In the OSH Act, the U. S. Congress declared it to be “its purpose and policy, through the exercise of its powers to regulate commerce among the several States and with foreign nations and to provide for the general welfare, to assure so far as possible every working man and woman in the Nation safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve our human resources …by providing for research in the field of occupational safety and health, including the psychological factors involved, and by developing innovative methods, techniques, and approaches for dealing with occupational safety and health problems.”

In 2003, the Total Worker Health® approach originated from the 2003 NIOSH Steps to a Healthier US Workforce Initiative. The goals of this initiative were to protect, support, and enhance workers’ health through comprehensive programs for safe and healthy work, integrated with health-supportive environments and access to adequate health care. In 2005, NIOSH developed a new NIOSH Work-Life Initiative in 2005, which sought to improve overall worker health through better work-based programs, policies, practices, and benefits. In 2011, NIOSH renamed “Work Life” to the Total Worker Health® Program, committed to developing knowledge focused on the integration of occupational safety and health protection and health promotion.

This episode’s guest is Chia-Chia Chang, the Partnership and New Opportunity Development Coordinator in the Office for Total Worker Health at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Ms. Chang will share not only the history but the present and her view on what the future of worker health in the United States could be with a national focus on the broad spectrum of worker health.