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| Dr. Tom Leamon |
In the early 1990s, under the leadership of Tom B. Leamon, Ph.D., C.P.E., (1991- 2006), the Research Institute expanded its laboratory space from 26,000 to 40,000 square feet, and increased its research staff to include 12 doctoral-level scientists. These changes brought the Institute to a new level of scientific productivity and visibility.
Over the next decade, the number of annual, peer-reviewed publications more than doubled, and the Institute increased its presence at high-profile scientific conferences. The scope of research expanded to include epidemiological studies of the causes and distribution of workplace injuries, biomechanical analyses of human motion patterns, and investigations of the physical, technological, and organizational demands of work environments.
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| Left to Right: Dr. Joseph Brain, HSPH; Karl Jacobson, Liberty Mutual; Dr. Harvey Fineberg, HSPH; and Dr. Tom Leamon, Liberty Mutual |
During this time, the Research Institute established research alliances with prominent universities and health and safety institutions around the world. In 1994, the Institute formalized its long-term collaborative relationship with the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) through the creation of the Liberty Mutual-Harvard Program in Occupational Safety and Health. The Program, created to advance occupational safety and health, built upon the longstanding teaching exchange between the two organizations and includes joint-research projects, symposia, and global initiatives.
Also in 1994, the Institute initiated the Visiting Scholar Program to encourage collaboration with other prominent universities. Each year, the Institute selects a senior research scientist to spend three months at the Hopkinton facility collaborating on an area of mutual interest. Since its inception, the Program has hosted 11 senior researchers from 8 different countries. The Program requires one joint peer-reviewed publication and fosters the development of extended relationships with the visiting scholars' home institutions. The goal is to facilitate ongoing research collaborations resulting in scientific publications.
Other global scientific partnerships that emerged during the 1990s include the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, the British Health and Safety Laboratory, the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
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Whole Body
Vibration Meter
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As the Institute vastly expanded its outreach and publication output, it continued to produce innovations to enhance safety research and practice. In 1997, researchers patented the Whole Body Vibration Meter
TM, a portable device used to measure worker exposure to vibration during heavy vehicle operation as well as other industrial tasks. The meter enables service providers to collect multi-axis vibration measurements and compare this data to nationally accepted standards.
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| VidLiTeCTM
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In 1998, Institute researchers developed the first field measurement system of its kind to analyze the entire profile of a lifting task from start to finish. The system, called VidLiTeC
TM, accurately determines forces on various joints of the body, including the lower back, during lifts that could lead to overexertion. VidLiTeC requires only a video of the worker performing the lift to analyze the task and pinpoint areas of increased risk. The system enables safety practitioners to collect valuable information without interfering with normal business operations.
Next, "The New Millennium"