Category: Technology
Characterizing 3D Printing Emissions and Controls in an Office Environment
Disclaimer: Mention of any company, product, or service does not constitute endorsement by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), or imply that any company or its products or services are preferred over any other. Read More >
Posted on by 28 CommentsThe Powerhouse: Students’ contributions towards expanding and improving occupational safety and health content in Wikipedia
The history and motivation behind the efforts NIOSH is putting into expanding and improving occupational safety and health in Wikipedia was discussed in earlier NIOSH Science Blogs (May 19,2015 and July 25, 2018) and thru the NIOSH January 2017 eNews. Here we will focus on the partnerships created between NIOSH and university graduate and training Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentExpanding 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 CommentsThe Use of Real-time Respirable Dust Monitors
Sensors are an increasing presence in our lives—from wearable gadgets to smart buildings, from autonomous vehicles to smart cities. In occupational health and safety, sensors are used widely for exposure monitoring, emergency response, and safer worker-machine interfaces. The use of sensors as real-time respirable dust monitors is a targeted application with its own specific challenges. Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsTechnology at the North Pole
Even modern images of Santa’s toy shop depict elves carving wooden toys and creating loveable stuffed animals. This got us thinking. Where are all the hot new toys made? After all, electronics are among the most requested gifts this holiday season. Does Santa have a secret manufacturing facility? Surely, he is looking out for the Read More >
Posted on by 5 CommentsNIOSH Presents: An Occupational Safety and Health Perspective on Robotics Applications in the Workplace
On October 12, 2017, three researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) gave a panel presentation at the National Robot Safety Conference on robotics applications in the workplace and worker safety. The conference was hosted in Pittsburgh, PA by the Robotic Industries Association (RIA). Among the attendees were robotics engineers and Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsCan Drones Make Construction Safer?
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) often called drones are increasingly used for military, recreational, public, and commercial purposes. UAVs have the potential to prevent injury and death in the construction industry where nearly 1,000 workers died in 2015. Advancements in UAV technology could help reduce construction-related injury and death from falls, toxic chemical exposures, electrical hazards, Read More >
Posted on by 37 CommentsExoskeletons in Construction: Will they reduce or create hazards?
Wearable exoskeleton devices can reduce some of the mechanical stress of manual labor (1). These wearable machines can be powered by electricity or by human motion, and they can be as large as a space suit or as small as a glove. (1; 2) They are used to amplify or transform worker movements, improve biomechanics Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsHeat Index: When humidity makes it feel hotter
NIOSH and OSHA recently released the redesigned, co-branded OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool App. This version replaces the app previously created by OSHA in 2011. The app calculates the heat index at outdoor worksites using the smartphone’s geolocation capabilities to pull current weather conditions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites. Based on Read More >
Posted on by 5 CommentsContinuous Personal Dust Monitor
Until recently, underground coal miners and mine operators had little way of knowing—in real time—if miners were being exposed to hazardous levels of respirable coal dust during their shifts. NIOSH collaborated with an instrument manufacturer, government partners, labor representatives, and coal industry leaders to develop the continuous personal dust monitor (CPDM), a technology that offers Read More >
Posted on by 5 CommentsWearable Sensors: An Ethical Framework for Decision-Making
Wearable sensors are all the rage. They give us information about our health, fitness, productivity and safety. However, downsides to this technology are accuracy and security of the data and challenges to personal privacy. How wearable technology is used in occupational safety and health research and practice is evolving. Wearable sensors can detect and alert Read More >
Posted on by 10 CommentsNew NIOSH Sound Level Meter App
Imagine if workers around the world could collect and share workplace (or task-based) noise exposure data using their smartphones. Scientists and occupational safety and health professionals could rely on such shared data to build job exposure databases and promote better hearing health and prevention efforts. In addition, the ability to acquire and display real-time noise Read More >
Posted on by 168 CommentsOccupational Health Issues in the USA
Happy New Year. As we start afresh in 2017 I wanted to share my recent editorial in the British journal, Occupational Medicine, “Occupational health issues in the USA”. The article highlights some of the occupational safety and health issues identified as needing attention by the industry sector groups of the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). Read More >
Posted on by 11 CommentsNIOSH Mine Emergency Escape Simulation Technology Available for Developers
Background All underground coal miners in the United States receive escape training on a quarterly basis. This training prepares them for exiting the mine in the event of an emergency and it must include walking either the primary or the secondary escape route from their work area to the outside (30 CFR, 2015). As a Read More >
Posted on by 16 CommentsWearable Exoskeletons to Reduce Physical Load at Work
Robotic-like suits which provide powered assist and increase human strength may conjure thoughts of sci-fi and superhero film genres. But these wearable exoskeleton devices are now a reality and the market for their applications in the workplace is projected to increase significantly in the next five years. As with any technologic innovation some of the Read More >
Posted on by 15 CommentsNIOSH Ladder Safety App Evolves with User Feedback
The award-winning NIOSH Ladder Safety App is now updated based on our users’ feedback. First introduced in 2013, the app has received much positive feedback. As of the end of 2015, it has more than 52,000 downloads. Among those promoting the app are state officials, industry leaders, and safety professionals. Many companies have even Read More >
Posted on by 9 CommentsA Robot May Not Injure a Worker: Working safely with robots
Robots are used in increasing numbers in the workplace and in society in general. As their numbers and capabilities increase, observers have urged that scientists, engineers, and policymakers explore the implications of robotics for society, to ensure that the rise of robots will not spell “doom for humanity” as some critics have warned [1]. Read More >
Posted on by 158 CommentsNIOSH Travel Health and Safety Resource Kit for Workers with International Assignments
Travel Internationally for Work? Tell us what you think. Ever looked at international travel resources on the web? There are an incredible number. Most are intended for leisure travel and not for work-related travel, and most are overwhelming in detail. In addition to the many logistics involved in making foreign travel a pleasant and successful Read More >
Posted on by 15 CommentsThe NIOSH eDoc: New way to get NIOSH information on the Move
The new NIOSH eDoc provides a mobile-friendly format for short NIOSH publications. This new publication product presents workplace safety and health information in a way that is accessible and easy to use on any mobile device, desktop, or laptop computer. NIOSH eDocs are created using Responsive Web Design which enables web content to automatically Read More >
Posted on by 11 CommentsCollaboration with Wikipedia
For the past four months, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has been doing something new and exciting for a government agency: they have been employing a Wikipedian-in-Residence. This collaboration with Wikipedia makes NIOSH only the second federal agency, and the first federal scientific agency, to engage with the encyclopedia project in Read More >
Posted on by 11 Comments