84-102 

SUMMA REPORT (~~~~~~::::::------

HH 

ENGINEERING CONTROL OF 

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY 

& HEALTH HAZARDS: 

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 

IMPROVING ENGINEERING 

r-------;--- PRACTICE, 

'---+------+--+---.....--- E DU CATION 

,..----+--- & RESEARCH 

u.s. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

Public Health Service 

Centers. for Disease Control 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 

ENGINEERING CONTROL OF OCCUPATIONAL 

SAFETY AND HEALTH HAZARDS 

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING ENGINEERING 

PRACTICE, EDUCA TlON, AND RESEARCH 

Summary Report 

of the 

Engineering Control Technology Workshop Technical Panel 

u.s. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

Public Health Service 

Centers for Disease Control 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 

Division of Training and Manpower Development 

January 1984 
nlSCLAIMER 

The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and 

Health. 

This summary report is being disseminated to NIOSH staff, 

other government agencies, the occupational safety and health 

community, academia, industry, labor, professional societies, 

and public interest groups. The report is intended to disseminate 

new information that has been developed by a panel of external 

technical experts and provides new insight into the prevention of 

occupational hazards and recommends specific actions by the 

engineering profession. 

NIOSH Project Officer: John T. Talty 

Reprinted January 1985 

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 84-102 

II 
PREFACE 

In 1979, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and 

Health (NIOSH) conducted the NIOSH/University Occupational 

Health Engineering Control Technology Workshop. This workshop 

addressed the need for increased effort in the following areas of 

the engineering field : 

1. Design of hazard control systems, 

2. Research and development of new and improved contl;ol 

technology, and 

3. Educational programs for student and practicing engineers. 

In 1981, Texas A&M University hosted the Second Engineering 

Control Technology Workshop. This session included discussions 

of strategies to improve the education of the engineer and stateof-the-art of engineering control system&. A major recommendation was made to develop a report with recommendations for a 

comprehensive strategy to incorporate an awareness of occupational safety and health into engineering practice, education, and 

research. 

In 1983, the University of North Carolina hosted the Third 

Engineering Control Technology Workshop. This session was held 

to discuss legal responsibilities, accreditation of academic programs, registration of engineers, and to review issues and strategies as developed in the draft panel report prepared as a result of 

the second workshop. 

This report provides a summary of the comprehensive report 

prepared by a panel of technical experts. We wish to express our 

gratitude to the following persons for their contributions: Dr. 

Melvin First, Harvard University who served as report editor; 

Dr. Morton Corn, Dr. Charles Billings, and Dr. Peter Lees of 

Johns Hopkins University; Dr. Robert Harris, University of North 

Carolina; Dr. Jack Peterson, Peterson Associates; and Dr. Thomas 

Leamon, Northern Illinois University. Special thanks are due to 

the following NIOSH personnel who have actively supported the 

development of this program: Mr. Walter Haag, Dr. Murray Cohen, 

and Dr. Alan Stevens. Thanks are also due to Ms. Anne Hamilton 

who served as a technical editor in the preparation of this document. " . 

III 
Further information on the subjects of this summary report and 

the full report can be obtained at the following address: 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 

M.S. C-9 

4676 Columbia Parkway 

Cincinnati, Ohio 45226 

IV 
ABSTRACT 

This document summarizes a comprehensive report prepared by 

a technical panel. It is based on a series of workshops conducted 

to improve engineering practice, education, and research in the 

field of occupational safety and health. Included are (1) a brief 

historical review of occupational safety and health engineering, 

(2) an outline of occupational hazard control information needed 

by practicing engineers and related professionals, (3) a summary of 

educational needs in this field, (4) a discussion of needed research 

on engineering control, and (5) a consolidated list of high'priority 

recommendations for action. 

Historically, the fields of occupational safety and occupational 

health have been separated, mainly because of the initial emphasis 

on safety during the Industrial Revolution. Recently, emphasis 

and attention have been placed on a comprehensive view of occu· 

pational safety and health that embraces industrial hygiene, 

occupational medicine, ergonomics, and safety. 

Special information needs of engineers and related professionals 

must be met if we are to solve the serious national health problems resulting from occupational hazards. First, certain professional groups must be targeted to receive the information 

needed to effectively participate in the task of providing safe 

and healthful workplaces. Next, basic information must be made 

avallable to these professional groups, including types and areas 

of hazards, engineering control methods, legal and ethical responsibilities and liabilities, cost effectiveness and benefits of engineering controls, and techniques to monitor the effectiveness of 

hazard controls. 

A specialized body of information is available to educate engineers in the field of occupational safety and health. Three types 

of current educational needs have been identified: (1) incorporating occupational safety and health into engineering education, 

(2) providing specialized training in occupational safety and 

health engineering as a professional field, and (3) providing training in engineering techniques and practices for practitioners of 

occupational safety and health who are not engineers. Educational programs should cover a full spectrum, including academic 

degree programs, continuing education courses, and specialized 

information services for individuals or groups. The E!ngineering 

v 
community needs to be aware of occupational safety and health 

issues and reqlrirements under the law so engineers can fulfill 

their legal obligations as well as protect the worker and the public by developing and implementing effective hazard control 

technology . 

Research is needed on engineering controls for chemical, physical, 

and biological hazards. Chemical hazards are those encountered 

principally through inhalation of workplace air, but they may 

also be absorbed through the skin or ingested. Physical hazards 

involve traumatic injuries and exposure to physical agents such as 

radiation and vibration. Biological hazards include exposure to 

viruses, bacteria, fungi and their products which may be released 

accidentally to the work environment. 

VI 
CONTENTS 

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. III 

Abstract ... ... . ' " . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .. . .. v 

Section 1 

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

Section 2 

Information Needs of Practicing Engineers and 

Related Professionals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

Section 3 

Educational Needs in the Field of Occupational 

Safety and Health Engineering .. . . . ..... . . .. .. . .. . .. . 13 

Section 4 

Needed Research on Engineering Controls . ... ... . .. .. . . 20 

Section 5 

Conclusions and Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 

FIGURES 

1. Conceptual Model of a Workplace . . .. . .... ............ 21 

2. Conceptual Model of the Three Zones of 

Influence to Control Workplace Hazards . .. . . ..• . . .. . . . . 22 

TABLES 

1. Chronology of Important Events in the History of 

Occupational Safety and Health Engineering. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 

2. Engineering Control Matrix Applied to Hazards . . . . . . . . . . 23 

" 

VII 

Section 1 

INTRODUCTION 

The goal of occupational safety and health engineering is to prevent occupational disease and injury by management of the work 

environment_ The operating principle is to systematically provide 

worker protection against safety and health hazards by using 

techniques that do not place the burden of protection on the 

worker. Such methods include engineering controls and monitoring systems, which may be supplemented when necessary by 

appropriate work practices and protective equipment. The skill 

and experience of the engineering community are required to help 

solve the serious national problems resulting from exposures to 

safety and health hazards in the workplace. 

