IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i5p4333-d1083528.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

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
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/5/4333/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/5/4333/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    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.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    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.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Paul A. Schulte & Ivo Iavicoli & Luca Fontana & Stavroula Leka & Maureen F. Dollard & Acran Salmen-Navarro & Fernanda J. Salles & Kelly P. K. Olympio & Roberto Lucchini & Marilyn Fingerhut & Francesco, 2022. "Occupational Safety and Health Staging Framework for Decent Work," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-28, August.
    2. Sara L. Tamers & Jessica M. K. Streit & Casey Chosewood, 2022. "Promising Occupational Safety, Health, and Well-Being Approaches to Explore the Future of Work in the USA: An Editorial," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-7, February.
    3. 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.
    4. 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.
    5. Weziak-Bialowolska, Dorota & Lee, Matthew T. & Cowden, Richard G. & Bialowolski, Piotr & Chen, Ying & VanderWeele, Tyler J. & McNeely, Eileen, 2023. "Psychological caring climate at work, mental health, well-being, and work-related outcomes: Evidence from a longitudinal study and health insurance data," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 323(C).
    6. Matthew A. Ng & Anthony Naranjo & Ann E. Schlotzhauer & Mindy K. Shoss & Nika Kartvelishvili & Matthew Bartek & Kenneth Ingraham & Alexis Rodriguez & Sara Kira Schneider & Lauren Silverlieb-Seltzer & , 2021. "Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Accelerated the Future of Work or Changed Its Course? Implications for Research and Practice," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-28, September.
    7. Cristina Di Tecco & Karina Nielsen & Monica Ghelli & Matteo Ronchetti & Ivan Marzocchi & Benedetta Persechino & Sergio Iavicoli, 2020. "Improving Working Conditions and Job Satisfaction in Healthcare: A Study Concept Design on a Participatory Organizational Level Intervention in Psychosocial Risks Management," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-14, May.
    8. Elizabeth Fisher & Michael A. Flynn & Preethi Pratap & Jay A. Vietas, 2023. "Occupational Safety and Health Equity Impacts of Artificial Intelligence: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(13), pages 1-28, June.
    9. Jaroonvanichkul, Suppapol, 2023. "Technology foresight in communications regulation," 32nd European Regional ITS Conference, Madrid 2023: Realising the digital decade in the European Union – Easier said than done? 277977, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    10. Achim Siegel & Aileen C. Hoge & Anna T. Ehmann & Peter Martus & Monika A. Rieger, 2021. "Attitudes of Company Executives toward a Comprehensive Workplace Health Management—Results of an Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study in Germany," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-20, October.
    11. Sarah A. Felknor & Jessica M. K. Streit & Michelle McDaniel & Paul A. Schulte & L. Casey Chosewood & George L. Delclos & on behalf of the Workshop Presenters and Participants, 2021. "How Will the Future of Work Shape OSH Research and Practice? A Workshop Summary," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-21, May.
    12. Jamjumrus, Yuttana & Jaroonvanichkul, Suppapol, 2024. "Future Scenarios of the Space Industry in Thailand Using Foresight Methodology," 24th ITS Biennial Conference, Seoul 2024. New bottles for new wine: digital transformation demands new policies and strategies 302484, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    13. Sarah A. Felknor & Jessica M. K. Streit & L. Casey Chosewood & Michelle McDaniel & Paul A. Schulte & George L. Delclos & on behalf of the Workshop Presenters and Participants, 2020. "How Will the Future of Work Shape the OSH Professional of the Future? A Workshop Summary," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-15, September.
    14. Patricia Tegtmeier & Corinna Weber & Sabine Sommer & Anita Tisch & Sascha Wischniewski, 2022. "Criteria and Guidelines for Human-Centered Work Design in a Digitally Transformed World of Work: Findings from a Formal Consensus Process," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-31, November.
    15. Rebecca J. Guerin & Samantha M. Harden & Borsika A. Rabin & Diane S. Rohlman & Thomas R. Cunningham & Megan R. TePoel & Megan Parish & Russell E. Glasgow, 2021. "Dissemination and Implementation Science Approaches for Occupational Safety and Health Research: Implications for Advancing Total Worker Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-19, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:5:p:4333-:d:1083528. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.