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Four Futures for Occupational Safety and Health

Author

Listed:
  • Sarah A. Felknor

    (Office of the Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA)

  • Jessica M. K. Streit

    (Office of the Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA)

  • Nicole T. Edwards

    (Office of the Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA)

  • John Howard

    (Office of the Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Washington, DC 20024, USA)

Abstract

Rapid changes to the nature of work have challenged the capacity of existing occupational safety and health (OSH) systems to ensure safe and productive workplaces. An effective response will require an expanded focus that includes new tools for anticipating and preparing for an uncertain future. Researchers at the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) have adopted the practice of strategic foresight to structure inquiry into how the future will impact OSH. Rooted in futures studies and strategic management, foresight creates well-researched and informed future scenarios that help organizations better prepare for potential challenges and take advantage of new opportunities. This paper summarizes the inaugural NIOSH strategic foresight project, which sought to promote institutional capacity in applied foresight while exploring the future of OSH research and practice activities. With multidisciplinary teams of subject matter experts at NIOSH, we undertook extensive exploration and information synthesis to inform the development of four alternative future scenarios for OSH. We describe the methods we developed to craft these futures and discuss their implications for OSH, including strategic responses that can serve as the basis for an action-oriented roadmap toward a preferred future.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarah A. Felknor & Jessica M. K. Streit & Nicole T. Edwards & John Howard, 2023. "Four Futures for Occupational Safety and Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-22, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:5:p:4333-:d:1083528
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Paul A. Schulte & George Delclos & Sarah A. Felknor & L. Casey Chosewood, 2019. "Toward an Expanded Focus for Occupational Safety and Health: A Commentary," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-17, December.
    2. Paul A. Schulte & George L. Delclos & Sarah A. Felknor & Jessica M. K. Streit & Michelle McDaniel & L. Casey Chosewood & Lee S. Newman & Faiyaz A. Bhojani & Rene Pana-Cryan & Naomi G. Swanson, 2022. "Expanding the Focus of Occupational Safety and Health: Lessons from a Series of Linked Scientific Meetings," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-21, November.
    3. Jessica M. K. Streit & Sarah A. Felknor & Nicole T. Edwards & John Howard, 2021. "Leveraging Strategic Foresight to Advance Worker Safety, Health, and Well-Being," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-19, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Warren, Emily & Boadu, Paul & Exley, Josephine & Williams, Lorraine & Erens, Bob & Knai, Cécile, 2024. "Knowledge and use of voluntary food and drink guidelines in English nurseries? Results from a nationally representative cross-sectional study," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    2. Anna Owczarczyk, 2023. "Wykorzystanie e-recepty jako narzędzia wspierającego świadczenie usług w podmiotach ochrony zdrowia," Nowoczesne Systemy Zarządzania. Modern Management Systems, Military University of Technology, Faculty of Security, Logistics and Management, Institute of Organization and Management, issue 3, pages 13-30.

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