To make engineers more aware of their role in developing and 

implementing engineering controls of occupational hazards, the 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 

sponsored a series of workshops on ways to improve engineering 

practice, education, and research in the field of occupational 

safety and health. This summary report is a condensation of the 

comprehensive report prepared for the 1983 workshop. Included 

are a brief historical review of occupational safety and health 

engineering, an outline of occupational hazard control information needed by practicing engineers and related professionals, 

a summary of education needs in this field, and a discussion of 

needed research on engineering controls. The final section contains 

recommendations for action to resolve the high priority needs that 

have been identified. 

Background 

Traditional occupational safety and health engineering categories have included safety engineering (prevention of traumatic 

injury in the work place), occupational health engineering (prevention of occupational diseases resulting from exposure to 

hazardous agents), and ergonomics (human factors such as fatigue 

and proneness to error). • 

1 
A distinction has always existed between occupational safety 

(injury) and occupational health (disease) hazards, though both 

problems had their roots in the Industrial Revolution. Part of 

the reason for this distinction was the tragic safety record of 

this period, during which untrained workers (including many 

women and children) struggled with crude machines to perform 

tasks that were impossible to accomplish safely. The etiology of 

occupational diseases was largely unknown at this time. Industrial safety laws began to appear in western Europe early in the 

19th century, and a safety inspectorate was developed. Although 

the negative health effects of mechanization and large-scale 

production of minerals, metals, and chemicals began to be recognized during the latter years of the Industrial Revolution, the 

medical approach remained curative rather than preventive. Not 

until 1910-1912 did the prevention of occupational disease 

begin to gain firm status in the medical community. Recently, 

emphasis and attention have been devoted to a comprehensive 

view of occupational safety and health that encompasses industrial hygiene, occupational medicine, ergonomics, and safety. 

Ergonomics (formerly called "human factors") was not a welldeveloped science until World War II. This field developed as a 

result of an acute need to reduce the fatigue and proneness to 

error of airplane pilots, tank operators, and artillery directors by 

careful redesign of work stations to fit human function. Psychologists played a prominent role in this field and introduced another 

professional element into occupational safety and health. 

A chronology of important events in the history of occupational 

safety and health engineering appears in Table 1. 

Table 1. Chronology of Important Events in the History of 

Occupational Safety and Health EJ1!:ineering 

Date Event 

1810 Early mechanizations in England expanded the workplace to the limits of human endurance (steam engines ventilated mines to greater depths, and speedier 

machines generated more dust and fumes than could 

be produced by humans or animals alone). 

1810 Inspectorate of Mines set up in France. 

1833 Factory inspectorate established in Great Britain. 

1842 First U.S. Child Labor Law enacted in Massachusetts. 

1854 Great Britain enacted a new mine safety act requiring 

ventilation in all mines. 

2 
Table 1. (Continued) Chronology of Important Events in the 

History of Occupational Safety and Health Engineering 

Date 

1864 and 

1867 

1866 

1883 

1889 

1910 

1910 

1911 

1912 

1914-15 

1914 

1918 

1918 

1930's 

1930's 

Event 

The British Factory Acts called for the extraction 

of injurious dusts by means of fans or other mechanical means. 

The British Sanitary Act specifically mentioned 

ventilation. 

The British Factory and Workshop Acts represented 

the first attempts to regulate a dangerous manufacturing industry and provided for ventilation of stoves 

and stacks. 

Great Britain provided for guards against excessiye 

heat and humidity in cotton cloth factories. 

U.S. Bureau of Mines was established. 

First National Conference on Occupational Diseases 

in the United States was held in Chicago. 

The National Safety Council was organized in Chicago 

under the name of The National Council for Industrial Safety. 

Alice Hamilton correctly identified inhalation of dust 

and fumes as the cause of industrial lead poisoning. 

U.S. Bureau of Mines was first to study silicosis in 

mines. 

Office of Industrial Hygiene and Sanitation (later the 

Division of Occupational Health) was established in 

the Division of Scientific Research of the U.S. Public 

Health Service. 

Studies of silicosis began in granite industry and later 

in the cement, sandstone, marble, pottery, and 

abrasive industries. 

Harvard University joined with the Massachusetts 

Institute of Technology to provide a program of 

industrial hygiene instruction and certification 

that became the world's first degree program in 

industrial hygiene. 

Professionally staffed occupational health units were 

formed in the industrialized States. 

Social legislation of the depression era stimulated, 

enhanced, and sustained the development of all 

aspects of occupational health and safety: .. 

3 
Table 1. (Continued) Chronology of Important Events in the 

History of Occupational Safety and Health Engineering 

Date 

1935 

1939-45 

1941 

After 

1945 

After 

1945 

After 

1945 

1955 

1960's 

1964 

1966 

1969 

1970 

1970 

4 

Event 

The Social Security Act made Federal funds available for establishing and improving State and local 

industrial hygiene bureaus. 

Human · factors technology (ergonomics) became 

highly developed as part of the war effort. 

A ban on Federal inspection of mines was lifted. 

Many officers trained in industrial hygiene during the 

war made permanent careers of occupational safety 

and health. 

Occupational Safety and health problems resolved on 

an ad hoc basis during the war were studied more 

carefully. 

Federal interest in traditional 'industrial hygiene 

waned in favor of solving the health problems associated with the emerging nuclear industry. 

Investigation of the granite industry found that dust 

concentrations had been reduced to 5 million particles per cubic feet of air and only one doubtful 

case of silicosis had developed since 1937. 

Federal funds for environmental health training and 

research were largely directed to air pollution control activities, and industrial hygiene suffered a 

decade of neglect. 

Investigation of granite industry found no verified 

cases of silicosis among workers hired after 1937. 

Congress passed the Metal and Non-metallic Mine 

Safety Act. 

Congress passed the Federal Coal Mine Health and 

Safety Act. 

Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health 

(OSH) Act based on the principle that the employer 

is responsible for in-plant health and safety. This law 

marked a new era of Federal responsibility for all 

aspects of occupational safety and health. 

The new OSH Act created the Occupational Safety 

and Health Administration in the U.S. Department of 

Labor and charged the new agency with the nation-
Table 1. (Continued) Chronology of Important Events in the 

History of Occupational Safety and Health Engineering 

Date Event 

wide enforcement of occupational safety and health 

laws. 

1970 The OSH Act placed responsibility for research, 

criteria development, manpower development, and 

training on NIOSH. 

1971- 80 OSHA promulgated 24 permanent health standards, 

each of which indicated that engineering controls 

are required for compliance, except where infeasible. 

1974 OSHA acknowledged the technology-forcing aspects 

of the Occupational Safety and Health Act when 

promulgating the vinyl chloride standard. . 

