NIOSH Initiative Focuses on Worker Safety and Health in Green Jobs

June 11, 2009
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is launching a new initiative with its partners to highlight the importance of incorporating worker safety and health into green jobs and environmental sustainability and to develop guidance for preventing occupational injuries and illnesses in these growing sectors.

As a first step in this initiative, NIOSH introduced a new Web page, "Going Green: Safe and Healthy Jobs," which will serve as an evolving portal to information and resources being developed or identified by NIOSH and its diverse partners. The initial contents of the Web page include links to selected NIOSH resources on industry sectors and specific topics related to green jobs, which are defined broadly as jobs that help to improve the environment.

"As America invests in economic recovery and a clean, secure future, we and our partners have an opportunity to reaffirm the longstanding bonds between occupational safety, health, and environmental stewardship," said NIOSH Acting Director Christine M. Branche, Ph.D. "In laying the groundwork for green jobs and industries, it is important, as with any emerging industry, to make sure that worker safety and health protections are not overlooked. We are pleased that the new web page, as an initial product of our interest in this area, will offer convenient access to information and a focus for strategizing on needs and opportunities."

Opportunities for NIOSH and its partners under "Going Green: Safe and Healthy Jobs" include:

  • Enhancing the safety and health protection of the U.S. work force;
  • Expanding and applying occupational safety and health knowledge to new workplaces, products, and processes; and
  • Ensuring that worker training and re-training for these new jobs includes relevant safety and health information.

The initial contents of the NIOSH "Going Green" site include links to resources on the following industry sectors: agriculture; construction; manufacturing; services; and transportation, warehousing and utilities. Links also are included to resources on relevant topics, such as chemicals, falls from elevations, outdoor work, highway work zone safety, machine safety, nanotechnology, hearing loss prevention, protective clothing and respirators. New information will be added on an ongoing basis.

NIOSH will conduct a workshop on Dec. 14-16, 2009, to help frame issues of incorporating occupational safety and health considerations into green and sustainability efforts. The workshop will include invited participants and limited space will be available to the public.

Related Articles

Coalition Works to Create Green Jobs, Solve Climate Crisis

WDCEP Accepts Proposals for Green Collar Job Analysis

About the Author

Laura Walter

Laura Walter was formerly senior editor of EHS Today. She is a subject matter expert in EHS compliance and government issues and has covered a variety of topics relating to occupational safety and health. Her writing has earned awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), the Trade Association Business Publications International (TABPI) and APEX Awards for Publication Excellence. Her debut novel, Body of Stars (Dutton) was published in 2021.

Sponsored Recommendations

Committing to Safety: Why Leadership’s Role in Safety Excellence is Key

Jan. 13, 2025
Leadership has the power to transform an organization through their behavior and vision, which can result in the creation of an organizational culturethat supports safety excellence...

Speak Up! Cementing "See Something, Say Something" to Drive Safety

Jan. 13, 2025
Many organizations promote "see something, say something" to encourage their people to intervene and make work safe. But most don't go far enough to equip teams with the skills...

The Truth and Challenges of Cultivating Chronic Unease

Jan. 13, 2025
DEKRA announces its latest white paper, “The Truth and Challenges of Cultivating Chronic Unease,” as a definitive look into why being vulnerable to incidents strengthens our commitment...

Mitigating Risks: Strategies for Safeguarding Workers in Hazardous Workplaces

Jan. 13, 2025
Join our expert team in taking on the challenge to make safety part of your organization’s DNA as work, the workforce, and workplaces evolve.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EHS Today, create an account today!