200 and Counting!
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This is the 200th post to the NIOSH Science Blog. In our nearly seven years of posting we have covered topics ranging from nanotechnology to noise-induced hearing loss for workers at the World Cup. Since our first post in 2007, the blog has received 1,155,680 views. Our top five most popular blogs are: N95 Respirators and Surgical Masks; Preventing Back Injuries in Health Care Settings; Workplace Stress; Frequency of Respirator Fit Testing; and Truck Driver Safety and Health.
The blog has provided NIOSH researchers with an opportunity for two-way communication with our readers in a format not previously available. In fact, the blog has received over 3,400 comments as of this posting. Through the blog we have received:
- Offers of assistance to help NIOSH test prototypes Contractors Wanted: Help NIOSH Advance Research to Protect Workers from Silica
- Input on research and products Police and Stress; Truck Driver Safety and Health; N95 Respirators and Surgical Masks; Help! What do you want from a mobile Pocket Guide?
- Assistance from industry partners to characterize worker exposures and develop and evaluate controls Reports of Worker Fatalities during Flowback Operations; Controlling Exposures to Workers Who Make or Use Nanomaterials; Silica Hazards from Engineered Stone Countertops; Help Wanted: Spray Polyurethane Foam Insulation Research
- Help creating a list of movies and books with workplace safety and health themes Mad as a Hatter: Mercury and Other Occupational Hazards at the Movies ; OSH in the Movies: This Time It’s Personal; Tales of Toil
- Information on the identification of the first U.S. case of work-related silicosis from quartz surfacing countertop manufacturing Silica Hazards from Engineered Stone Countertops
- Input on new areas of research or emerging hazards Erionite: An Emerging North American Hazard; 1-Bromopropane; Worker Exposure to Crystalline Silica During Hydraulic Fracturing; Police and Stress
- Invitations for authors to present their research at conferences and public meetings
- Numerous reposting and reprinting of blogs as well as feedback on how NIOSH information is used.
We started the blog in the fall of 2007. At that time we were the only external blog at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—now there are 14. Not surprisingly, blogging was initially met with some resistance internally. What was once a new- fangled social media outlet with an unclear application to NIOSH research is now a routine aspect of communication planning at NIOSH.
As we look to the future of blogging at NIOSH we would like to hear from you. What do you think of the NIOSH Science Blog? What topics would you like to see covered? What do you view as barriers to commenting on the blog? We look forward to your comments.
Julie Tisdale-Pardi, MA
Ms. Tisdale-Pardi is the NIOSH Science Blog Coordinator
13 comments on “200 and Counting!”
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Congratulations on your 200th post — well done! May I ask you to address this question in an upcoming NIOSH Science Blog, please?
“More than 60% of confined space fatalities occur among would-be rescuers..” according to the 1986 NIOSH publication “Preventing Occupational Fatalities in Confined Spaces.”
Have improvements in rules, training, and/or equipment reduced this toll?
Do you know of any published studies or ongoing in-progress that revisits this statistic? Thank you.
NIOSH published only 2 criteria documents since 1998, any plans to update some of your outdated criteria documents? Can you do a blog on the state of documents under development?
Since 1998, NIOSH has developed and published multiple documents with authoritative recommendations and guidance, including recommended exposure limits (RELs), on a variety of hazardous workplace exposures. Examples of these include the following:
Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Metalworking Fluids (1998)
NIOSH Hazard Review: Carbonless Copy Paper (2001)
NIOSH Hazard Review: Health Effects of Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica (2002)
Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Refractory Ceramic Fibers (2006)
Current Intelligence Bulletin 62: Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongate Mineral Particles: State of the Science and Roadmap for Research (Revised April 2011)
Current Intelligence Bulletin 63: Occupational Exposure to Titanium Dioxide (2011)
Current Intelligence Bulletin 65: Occupational Exposure to Carbon Nanotubes and Nanofibers (2013)
Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Hexavalent Chromium (2013)
NIOSH has also published documents which establish the scientific bases for deriving skin notation profiles and Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) values for specific chemical hazards in the workplace. Subsequently, NIOSH is currently developing skin notation profiles and IDLH values for over 150 chemicals each, using the guidance and strategies described in the following documents:
Current Intelligence Bulletin 61: A Strategy for Assigning New NIOSH Skin Notations (2009)
Current Intelligence Bulletin 66: Derivation of Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) Values (2014)
In addition to the IDLH values and skin notation profiles, NIOSH continues to assess workplace hazards and develop guidance in the form of criteria documents, current intelligence bulletins, hazard reviews, and Alerts documents. Among the specific topics NIOSH is currently evaluating with the intent of developing guidance in the form of these documents are occupational exposure to heat and hot environments, diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione, 1-bromopropane, toluene diisocyanates, glutaraldehyde, diethanolamine, and manganese in welding fume.
Thomas J. Lentz, Ph.D., MPH
Lead Health Scientist, Document Development Branch Chief
Education and Information Division
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
It is the another wonderful article from NIOSH. It is nice to know about the Science blog. I always visit this site and gather information on different subject and related to science.
It is nice to know about the Science blog. thnx for sharing this article .
thanks for sharing, its always give another knowledge
Congratulations for the 200 posts, that come 200 more.
Wow, Amazing to See 200 Post Congratulations for this hard and dedicated work of yours. I think this is an exciting moment to celebrate of course 200 Post is a Milestone and takes a lot of hard work and dedication to complete.
Once again Best of luck for your future.
wow so good to read these blogs on your website they are really so much informative
Another excellent article from NIOSH, this one. It’s good to be aware of the Science blog. I frequently visit this website to learn more about various topics in science.
It is nice to know about the Science blog. thnx for sharing this article.
they are really so much informative
Yet another impressive piece of content from NIOSH, this time. It’s valuable to stay informed about the Science blog. I regularly explore this website to enhance my understanding of diverse subjects within the realm of science.