1975 OSHA began to place emphasis on potentially hazardous chemical and physical agents. 

1976 NIOSH initiated a control technology program to 

improve worker protection from an engineering 

standpoint. 

1978 The U.S. Court of Appeals in the coke oven decision 

ruled that OSHA could promulgate specific engineering and work practice controls but that it could not 

require the industry to perform research on new 

engineering controls. 

1979 A workshop was held by NIOSH to address engineering control technology. Specific topics included ways 

to stimulate research and education in the field and 

methods for educating all engineers in the basics 

of occupational safety and health. 

1980 A symposium was held by NIOSH on occupational 

safety research and education. Objectives were to 

(1) establish better communications between safety 

educators and researchers, (2) exchange ideas about 

research and curricula, and (3) articulate preliminary 

guidelines for instructional and research programs. 

1981 A second workshop was held by NIOSH to (1) identify research and development needs for engineering 

controls, (2) explore ways to integrate occupational 

safety and health engineering with general engineering 

practice, (3) find ways to incorporate industrial 

hygiene and safety engineering into the general 

5 
Table 1. (Continued) Chronology of Important Events in the 

History of Occupational Safety and Health Engineering 

Date Event 

engineering education process, and (4) identify 

financial resources to accomplish these objectives. 

1981 The Supreme Court in the cotton dust decision ruled 

that OSHA could impose engineering controls on an 

industry that could result in the failure of individual 

firms but not the entire industry. 

1983 A third workshop was held by NIOSH to develop 

specific recommendations and plans for future 

actions concerning occupational safety and health 

engineering research, education, and practice. 

Current Ranking of Occupational Safety 

and Health Problems 

The following occupational disease and injury categories were 

ranked in order of their national importance by NIOSH in March 

1982. 

1. Occupational lung disease (including lung cancer pneumo· 

conioses, and occupational asthma); 

2. Musculoskeletal injuries (including back injury, carpal tunnel 

syndrome, arthritis, and vibration white finger disease); 

3. Occupational cancers (other than lung cancer); 

4. Traumatic deaths, amputations, fractures, and eye losses; 

5. Cardiovascular diseases (including myocardial infarction, 

stroke, and hypertension); 

6. Reproductive problems; 

7. Neurotoxic illness; 

8. Noise·induced hearing loss; 

9. Dermatologic problems (including dermatoses, burns, contusions, and lacerations); and 

10. Psychological disorders. 

The ranking provides a helpful starting point, first to identify the 

primary causative agents in each category, and then to develop 

prevention strategies derived from informed engineering practice, 

education and research. The ten categories provide a frame of 

reference for the balance of this report. 

6 
Section 2 

INFORMATION NEEDS OF PRACTICING ENGINEERS AND 

RELATED PROFESSIONALS 

Without the help and commitment of the entire engineering 

community, the major problems resulting from occupational 

health and safety hazards cannot be solved. To enlist such help, 

a number of specific information needs must be met. This means 

that certain professional groups must be targeted, and that essential basic information must be made available, including types and 

areas of hazards, legal and ethical responsibilities and liabilities, 

cost, effectiveness, and benefits of engineering controls, and ways 

to monitor the effectiveness of hazard controls. 

Professional Groups Targeted to Receive Information 

Groups that have a special need for information about the 

engineering control of occupational safety and health hazards 

include: (1) all practicing engineers, (2) industrial hygiene engineers and professional safety engineers, (3) industrial hygienists 

and safety practitioners who are not engineers, and (4) professionals in other fields such as attorneys, judges, enforcement 

officials, and workers. 

Practicing Engineers 

Though hazard control technology is the special province of 

industrial hygiene and safety engineers, practitioners of many 

other engineering disciplines have urgent needs for information in 

this field. Design engineers are particularly in need, since hazard 

control should be included in process and equipment design at 

the earliest possible stage for the optimum results. This information is not, however, normally part of the design engineer's education or background. Much of the basic information used by the 

industrial hygiene engineer and professional safety engineer should 

be a part of every engineer's education or, lacking that, be readily 

available as reference material to the practicing engineer:-

7 
Industrial Hygiene Engineers and 

Professional Safety Engineers 

Though the need for technical information transfer is less acute 

for industrial hygiene engineers and professional safety engineers 

than it is for other industrial hygienists and safety practitioners, 

hazard control knowledge is not uniform among them, and the 

research and discovery process is often duplicated by various 

groups. Improved communication and information transfer 

would thus be very useful, even in this highly specialized group. 

Industrial Hygienists and Safety Practitioners 

Today, most industrial hygienists are not engineers, and the 

percentage of engineers in this field has been decreasing steadily. 

In the field of safety, some practitioners have no formal education 

beyond high school. Although apprenticeship training on the job 

has provided many of these practitioners with great knowledge 

about the practical aspects of safety programs, generally they are 

unable to examine basic causes of safety problems and present 

options for engineering solutions. Many past failures at solving 

occupational hazards could have been avoided if the decisionmaker had been aware of the complexity of the problem and also 

knew what to avoid. A notable example early in the 20th century 

was the disastrous substitution of highly toxic carbon tetrachloride 

for petroleum naphtha to combat a serious fire hazard in the dry 

cleaning industry. In this case, a fire hazard was unknowingly 

traded for a serious vapor inhalation hazard. 

Other Professionals 

Members of many other professional groups could benefit from 

increased knowledge of how to control occupational hazards by 

engineering means. They include attorneys who deal with regulations and enforcement, judges who preside over trials and hearings 

in the occupational safety and health field, businessmen who make 

financial decisions about hazard control technology, and the 

workers, who have the most at stake and are often the least 

aware of available solutions. 

Types of Information Needed 

Industrial hygiene and safety engineering educators believe that 

it is most productive to teach safety and industrial hygiene to 

engineers rather than teach engineering (a rigorous field of study 

in itself) to industrial hygienists and safety practitioners who have 

not been educated as engineers. Engineers need information on 

the following topics: (1) types and areas of hazards, (2) legal and 

8 
ethical responsibilities and liabilities of engineers, (3) costs, 

effectiveness, and ' benefits of engineering controls, and (4) monitoring the effectiveness of hazard controls. 

Basic Information on Types and Areas of Hazards 

Types of Hazards 

Hazards may be physical, chemical, or biological, and all may be 

either acute (single-dose, short-term exposure) or chronic (multiple-dose, long-term exposure). The seriousness of the problem can 

range from a nuisance to a life threat. Nuisance problems deserve 

much less attention than those that threaten worker health and 

safety. Thus the practicing engineer needs information about the 

seriousness of an occupational hazard to set priorities and to 

determine the needed controls. Information is also needed about 

hazards that are inadvertently designed into a piece of equipment, 

a process, or an entire plant. Built-in hazards abound-pinch points 

on machines or other equipment and inappropriate height of 

work stations are two common examples. Built-in hazards are the 

most difficult to avoid and require education and constant reinforcement. Maintenance requirements also need to be examined 

for inherent hazards that may affect efficiency and subsequently 

safety. An example would be a difficult and hazardous procedure 

for checking the lubricant level of a machine. One result might be 

fewer checks than required and excessive machine breakdowns. 

