Total Worker Health

In a globalized economy where work is increasingly tenuous, the safety, health, and well-being of workers has become a matter of some urgency for organizational leaders, and an area of intense focus for researchers and practitioners. The Total Worker Health(R) initiative of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), targets policies, programs, and practices that address risks to worker safety, health and well-being in both the physical and organizational work environment, as well as beyond the workplace.

Chapters in this book cover organizational approaches for implementing integrative prevention programs for addressing these problems. This includes applications for diverse worker populations, such as workers in healthcare settings, construction, corrections, and manufacturing; for aging workers who may have multiple chronic health conditions; and, for workers employed in small businesses. Chapters also provide evidence of program effectiveness for addressing work conditions that impact mental health, fatigue and sleep, and work-life conflict.

This volume is for occupational safety and health professionals, human resource managers, policymakers, and organizational trailblazers who understand that ensuring the safety, health, and well-being of workers is an essential best business practice.

Heidi L. Hudson, MPH is a Commander in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS). She currently serves as a team lead at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Office for Total Worker Health(R). Her interests include strengthening the connections between research, policy, and practice to improve overall well-being of workers and their families. She has authored several publications in occupational safety and health and serves as editor-in-chief of the NIOSH TWH in Action! eNewsletter. She has received numerous awards for her leadership in the translation of occupational safety and health research into practice, including two USPHS commendation medals.

Jeannie A.S. Nigam, PhDc, MS is a Research Psychologist at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).She serves as an advisor to the NIOSH Total Worker Health Program and coordinates NIOSH's Healthy Work Design and Well-being Program. Her research centers on understanding how work organization affects employee health and well-being with emphases in the areas of work-life balance, depression, and examining the benefits of comprehensive organizational programs that promote and protect worker health. She has lectured on these topics to both applied and academic audiences at numerous conferences and meetings.

Steven L. Sauter, PhD (Industrial Psychology, University of Wisconsin) is a consultant to the Total Worker Health(R) Program at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). He served previously as Coordinator of the NIOSH Research Program on Work Organization and Stress-related Disorders. He is a Fellow of the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology and has participated in an editorial capacity on several scholarly journals on this topic. He has authored and edited a dozen books and numerous articles on psychosocial aspects of occupational health, and he is an Associate Editor of the 4th Edition of the ILO Encyclopedia of Occupational Health and Safety.

L. Casey Chosewood, MD, MPH is currently the Director of the Office for Total Worker Health(R) at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Before this he served as the Director of Health and Safety for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Medical Director of CDC's three occupational health clinics. He is the Editor of Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (5th Edition) and author of numerous book chapters and scientific publications. He has lectured extensively on worker safety, occupational health, biological and laboratory safety, international travel medicine, and workplace well-being.

Anita L. Schill, PhD, MPH, MA is a consultant to the Total Worker Health(R) Program at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Prior to retiring after more than 23 years of federal service, Dr. Schill served as a Co-Manager of the NIOSH TWH Program and Senior Science Advisor to the NIOSH Director. Her interests include psychosocial risk factors in the workplace, meaningful work, and national policy to protect workers and improve the experience of work. She has received awards for her early-career research, authorship, and government service, including the NIOSH TWH Founder's Award. Anita lives near Washington, DC.

John Howard, MD, MPH, JD, LLM is the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Administrator of the World Trade Center Health Program in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Prior to his appointment at NIOSH, Dr. Howard served as Chief of the Division of Occupational Safety and Health in the California Department of Industrial Relations, Labor and Workforce Development Agency. Dr. Howard is board-certified in internal medicine and occupational medicine and he is a member U.S. Supreme Court bar. He speaks and publishes extensively on emerging trends, law, and policy related to occupational safety and health.