Top 12 NIOSH Science Blog Posts in 2012

The ringing in of a new year brings not only resolutions but the inevitable recap of the past year including the obligatory lists:  Top 10 News Stories, Top 10 Weather Events, even Top Ten Celebrity Mug Shots.  We decided to add our own list—The Top 12 NIOSH Science Blogs of 2012.  The list shows the vast array of topics covered by NIOSH.  Of note this year, the third and eleventh most viewed blogs were written by external partners.  We hope you find the Top 12 fascinating and encourage you to make a New Year’s Resolution to send us (using the comment section below) your suggestions for a blog topic in 2013.

1. Help Wanted: Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation Research.  We urged you to help us collect on-site air samples during SPF installation.  The response was fantastic!  Thank you!
2. Worker Exposure to Crystalline Silica During Hydraulic Fracturing   highlighted a newly-identified hazard in the fracking industry, provided prevention information and asked for assistance with future efforts.
3. Hair Formaldehyde and Industrial Hygiene, from the Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology (CROET) at Oregon Health and Science University, summarized the campaign to inform stylists of the risks related to formaldehyde-containing hair straighteners and the need for proper protection.
4. Sleep and Work. In honor of National Sleep Awareness Week we summarized sleep and work issues in this blog and highlighted NIOSH research in the companion blog NIOSH Research on Work Schedules and Work-related Sleep Loss (#6).
5. Stress and Health in Law Enforcement highlighted research from the Buffalo Cardio-Metabolic Occupational Police Stress (BCOPS) study and from related studies of morbidity and mortality among police officers.
6. See #4 above
7. Brain Injury in the NFL discussed new research finding that National Football League (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.
8. Safer and Healthier at any Age:  Strategies for an Aging Workforce  presented strategies for preparing your workplace to accommodate an older workforce.
9. All-terrain Vehicles and Work highlighted the risks associated with ATVs and identified safe practices for use in the workplace.
10. Respiratory Protection for Workers Handling Engineered Nanoparticles.  While this blog was technically posted in December of 2011 we included it anyway.  This blog provided an update on the science and rationale behind NIOSH’s recommendations for the use and selection of respirators against engineered nanoparticles.
11. Sleep Pain and Hospital Workers, from colleagues at Harvard, examined the question: Does lack of sleep increase pain and limit function among hospital care workers?
12. Safety and Health in the Theater:  Keeping Tragedy Out of the Comedies… and Musicals…and Dramas discussed the often overlooked hazards in the theater.