Area of Hazard 

All design and process engineers need information about safety 

and health hazards that exist in the workplace to accomplish their 

own work correctly. But they also need information about hazards 

from the workplace that can extend into the community at large 

and ultimately to the environment. Dangers to the public can 

include releases of toxic chemicals, traffic hazards resulting from 

fugitive dust clouds, and dangers from toxic wastes. 

Design engineers have very specific legal responsibilities for 

protecting the public as well as their employers or clients. Engineers who are not industrial hygienists or safety professionals 

need easy access to information that will permit them to plan, 

design, and operate industrial equipment, processes, and plants 

with a minimum of hazard to workers and the community. 

Supervisors and workers need particular rather than general 

information to protect themselves from hazards associated with 

the materials, equipment, and processes they work with daily. 

They need to recognize incorrect procedures and malfunctions in 

their equipment and to know how to effect immediate relief. 

9 
Knowledge about the seriousness of exposures, both chronic and 

acute, is also needed to assist the control effort. 

Legal and Ethical Responsibilities and 

Liabilities of Engineers 

All engineers need more information concerning their legal and 

ethical responsibilities; many are unaware of them. Many engineers lack adequate knowledge of recent legislation in the field 

of workplace hazard control, and are unaware of how the legal 

requirements affect the practice of their profession. Severe penalties may be levied on both the engineer and the employer for 

failure to heed these requirements. 

Of all the laws that affect engineers in their practice, the Occupational Safety and Health Act is the one most frequently encountered. Regulations authorized by the Act establish design criteria 

in terms of a desired result and, in some cases, methods for achieving the result. The regulations also specify equipment that is to be 

used. Failure to follow these regulations can lead to legal penalties. In addition, regulations often contain deadline dates by which 

control must be accomplished. Many engineers are unaware 

of these dates and thus may err in their duties to their employers 

and to workers. 

Penalties for violations can include fines and forfeitures as well 

as criminal prosecution. Engineers can be held liable for the 

errors and omissions of their subordinates and for hazards that 

remain unabated despite orders to the contrary. Adequate followup is a means of self-protection that should be used by all engineers. 

The legal responsibility of the engineer in charge is not specifically stated in the law, but it is implied. Many other laws in addition to the OSH Act impose duties and obligations on engineers. 

The professional engineer is also required by law to act according 

to the prevailing practice of the profession or to be prepared to 

show why not. 

Occupational safety and health engineers have dual responsibilities to their employers and to their employer's employees, as 

do design and process engineers. This duality poses ethical problems that may be difficult to resolve, especially in cases where 

adequate worker protection results in substantial cost increases 

to the employer. 

A number of means are available to engineers for becoming 

informed about new legal requirements. The Federal Register 

is published daily and contains revised regulations, proposed changes to regulations, and other public notices. The Code of Federal 

Regulations is updated regularly and is easily obtained. Federal 

10 
agencies publish extracts of the law, as well. Applicable books 

and journal articles are available. Theoretically, all engineers can 

acquaint themselves with the regulations governing their practice, 

but many engineers believe that educators have the primary 

responsibility for teaching occupational safety and health law. 

Although engineering schools present courses on engineering 

law, few have courses devoted to the OSH Act. 

Cost, Effectiveness, and Benefits of Engineering Controls 

Because all engineers are expected to achieve the most with the 

least cost, information is needed on both the cost and effectiveness of engineering controls. After the efficacy of control options 

is assured, cost must be examined. Factors to consider include 

those for engineering design, capital costs, cost for enclosure, 

ventilation, or process change, maintenance costs, benefits of 

accelerated depreciation permitted by Federal law for some 

equipment, and tax advantages represented by investment tax 

credits. 

The benefits of engineering control of hazards have not been 

systematically identified and need to be documented for engineers, practitioners, employers, and workers. A summary of 

benefits follows: 

1. Lives can be saved and good health can be promoted. 

2. Reduction in occupational injuries and illnesses can decrease 

the premium paid for worker's compensation. 

3. Group health insurance rates can be reduced as amounts 

paid out decrease. 

4. Excess labor costs incurred by workers absent because of 

illness or injury can be reduced. 

5. Savings can be realized in personnel replacement and training costs. 

6. Penalties charged by OSHA can be avoided-especially 

escalating penalties for repeated violations. 

7. Imprisonment for Federal violations can be avoided, and 

legal costs can be saved. 

8. Good will can be secured from employees, stockholders, 

and the pUblic. 

Monitoring the Effectiveness of Hazard Controls 

Engineers and other practitioners of occupational safety and 

health need information about means for monitoring the effectiveness of hazard controls. The law occasionally requires such monitoring, but effectiveness of controls depends on consistent mon11 
itoring in three areas: production equipment, process streams, and 

equipment installed solely for protection of exposed workers. 

Monitoring of hazard control can sometimes involve only a 

simple walk-through inspection, but often it involves the use of 

complex air sampling and other measurement equipment used by 

specially trained personnel. Computerized systems can also provide essential monitoring data. Worker exposure to toxic agents 

can be evaluated by means of biological monitoring using samples 

of blood, urine, breath, saliva, or tissues. Medical surveillance of 

exposed workers is the final defense. 

An engineer must be aware of available methods and the consequences of possible failures in order to make wise choices of 

monitoring methods. 

12 
Section 3 

EDUCATIONAL NEEDS IN THE FIELD OF 

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ENGINEERING 

Though basic engineering techniques may be applied to solve 

many occupational safety and health problems, not all engineers 

are qualified to practice in this area. A specialized body of in· 

formation is needed to educate engineers in this field. Specifically, the educational needs are of three types: 

1. Incorporating occupational safety and health into engineering education. Training is needed in occupational safety and 

health for all engineering students and engineers so that they 

can deal with occupational safety and health problems in 

their particular fields. 

2. Providing specialized training in occupational safety and 

health engineering as professional fields. Specially trained 

engineers engage in research, education, consultation, and 

industrial practice in these fields. 

3. Providing training in engineering techniques and practices 

for practitioners of occupational safety and health who are 

not engineers. Training permits these professionals to recognize needs for better engineering controls, to evaluate and 

correct engineering control systems, and to deal effectively 

with engineering specialists. Orientation in this field is of 

great value for those engaged in industrial management, 

law, and medicine. 

Types of Educational Programs 

Three types of educational programs are pertinent to occupational safety and health engineering: (1) academic degree programs, (2) continuing education programs, and (3) information 

services for individuals or groups (books, journals, professional 

meetings). 

