Category: History
NIOSH in Cincinnati – A Pictorial History, Part II
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 that occurred, locations and buildings where they happened, cultural elements that developed, and artifacts that remain, Read More >
Posted on by 21 CommentsThe 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 7 CommentsNIOSH 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 byNIOSH 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 byNIOSH 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 3 CommentsEvolution of the NIOSH Logo
The NIOSH logo is recognized by workers, employers, and safety and health professionals worldwide. When the logo appears on a document, website, certified respirator, or other product it tells the user that the information or product is backed by NIOSH state-of-the-art research and expertise. The NIOSH logo has evolved over time. Figure 1 shows a Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentThe OSH Act—A Response to Workplace Tragedies
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), we have highlighted many of the NIOSH successes and accomplishments through the years. This is also a time for reflection and looking back at our history. The roots of U.S. occupational safety and health regulation date back to Read More >
Posted on by 5 CommentsBruceton Research Center – Protecting Workers for 110 Years
The Bruceton Research Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has a long and storied history going back more than a century. Today, two NIOSH divisions conduct extensive research in this location – the NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) and the NIOSH Pittsburgh Mining Research Division (PMRD). This site is also home to an office of Read More >
Posted on by 1 Comment50 Years of NIOSH and 30 Years of NIOSH in Alaska
For the past 30 years, NIOSH has operated a small research office in Anchorage, Alaska. The NIOSH Division of Safety Research established the Alaska Field Station in 1991 to address the high rate of occupational fatalities among workers in the state. Surveillance from 1980-1989 showed Alaska had the highest rate of occupational fatality in the Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsNIOSH “L” Building Marks 25 Years of Innovative Research
During this year commemorating the NIOSH 50th anniversary, another family milestone is approaching. October 19 marks the 25th anniversary of a close, though lesser-known, NIOSH relative: a building on the Morgantown, West Virginia campus. At its inception in 1996, the “L” building, so-called due to its resemblance to that particular letter, was groundbreaking, literally and Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsWorkers Memorial Day 2021: Recognizing NIOSH’s First 50 Years
Workers Memorial Day is recognized every year on April 28. It is a day established to honor workers injured or killed on the job, while reaffirming our commitment to safe and healthy workplaces for all. This date is also the anniversary of the date the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) of 1970 Read More >
Posted on by 10 CommentsDream to Reality: NIOSH Early Years
As we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of NIOSH, we look back on our history. The long hoped for goal of a federal entity devoted to occupational safety and health was taking shape in the mid to late 1960’s with collaborative work between and among scientists (both inside and outside of government), labor leaders, and legislators. Read More >
Posted on by 5 CommentsNIOSH Directors
Since the creation of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in 1971, the Institute has had six Directors who shaped NIOSH into what it is today. The Occupational Safety and Health Act states “The Institute shall be headed by a Director who shall be appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Read More >
Posted on byNIOSH Celebrates 50 Years in 2021
In 2021 we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 that created NIOSH “to assure so far as possible every working man and woman in the Nation safe and healthful working conditions.” NIOSH began operating on April Read More >
Posted on by 5 CommentsWorkplace Accidents, Occupational Illness and the Long Road to Workers’ Compensation and Safety Policies around the World
Workers’ Memorial Day1 takes place annually around the world on April 28 as an international day of remembrance and action for workers killed, disabled, injured or made unwell by their work. This day also commemorates the enactment of the United States’ Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, put into effect on April 28, 1971. Read More >
Posted on by 5 CommentsA Voice in the Wilderness: Alice Hamilton and the Illinois Survey
Today, on Workers Memorial Day we remember those who died from work-related causes and take stock of what we still need to accomplish to reduce the toll of workplace injury, disease, and death. As we do this, it may be helpful to look back at how far we have come and remember one woman in Read More >
Posted on by 8 CommentsThe History and Future of NIOSH Morgantown
To commemorate Workers Memorial Day, NIOSH is hosting a week of blogs with a new post each day ending on Monday, April 28th. To start us off, we will highlight the past and look to the future with a retrospective on the history of occupational safety and health research and NIOSH in Morgantown, West Virginia. Occupational Read More >
Posted on by 4 Comments