Prevention through Design – News and Events

The Prevention through Design program is pleased to announce the publication of The State of the National Initiative on Prevention through Design (PtD) .

Engineering Modules Released
The Prevention through Design Program is pleased to announce the release of four education modules, consisting of an Instructor’s Manual and a slide deck. Each module outlines the motivations for PtD, encourages inclusion of worker health and safety considerations early in the design process, and identifies hazards associated with the topic.

Safe Nano Design Workshop Presentations
Date: August 14 – 16, 2012
Location: College of Nanoscale Science & Engineering of the University at Albany, Albany, NY
Event Organizer: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Prevention through Design Program and the Nanotechnology Research Center
Participants at this workshop will provided input into the safe commercialization of nano products resulting in the development of guidelines for the safe synthesis of nanoparticles and associated products, using a Prevention-through-Design approach. The workshop will focus on: efforts to develop safer nano molecules that have the same functionality; process containment and control, based on the considerations of risk of exposure to workers; and the management system approaches for including occupational safety and health into the nanoparticle synthetic process, product development, and product manufacture.

Webinar – Courtesy of the ASSE: Prevention through Design: Guidelines for Addressing Occupational Hazards and Risks in Design and Redesign Processes
November 30, 2011 at 12:00 PM EST, 11:00 AM CST, 10:00 AM MST, 9:00 AM PST
(90 minutes)
Prevention Through Design Conference: A New Way of Doing Business
A Report on the National Initiative
August 22-24, 2011
Omni Shoreham Hotel
Washington, DC

The conference marks the mid-point of the PtD National Initiative; therefore, our goal is to take stock of the Nation’s progress in improving worker safety and health through the inclusion of prevention methods in all designs that impact workers. Progress will be reported through presentations showcasing research results, engineering education enhancements, successful stakeholder practices, and policy development and advancement. An additional goal of the conference is to identify areas that require additional focus.

Prevention through Design (PtD) Workshop

The first Prevention through Design (PtD) Workshop was held in Washington DC July 9-11, 2007 to launch a National Initiative aimed at eliminating occupational hazards and controlling risks to workers “at the source” or as early as possible in the life cycle of items or workplaces. PtD includes the design of work premises, structures, tools, plants, equipment, machinery, substances, work methods, and systems of work.

The workshop attracted approximately 225 participants from diverse industry sectors and disciplines. Day 1 began on July 9 at 1:00 p.m. with keynote and plenary speakers that spotlighted the success of PtD in several industries in the United States and internationally. Day 2 engaged participants in industry-centered breakout sessions to identify opportunities and barriers, and to develop recommendations for each industry. Day 3 included cross-industry breakout sessions that used the recommendations from the previous day to map out the top over-arching issues for PtD in Research, Education, Practice, and Policy. The output from the workshop will be used to develop a strategic plan that highlights actions and milestones to institutionalize the concept throughout the United States.

While NIOSH is coordinating the initiative, PtD is a collaborative endeavor and current partners include the American Industrial Hygiene Association, the American Society of Safety Engineers, the Center to Protect Workers’ Rights, Kaiser Permanente, Liberty Mutual, the National Safety Council, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, ORC Worldwide, and the Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering. The list is expected to grow.