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Grounds for Change: Reducing Noise Exposure in Grounds Management Professionals – Part 1
While the dog days of summer mean slowing down for some people, sunshine brings the busy season for those in the grounds management professions, which includes landscaping, tree care and horticulture. This summer work means breaking out tools that can create loud noise: lawn mowers, edgers, chainsaws, chippers — just to name a few. This Read More >
Posted on by 7 CommentsExpanding and Improving Occupational Safety and Health Content in Wikipedia. It Matters.
NIOSH is one of the first US federal agencies to collaborate with the Wikimedia organizations and it is doing so by actively contributing data and the latest research to help improve the health of the population. NIOSH’s effort involves examining mechanisms to help make sure that the occupational safety and health information that reaches Wikipedia’s Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsHow Can we Measure Impulse Noise Properly?
Impulsive noise is typically generated by the rapid release of compressed gases (impulse) or the collision of solid objects (impact) and is defined as the instantaneous change in sound pressure over a short period of time. Considerable research has shown that impulsive noise is more likely to cause noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) than continuous noise Read More >
Posted on byWorkplace Noise: More than just “All Ears”
Noise is everywhere, but how loud does it need to be to cause harm? While many people know that loud noise can hurt their ears, they don’t know how loud is too loud or how long they can listen before it becomes harmful. Noise around 85 decibels (dBA) – which is loud enough that you Read More >
Posted on by 10 CommentsFentanyls and the Safety of First Responders: Science and Recommendations
The severity of the opioid epidemic is well-documented. In 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that drug overdose deaths in the United States more than tripled from 1999 to 2015.[1] From 2015 to 2016, opioid overdose deaths increased by more than 20 percent—rising from 52,898 in 2016 to 64,070 deaths in Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsWorkplace Medical Mystery Solved: What is causing a recycling worker’s respiratory distress?
While working at a metal recycling facility, Joe was suddenly overcome with shortness of breath, coughing, chest pressure, and eye irritation. After transport to a local hospital, Joe was diagnosed with acute respiratory distress syndrome or ARDS. Read more about his case here. What was the cause of his illness? The plume of smoke Joe Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsWorkplace Medical Mystery: What is causing a recycling worker’s respiratory distress?
Joe worked at a metal recycling facility in Nevada. His typical job duties included operating a material handler to load scrap metal into a shear for crushing. During his shift at the recycling facility, Joe looked up to see a plume of thick yellow smoke swirl around a pile of scrap metal and was suddenly Read More >
Posted on by 7 CommentsNIOSH in Alaska: Improving Worker Safety
This blog is pulled from a story originally posted in the CDC’s “Inside Story: Public Health in Action” on 2/8/18 Before he became an epidemiologist, Devin Lucas grew up in a fishing family. His grandfather moved to Anchorage in 1953 and purchased a commercial fishing vessel. Then his dad grew up in the business. So Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsA Framework for Productive Aging and Work
The aging of the U.S. population has led to a number of changes in the workforce, particularly a movement of the worker distribution toward older ages2, 4. By 2022, about one-third (31.9%) of Americans aged 65 to 74 years will still be working (Toosi 2013). The impact of a longer working life can be significant Read More >
Posted on by 13 CommentsMake One Change for Safety this National Safety Month
June is National Safety Month, an opportunity to help prevent unnecessary injuries and deaths at work, on the roads, and in our homes and communities. With this year’s theme, No 1 Gets Hurt, we are encouraging readers to think of at least one change you can make to improve safety this month. This joint blog Read More >
Posted on byImproving Occupational Safety and Health in the Construction and Mining Industries
With nearly 126 million full-time U.S. workers at risk of occupational illness and injury, it is critical to prioritize our research efforts to address the most important issues. One approach used by NIOSH and its partners to establish priorities is to consider the burden, need, and impact of potential research topics. This method allows us Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsVacuum Lifting System to Reduce Spinal Load During Airline Baggage Handling
Did you know NIOSH has tested a vacuum lifting assist system to reduce spinal strain during airline baggage handling? In collaboration with the Ohio State University, NIOSH published an article in Applied Ergonomics on the effectiveness of a vacuum lifting system in reducing spinal strain or loading during airline baggage handling. The study evaluated the Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsTimber, Noise, and Hearing Loss: A Look into the Forestry and Logging Industry
We use our senses for many things. Take away or weaken one, such as hearing, and many things around us begin to change. Unexpectedly, the conversation across the room becomes more difficult to hear. Our favorite song on the radio doesn’t sound quite the same. This can become very frustrating for the person affected. Hearing Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsSafe-in-Sound Award Celebrates 10 Years and New Partner
In 2008, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) created the Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Award™ to recognize organizations that document measurable achievements in hearing loss prevention. Over the past 10 years we have given out 10 Excellence Awards and 13 Innovation Awards. In Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsNIOSH and FDA Collaboration Streamlines Regulatory Oversight for N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators
Previously, N95 filtering facepiece respirators (N95) used in healthcare needed approval from both the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).* On May 17, 2018, FDA published a final order in the Federal Register to exempt a subset of N95s intended for use in healthcare from premarket Read More >
Posted on byGraduate Students Use Coursework to Provide Health Communication Support on NIOSH Projects
Earlier this month three students enrolled in a graduate-level health communication class at West Virginia University delivered presentations on NIOSH-related projects that they completed as part of their coursework. As part of their projects, students used health communication, social marketing, health literacy, and web design principles and best practices. Summaries of the student projects and Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsWork Arrangement and Access to and Use of Healthcare Services
Workers Memorial Day is observed annually on April 28 to recognize workers who suffered or died because of exposures to hazards at work. The April 27, 2018, CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) contributed to the Worker Memorial Day remembrance with an article on fatalities in the fishing industry and a QuickStats, highlighted in Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsWorkers Memorial Day 2018: Statement from Dr. John Howard
Every year on April 28th, we observe Workers Memorial Day, remembering those workers who have been killed or injured on the job. This is also an opportunity to reflect on how we, as a federal research institute, and our partners in industry, labor, academia and the safety and health practice community, can contribute to making Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsFatal Falls Overboard in Commercial Fishing
April 28th is Workers’ Memorial Day where we remember those who have lost their lives while trying to make a living. The current issue of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) includes workplace fatality, injury and illness data; a QuickStats which demonstrates differences among employment categories in influenza vaccination; and Read More >
Posted on by 6 CommentsMusculoskeletal Health Research to Benefit Surface Stone, Sand, and Gravel Miners
In October 2017, the NIOSH Musculoskeletal Health Cross-Sector Program published the first blog post in a series to highlight musculoskeletal health research at NIOSH. This post—the fifth installment in the series—will discuss how best to promote musculoskeletal health and reduce the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among surface stone, sand, and gravel mine workers. As Read More >
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