Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program |
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FACE Mission, History, and Objectives |
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What is the NIOSH FACE program?The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program is a research program designed to identify and study fatal occupational injuries. The goal of the FACE program is to prevent occupational fatalities across the nation by identifying and investigating work situations at high risk for injury and then formulating and disseminating prevention strategies to those who can intervene in the workplace. The FACE program currently has two components:
What FACE is not!FACE is a research program; investigators do not enforce compliance with State or Federal occupational safety and health standards and do not determine fault or blame. FACE Investigations Conducted Thru FY-2007 in 45 States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Back to TopWhat are the primary activities of the FACE program?
Why does the FACE program conduct on-site investigations?On-site investigations are essential for observing sites where fatalities have occurred and for gathering facts and data from company officials, witnesses, and co-workers. Investigators collect facts and data on what was happening just before, at the time of, and right after the fatal injury. This becomes the factual basis for writing investigative reports. During the on-site investigations, facts and data are collected on items such as:
Why is the FACE program important?Each day, on average, 16 workers die as a result of a traumatic injury on the job. Investigations conducted through the FACE program allow the identification of factors that contribute to fatal occupational injuries. This information is used to develop comprehensive recommendations for preventing similar deaths. Back to TopWhat happens to the information collected?Surveillance and investigative reports are maintained by NIOSH in a database. NIOSH researchers use this information to identify new hazards and case clusters. FACE information may suggest the need for new research or prevention efforts or for new or revised regulations to protect workers. NIOSH publications are developed to highlight these high-risk work situations and to provide safety recommendations. These publications are disseminated to targeted audiences and are available on the Internet through the NIOSH homepage or through the NIOSH publications office. What types of publications use FACE data?Examples of publications using FACE data include NIOSH Alerts on such subjects as skid-steer loaders, grain augers, suspension scaffolds, power take-offs, skylights, excavations, and logging. Three monographs, Worker Deaths in Confined Space, Worker Deaths by Electrocution, and Fatal Falls From Elevation, detail findings from 386 of the 500 on-site fatality investigations conducted. Articles have also been published in scientific journals and trade magazines. NIOSH investigators have also presented safety recommendations learned from FACE investigations to safety professionals, industrial hygienists, and others whose responsibilities include worker safety. Is FACE information kept confidential?The names of employers, victims, and/or witnesses are not used in written investigative reports or included in the FACE database. Back to TopWho do I contact for further information?If you have further questions concerning the FACE program, please contact the NIOSH Division of Safety Research at the following address.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and HealthDivision of Safety Research
Surveillance and Field Investigations Branch 1095 Willowdale Road, M/S P180 Morgantown, WV 26505-2888 Phone: (304) 285-5916 FAX: (304) 285-5774 For questions concerning the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, please contact NIOSH at
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Telephone: 1-800-CDC-INFO ( 1-800-232-4636)
TTY: 1-888-232-6348 E-mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov or visit the NIOSH Web site. For a monthly update on news at NIOSH, subscribe to NIOSH eNews. Extensive FACE contact information. Back to Top Page last updated:
March 12, 2008
Page last reviewed: March 12, 2008 Content Source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Division of Safety Research |
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State-based Case Reports | FACE Publications | ||||||||||||||