Academic degree programs may be at the graduate, baccalaureate, or associate level. Graduate programs are related particularly 

to occupational safety and health engineering as a· professional 

13 
field and to nonengineering practitioners. Baccalaureate programs in engineering should all include some information on 

occupational safety and health. Lectures and courses at this level 

must be made available to provide at least an awareness of occupational safety and health engineering problems and solutions. The 

inclusion of such instructional material in undergraduate engineering curricula should have a major impact on improving worker 

protection, since more than 60,000 Bachelor's degrees in engineering are granted annually in the United States. These graduates 

form a large pool of upwardly mobile personnel who have initial 

and continuing opportunities to influence safety and health in 

their organizations. 

Associate degree programs are important for training technicians 

who may participate in occupational safety and health engineering activities. Such programs are expected to have little effect on 

meeting the three types of educational needs outlined earlier. 

Continning education programs can help meet all three categories 

of educational needs. They are particularly applicable to occupational safety and health training for all practicing engineers and for 

practitioners who are not engineers. 

Information services help maintain engineering skills, but they 

do not alone meet the basic needs for occupational safety and 

health education. 

Special Reasons for Promoting Occupational 

Safety and Health Education 

A number of special issues underline the importance of education in occupational safety and health engineering. Regulations 

authorized by the Occupational Safety and Health Act make the 

failure to perform certain duties by managers and employers 

subject to civil, and in some cases criminal, penalties. Thus, a 

special course outlining requirements under the Act would be 

advisable for all undergraduate student engineers. 

The responsibility of engineers for public safety extends to the 

operators of the devices and processes they design or manage. 

Training in public safety concerns is therefore fundamental to 

engineering education. 

Job performance evaluations are enhanced by good safety and 

health records. Furthermore, employment opportunities are 

increased by training in occupational safety and health. 

Salaries for established industrial hygiene practitioners compare 

well with those for engineers, but the high potential earnings of 

baccalaureate engineers create problems in recruiting recent 

engineering graduates to graduate programs in the safety and 

health field. 

14 
Status of Educational Programs 

Information is sparse on educational programs dealing specifically with engineering in occupational safety and health. Programs 

available to engineers are classified as academic degree programs, 

continuing education, information and technology transfer activities of professional organizations. 

Academic Degree Programs 

Some 150 degree-granting institutions in the United States offer 

academic programs in occupational safety and/or health. These 

range from 2-year associate degree programs to doctoral programs. Fifteen institutions are identified by NIOSH as Occupational Safety and Health Education Resource Centers that offer 

academic programs in the following four specialty areas; occupational safety, industrial hygiene, occupational medicine, and 

occupational health nursing. These centers serve as regional resources in these professional fields and are located at the following universities: 

Harvard University 

Johns Hopkins University 

City University of New York 

University of Alabama at Birmingham 

University of Arizona 

University of California, Berkeley 

University of California, Irvine 

University of Cincinnati 

University of Illinois at Chicago 

University of Michigan 

University of Minnesota 

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 

University of Texas at Houston 

University of Utah 

University of Washington 

In some cases, the Center is a consortium involving several institutions. 

Industrial hygiene and occupational health engineering are 

generally considered to be specialties in the broader field of 

environmental engineering. Graduate level education in environmental engineering prepares engineers with a variety of undergraduate majors for practice in environmental protection and 

hazard control. Undergraduate programs tend to be preprofessional in this field. 

An evaluation of Educational Resource Centers in 1980 indicated 

that industrial hygiene was the most firmly establishea academic 

15 
program in the Centers, but that greater emphasis was needed on 

training in hazard prevention through facility design and modification. More emphasis was also recommended on safety as 

an academic program at the Centers. 

Baccalaureate programs in industrial hygiene are not as numerous or well developed as graduate programs. The number of 

undergraduate engineering programs that include some instruction 

in occupational safety and/or health has not been determined. 

Some occupational safety and health courses may be electives, 

or such information may be incorporated into other courses. 

Continuing Education 

Because much Federal legislation in the past decade or so has 

created demands for persons trained in the engineering control 

of safety and health hazards, the need is being increasingly filled 

by short-course training. Industrial hygiene short courses typically 

emphasize evaluation rather than control of occupational hazards, 

but this emphasis may change as the program matures. Agencies 

that present or sponsor such courses include' the Occupational 

Safety and Health Educational Resource Centers, other colleges 

and universities, Federal agencies, professional associations, and 

private companies. 

One- or two-hour refresher courses on specific topics are often 

presented as part of professional society meetings, but such sessions are not a means of in-depth training. 

Information and Technology Transfer 

Though a number of journals deal with research and practice in 

the field of occupational safety and health, none emphasizes 

engineering control technology. The reason is that reports on the 

practice of engineering control are scattered throughout the scientific and engineering literature. NIOSH operates the National 

Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Technical Information Center (NIOSHTIC). NIOSHTIC has computerized files of 

pertinent literature that permit key-word, computerized search of 

much of the U.S. literature and some foreign sources. 

Many books are available on the various aspects of occupational 

safety and health, but new text books at the graduate level are 

urgently needed on the subject of engineering control of occupational safety and health hazards. 

Manuals that are especially useful in continuing education for 

specific industry groups have been developed by NIOSH. Included 

is an eight-section series entitled Industrial Hygiene Engineering 

and Control (1978). This series constitutes an introduction to 

industrial hygiene engineering and control, industrial ventilation, 

16 
thermal stress, sound, industrial illumination, radiation, and 

ergonomics. Both 'student and instructor's manuals are available. 

More recently, NIOSH published an instructor's guide on engineering control of occupational health hazards in the foundry industry. 

Professional Certification and Accreditation 

Professional certification and accreditation is supplied by several 

organizations in the field of occupational safety and health. The 

American Board of Industrial Hygiene certifies as diplomates of 

the American Academy of Industrial Hygiene qualified applicants who successfully complete a two-day written professional 

examination. The Board requires that each diplomate present 

evidence of continuing professional qualification every six years 

to maintain certification. Certification may be as a generalist 

(comprehensive practice) or as a specialist (e.g., industrial hygiene 

engineering) . 

The Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) certifies 

qualified persons for professional practice in the field of safety. 

Certification may be as a generalist (comprehensive practice) or 

as a specialist (e.g., system safety engineering). 

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) 

is the recognized agency for accreditation of academic programs 

in engineering. A program for accreditation of industrial hygiene 

academic programs is not yet in effect, but the American Academy of Industrial Hygiene is developing one. The American 

Society of Safety Engineers has developed an accreditation procedure for baccalaureate programs in occupational safety and 

health. 

Relating Resources to Educational Needs 

Academic Degree Programs 

With regard to academic degree programs, incorporating occupational safety and health into undergraduate engineering education 

appears to offer the greatest challenge and to have the greatest 

potential for rewards. The need is to introduce into engineering 

school curricula, lectures, and courses that promote an awareness 

of occupational safety and health engineering problems and 

widely applied control methods. This awareness is particularly 

needed in courses on facility and process design. Activity in this 

area appears to be low except for the availability of elective 

courses in a few schools. The reasons for this situation are: 

1. Engineering educators are not generally cognizant or convinced of a need. 

2. Changes in engineering education come about slowry. 

17 
3. Engineering school curricula are already crowded with 

course requirements, and requests abound for inclusion 

of additional material. 

