2018 National Occupational Injury Research Symposium: Advancing worker safety in the 21st century through research and practice

Abstract

Abstract About NOIRS 2018: The National Occupational Injury Research Symposium (NOIRS) is the only regularly held research forum in the United States dedicated to occupational injury research and prevention. The 7th NOIRS, sponsored by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and several partners, was held October 16–18, 2018 in Morgantown, West Virginia. The symposium theme was “Advancing Worker Safety in the 21st Century through Research and Practice.” Article selection: This special issue of the Journal of Safety Research highlights exemplary research presented at the symposium, making it available to those who did not attend. The articles included in this issue address leading causes of occupational injury, cross-cutting issues such as organization-based prevention, and emerging issues associated with advancements in technology. The articles draw from public health, the social sciences, and engineering disciplines. Concluding remarks: Research presented at NOIRS over the years has expanded beyond describing occupational injuries and developing and evaluating intervention approaches, to studying how to ensure that research is put into practice. While there has been progress in advancing the prevention of occupational injuries, there is more to be done, and attention is needed to projected transformations in workplaces, work and the workforce. NIOSH looks forward to working with partners to co-sponsor the 8th NOIRS, tentatively planned for the fall of 2021, to present state-of-the art research to advance worker safety.