Followback Program: HHE

Followback Program

The Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Program evaluates workplace health concerns and recommends ways to reduce or eliminate workplace health hazards and prevent work-related illness. Since 2000, the HHE Program has been conducting followback activities with workplaces that the HHE Program has evaluated. Through followback activities, NIOSH learns how to better serve workplaces. Workplaces served may learn more about implementing HHE recommendations.

From HHE followback activities our investigators learn:

• how useful the final report was to employers and employees at the workplace
• how well the recommendations addressed the workplace concerns that prompted the request
• if a new hazard or new solution to a hazard was found
• if additional assistance is needed
• new information that may be useful to other workplaces with similar concerns

A followback may include one or more of these activities:

• surveys sent to each party after the first site visit, after the final report is released, and one year after the final report was released
• a conference call with the employer, employees, and union representatives after the final report has been released to address any questions about the information provided in the report and any concerns about implementing the recommendations.
• a return visit to the workplace to see changes that have been made based on recommendations provided. We may repeat exposure and health testing to document the effectiveness of changes that were made.

Through followback activities, employers, employees, and unions may learn about other available NIOSH resources. NIOSH learns of challenges faced by workplaces and successful solutions, which may be useful to share with other workplaces.