4. Engineering faculty are generally unprepared to present 

material on occupational safety and health. 

The following recommendations list specific and independent 

ways to promote the incorporation of occupational safety and 

health into engineering education: 

1. Develop specific technical instructional materials that can 

be used as the basis for a required course and can be added 

to existing engineering courses (particularly those on design 

of facilities, devices, and processes). 

2. Develop one or more specialty courses to serve as technical 

electives for existing engineering curricula. 

3. Develop a sequence of 12 to 15 hours of course work as a 

basis for a specialty option or minor within existing engineering curricula. 

4. Develop specialty short courses, seminars, and workshops 

as avenues of continuing education for the engineer graduate 

(particularly faculty and practicing engineers). 

Strong incentives for faculties to adopt educational programs 

such as those listed above would result from advocacy by the 

ABET for the necessary curriculum change. Another strong 

incentive would be advocacy for such instruction by employers 

of graduating engineers. 

The need for graduate-level programs in the specialty of occupational safety and health engineering presents a different problem. 

Few such programs exist, and those that do are ill-defined. NIOSH 

support (or that of another agency) in the context of centers of 

excellence would be powerful encouragement for a graduate 

program that is trying to strengthen itself in this area. Most 

schools of public health do not award engineering degrees. Those 

schools that have strong faculty capability for graduate-level 

engineering education but cannot grant engineering degrees should 

endeavor to develop cooperative degree programs with neighboring engineering schools. 

Engineering in occupational safety and health education for 

nonengineers is principally a problem at the graduate level. The 

needs are for appropriate courses, texts, and faculty. The latter 

may require particularly innovative solutions such as short-term 

visiting appointments or exchanges, joint appointments in complementary institutions, workshops for new faculty, and review 

of faculty salary structures. 

18 
The Nation's engineering schools now suffer from deteriorating 

laboratory facilities, faculty shortages, and a declining number of 

students seeking doctoral degrees in engineering. Work pressures 

are great on current faculties, salaries are inadequate, and graduate 

education for engineers is simply not cost effective. Recruiting of 

faculty in occupational safety and health engineering appears to 

.parallel the national experience in engineering schools. 

Though the demands on the time of current engineering faculty 

are great, interest in occupational safety and health engineering 

must be stimulated and fostered. One approach would be to offer 

short courses and teaching materials in the field. Financing summer institutes in attractive settings might also be effective. 

Attracting more engineers to graduate programs might be accomplished through offers of financial support. NIOSH training 

grants for graduate programs in occupational safety and health do 

include funds for student support, but the level is modest for 

engineering graduates. 

Textbooks needed include one for undergraduate engineering 

courses on occupational safety and health, and one for graduate 

programs on the subject of occupational safety and health engineering. Text material is also needed on occupational safety 

and health for inclusion in texts for engineering design courses. 

Meeting the latter need will require innovation and ingenuity, as 

well as a close working relationship between engineering educators 

and specialists in the occupational safety and health engineering 

field from academia and private practice. 

Continuing Education 

Though restructuring of undergraduate programs will ultimately 

have the largest impact on occupational safety and health engineering education, a major short-term improvement can be 

made with continuing education programs. Immediate needs for 

occupational safety and health practitioners are largely being met 

through mid-career retraining of scientists and engineers. Many 

training courses are being conducted, but they need to have a 

greater emphasis on hazard control as opposed to hazard recognition and evaluation. The principal target group for engineering 

short courses should be design and process engineers in industry. 

The need is also great for short courses specifically designed for 

engineering faculty with incentives for faculty participation. 

19 
Section 4 

NEEDED RESEARCH ON ENGINEERING CONTROLS 

Needed research on engineering controls can be listed in three 

categories based on the type of hazard-chemical, physical, or 

biological. Chemical hazards are encountered principally through 

inhalation of workplace air, but chemicals can also be absorbed 

through the skin or ingestion. Physical hazards may cause disease 

and traumatic injuries through contact with physical agents. 

Biological hazards include exposure to viruses, bacteria, fungi and 

their products that are released accidentally to the work environment. 

Methods for controlling chemical, physical, and biological 

hazards in the workplace are listed below. Engineering controls 

are the first seven items on the list: 

1. Elimination of the hazardous agent 

2. Substitution of less hazardous agents 

3. Isolation of process, material, or worker 

4. Enclosure of process 

5. Ventilation of process or work environment 

6. Change of process 

7. Change of product 

8. Housekeeping 

9. Dust supression 

10. Maintenance 

11. Sanitation 

12. Work practices 

13. Education 

14. Labeling and warning systems 

15. Personal protection devices 

16. Environmental monitoring 

17. Waste disposal practices 

18. Administrative control 

19. Medical control 

20. Management program 

In addition, major engineering contributions are essential for many 

of the other hazard control methods (for example, the design, 

20 
development, and manufacture of a respiratory protective device, 

the maintenance of pl.ant equipment, and the development of 

safe work practices). A complete hazard control system may 

consist of engineering controls plus supplementary control measures such as work practices, warning systems, and personal 

protective equipment. 

A typical workplace and occupational health hazard, as shown in 

Figure 1, consists of a source or potential source of contamination, a transmission medium (such as air), and receptors in the 

environment (the workers). As shown in Figure 2, control of 

workplace hazards involves intervention or change associated 

with three zones of influence: the source characteristic, the 

transmission path, and the receptor. The current trend is to 

identify needed hazard controls in the design stages of a workplace and thus to eliminate costly retrofitting after construction. 

In addition to proper design, successful engineering controls 

depend on effective maintenance procedures to assure correct 

operation of equipment. Continuous workplace monitoring is 

needed to determine the effectiveness of control systems. 

RELEASE 

(EMISS~IO:N:...) ....IR;LLl-, 

RAW MATERIAL 

'-

ENER~ OPERATION 

(SOURCE) 

PRODUCTION PROCESS 

......... .......... 

Figure 1. Conceptual Model of a Workplace • 

21 
ZONEI { 

SOURCE RELEASE 

{EMISSIONI 

r-....If"fL'-"---, 

OPERATION 

ISOURCEI 

PRODUCTION PROCESS 

.... ........ .... 

Figure 2. Conceptual Model of the Three Zones of Influence to 

Control Workplace Hazards 

ZONE III 

RECEPTOR 

Needed research in engineering control technology can be identified through a matrix, which can be used to locate the source of 

emissions for each workplace and methods of control. The absence 

of controls for specific sources can also be identified, along with 

the need for remedial research. Priorities for research can then 

be set based on estimates of hazard. A matrix has been developed 

to associate the seven methods of engineering control with familiar 

types of chemical, physical, and biological hazards, and it may be 

applied equally well to the source, the transmission medium, or 

the receptor. The matrix is shown in Table 2. 

