NIOSH Science Blog Posts
10 Years of Blogging at NIOSH
Ten years ago today we posted our first NIOSH Science Blog, Preventing Fire Fighter Fatalities from Cardiovascular Events. Since then we have posted 433 blogs on a range of topics from A Robot May Not Injure a Worker: Working safely with robots to Preliminary Field Studies on Worker Exposures to Volatile Chemicals during Oil and Read More >
Posted on by 7 CommentsHalloween Quiz
This Halloween see if you can figure out which iconic Halloween figure, ghost, ghoul or member of the undead could benefit most from the following NIOSH information. While hazards for the undead are many and varied, we have offered some possible answers below. Feel free to share your answers with us in the comment section – Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsBlog Series to Highlight Musculoskeletal Health Research at NIOSH
Before the end of World War II, there was little interest in fitting workplace conditions and job demands to the capabilities of the working population—a scientific practice known as ergonomics. By the 1970s, NIOSH researchers were pioneering the study of musculoskeletal health as professional ergonomists, examining physical and social components of work environments (such as Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsNational Protect Your Hearing Month – Time to Fill the “Know-Do” Gap
When it comes to health, a large gap often exists between what we know (for example, we know that eating too much sugar is bad for our health) and what we still do. Hearing loss prevention is no exception. We have been aware of the harmful effects of overexposure to noise for over a century. Read More >
Posted on by 11 CommentsCan Drones Make Construction Safer?
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) often called drones are increasingly used for military, recreational, public, and commercial purposes. UAVs have the potential to prevent injury and death in the construction industry where nearly 1,000 workers died in 2015. Advancements in UAV technology could help reduce construction-related injury and death from falls, toxic chemical exposures, electrical hazards, Read More >
Posted on by 35 CommentsJob Complexity, Race, and Socioeconomic Status: Examining Health Disparities from an Occupational Perspective
Research conducted in the United States on racial/ethnic health disparities and socioeconomic status (SES) has not fully considered occupation. Because racial and ethnic groups are not represented equally in all occupations, differences in job characteristics may help explain racial/ethnic health disparities. Two recent studies by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) explore Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsNew Software Tracks Health of Emergency Responders
As we recognize September as National Preparedness Month, U.S. and international emergency personnel have been overwhelmed with responses to the hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and wildfires experienced in this month alone. While these responders often put their lives on the line for public safety, we at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) together Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsCured-in-Place-Pipe (CIPP): Inhalation and Dermal Exposure Risks Associated with Sanitary Sewer, Storm Sewer, and Drinking Water Pipe Repairs
Background Cured-in-place-pipe (CIPP) is the most popular water pipe repair method used in the U.S. for sanitary sewer, storm sewer, and is increasingly being used for drinking water pipe repairs. Today, approximately 50% of all damaged pipes are being repaired using CIPP technology. The CIPP procedure involves the chemical manufacture of a new plastic pipe Read More >
Posted on by 28 CommentsNational Employ Older Workers Week Webinar
September 25th to the 29th is National Employ Older Workers Week! The U.S. workforce is aging. The share of the labor force made up of people 55 years and older has increased from 12 percent in 1994 to 22 percent in 2014, and it is projected to reach approximately 25 percent in 2024.1The aging of Read More >
Posted on by 5 CommentsN95 Day 2017: When to think Beyond the N95 FFR
Buckle your seat belts! Put on your high-speed safety gear! We’re about to blast off on a journey to explore the N95 respirator … and beyond. It’s N95 Day, and that means we are focusing on respiratory protection, and invite you to do the same. We’ll make it easy. NIOSH and our N95 Day partners Read More >
Posted on by 9 CommentsLabor Day 2017: A Statement by NIOSH Director, John Howard, MD
The American Dream promises that, through hard work and dedication, we can each achieve success. In the occupational safety and health community, we support this dream by dedicating ourselves to ensuring that work is safer, healthier, and more productive for workers, employers, and the Nation. How we work continues to change, from the tools we Read More >
Posted on by 6 CommentsNLE Calc: A Mobile Application Based on the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation
Knowing how much weight an individual worker can safely lift is a key component to preventing back injury in the workplace. NIOSH recently released a free mobile lifting application, NLE Calc, which helps users determine safe lifting limits. The new NIOSH app takes information from the internationally renowned “Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation” out of Read More >
Posted on by 21 CommentsHigh Blood Pressure and Obesity in Miners
Little is known about the cardiovascular risks for miners in the US as most research to date has focused on respiratory illness. Potential mining-related risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as particulate matter, carbon monoxide, noise, vibration, temperature extremes, and shift work combined with personal risk factors can put miners at greater risk of poor Read More >
Posted on by 10 CommentsOpportunities for Integrating Safety and Health into Sustainable Building Projects: Have You Tried the Prevention through Design (PtD) Pilot Credit?
Ten years ago the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) launched the concept of Prevention through Design (PtD), which champions preventing and controlling occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities by “designing out” or minimizing hazards and risks. Since then, many safety and health professionals have become familiar with the concept and implemented it in Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsHealth-related Quality of Life (HRQOL): Variation across occupation groups
Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an individual’s or group’s self-perception of their physical and mental health over time. HRQOL goes beyond the traditionally diagnosable health outcomes to provide a measure of well-being, it has become an important part of health surveillance. HRQOL is used outside of public health by fields such as psychology, social Read More >
Posted on by 8 CommentsUnderstanding respiratory protection options in Healthcare: The Overlooked Elastomeric
In the healthcare industry, the importance of respiratory protection is often overlooked. Choosing the correct respirator for the exposure level and work task is a critical component of a respiratory protection program. Most healthcare workers are aware of the N95 respirator but may not be aware that the re-formable, reusable elastomeric respirators are a viable option Read More >
Posted on by 22 CommentsEmbracing Partnerships to Translate Research into Practice in Agriculture: Launching the National ROPS Rebate Program
Agricultural workers face myriad dangers each day, resulting in high injury and fatality rates. Unfortunately, high stress levels and competing demands often make it difficult for farmers to prioritize safety. Over the last several decades, researchers, industry partners, and farmers have been among those working together to reduce fatalities from tractor overturns at the national Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsLadder Safety in the Wholesale and Retail Trade Sector: Take the Right Steps towards Safety
In 2014, work-related falls to a lower level in the wholesale and retail trade (WRT) sector accounted for over 12,500 reported injuries. These injured employees were out of work for an average of 7 to 11 days [BLS 2015, BLS 2016]. This blog provides information about preventing ladder-related injuries in the wholesale and retail trade Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsFentanyl Exposure Risks for Law Enforcement and Emergency Response Workers
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic drug that is similar to morphine and heroin, but is 50 to 100 times more potent. Fentanyl and its analogs, such as carfentanil, can pose a potential hazard to law enforcement, emergency medical personnel, and firefighters who could come into contact with these drugs through the course of their work Read More >
Posted on by 21 CommentsExoskeletons in Construction: Will they reduce or create hazards?
Wearable exoskeleton devices can reduce some of the mechanical stress of manual labor (1). These wearable machines can be powered by electricity or by human motion, and they can be as large as a space suit or as small as a glove. (1; 2) They are used to amplify or transform worker movements, improve biomechanics Read More >
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