Category: Occupational Health Equity

How Tribal Communities Can Use the Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Program

  The final blog post in our series celebrating Native American Heritage Month highlights a free program available to anyone, including American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities, employers, and workers. Some may not be aware of this service, though it has been part of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Helath (NIOSH) around Read More >

Posted on by Amy Mobley, MEn; James Couch, PhD, CIH; Elizabeth Dalsey, MA

American Indian and Alaska Native Workers

  This is the second blog post in our series celebrating Native American Heritage Month. It provides a general description of the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) workforce using the NIOSH Employed Labor Force (ELF) Query System. Read the first blog post here. AI/AN workers are employed in various occupations and industries. Understanding where Read More >

Posted on by Amy Mobley, MEn; Jeffrey Shire, MS; Elizabeth Dalsey, MA; Marie Haring Sweeney, PhD, MPH

Native American Heritage Month: Honoring American Indian and Alaska Native Workers

  There are currently 574 federally recognized tribes across the United States. American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) workers play a crucial role in the U.S. workforce and economy, yet little is known about the hazards that AI/AN workers face. This is the first in a series of blog posts by the National Institute for Read More >

Posted on by Elizabeth Dalsey, MA5 Comments

Women’s History Month Reflections on Occupational Exposures and Health Equity

  March was Women’s History Month and this year’s theme was “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.” This theme urged us to think about the diversity of U.S. women workers and how NIOSH is addressing health equity. Health equity is the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain Read More >

Posted on by Amel Omari, PhD; Sue Afanuh, MA; Asha Brogan, MS; Deborah Hirst, PhD; Sara Luckhaupt, MD, MPH; Carissa Rocheleau, PhD; Jennifer Tyrawski, PhD; and Grace Vixama, MPH, CHES

Health Equity, Work, and Motor Vehicle Safety

  Among U.S. workers, driving a motor vehicle or being exposed to traffic hazards as a pedestrian while at work is a significant risk. In fact, motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) are the leading cause death at work in the United States [1]. Many factors can play a role in work-related MVCs, but have you considered Read More >

Posted on by Kyla Hagan-Haynes, Rosa Rodríguez-Acosta, Rebecca Knuth, and Stephanie Pratt

When data are not there, what do we do? A multi-step approach to occupational health inequity research

When we have a research question but cannot find a dataset to answer it, what should we do? This situation happens quite often in new areas of research, such as occupational health inequities. One approach is to get funding to do primary research so that you can collect the data you need to answer the Read More >

Posted on by Kaori Fujishiro, PhD, and Candice Johnson, PhD

Sharing quality information on all things related to hearing: Wiki4WorldHearingDay2023

Background The U.S. workforce is ethnically diverse. Lack of safety and health training and language barriers are among the most frequently cited challenges companies face in promoting safety among immigrant workers (Flynn, 2014). Contributing quality, plain language health information in multiple languages to Wikipedia increases its accessibility and reach. Unaddressed hearing loss is a serious Read More >

Posted on by Thais C. Morata, Lillian Jacob, Fernanda Zucki, João Alexandre Peschanski, and Shelly Chadha.2 Comments

Personal Protective Equipment Fit in the Construction Sector

The construction sector includes a diverse population of workers exposed to many different types of hazards. An important way to prevent occupational illness and injury related to these hazards is by implementing the hierarchy of controls. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is the last control in the hierarchy, but PPE is particularly important when the other Read More >

Posted on by Mirle Pena, MS; Meghan Kiederer, BA; Patrick G. Dempsey, PhD, CPE; N. Katherine Yoon, PhD; CDR Elizabeth Garza, MPH, CPH; Scott Earnest, PhD, PE, CSP; Douglas Trout, MD, MHS4 Comments

Promoting Partnerships to Explore the Impacts of Technological Change on Work and Well-being

Technology has a longstanding record of impacting work, the workplace, and the workforce. Automation, or finding new ways for tasks to be completed by machines and computers, has been a common industry practice since the 1970s [1]. Historically, the increased automation of routine tasks also increased demand for highly trained and educated people to focus Read More >

Posted on by Sarah A Felknor, MS, DrPH; Jessica MK Streit, MS, PhD, CHES®; and Nicole T Edwards, MS

Taking Action on Health Equity: A Tale of 2 Clinics

It was the best of timing, it was the worst of timing. As an Occupational Medicine physician, my patients describe their work to me every day. Through these descriptions, I learn a lot about their health and well-being. Managing health in the work environment is important to overall health; yet work information is not captured Read More >

Posted on by Michele Kowalski-McGraw, MD, MPH, FACOEM1 Comment

What Is Employment Quality? How Can We Study It for Occupational Health Equity?

