# Presentation: 345259

## U.S. DOT HFCC Briefing May 25, 2005 NIOSH Musculoskeletal DisordersResearch Program

- Thomas R. Waters, Ph.D.
- Chief, Human Factors and Ergonomics Research Section
- Division of Applied Research and Technology

## High Priority MSDs

- Occupational low back pain accounts for approximately 34% of the cost of all injuries and illnesses combined
- In 1997, there were 603,096 estimated cases of MSDs in the US that resulted in days away from work
- Almost half involved lifting and another 13% involved repetitive motion

## NIOSH Research Program

- Seven NIOSH Divisions : DART, DSHEFS, DSR, EID, HELD, PRL, SRL
- 30 active projects in FY 2002
- Two large interdivisional research programs
- Big Ergo - (DSHEFS, DART, and HELD)
- Jarring and Jolting (SRL, PRL, and DART)
- Hazard Evaluation and Technical Assistance Program (HETA)
- Surveillance

## Intramural Program

- Epidemiology & surveillance
- Exposure assessment & methods
- Intervention & engineering controls
- Industry specific problems
- Healthcare, construction, maritime, agriculture, manufacturing, office environment, etc.

- Primary focus of intramural projects:

## NIOSH Divisions Conducting MSD

- _Cincinnati_

- Division of Applied Research & Technology

- Education & Information Division

- Pittsburgh Research Laboratory

- _Pittsburgh & Spokane_

- _Morgantown_

- Division of Safety Research

- Health Effects Laboratory Division

**3 Projects**

**3 Project**

**11 Projects**

- Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations & Field Studies

- Spokane Research Laboratory

**5 Project**

**3 Project**

**3 Project**

**2 Project**

## DART

- Interventions in maritime - STORM Matrix
- Interventions in construction
- Interventions in agriculture
- Children working in agriculture
- Hand tool design
- Home health care workers

## DART Cont.

- Low Back Component of Big Ergo Program
- Intervention Component of Big Ergo Program
- Alternative Keyboards
- Shiftwork
- Biomechanical Component of Jarring and Jolting Program

## DSHEFS

- Big Ergo Program Administration
- Upper Extremity Component of Big Ergo Program
- Low Back Component of Big Ergo Program

## DSR

- Prevention of injuries due to installing drywall
- Evaluation of best practices back injury prevention program (nursing homes)
- Studies of anthropometrics
- Effectiveness of Engineering Controls

## EID

- Hazard Review: Hazards in Hospitals & Health Care
- NIOSH Lifting Equation: Evaluation of CD-ROM training program
- Effectiveness of Training and Controls in Nursing Homes

## HELD

- Office ergonomics and environments
- Vibration and noise assessment of power hand tools
- Prospective Hand Arm Vibration (Big Ergo)
- Cellular and animal models for the study of hand-arm vibration syndrome
- Musculoskeletal diseases and inflammatory processes

## PRL

- Ergonomics interventions in mining
- Agriculture component of Jarring and Jolting Program

## SRL

- Material handling accident reduction in underground mines
- Injury prevention for metal/non-metal bolting operation
- Jarring and Jolting Program Administration
- Construction component of Jarring and Jolting Program

## Surveillance

- *

***National Exposure at Work Survey***
***(NEWS)***

- Survey similar to previous NIOSH National Occupational Exposure Surveys (NOES)

## Extramural MSDResearch Program

- Office of Extramural Programs (OEP)
- Grants
- Cooperative Agreements
- Training Sites (ERCs)

## Education & ResearchCenters (ERCs)

- 16 University based ERCs
- Support academic degree programs and research training opportunities
- Continuing education (CE) programs for occupational safety and health                     professionals
- Training in ergonomics and prevention of MSDs
- http://www.niosh-erc.org/

## National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) MSD Team

- Includes two of the 21 priority areas
- Low Back
- Upper Extremity MSDs
- Fourteen members on team representing industry, labor, academia, and government
- Mission is to develop a national research agenda, foster research efforts aimed at prevention of MSDs, and develop partnerships

## NORA MSD Team

**NORA MSD Team**

***National Research Agenda for MSDs***

## Discussion Points

- What are high priority research issues for DOT?
-  How can NIOSH gain access to workplaces to conduct research?
- Is DOT interested in a research partnership agreement with NIOSH?