Category: Sports and Entertainment

Workplace Safety and Health in a Barbie World

As the occupational safety and health community continues to combat very real and serious hazards, we are closing out the summer with a little fun. This summer Barbie and friends have recaptured national attention breaking box office records with movie ticket sales exceeding one billion dollars in just a few weeks. While Barbie’s first “job” Read More >

Posted on by Stephen Leonard, Julie Tisdale-Pardi, Tanya Headley3 Comments

Olympic Work

As Olympic fever takes hold, we would like to take the opportunity to highlight research from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) that relates directly or indirectly to the athletes or their events. NIOSH has the responsibility of conducting research and making recommendations to prevent work-related injuries and illnesses. Although Olympic competition Read More >

Posted on by Julie Tisdale Pardi 7 Comments

Suicide Among Former NFL Players

  The question of whether football players are at higher risk of suicide than the general population has been raised in the popular and scientific literature.  In 2012, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a paper primarily focused on death from heart disease among former National Football League (NFL) players (see Read More >

Posted on by Doug Trout, MD, MHSLeave a comment

Holiday Gifts from NIOSH

If you are lucky enough to get some time off over the holidays, you may find yourself looking for something to listen to, watch, or read.  Our gift to you this holiday season is a compilation of the songs, movies and books with workplace safety and health themes that we have collected through the NIOSH Science Read More >

Posted on by Blog Coordinator9 Comments

Songs with Workplace Safety and Health Themes

9 to 5 – Dolly Parton   Allentown – Billy Joel Anthracite Fields – Julia Wolfe   Banana Boat Song – Harry Belafonte   Bread & Roses – James Oppenheim- performed by Joan Biaz   The Chemical Worker’s Song– Ron Angel Coal Miner’s Grave – Hazel Dickens Coal Mining Women – Hazel Dickens   Drivin Read More >

Posted on by Blog Coordinator34 Comments

Work Songs

  The 2015 American Music Awards air this Sunday, November 22nd (8 pm EST in case you’re interested). Why is NIOSH blogging about this you may ask? Well, we’ve blogged about workplace safety and health themes in: movies twice (three times if you count the recent blog on James Bond’s occupational hazards), books, the theater, Read More >

Posted on by Julie Tisdale Pardi, MA 19 Comments

James Bond Exposed…To 50 Years of Occupational Hazards

Your heart may race while your eyes follow the iconic figure that is James Bond as he holds it together to do his job: driving at high speed down alleyways, under railway crossings, and often through explosive fire and other obstructions. You may wonder how he will survive driving a car that has just been Read More >

Posted on by Nura Sadeghpour, MPH 17 Comments

Turn it Down: Reducing the Risk of Hearing Disorders Among Musicians

Have you ever gone to a concert or performance and found your ears ringing on the way home?  Imagine if that was your job and your ears were exposed regularly to such loud sound levels?  Orchestra players, music teachers, conductors, DJ’s, band members, singers, sound engineers, and many others may be exposed to dangerously high Read More >

Posted on by Chuck Kardous, Thais Morata, Christa Themann, Patricia Spears, and Sue Afanuh16 Comments

Respiratory Hazards for Latino Horse Farm Workers

With the upcoming Belmont Stakes and the possibility of a Triple Crown winner, all eyes are on the world of horse racing. These races are the culmination of years of work far from the glory of the grand stage of horse racing. What is not seen on this grand stage is that there are many Read More >

Posted on by Jennifer E. Swanberg, Ph.D., MMHS, OTR and Jess Miller Clouser, MPH 2 Comments

The Importance of Occupational Safety and Health: Making for a “Super” Workplace

There’s just something about superhero movie summer releases that gets us here at NIOSH excited about safety. This summer the source of our inspiration came from the Man of Steel© movie. In the film, pre-Superman Clark Kent is working as a commercial fisherman (a hazardous job if you’re not a man of steel). He risks Read More >