The following discussion focuses on engineering control research 

needs to address chemical, physical, and biological workplace 

hazards. It should be noted that some pertinent and valuable 

research has been conducted by the private sector, universities, 

and governmental agencies such as NIOSH. However, a major 

research effort has not been undertaken in this specialized field of 

engineering research. 

22 
." 

"" 

Engineering 

Control 

Elimination 

Substitution 

Isolation 

Enclosure 

Ventilation 

Process Change 

Product Change 

Table 2. Engineering Control Matrix Applied to H

Control at Source/Transmission/Receptor 

Type of Physical Chemica

Hazard 

. - -_. - -- ---
Research Needed On Engineering 

Control of Chemical Hazards 

Approximately 68,000 chemicals have been listed under the 

Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Though the current 

major focus is cancer-causing chemicals, all potentially toxic 

chemicals warrant control. 

Control techniques for hazardous chemicals are largely recommended and implemented before they can be effectively evaluated 

in terms of worker protection. In most cases, no body of knowledge exists that can predict effectiveness. Even when such information does exist, the manufacturer often treats it as proprietary. 

Major efforts are now under way to characterize the chemical 

emissions from all types of equipment to derive standard emission 

rates. With standard emission rates, a designer could determine 

the degree of control needed to comply with guidelines or standards. These investigations are in their infancy, however, and are 

not unlike efforts to characterize outdoor air pollution emissions 

during the late 1950's and 1960's. 

This analytical approach to chemical emission rates could replace the traditional case-by-case empirical methods with standard 

modeling techniques. Because the method offers great promise to 

designers, research should aim to determine equipment emission 

factors and validate near field dispersion models that can calculate 

chemical concentrations in the workplace. Typical data must be 

collected for all phases of operation and maintenance before a 

facility is constructed so that engineering controls can be built 

into the process. 

With regard to retrofit controls, the preferred approach is to 

capture emissions at the source. Standard control approaches and 

creative engineering are needed to supplement current published 

ventilation approaches based on empirical observations. Effective 

controls for generic processes should be published with many 

examples that can be applied with little or no alteration by small 

industries who have no in-house engineering skills. 

Research should also be conducted to develop standard test 

procedures to judge the effectiveness of controls after installation. 

The need to conserve energy has kindled much interest in recircu1ating cleaned workroom air, but the reliability and effectiveness 

of air cleaning for many complex vapors and aerosols have not 

yet been established. The costs for such systems and the availability of monitoring equipment also need to be investigated. 

Research Needed On Physical Hazards 

Physical hazards to health in the workplace include heat and 

cold, noise and vibration, electromagnetic radiation, ambient 

24 
pressure, and acceleration or deceleration. Many hazards are also. 

associated with· accidental trauma from physical contact with 

machines, vehicles, flying objects, etc. Engineering controls are 

widely used for all kinds of physical hazards. 

Occupational noise may be used to illustrate the need for research on engineering control of physical hazards. One great 

need in this field, although not an engineering research task, is 

the development of recognized noise exposure criteria, since there 

is a continuing controversy as to what is an acceptable sound 

level. Another significant need is data resources. Though the 

principles of noise transmission and control are well understood, 

a description is needed of the noise sources that exist, the controls that have been tried, and which controls work effectively. 

Also needed is a complete bibliography to enable development of 

specific noise profile data. 

Phenomena of sound generation and propagation are known' at 

the rnacrosocpic level, but microscopic processes and molecular 

effects are not understood. These phenomena require analytical 

explanation and description to point the way to innovation. 

To control noise generation from machinery, research must be 

conducted to prepare and validate suitable computer-aided design 

and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) computer programs for noise emission and suppression as an integral part of 

machine design. A computer program is also needed to predict 

sound pressure levels anywhere within a single room. These 

design data could then be used to predict the effects of various 

control measures. Such a computer model would be the industrial counterpart of the general ambient noise prediction model 

(PREDICT) for environmental noise impact modeling. 

Solutions to noise hazards need to be identified, characterized, 

and catalogued for efficient research planning. 

Research Needed On Biological Hazards 

Engineering controls for biological hazards were developed 

mainly during the post-World-War-II era as part of the biological 

warfare effort. Engineering control methods for bacteria and 

viruses are of four types: (1) source control, (2) primary containment (using negative air pressure and directional air flow 

within a biological safety cabinet), (3) secondary containment 

(using negative air pressure and directional air flow throughout 

a building), and (4) air filtration. Procedural and biological controls must often be used along with engineering controls. Biological controls used to supplement engineering controls include 

the use of host cells that have been altered to prevent their survival 

outside special laboratory environments. The need for such 

25 
supplemental controls indicates a need for research on better 

engineering controls. 

Research needs for biological hazards include the following 

items: 

• information on the validity of primary and secondary con· 

tainment measures; 

• design of new containment equipment; 

• development of tools and instruments that limit containment 

in laboratories and promote proper use through convenience; 

• increased automation in laboratory operations and equip· 

ment; 

• development of monitoring devices for filter systems; and 

• investigation of engineering controls for certain nonlaboratory operations such as wastewater treatment and hazardous 

waste disposal. 

26 
Section 5 

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

This background document and the NIOSH workshops have 

attempted to address the search for new and better ways to apply 

engineering control technology to the prevention of health and 

safety hazards in the workplace. Conclusions and recommendations are outlined here. The recommendations have not been 

ranked. 

Conclusions 

1. The elimination or control of occupational safety and health 

hazards is best accomplished at the process, machine, or 

facility design stage. Retrofit control must be added when a 

hazard exists, but it is usually more costly and less effective 

than control in the initial design. 

2. To eliminate the man/machine interface, certain job tasks 

must be eliminated through automation, including ro botics. 

3. Engineered safeguards need to be better coordinated with 

work activities so that safety controls will not be overridden 

to reduce job fatigue or increase productivity_ 

4. Engineered safeguards must be more efficient and more 

secure to reduce maintenance and repair requirements. 

5. Engineered safeguards must be designed for easy access and 

error-free operation. 

6. Workers must be trained properly and motivated to follow 

instructions carefully in safety and health matters and to 

care properly for engineered safeguards. 

7. A caring attitude must be fostered among all workers, especially those engaged in hazardous occupations. 

Recommendations 

General Recommendations 

1. The practice of occupational safety and health engineering should be conducted as a collaborative discipline among 

27 
the existing industrial hygiene and occupational safety 

specialties. Engineering students should be made aware of 

occupational safety and health responsibilities, problems, 

and control techniques as undergraduates; the comprehen· 

sive practice of occupational safety and health engineering 

should be taught at the graduate level. 

