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Occupational Safety & Health Research Center

Occupational Safety & Health Research Center

Construction Worker

Construction Worker

Welcome to OSHRC

The Occupational Safety and Health Research Center (OSHRC) is devoted to discovering and disseminating innovative ways to separate humans from hazards in the occupational environment, through research and training, and focusing on applications that reduce fatalities, injuries, illnesses, and accidents.

OSHRC News

New article Model-based vs. measured muscle activity in dynamic lifting tasks with and without back-support exoskeletons by Sunwook Kim and Maury Nussbaum was published in Journal of Biomechanics. (November 2025)


New article Evaluating back-support exoskeletons in simulated construction-relevant tasks: Effects on task completion time and aspects of usability by Sunwook Kim and Maury Nussbaum was published in Applied Ergonomics. (October 2025)


New article Optimizing passive exoskeleton torque for dynamic overhead work: Phase-specific analysis on muscle activity and perceived exertion by Sunwook Kim and Maury Nussbaum was published in Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology. (September 2025)


New article User Experiences and Adoption Factors for a Back-Support Exosuit in Automotive Logistics: Results from Field Testing up to 18 Months by Sunwook Kim and Maury Nussbaum was published in IISE Transactions on Occupational Ergonomics and Human Factors. (August 2025)

OSHRC Research Areas

OSHRC members are involved in a broad range of Research Areas that are within diverse disciplines and/or address one or more occupational sectors. Many projects have Research-to-Practice (R2P) components.

Sectors

  • Agriculture
  • Forestry & Fishing
  • Construction
  • Healthcare
  • Manufacturing
  • Mining
  • Cross Sector

Disciplines

  • Industrial Hygiene
  • Musculoskeletal Disorders
  • Safety
  • Slips/Trips/Falls
  • Work Organization