The agriculture, forestry, and fishing sectors are the cornerstone of industries that produce food, fiber, and biofuel. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducts research in order to improve worker safety and health in these sectors. This National Research Council book reviews the NIOSH Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Program to evaluate the 1) relevance of its work to improvements in occupational safety and health and 2) the impact of research in reducing workplace illnesses and injuries. The assessment reveals that the program has made meaningful contributions to improving worker safety and health in these fields. To enhance the relevance and impact of its work and fulfill its mission, the NIOSH Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Program should provide national leadership, coordination of research, and activities to transfer findings, technologies, and information into practice. The program will also benefit from establishing strategic goals and implementing a comprehensive surveillance system in order to better identify and track worker populations at risk.

Contents

• THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
• COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THE NIOSH AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY, AND FISHING RESEARCH PROGRAM
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Abbreviations and Acronyms
• Summary
• 1. Introduction
  • STUDY CHARGE AND EVALUATION COMMITTEE
  • EVALUATION APPROACH
  • THE U.S. AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY, AND FISHING INDUSTRIES
  • LEGISLATIVE HISTORY AND HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
  • ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT
• 2. The Ideal Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Research Program
  • OVERARCHING PROGRAM CHARACTERISTICS
  • SPECIFIC PROGRAM COMPONENTS
• 3. Overall Program Assessment
  • INTRODUCTION
  • AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY, AND FISHING RESEARCH PROGRAM GOALS
• 4. Review of Surveillance Research
  • STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
  • LOGIC SUBMODEL
  • INPUTS
  • ACTIVITIES
  • OUTPUTS
  • INTERMEDIATE OUTCOMES
  • END OUTCOMES
  • OTHER OUTCOMES
• 5. Review of Research on High-Priority Populations at Risk
  • STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
  • LOGIC SUBMODEL
  • INPUTS
  • ACTIVITIES
  • OUTPUTS
  • INTERMEDIATE OUTCOMES
  • END OUTCOMES
  • EXTERNAL FACTORS
• 6. Review of Health Effects Research
  • STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
  • LOGIC SUBMODEL
  • INPUTS
  • ACTIVITIES
  • OUTPUTS
  • INTERMEDIATE OUTCOMES
  • END OUTCOMES
• 7. Review of Intervention Research
  • STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
  • LOGIC SUBMODEL
  • INPUTS
  • ACTIVITIES
  • OUTPUTS
  • INTERMEDIATE OUTCOMES
  • END OUTCOMES
  • EXTERNAL FACTORS
• 8. Review of Outreach Activities: Knowledge Diffusion and Technology Transfer
  • STRATEGIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
  • LOGIC SUBMODEL
  • INPUTS
  • ACTIVITIES
  • OUTPUTS
  • INTERMEDIATE OUTCOMES
  • END OUTCOMES
  • REVIEW OF THE NIOSH CENTERS FOR AGRICULTURAL DISEASE AND INJURY RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND PREVENTION (AG CENTERS)
  • EVALUATION
• 9. Other Programmatic Elements Identified by the Committee
  • STAKEHOLDERS
  • HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH AND TRAINING
  • PUBLIC POLICY AND REGULATORY ADVICE
  • PROGRAM EVALUATION INITIATIVES
• 10. Program Scoring and Rationale
  • ASSESSMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY, AND FISHING RESEARCH PROGRAM RELEVANCE AND IMPACT
  • DISCUSSION OF RATINGS FOR RELEVANCE AND IMPACT
  • ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ABOUT RELEVANCE
  • ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ABOUT IMPACT
  • KEY PROGRAM LIMITATIONS
  • CONCLUSION
• 11. New and Emerging Research in Agricultural, Forestry, and Fishing Safety and Health
  • IDENTIFICATION OF NEW AND EMERGING RESEARCH BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
  • NEW RESEARCH IDENTIFIED BY THE COMMITTEE
  • EMERGING RESEARCH AND ISSUES IDENTIFIED BY THE COMMITTEE
  • CONCLUSION
• 12. Recommendations for Program Improvement
  • RECOMMENDATIONS
  • SUMMARY
• Glossary
• References
• Appendixes
  • A Framework for the Review of Research Programs of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
  • B Committee Methods for Gathering Information
  • C Information Provided by the NIOSH AFF Program
  • D Biographic Sketches of Committee Members
  • E Methods for Identifying the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Workforce Population
  • F Policies and Regulations Affecting the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Workforce
  • G Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources

Suggested citation:

National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. 2008. Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Research at NIOSH. Committee to Review the NIOSH Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Research Program. Rpt. No. 3, Reviews of Research Programs of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This study was requested by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and supported by Contracts 211-2006-19152 (Task Order 001) and 200-2005-10881 (Task Order 0004). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations contained in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.