Posted on by Jaclyn Krah, MA; Richard L. Unger 29 Comments

Brain Injury in the NFL

A new NIOSH Study finds that NFL players may be at a higher risk of death associated with Alzheimer’s and other impairments of the brain and nervous system than the general U.S. population. Read More >

Posted on by Everett Lehman, MS25 Comments

Safety and Health in the Theater: Keeping Tragedy out of the Comedies…and Musicals…and Dramas

On Sunday, the 2012 Tony Awards celebrated the year’s best offerings from “The Great White Way.”  While the theater provides entertainment, the preparation and production of live performances can also pose hazards to those working in all aspects of the theater –from actors on stage to set designers behind the scenes and musicians in the Read More >

Posted on by Gregory A. Burr, CIH and Deborah Hornback, MS37 Comments

NFL Players Tackling Heart Disease

Many football players are essentially paid to be big—really big—especially those whose job is to block or stop the big guys on the other team.  There is a good chance that these players weigh in at sizes that are classified as obese as defined by body mass index (BMI).  In the general population, high BMI Read More >

Posted on by Sherry Baron, MD, MPH31 Comments

Tales of Toil

  Mikael Blomkvist risks his life to conduct investigative journalism. Candido and America navigate day-labor sites and accept significant hazards in their work. Abilene, a black maid in 1960’s Mississippi, describes her working conditions in white households. Jacob Jankowski cares for circus lions and elephants but fears his boss and co-workers. Books like The Girl Read More >

Posted on by Cheryl Fairfield Estill, MS, PE19 Comments

OSH in the Movies: This Time It’s Personal

OSH-related issues permeate the movies—whether they are from Hollywood or Bollywood, blockbusters or independent films, foreign flicks or documentaries—and whether the OSH issues are portrayed on screen or occurred while making the movies. Dr. Jim Kesner shares his insight and favorites.  Read More >

Posted on by James Kesner, PhD89 Comments

OSH in the Movies: The full list

  Return to the main blog entry Below are the 82 films we collectively recommended as relating—in some manner—to OSH, along with their release dates, directors, viewer ratings, and comments and summaries. Find your favorites and vote for them in the comments. Read More >

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High Speeds, Higher Decibels

Stock car races are notoriously loud events. Just how loud? Drivers, pit crew, and other workers at the track face damaging noise exposures during practices and races.  Read More >

Posted on by Chucri A. Kardous, MS, PE, and Thais Morata, PhD67 Comments

Vuvuzelas: What’s the Buzz?

Players, event staff, stadium workers, broadcasters, and referees at the World Cup have been repeatedly exposed at their matches to the thundering noise of vuvuzelas--plastic, meter-long South African horns. Vuvuzelas, especially when trumpeted by thousands of fans at once, can reach damaging decibel levels. The hearing health implications of dangerous noise levels also arise at other noisy sporting events and entertainment venues. Read More >

Posted on by Chucri A. Kardous, MS, PE, and Thais Morata, PhD43 Comments

Mad as a Hatter: Mercury and Other Occupational Hazards at the Movies

Inspired by the release of Alice in Wonderland, Dr. James Kesner discusses workplace safety for actors and as portrayed on film. Vote for your favorite occupational safety and health-related movie and learn NIOSH Director, John Howard's favorite pick on the NIOSH Science Blog.  Read More >

Posted on by James Kesner, PhD52 Comments

Safety and Health in the Horse-Racing Industry

It is estimated that over 146,000 individuals work in the horse-racing industry. This estimate includes jockeys, trainers, exercise riders, grooms, valets, starting gate attendants, apprentice jockeys, and veterinarians. Little is known about the health status or number and nature of injuries and illnesses to workers in this industry. However, there are many risk factors involved when a 115-pound jockey rides an 1,100 pound animal running 40 miles per hour. Read More >

Posted on by Kitty Hendricks, MA16 CommentsTags ,