National Machine Guarding Program. Design of a machine safety intervention

摘要

Background: Incidence rates for lost-time injuries (133.1 per 10,000) and amputations (2.6 per 10,000) are elevated among metal fabrication workers compared to U.S. private industry as a whole (105.2 and 0.6 per 10,000, respectively), indicating a need for improved safety practices. Objective: This manuscript describes the development of an intervention to help small metal fabrication businesses (< 150 employees) establish and maintain machine safety programs, implement applicable standards, and conduct regular safety audits. Methods: A business-research partnership was formed to update audit methods utilized previously and translate our prior findings into a standardized intervention to be delivered nationwide. The RE-AIM model was applied to frame research questions that can be quantitatively evaluated. Conclusions: This translation research initiative provides a new model for outreach to small businesses. Cost-effective intervention measures will enable businesses to build sustainable machine safety programs. If effective, this research would form the basis for new, widely-applicable practice guidelines.