get estimates for the number and rate of non-fatal occupational injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments. Data in this system comes from NEISS-Work
Field Research
DSR's descriptive and analytic epidemiology programs aim to determine causes and risk factors for work-related injuries, and evaluate the efficacy of interventions through field investigations and studies. To do this, researchers investigate some worker deaths, and work with industry partners to evaluate best practice solutions and emerging technologies to prevent work-related injuries.
Recent field research
- Evaluating the effectiveness of the North American Fatigue Management Program in reducing commercial truck driver crashes
- 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) Star status certification in reducing injuries
- Evaluating the contributions of in-vehicle monitoring systems for improving driver safety and motor vehicle crash reduction in the oil and gas extraction industry
Lab Research
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has many research labs. DSR uses a number of these labs to conduct traumatic occupational injury research in a safe and controlled environment. Each lab is equipped with state-of-the art technology.
Recent lab research
- Evaluating the ability of passive, upper-extremity exoskeletons to reduce the risks of musculoskeletal disorders and whether exoskeletons will 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
- Investigating machine, human, and environmental casual 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's labs, see our Traumatic Occupational Injury Research Labs brochure.
Focus
Research Programs
DSR manages several NIOSH research programs, including:
Center for Occupational Robotics Research center guides the development and use of occupational robots that enhance worker safety and health.
Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Program and its state partners study select, fatal workplace injuries and make recommendations to prevent similar deaths and injuries.
Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program conducts investigations of fire fighter line-of-duty deaths and makes recommendations to prevent similar deaths and injuries.
Human Factors and Safety Engineering Research Program
This program focuses on the relationship between people and their work environments, tools, and equipment. It also supports the development of protective technology and controls.
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