Full-time, permanent employment that offers benefits and protection has been considered the standard work arrangement, but certain jobs are moving away from this standard.  Precarious employment, for example, is characterized by insecurity, short-term contracts, and limited access to workers’ rights and protection [NIOSH Strategic Plan, 2022]. These aspects of work represent employment quality (EQ). Employment Read More >

Posted on by Kaori Fujishiro, PhD1 Comment

Strategies for Advancing Occupational Safety and Health: Examining Health Inequities

How can we improve occupational safety and health research to better address health inequities? The United States has a long history of occupational safety and health (OSH) research, policy, and intervention. Despite this, long-standing occupational health inequities continue, with underserved workers experiencing higher rates of injury and illness. Occupational Health Equity Program researchers at the Read More >

Posted on by Jacqueline Sivén, PhD, MA, MPH; Laura Syron, PhD, MPH; Andrea Steege, PhD, MPH; Pietra Check, MPH; Michael Flynn, MA

임신한 네일 살롱 직원과 헤어미용사에서 태아의 선천성 결함 위험 조사

위험에 처한 근로자 현재 미국에는 약 400,000명의 활동 중인 네일미용사 면허소지자와 약 600,000명의 고용된 헤어미용사가 있습니다. 이들 근로자의 대부분은 가임 연령의 여성이며, 다수는 외국 태생이거나 유색인종입니다. 네일미용사는 종종 헤어케어 서비스도 제공되는 환경에서 일합니다. 네일 및 헤어 살롱 근로자들은 직업의 건강 위험에 대한 추가 연구를 지지해 왔습니다. 2015년 뉴욕 타임즈 기사는 위험한 작업장 조건에 대한 근로자의 특정 우려를 Read More >

Posted on by Kristen Van Buren, MPH; Miriam Siegel, DrPH, MPH; Carissa Rocheleau, PhD; and Kendra Broadwater, MPH, CIH

Nghiên cứu Nguy cơ Bị Dị tật Bẩm sinh ở Con của Thợ Làm Móng và Thợ Làm Tóc Đang Mang thai

Những Người lao động Có Nguy cơ Hiện có khoảng 400.000 giấy phép cấp cho kỹ thuật viên làm móng đang có hiệu lực và khoảng 600.000 thợ làm tóc đang làm việc tại Hoa Kỳ. Hầu hết những người lao động này là phụ nữ trong độ tuổi sinh đẻ, và nhiều người là Read More >

Posted on by Kristen Van Buren, MPH; Miriam Siegel, DrPH, MPH; Carissa Rocheleau, PhD; and Kendra Broadwater, MPH, CIH1 Comment

Researching Risk of Birth Defects Among Pregnant Nail Salon Workers and Hairdressers

Workers at Risk There are currently around 400,000 active nail technician licenses and roughly 600,000 employed hairdressers in the United States. Most of these workers are women of reproductive age, and many are foreign-born or people of color. Nail technicians often work in environments where haircare services are also provided. Nail and hair salon workers Read More >

Posted on by Kristen Van Buren, MPH; Miriam Siegel, DrPH, MPH; Carissa Rocheleau, PhD; and Kendra Broadwater, MPH, CIH3 Comments

The Role of Demographics in the Future of Work

  The future of work continues to be shaped by ongoing changes in the workplace, work, and workforce. Shifting workforce demographics will present both opportunities and challenges for occupational safety and health (OSH). A central challenge will be ensuring the equitable distribution of work-related benefits and risks that accompany these transformations. To meet this challenge, Read More >

Posted on by Laura Syron, PhD, MPH; Marie-Anne S. Rosemberg, PhD, MN, RN, FAAOHN; Michael A Flynn, MA; Jacqueline Sivén, PhD, MA, MPH; Andrea Steege, PhD, MPH; Sara L. Tamers, PhD, MPH4 Comments

Exoskeletons and Occupational Health Equity

  In the workplace, you need your equipment to fit perfectly. Historically, personal protective equipment (PPE) had been developed from measurements taken from male military recruits in the United States during the 1950s to the 1970s [1]. These data do not represent the range of body shapes and sizes in the majority of the modern Read More >

Posted on by Lakshmi D. Robertson, DrPH, MSPH; Laura Syron, PhD, MPH; Michael Flynn, MA; Ted Teske, MA; Hongwei Hsiao, PhD; Jack Lu, PhD, CPE; and Brian D. Lowe, PhD, CPE7 Comments

Asociación para educar sobre la seguridad y salud del trabajador a personas que están aprendiendo inglés en Alaska

Cuando piensa acerca de la diversidad en los Estados Unidos, ¿le viene a la mente Alaska? Lo cierto es que Anchorage, en Alaska, tiene algunos de los vecindarios y algunas de las escuelas públicas con mayor diversidad étnica y racial de todos los Estados Unidos. Esta diversidad incluye el hecho de que casi uno de Read More >

Posted on by Blog Coordinator

Partnering to Educate English-Language Learners in Alaska on Worker Safety and Health

When you think of diversity in the United States, does Alaska come to mind? In fact, Anchorage, Alaska has some of the most ethno-racially diverse neighborhoods and public schools in the entire U.S. This diversity includes nearly one in ten Anchorage residents identifying as foreign born (Farrell, 2018). In terms of languages spoken in the Read More >

Posted on by Laura Syron, PhD, MPH; Michael Flynn, MA; Theodore Teske, MA; Rebecca Guerin, PhD, CHES; Andrea Okun, DrPH; Devin Baker, MEd; Pauline Smith, MEd; and Erin LoPorto8 Comments

Towards a Biosocial Approach to Occupational Safety and Health

The integration of the social determinants of health paradigm by occupational and public health researchers and institutions is leading to a recognition of the need for a more holistic and nuanced perspective on work and its impact on population health (Ahonen et al 2018; Schulte and Vainio, 2010; WHO 2008). Fundamental to this transformation is Read More >

Posted on by Michael Flynn, MA3 Comments