2. Textbooks are urgently needed on the subjects of occupational safety and health for undergraduate engineering 

students, and on the engineering control of occupational 

safety and health hazards for graduate students. Such textbooks will spawn the development of new courses and 

heighten student interest. 

3. Consideration should be given to establishing guidelines 

for the design engineer that are similar to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) 

guidelines. The latter place a dollar value on every man-rem 

avoided. Such guidelines for occupational safety and health 

engineers would help solve the cost/benefit dilemmas that 

arise in applying "to the extent feasible" criteria as required 

by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 

4. Government agencies in the occupational safety and health 

field should encourage and participate in the development of 

consensus standards applicable to engineering control of 

occupational hazards. Consensus standards that can be used 

by small companies should be emphasized. 

Recommendations for Educational Institutions 

28 

1. All undergraduate engineering curricula should include a 

required course that will include instruction on the responsibilities of engineers for occupational safety and health and 

an awareness of occupational safety and health engineering 

problems and solutions. 

2. Elective courses in occupational safety and health engineering should be made available in all undergraduate engineering 

curricula. 

3. A sequence of courses should be available in established 

engineering curricula leading to a specialty option or a minor 

in occupational safety and health engineering. 

4. Undergraduate engineering faculty who teach design courses 

should be encouraged to take continuing education courses in 

occupational safety and health engineering. 

5. Graduate engineering programs in occupational safety and 

health should clearly identify their programs and seek ABET 

accreditation. 
6. Graduate engineering programs in occupational safety and 

health should identify and develop areas of research in occupational safety and health engineering control technology. 

7. Schools that do not offer engineering degrees but that have 

strong engineering credentials and offer graduate programs in 

occupational safety and health should seek some means for 

offering programs that lead to an engineering degree. Cooperative arrangements with engineering schools might be 

one method. 

8. Special effort should be concentrated on recruiting engineering students for graduate programs in occupational safety 

and health engineering. 

9. For engineers who are already in practice, academic programs 

in occupational safety and health should be offered at the 

graduate level and as part of a continuing education program. 

10. Either university-based or independent continuing education 

programs should be developed and geared to specific or 

general topics in occupational safety and health engineering. 

11. Schools offering graduate programs in occupational safety 

and health for nonengineering students should strengthen 

their programs in engineering control techniques. 

12. Schools offering graduate programs in occupational safety 

and health should develop two kinds of continuing education 

programs in engineering controls-advanced courses for 

safety and health professionals, and awareness courses for 

design and process engineers. 

Recommendations for the Accreditation Board for 

Engineering and Technology 

1. The concept of public safety included in accreditation 

criteria should be interpreted or extended to include protection of workers from illness and injury. 

2. Accreditation reviews and site visits should be designed to 

encourage attention by engineering schools to occupational 

safety and health instructional responsibilities. 

Recommendations for NIOSH 

1. Educational needs for occupational safety and health engineering should be identified and existing programs that 

meet these needs should be supported financially and otherwise. 

2. Engineering research efforts, including the assessment, 

development, and demonstration of new and improved control technology, should be fostered. . " 

29 
3. Instructional materials, including case studies, on occupational safety and health engineering should be developed for 

undergraduate engineering design courses, engineering course 

electives, and undergraduate engineering minors in occupational safety and health. 

4. Substantially increased stipend support should be offered to 

engineering graduates to attract them to graduate programs 

in occupational safety and health with a commitment to 

occupational safety and health engineering research. 

5. An advisory panel of technical experts should be established 

to provide technical guidance on engineering activities. The 

panel should meet annually to review work efforts and 

recommend future efforts. 

Recommendations for OSHA 

1. Intramural and extramural training of agency and state staff 

in occupational safety and health engineering control technology should be intensified. 

2. The adequacy of existing engineering controls should be 

evaluated during inspections and investigations and reported 

with an ongoing high priority. 

Recommendations for the Private Sector 

1. High priority should be given to occupational safety and 

health engineering when industria1 programs of engineering 

recruitment and financial assistance to engineering education 

are conducted. 

2. The participation of engineer employees in graduate safety 

and health education should be increased by more generously 

approving time away from work and underwriting the endeavor. 

3. Programs should be developed and underwritten for shortterm residence of occupational safety and health university 

educators in industria1 facilities to promote improved faculty 

understanding of engineering control approaches to potential 

health and safety problems. 

4. The private sector should share successful control technology 

applications in their facilities with the professional safety and 

health community by means of pUblication in the open 

literature and other communication media. 

Recommendations for Labor Organizations 

30 

1. Information on hazard recognition, safe working procedures, 

and engineering methods of health protection should be 
made available to workers, local unions, and labor/management committees. 

2. Labor contract agreements should contain . provisions concerning: (a) how workers are to be informed of the hazards 

in their environment, (b) results of hazard assessments, and 

(c) actions to control hazards. 

Recommendations for Professional Engineering Societies 

1. Engineering organizations should further the education of 

their members in the use of engineering controls for occupational hazards. 

2. Short courses in occupational safety and health engineering 

should continue to be held at national or regional meetings 

of engineering-oriented groups. Interprofessional cooperation should be encouraged to increase the availability of 

such courses. 

3. Professional organizations should encourage the publication of data on the benefits of controlling workplace hazards. Benefits of engineering controls should be emphasized 

since they are best suited to cost analysis. 

Recommendations for Research Programs 

1. Research on engineering safeguards should consider fully all 

the human interactions customarily involved in engineered 

solutions to occupational hazards. 

2. Research in applied physics, engineering science, and physical 

chemistry should be conducted in areas that will lead to 

fundamental knowledge needed for eliminating, controlling, 

and monitoring all types of occupational safety and health 

hazards. This effort should be recognized as multi-<iisciplinary research that will contribute to occupational hazard 

prevention in the engineering design process. 

3. Fundamental research on source and process emission factors 

and near field dispersion models should be encouraged and 

supported. Such research may apply and should be coordinated with engineering research on occupational safety. 

4. Increased research and demonstration efforts should be 

directed at air cleaning and monitoring systems for workplace 

air recirculation. Results should be used to guide research on 

cost reduction and improved efficiency of these systems. 

5. The design of industrial ventilation systems should be based 

firmly on fundamental engineering prmciples. 

6. An expert panel should be convened to define urgent engineering research needs in the bur.geoning field 01', biological 

31 
32 

safety. Little is known about the engineering control of 

biological hazards; thus the whole field of biological safety 

needs serious study to define engineering safety requirements. 

* u.s, GOVERNKENT PRiNTING OFFlCE,198S~-SS'1-112/10'14S 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE 

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL 

NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH 

ROBERT A. TAFT LABORATORIES 

4676 COLUMBIA PARKWAY, CINCINNATI, OHIO 45226 

OFFICIAL BUSINESS 

PENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE. $300 

Redistribution using indicia is illegal. 

Third Class