Safe work in the 21st century : education and training needs for the next decade's occupational safety and health personnel

Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 1 INTRODUCTION 17 Charge to the Committee, 20 Legislative and Regulatory Background, 21 Previous Studies of the OSH Workforce, 25 Methods of the Present 10M Study, 30 Organization of This Report, 31 2 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH PROFESSIONALS 32 The Nature and Scope of OSH Services, 35 Safety Professionals, 39 Industrial Hygiene, 49 Occupational Medicine, 57 Occupational Health Nursing, 68 Other OSH Professionals, 77 Supply, Demand, and Need, 85 3 THE CHANGING WORKFORCE 90 Review of the Past Workforce Changes, 91 A Look to the Future, 97 Implications of Changing Demographics for Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 100 Implications for Training Needs of Occupational Safety and Health Personnel, 103 XVII http://www.nap.edu/openbookJ0309070260/html/R18.html. copyright, 2000 The National Academy of Sciences, all rights reserved XVlll CONTENTS 4 THE CHANGING WORKPLACE 105 Review of Past Workplace Changes, 106 A Look to the Future, 110 Implications for Occupational Fatalities, Injuries, and Illnesses, 120 Implications for Training Needs of Occupational Safety and Health Personnel, 121 5 THE CHANGING ORGANIZATION OF WORK 125 Globalization of Trade, 126 Work Design, 128 Organizational Design, 135 Work-Life Balance, 139 Implications for Occupational Safety and Health Education and Training, 140 6 THE CHANGING DELIVERY OF HEALTH CARE 141 Elements of Health Care Reform, 144 Implications for Education and Training of Occupational Safety and Health Professionals, 150 7 EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMS 152 Research Training, 154 Occupational Safety Programs, 155 Industrial Hygiene Programs, 161 Occupational Medicine Residencies, 164 Occupational Health Nursing Programs, 170 21st Century Knowledge and Expertise, 173 Funding Sources for Occupational Safety and Health Education and Training, 174 Future Needs in Worker and Employer Safety and Health Training, 193 8 ALTERNATIVES TO TRADITIONAL CLASSROOMS 196 Distance Education Modalities, 199 Distance Education and Workforce Relationships: Potential Benefits and Costs, 200 Current Examples, 202 Education Outlook for Occupational Safety and Health, 206 Conclusion, 206 http://www.nap.edu/openbookJ0309070260/html/R19.html. copyright, 2000 The National Academy of Sciences, all rights reserved CONTENTS XIX 9 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 207 Current OSH Work Force and Training, 208 Future OSH Work Force and Training, 209 REFERENCES 213 APPENDIXES A Committee and Staff Biographies 227 B Statement on Committee Composition by Committee Member James A. Oppold 234 C Significant Events in the History of Occupational Safety and Health 236 D Locations of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Education and Research Centers (ERCs) and Training Program Grants (TPGs) 241 LIST OF TABLES, FIGURES, AND BOXES Tables 2-1 Percentage of Respondents Reporting the Indicated Activities as Among the Three Most Important Worked on During the Preceding Year, 55 2-2 Percentage of Respondents Reporting Hands-on Involvement in the Indicated Activities, 56 2-3 Percentage of Respondents Reporting That They Manage the Indicated Activities, 56 2-4 Primary Board Certifications of ACOEM Members, April 1999, 64 2-5 Percentage of ACOEM Members Providing the Listed OM Service, 66 2-6 Most Important Work Activities Reported by Occupational Health Nurses, 76 2-7 Job Titles Reported by Two Samples of Occupational Health Nurses, 77 2-8 Estimated Number of Active OSH Professionals in the United States, 1999,85 3-1 Percentage of Mothers in Labor Force, 1975-1998 by Age of Youngest Child in March 1973,93 3-2 Employment of Persons Ages 21-64 Years, 