Feds at Work: Improved safety for people in high-risk professions
Designs new equipment for construction workers, truck drivers, firefighters and other workers
For years, firefighters couldn’t use seat belts while wearing their bulky gear. Construction crews working hundreds of feet up were at risk because their harnesses didn’t conform to their bodies. And many employees used respirators that didn’t fit properly.
“He is a brilliant scientist who is committed to making sure science gets put into practice.” ~Dawn Castillo, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Today, a new generation of “personal protective equipment” makes workers in high-risk workers safer. And work is ongoing to create safer industrial gear, thanks in large part to the science and innovative designs developed by Hongwei Hsiao, chief of the Protective Technology Branch at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
“The body of work he’s created has had an incredible impact on protecting workers,” said Dawn Castillo, director of NIOSH’s Division of Safety Research. “He is a brilliant scientist who is committed to making sure science gets put into practice.”
Size and shape information on the human body — known as anthropometry — is critical to the design of work spaces, vehicles and personal protective equipment. Hsiao, the government’s leader in using this research to improve worker safety and health, has made enormous strides in his 25-year career.
“Hongwei is recognized as an international expert in this field,” said Rear Admiral Margaret Kitt, NIOSH’s deputy director.
Hsiao is “making sure we are protecting all workers regardless of their gender, ethnicity or size distribution.” ~Margaret Kitt, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Hsaio has collaborated with more than 50 equipment manufacturers, and public and private entities to conduct studies of construction workers, farmers, truck drivers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel and police.
Manufacturers use data he and his team produced on truck drivers to construct next-generation truck cabs that improve safety for all motorists. His research on respirator users laid the foundation for revamping respirator fit test panels, and enhanced health protection for workers in many industries. And his work is poised to improve the design of police cruisers and police protective armor.
“We are trying to design different types of systems inside a police car and develop a better computer and car interface,” Hsiao said. “These all have something to do with police body size and dimensions.”
Firefighters jammed into tight cab space often don’t wear seatbelts because of their large protective clothing, resulting in unnecessary fatalities, said Gordon Routley, division chief of the Montreal Fire Department.
Hsiao has worked on resizing this protective gear and reconfiguring the space in the fire trucks, hoping to get new standards adopted.
“The line of fire trucks is going to change over the next five to 10 years because of his work,” said Routley. “Changes are going to be pretty significant in terms of how cabs are configured as well as the shape and style of the clothing and equipment used by firefighters.”
Hsiao’s configurations of fall-protection harnesses took into account the unique body dimensions of construction workers for the first time, and how the equipment needs to be designed for women.
Most companies designed the equipment using a military person’s body information and it doesn’t fit the current population, Hsiao said. He was “able to develop new theories and also make it very practical for industry to develop new sizing systems and new structures.”
Hsiao is “making sure we are protecting all workers regardless of their gender, ethnicity or size distribution,” Kitt said.
In the 1990s, Hsiao’s helped establish the agency’s Occupational Anthropometry Program and Laboratory where he does much of his work. The first of its kind in government, it’s equipped with state-of-the-art, three-dimensional, whole-body scanners.
In 2012, he developed a mobile laboratory that captures data on different worker populations across the U.S.
Hsiao, a first generation American, said his father — who was a civil servant at the Bureau of Railroads in Taiwan — was an inspiration to him.
“During my childhood, I knew the importance of public service. You can help more people than you can imagine,” said Hsiao.
“My work provides solutions and strategies to help protect workers, which is important to the quality of life and to the safety of the country.”
Hongwei Hsiao is a finalist for a 2016 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal, or Sammies. Each year, the Partnership for Public Service honors federal employees whose remarkable accomplishments make our government and our nation stronger. For the second time, we will also present the annual “People’s Choice” award. Please vote for the person or team you find most inspiring. (Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. EST on September 9, 2016.)
