Safe Patient Lifting, Beryllium Collaborations Win NORA Awards
Two NORA Partnering Awards for 2008 were presented July 29 to collaborations that "represent exemplary teamwork, innovative thinking, and strong science in conducting and applying research for the prevention of work-related injuries and illnesses," NIOSH announced. The awards were presented at NORA Symposium 2008, which the agency co-sponsored with the Mountains and Plains Education and Research Center.
The symposium convened researchers and practitioners who have teamed under the National Occupational Research Agenda to use products of new research to prevent work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths. The recipients are:
* A team effort that developed a curriculum for nursing schools in techniques and mechanical aids for lifting and moving patients safely. Partners in this project included the American Nurses Association, the Veterans Health Administration, 29 schools of nursing, and six vendors.
* A partnership of scientists from NIOSH and Brush Wellman Inc. that studied a new model for working safely with beryllium and materials containing it.
"Progress in keeping men and women safe and healthy on the job is impossible without smart research, and research in turn depends on partnerships to leverage scarce resources," said NIOSH Acting Director Christine Branche, Ph.D. "We are proud that NORA continues to be the national blueprint and driving force for building such partnerships and for moving the products of research into workplace practice."