by Nancy Stout, EdD, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, CDC

Research to prevent occupational injuries often falls short of achieving its intended impact because results are not effectively transferred to appropriate entities that can carry out the next step in moving new knowledge or technology to workplace implementation.

Maximizing the impact of occupational injury research requires a systematic approach that includes effective transfer of results to practice. Using the public health model as a research framework, relevant partners are involved from the conceptual phase of each research project to the implementation of results. This approach ensures that results will be relevant and acceptable and promotes shared ownership by those who can implement prevention findings.

Examples describe successful research partnerships with: professional trainers and communicators who translate research findings into training materials and worker guidance; regulatory agencies and consensus standards bodies who develop or modify regulations and voluntary standards; trade and labor organizations who promote new safety practices; manufacturers who develop and market safety technologies and products; and companies who adopt and implement new injury prevention measures.

The public health model as a research framework ensures a multidisciplinary approach and commitment to follow-through from conceptualization to workplace implementation. Following each step of this research model facilitates efforts to move beyond the endpoint of publishing results in the literature, to promoting the transfer of research results to practice in the workplace. Including relevant partners and stakeholders from project conception to conclusion of research efforts is critical to transferring research results into workplace injury prevention action. Examples of successful research partnership efforts are provided to demonstrate their value and impact in occupational injury prevention.