NIOSH Science Blog Posts
40 Years of Safety Research
In 1977, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recognized the need for a separate group dedicated to safety research and as a result, the Division of Safety Research – or DSR – was created. DSR serves as the focal point for the nation’s research program for preventing traumatic occupational injuries, such as: Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsHeat Index: When humidity makes it feel hotter
NIOSH and OSHA recently released the redesigned, co-branded OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool App. This version replaces the app previously created by OSHA in 2011. The app calculates the heat index at outdoor worksites using the smartphone’s geolocation capabilities to pull current weather conditions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites. Based on Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsHelp Put an End to Preventable Deaths During National Safety Month 2017
The majority of people who die from preventable injuries are in the prime of their lives – raising families and enjoying their careers and active lifestyles. It’s National Safety Month, an opportunity to help prevent these unnecessary injuries and deaths at work, on the roads, and in our homes and communities. This year, the theme Read More >
Posted on by 4 Comments50 Years of Protecting Worker Respiratory Health
2017 is an important year for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Respiratory Health Division (RHD). This is the 50th anniversary of our establishment in 1967 as the Appalachian Laboratory for Occupational Respiratory Disease (ALFORD) within the U.S. Public Health Service. ALFORD subsequently joined NIOSH in 1971, changed into the Division of Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsUsing Clear Communication at NIOSH
What is clear communication? Clear communication means using familiar concepts, words, numbers, and images presented in ways that make sense to the people who need the information – your intended audience. Why should I care about clear communication? Whether you’re communicating health messages to employers or workers, every audience has its own level Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentDERMaL eToolkit
Emergency response personnel are often at risk of getting dangerous chemicals on their skin. Despite the availability of numerous high-quality resources designed to guide emergency management and operations personnel, data gaps continue to exist on specific hazards or scenarios. Available resources contain an overwhelming quantity of data on inhalation exposures, but data related to dermal Read More >
Posted on by Leave a commentAmbulance Crash Test Methods
Ambulance crashes are a major safety concern for workers and patients. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reviewed data from 45 special crash investigations from 2001-2015, and found that 84% of EMS workers were not wearing a seat belt in the patient compartment.1 For EMS workers, wearing a seat belt can be at odds with Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsNIOSH Presents: Research on Managing Fatigue in the Workplace, Lessons Learned
On March 20-23, 2017, thirteen participants from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) attended the 10th International Conference on Managing Fatigue, in San Diego, California. This year’s conference was the first held in the U.S. since 2009, and was attended by over 260 Read More >
Posted on by 6 CommentsNational Police Week and NIOSH’s Work in Officer Safety
Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week are observances that pay tribute to local, state, and Federal officers who have died or been disabled in the line of duty. The Peace Officers Memorial Day occurs annually on May 15 which was designated by President John F. Kennedy in 1962. National Police Week is the Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsMay is Better Hearing and Speech Month: For 45 Years NIOSH Helps Prevent Occupational Hearing Loss
Back in 1927, when an organization then known as the American Society for the Study of Disorders of Speech* first promoted May as “Better Hearing and Speech Month,” very little was known about occupational noise-induced hearing loss. But for more than 45 years, NIOSH has been researching ways to prevent it. Occupational hearing loss Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsFirefighter Cancer Rates: The Facts from NIOSH Research
In 2010, researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), launched a multi-year study to examine whether firefighters have a higher risk of cancer and other causes of death due to job exposures. The study was a joint effort led by researchers at NIOSH in collaboration with researchers at the National Cancer Read More >
Posted on by 20 CommentsThe National Safety Stand-Down: Why Falls Remain a Deadly Problem in the Construction Sector and What We Can Do About It
Standing on rooftops and rebar are facts of life in the construction industry, but fatal falls from these heights do not have to be. In the United States each year, 10,000 construction workers are seriously injured from falls at the worksite (1). In 2015 alone, 350 construction workers perished due to falls, accounting for nearly Read More >
Posted on by 7 CommentsRisky Business
Small businesses are where the action is. They are hotbeds for innovation, enthusiasm, and job creation. We loved meeting the entrepreneurs who participated with us and OSHA in the Hear and Now Noise Safety Challenge. Innovators like these are willing to take risks to pursue their great ideas. Small Business Week is all about celebrating Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsWorkers Memorial Day, 2017: Statement by John Howard, M.D., Director, NIOSH
Workers Memorial Day on April 28 once again provides us with the opportunity to pause and reflect on what is important for the health and safety of our workers and their families. While we consider the past and remember those who died or suffered from exposures to hazards at work, we strive in our efforts Read More >
Posted on by Leave a commentFall Fatalities among Oil and Gas Extraction Workers, 2005-2014
Previous research has shown that fatality rates for oil and gas extraction workers were decreasing for all causes of death except for those associated with falls. (1) A new study from National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, examined risk factors for fatal fall events in this Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsNoise Exposure Among Federal Wildland Fire Fighters
Hearing loss is one of the most common work-related illnesses in the United States. NIOSH estimates that 22 million U.S. workers encounter noise exposures loud enough to be hazardous. Wildland fire fighting (vs. urban/ structural fire fighting), aims to suppress grass, brush, or forest fires (see Figure 1). Wildland fire fighting is considered a high-risk Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentWorker Recovery and Return to Work
Work-related disability is associated with many negative health and social outcomes including reduced quality of life, job loss, reduced lifetime income, injuries among family caregivers, and premature death. For example, a recent NIOSH-funded study found that workers who suffer serious injuries requiring days away from work are more likely to die sooner than workers with Read More >
Posted on by 10 CommentsIntroducing the Hearing Loss Prevention Program evaluation checklist
Noise-induced hearing loss continues to be one of the most common occupational disorders, even in workplaces where workers are protected by hearing loss prevention programs (HLPPs). Although standards and regulations vary by country, virtually all hearing loss prevention programs require several elements: the measurement of noise exposures; the implementation of noise controls to reduce noise Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentLandscaping Safety and Health
Overview The service sector has approximately 68 million workers in industries ranging from finance to food service and real estate to recreation. The purpose of the National Occupational Research Agenda’s (NORA) sector and cross sector councils is to exchange information, form partnerships, and enhance dissemination and implementation of prevention tools. To help meet these goals, the NORA Read More >
Posted on by 16 CommentsWomen’s History Month: NIOSH Recognizes Female Leaders
March is Women’s History month and last week was International Women’s Day. In honor of women throughout the world, this blog post will highlight five female Division Directors at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Currently, women lead five of the 12 divisions at NIOSH, as well as serving in leadership Read More >
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