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The Secret Origins of NIOSH

  While NIOSH’s 50th anniversary dates from its creation in its present form in 1971, it has a little-known history that stretches back much farther. NIOSH was in fact created from the Division of Industrial Hygiene of the U.S. Public Health Service, which has a continuous and eventful history going all the way back to Read More >

Posted on by John P. Sadowski, Ph.D.7 Comments

A Final Look at Our 50th Anniversary Commemoration

We hope you found a way to help us celebrate NIOSH’s 50th anniversary year.  Commemorating a milestone such as this while the world—including NIOSH— fights a pandemic, has presented some unique challenges. NIOSH staff adjusted accordingly and produced a series of events and products worthy of our golden anniversary. If you missed any of these Read More >

Posted on by John Howard, MD1 Comment

NIOSH in Denver

NIOSH has had a presence in Denver since the early 1970s shortly after NIOSH was created.  While the name of the office and the functions have changed over time, a commitment to improving occupational health and safety conditions for those working in the Western United States has remained constant. In 2015, the Denver Office became Read More >

Posted on by David L. CarusoLeave a comment

Prevention Through Design

Prevention through Design, or PtD, is the process of designing OUT a hazard and it is the most reliable and effective way to protect workers.  If a hazard doesn’t exist, there is no need to purchase protective equipment and establish ongoing programs to maintain it, inspect it, and train and supervise workers to use it. Read More >

Posted on by Jonathan A. Bach, PE, CSP, CIH3 Comments

NIOSH in Cincinnati – 50 Years of OSH Research and Service

Occupational safety and health (OSH) research has a long history in Cincinnati, Ohio that pre-dates the creation of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in 1971 (see related blog). Today, NIOSH has facilities across the country including two in Cincinnati —the Robert A. Taft Occupational Safety and Health Laboratory on Tusculum Avenue Read More >

Posted on by Trudi McCleery, MPH, and Julie Tisdale-Pardi, MALeave a comment

NIOSH in Cincinnati-A Pictorial History Part 1

NIOSH in Cincinnati – How did it happen, and what has it looked like? How did federal industrial hygiene and occupational (and environmental) health research and service come to Cincinnati, and why did it stay? Interconnected stories of events, locations, buildings and artifacts provide glimpses of federal staff in Cincinnati investigating occupational health concerns and Read More >

Posted on by Barbara L. Jenkins, MA, CA3 Comments

Santa’s Workshop Keeps Spirits Bright with Total Worker Health Strategies

Before the stockings are hung by the chimney with care, everyone in the North Pole is busy preparing for the big night. Elves build toys at an escalating pace to help Santa stock up for the holiday. Santa’s Workshop may be magical but, like many workplaces, safety and health hazards can still be present. Fortunately, Read More >

Posted on by L. Casey Chosewood, MD, MPH, and Emily Kirby, BPH2 Comments

Learning from Workplace Fatality Investigations

  Each day, on average, 15 U.S. workers die as a result of a traumatic injury on the job. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program is a research program designed to identify and study fatal occupational injuries. For nearly 40 years, the FACE program has Read More >

Posted on by Jeff Funke, MS, CSP, and Nancy T. Romano, MS, CSHMLeave a comment

Workplace Violence Research

  In the 1980’s a series of shootings at post offices drew public attention towards the issue of workplace violence. While mass shootings receive a lot of media attention, they actually account for a small number of workplace violence events. NIOSH has been studying workplace violence since the 1980s. In 1993, NIOSH released the document Read More >

Posted on by Dawn Castillo, MPH; Cammie Chaumont Menéndez, PhD, MPH, MS; Dan Hartley, EdD; Suzanne Marsh, MPA; Tim Pizatella, MSIE; Marilyn Ridenour, BSN, MPH; and Hope M. Tiesman, PhD36 Comments

Respiratory Health Research at NIOSH

  The history of protecting workers’ respiratory health pre-dates the creation of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).  In 1967 the Appalachian Laboratory for Occupational Respiratory Disease (ALFORD) was established within the U.S. Public Health Service (see related blog). ALFORD subsequently joined NIOSH in 1971, became the Division of Respiratory Disease Studies Read More >

Posted on by Kristin J. Cummings, MD, MPH; Douglas O. Johns, M.S., Ph.D; Jacek Mazurek, MD, MS, PhD; Frank J. Hearl, SM, PE; and David N. Weissman, MDLeave a comment

30 Years of the NIOSH Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Program

  As NIOSH celebrates half a century of work in occupational safety and health, the Institute’s Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing (AgFF) Program reflects on 30 years of research and outreach designed to protect the people who produce our nation’s food and fiber. The AgFF Program began in response to a rise of farmer safety concerns Read More >

Posted on by Marcy Harrington, MPA; Amanda Wickman, MBA; Donjanea Williams, EdD; and Jennifer M. Lincoln, PhD6 Comments

Musculoskeletal Disorders Research at NIOSH

Throughout its 50 years, NIOSH has been at the forefront of efforts to protect workers from musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).  MSDs were recognized as having occupational causes as early as the beginning of the 18th century. However, it was not until the 1970’s that occupational factors were examined using epidemiologic methods, and the work-relatedness of these Read More >

Posted on by Jack Lu, PhD, CPE, and Julie Tisdale-Pardi, MALeave a comment