University of Kentucky Awarded $5M to Study Workplace Safety in Appalachia

A center at the University of Kentucky is receiving a five-year, $5 million grant to improve occupational health and safety in central Appalachia and Kentucky.

UK said the region reports higher rates of occupational injuries and fatalities than the rest of the nation.

The Central Appalachian Regional Education and Research Center at UK’s College of Public Health was formed in 2012, combining resources at UK as well as at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond.

The center provides interdisciplinary graduate education for students and health professionals in five programs, including agricultural safety and health, occupational epidemiology, mining engineering safety and health, occupational health nursing and occupational safety.

The funding comes from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.