Category: Women

Catching the Flu: NIOSH Research on Airborne Influenza Transmission

As we enter another influenza season, one question continues to vex medical and public health professionals:  How do you stop people from catching the flu? The best way to prevent the flu is by getting an influenza vaccine every year. However, in the event of a large-scale influenza outbreak of a new virus strain or Read More >

Posted on by William G. Lindsley, PhD 35 Comments

Sleep, Pain, and Hospital Workers

We know that decreased sleep duration and extended shifts in healthcare workers are linked to workplace injuries.  The effects of decreased sleep on pain in the workplace are less clear.  New research from the Harvard Center for Work, Health and Wellbeing  –one of four NIOSH Centers of Excellence funded to explore and research the concepts Read More >

Posted on by Orfeu M. Buxton, PhD; Glorian Sorensen, PhD, MPH 16 Comments

NIOSH Research on Work Schedules and Work-related Sleep Loss

Yesterday, in honor of National Sleep Awareness Week, we blogged about sleep and work and the risks to workers, employers, and the public when workers’ hours and shifts do not allow for adequate sleep.   This blog provides a brief overview of some of the work that NIOSH intramural scientists are carrying out to better understand Read More >

Posted on by Claire Caruso, PhD, RN; Luenda Charles, PhD; Tina Lawson, PhD; Akinori Nakata, PhD; Karl Sieber, PhD; Sudha Pandalai, MD, PhD; and Ted Hitchcock, PhD28 Comments

Sleep and Work

Sleep is a vital biological function and many Americans don’t get enough. To coincide with National Sleep Awareness Week, the new NIOSH blog post: Sleep and Work summarizes the risks to workers, employers and the public when long hours and irregular shifts required by many jobs do not allow workers to get adequate sleep. Read More >

Posted on by Claire Caruso, PhD, RN, and Roger R Rosa, PhD78 Comments

Hair, Formaldehyde, and Industrial Hygiene

A recent settlement requires the makers of Brazilian Blowout hair straightener to warn consumers and hair stylists about formaldehyde in their products. Read more from guest blogger, Dede Montgomery on how the Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology at Oregon Health and Science University worked with their partners to raise awareness of this issue.  Read More >

Posted on by Dede Montgomery180 Comments

Puncture: Exposure for Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure

The movie "Puncture" tells the story of a nurse who contracts AIDS from a needle while at work. Unfortunately, this all-too-common scenario is not fiction. Read more about accidental needlesticks and a program from NIOSH that can reduce these injuries substantially.  Read More >

Posted on by Thomas Cunningham, PhD, and Garrett Burnett, MS, MBA8 Comments

Horrible Bosses: Workplace violence in the real world

The summer blockbuster highlights the very real issue of workplace violence. Read More >

Posted on by Dan Hartley, EdD17 Comments

Assaults on Nursing Assistants

Recent NIOSH research finds that 35% of nursing assistants working in nursing homes reported injuries from aggression by residents and 12% reported human bites. These reports of workplace violence are even higher among those working in homes with special units for Alzheimer patients.  Read More >

Posted on by SangWoo Tak, ScD, MPH11 CommentsTags

Strains, Sprains, and Pains in Home Healthcare: Working in an Uncontrolled Environment

Home healthcare providers face an uncontrolled environment with each residence they enter. The most prevelant occupational injuries among them are strains and sprains. However, workers and employers can do many things to improve conditions and reduce injuries.  Read More >

Posted on by Traci Galinsky, PhD, and Garrett Burnett, MS, MBA54 Comments

N95 Respirators and Surgical Masks

The emergence of H1N1 has created considerable interest about the use of surgical masks and respirators as infection control measures. Given the recent issuance of revised CDC infection control guidance for healthcare personnel that include recommendations for use of N95 respirators, NIOSH has posted a new blog that examines the scientific principles behind the design and performance of these devices. Read More >

Posted on by Lisa Brosseau, ScD, and Roland Berry Ann163 CommentsTags

H1N1: Protecting Healthcare Workers

As of July 31, 2009, there were 162,380 documented cases of human infection with H1N1 throughout the world, including the United States. As of August 6, 2009, there were 6,506 hospitalized cases and 436 deaths in the U.S. From the time of its emergence earlier this year, H1N1 has prompted a concerted response from health agencies. Read More >

Posted on by Maryann D'Alessandro, PhD, and Ed Fries54 Comments

Nail Salon Table Evaluation

NIOSH is requesting that developers, manufacturers, and vendors of vented nail tables (VNTs) submit new, unused, downdraft VNTs for a free evaluation. The NIOSH research will include an evaluation of VNT airflow and capture characteristics, noise level, ergonomic features, and filter life. Results of the research and recommendations from NIOSH will be communicated back to the submitter with the hope of providing valuable information for maximizing the efficiency of VNTs. Read More >

Posted on by Administrator26 CommentsTags

Violence Against Pharmacists

Violence against pharmacists differs from violence experienced by other healthcare workers. Increasingly, pharmacists face violence from robberies at their workplace. Across the United States, reports of pharmacy robberies specifically related to the theft of Oxycontin and Vicodin have been reported.  Read More >

Posted on by Administrator25 CommentsTags , ,

Preventing Back Injuries in Health Care Settings

Healthcare workers often experience musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) at a rate exceeding that of workers in construction, mining, and manufacturing. These injuries are due in large part to repeated manual patient handling activities, often involving heavy manual lifting associated with transferring, and repositioning patients and working in extremely awkward postures. Read More >

Posted on by Jennifer Bell, PhD; Jim Collins, PhD, MSME; Traci L. Galinsky, PhD; Thomas R. Waters, PhD, CPE 127 CommentsTags , ,

Violence Against Teachers and School Staff

Because of an increase in the prevalence of school-based policies aimed at reducing violence in youth and recent reports suggesting that teachers and other school staff may face daily threats of workplace violence, NIOSH was prompted to examine risk factors and prevention policies and practices for workplace violence for K-12 school staff. Read More >

Posted on by Administrator66 CommentsTags ,

Influenza Pandemic and the Protection of Healthcare Workers with Personal Protective Equipment

NIOSH is committed to ensuring that its research is relevant and making a difference in the lives of workers. As such, in 2005, NIOSH asked the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to form a standing committee to provide strategic guidance in addressing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) issues for workers. One issue the committee deemed of high importance is PPE for healthcare workers in the event of pandemic influenza. Read More >

Posted on by Administrator38 CommentsTags ,

Preventing Needlesticks in Surgical Personnel

Each year an estimated 385,000 needlesticks and other sharps-related injuries are sustained by hospital-based healthcare personnel; an average of 1,000 sharps injuries per day.  Read More >

Posted on by Walter Alarcon, MD, MSc6 CommentsTags

Contingent Workers

One analysis of 2005 federal data found that 16% of contingent workers have family incomes less than $20,000, a proportion twice as high as that of noncontingent workers. Only 13% of contingent workers had health insurance provided by their employer, compared with 72% of noncontingent workers. Read More >

Posted on by Kristin J. Cummings, MD, MPH, and Kathleen Kreiss, MD1 Comment