The Human Side of Work. Center for Health, Work & Environment, Colorado School of Public Health Annual Report 2018–19

Details

• Personal Author:
  Newman L
• Description:
  Use of the word "sustainability" abruptly doubled in the U.S. about 10 years ago. It has been a familiar buzz word ever since - no doubt triggered by a major recession and fueled by a decade in which many Americans woke to the existential threat of climate change. This increase in concern for the health of the planet has not just individuals - but also organizations - journeying towards greater understanding of their role in the crisis, as well as the solution. For those of us working closely with leaders of institutions to address how they can improve the well-being of workers, we have heard the mantra of corporate social responsibility repeated in C-suites, boardrooms, and investor meetings. Sustainability is a complex concept that can be applied globally, institutionally, and personally. The evolving definition reflects this complexity. Sustainability has evolved from simply meaning "the ability to be maintained over a period of time" to "the avoidance of the depletion of natural resources to maintain an ecological balance." Four pillars have been erected to comprehensively address sustainability - economic, social, institutional, and environmental aspects of society and the planet. Viewed through this lens, the work of our Center strengthens all four pillars by helping organizations adopt work practices that support the sustained safety, health, well-being, and prosperity of employees and their communities. Consider a few examples: 1. Our research collaboration with an agribusiness in Guatemala has prevented kidney failure in thousands of farmers amidst an international epidemic. We are contributing to the sustained health and employment of vulnerable workers and the economic viability of agricultural production. Our publications help others around the world affected by or researching the issue build on this success. 2. Our Small+Safe+Well (SSWell) study and Health Links(TM) teams have advised more than 700 businesses to improve the safety, health, and well-being of their employees, creating a more sustainable national workforce. 3. Our leadership trainings of Colorado small business leaders are helping organizations achieve Total Worker Health state-wide, integrating values for better and more sustainable working conditions. 4. Our Center has graduated over 100 occupational health and safety professionals whose job it is to prevent injury and illness in the American workforce. Students in the MAP ERC Health Physics Program are studying the effects of radiation on nature, wildlife, and displaced families in Fukushima, Japan, eagerly working towards a safe and healthy environment for all. Now let us look internally for a moment. As they say in every preflight safety announcement when the oxygen masks drop from the ceiling: "Put on your own mask before helping others." Metaphorically, for the Center to continue promoting the safety, health, and well-being of all workers, we need to "put on our own mask" by making sure we foster sustainability in our own workplace. How well is the Center doing in meeting our own social, economic, and personal sustainability goals? As someone who teaches other leaders how to foster an organizational culture that is people and health-centered, I am proud of our culture. I also see room for improvement. As you will learn by reading about the people and projects highlighted in this year's annual report, we thrive on collaboration, innovation, and finding practical solutions with high impact. We are committed to rigorously evaluating our effectiveness as scientists, educators, public health professionals, and mentors - ultimately measured by our impact on the well-being of workers, ourselves included. Among the Center's own sustainability goals, this year we have begun a multiyear project to reduce the Center's impact on the environment, while maintaining our dedication to the health and safety of workers. To start, we are examining ways to reduce the Center's carbon footprint - a challenging proposition as we try to improve worker health in countries thousands of miles south of the U.S. border and in companies far beyond the Rocky Mountains. Stay connected with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and our website to see how we are doing. We invite you to join us by reducing your own environmental impact and continuing to help workers around the world. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Economics Education Environment Occupational Health Race Factors Safety Small Business Staff Development
• Keywords:
  Agricultural Safety Capacity Development Education And Research Centers Environmental Factors ERCs Global Health Information Dissemination Injury Prevention Kidney Function Medical Research Occupational Safety And Health Partnership Racial Factors Radiation Effects Safety Education Safety Research Small Businesses Sociological Factors Total Worker Health Training TWH Worker Health Worker Safety Workforce Development Work Organization Work Practices

  More +
• Publisher:
  Center for Health, Work & Environment
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant ; Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Annual Report
• Place as Subject:
  Colorado ; OSHA Region 8
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-35
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20060561
• Citation:
  Aurora, CO: Center for Health, Work & Environment, Colorado School of Public Health, 2020 Feb; :1-35
• Contact Point Address:
  Lee Newman, MD, MA, Director, Center for Health, Work & Environment, Colorado School of Public Health, 13001 East 17th Place, Suite W3111, Mail Stop B119, Aurora, CO 80045
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2020
• NORA Priority Area:
  Manufacturing ; Services
• Performing Organization:
  University of Colorado, Denver
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20070701
• Source Full Name:
  The human side of work. Center for Health, Work & Environment, Colorado School of Public Health annual report 2018-19
• End Date:
  20250630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:02015345edd415279a292345ed09387f9a71a17c577cb9248c6be48c333493799c6dc8be7fea7967a21cfc038b1e51d67ac59731bcc66e6c3c788b4ca322143b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/224427/cdc_224427_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 21.16 MB ]