1991-1992 and 19941995,95 3-3 Real Disposable Per Capita Income, Selected Years, 1986-1998, and Projected to 2010, 97 http://www.nap.edu/openbookJ0309070260/html/R20.html. copyright, 2000 The National Academy of Sciences, all rights reserved xx CONTENTS 3-4 Civilian Labor Force, 1988, 1998, and Projected to 2010, 99 3-5 Total Civilian Labor Force, Entrants, Leavers, and Stayers, 1988, 1998, and Projected to 2010, 101 4-1 Employment by Major Industry Division in 1988 and 1998 and Projected Employment for 2010, 107 4-2 Employment by Major Occupational Group for 1988 and 1998 and Projected Employment for 2010,108 4-3 Incidence of Nonfatal Occupational Injures and Illnesses by Private Industry Division, Selected Years, 112 4-4 Fatal Occupational Injuries, 1992 to 1998 in Private Industry and Government, 113 4-5 Percentage of Workforce That Is Unionized by Major Sector, Selected Years, 1983 to 1998, 114 4-6 Employed Persons by Full- or Part-Time Status, 1970 to 1998, 118 4-7 Employment by Size of Establishment in Selected Years, 1980 to 1997,120 7-1 Subject Area and Number of Susan Harwood Training Grants Program Grants Awarded in Fiscal Year 1999, 183 Figures 1-1 Deaths per 100,000 workers due to injury, 1913 to 1998, 18 2-1 Percentage of professional members reporting safety-related certifications in three surveys, 45 2-2 Primary job focus of ASSE members, 46 2-3 Employers reported by certified safety professionals in a 1997 survey, 48 2-4 Percentage of respondents reporting daily direct interaction with the indicated groups, 57 2-5 Primary practice setting of ACOEM members, 65 2-6 Practice settings for ACOEM survey respondents, 65 2-7 Highest level of formal education reported by occupational health nurses in 1999 compensation and benefits survey, 73 3-1 Age of civilian labor force, 1988 and 1999, 92 3-2 Minorities in the civilian labor force, 1988 and 1998, 94 3-3 New entrants to the labor force projected from 1998 to 2010, by race and ethnicity, as a percentage of total new entrants, 102 4-1 Occupations with the highest number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses, 1997, 112 http://www.nap.edu/openbookJ0309070260/html/R21.html. copyright, 2000 The National Academy of Sciences, all rights reserved CONTENTS XXI 4-2 Employment in personnel supply services, 1986 to 1998, 114 4-3 Mean number of jobs held between the ages of 18 and 32 (1978 to 1995) reported in 1995 by individuals ages 31 to 38 in 1995, by level of education, 117 4-4 Aggregate employment increase between 1990 and 1995 for firms of various sizes, 119 5-1 U.S. investment in computer equipment and software, 1990 to 1998, 129 5-2 Information technology as a means of integrating various basic manufacturing activities, 130 6-1 National expenditures for health services and supplies, 1970 to 1997 and projections for 2002, 143 7-1 Number of degrees awarded from 1990 to 1999 by schools responding to ASSE survey on graduates, 156 7-2 Funding, by discipline, by NIOSH of ERCs and TPG, 1995 to 1999, 175 7-3 Master's degrees awarded with support of NIOSH training programs, 1987 to 1997, 176 7-4 Graduates of "other" NIOSH-supported educational programs, 1987 to 1997, 177 7-5 Student-days of continuing education and number of courses supported by NIOSH, 1991 to 1997, 178 7-6 Employers of students attending NIOSH-supported continuing education courses in 1996-1997,179 7-7 Backgrounds of students attending NIOSH-supported continuing education in 1996-1997, 179 7-8 Student-days of instruction by OSHA Training Institute, all sites, in fiscal years 1995 to 1998, 181 7-9 Source of fiscal year 1998 students for OSHA Training Institute and OSHA Training Institute Education Centers, 182 Boxes 1 Summary of Recommendations, 15 2-1 Occupational Health and Safety Pyramid, 34 2-2 Competencies in Occupational and Environmental Nursing, 72 9-1 Summary of Recommendations, 212