NIOSH Science Blog Posts
NIOSH Encourages Worker Well-Being Research
NIOSH continues to seek new ways to promote worker well-being research through programs and new initiatives, including the Total Worker Health® and Healthy Work Design and Well-being cross-sector programs. Total Worker Health (TWH) is a holistic approach to worker well-being. By acknowledging work-related risk factors that can impact health, the TWH approach seeks to improve Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsManaging Fatigue During Times of Crisis: Guidance for Nurses, Managers, and Other Healthcare Workers
At times of crisis, healthcare workers (e.g., nurses, advanced practice nurses, physicians, nursing assistants, etc.) continue to provide care, despite ever challenging work demands, including higher influx of critically ill patients, increased work stress, and a frequent need for overtime. These work demands can compound already challenging work schedules (i.e. 12-hour shifts, night shifts), making Read More >
Posted on by 11 CommentsManejo de la fatiga en tiempos de crisis: Directrices para enfermeros, administradores y otros trabajadores de atención médica
En tiempos de crisis, los trabajadores de atención médica (por ejemplo, enfermeros, enfermeros especialistas, médicos, auxiliares de enfermería, etc.) siguen brindando atención, a pesar de exigencias laborales constantemente arduas, como mayor afluencia de enfermos críticos, mayor estrés laboral y la necesidad frecuente de horas extras. Estas exigencias pueden complicar jornadas laborales ya complejas (es decir, Read More >
Posted on by Leave a commentThe Need for Fit Testing During Emerging Infectious Disease Outbreaks
Proper respirator use is essential for healthcare workers who are expected to interact with patients with infectious respiratory diseases. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires healthcare facilities to maintain a respiratory protection program that specifies requirements such as annual fit testing, medical clearance, and training. Initial fit testing is required before using a Read More >
Posted on by‘Take-Home’ Exposures Still Persist
Occupational health has evolved into a largely technical field dedicated to identifying and eliminating the physical, chemical, and biologic hazards found at the workplace (Peckham et al, 2017). Central to this approach has been the distinction between work-related and non-work-related exposures, injuries, and illnesses which has become a line of demarcation between occupational safety and Read More >
Posted on by 12 CommentsProper N95 Respirator Use for Respiratory Protection Preparedness
When outbreaks of infectious disease occur, we rely on healthcare professionals to care for those affected, putting themselves at increased risk of exposure to the pathogen causing the disease. While engineering and administrative controls should be the first considerations to protect these workers from this exposure, facilities should also ensure that at-risk employees are prepared Read More >
Posted on byArtificial Intelligence Crowdsourcing Competition for Injury Surveillance
In 2018, NIOSH, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) contracted the National Academies of Science (NAS) to conduct a consensus study on improving the cost-effectiveness and coordination of occupational safety and health (OSH) surveillance systems. NAS’s report recommended that the federal government use recent advancements in machine Read More >
Posted on by 16 CommentsYear of the Nurse
The World Health Organization has designated 2020 the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. Nurses play a critical role in our healthcare system and in the lives of the patients they care for. The very act of caring for and serving others can place nurses at risk for many workplaces injuries and illnesses including Read More >
Posted on by 5 CommentsAre There Nano- and Microplastics in the Workplace?
The growing problem of plastic pollution in the environment is receiving an increasing amount of attention (see article in Nature). Small particles of plastics are often referred to as microplastics (plastic particles smaller than 5 mm [1]) and nanoplastics (the nanoscale fraction of plastic particles). Nano- and microplastic particles (NMPPs) can be formed through environmental Read More >
Posted on by 9 CommentsMade for Each Other – a Valentine’s Day Note about Approved Respirator Configurations
It’s Valentine’s day, which means that NIOSH has some relationship advice for you … and your respirator. Have you ever become infatuated with thinking about your compatibility in a relationship – inspecting and examining every detail? Yeah. We do that too. In fact, NIOSH evaluates every respirator assembly configuration to determine that the performance requirements Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsWorld Cancer Day 2020 – Reflecting on a Decade of NIOSH Cancer Research
February 4th, 2020 is World Cancer Day, and we are reflecting on the role of the occupational cancer research being done at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in reducing the burden of cancer worldwide. Cancer develops as a result of the body losing its ability to control the growth and spread Read More >
Posted on by 7 CommentsDrug Overdose in the Workplace and the Role of Opioids
The drug overdose epidemic continues to afflict our country. Nationally, there were more than 70,000 drug overdose deaths in 2017 [i] involving opioids (such as fentanyl, heroin and hydrocodone), stimulants (such as cocaine and methamphetamine), and alcohol.[ii] Nearly 70% of these deaths involved an opioid.[ii] Recent data show that drug overdoses at work are increasing. Read More >
Posted on by 5 CommentsThe Burden of Work-Related Asthma
Over 300 workplace substances have been identified to cause new-onset asthma and the list continues to grow 1, 2. Other substances can aggravate pre-existing asthma, causing increased illness and medication requirements. Work-related asthma (WRA) comprises both new-onset and work-aggravated asthma3. An estimated 15-55% of all adult asthma is related to work4-7. Since 1988, Michigan has Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsU.S. Surgeon General Highlights the Value of Worker Well-Being and the NIOSH Total Worker Health® Approach
In a recent article in Public Health Reports, the U.S. Surgeon General, Vice Admiral (VADM) Jerome Adams, MD, MPH, recognizes the important relationship between employment and health. The article, “The Value of Worker Well-being,” also highlights the efforts of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the NIOSH Office of Total Worker Health®, Read More >
Posted on by 3 Comments2019 in Review
January is often a time for reflection and review. We are doing the same with NIOSH social media. If you missed any NIOSH tweets, blogs, Facebook or Instagram posts, or other electronic media over the past year we have made it easy for you to catch up! If you don’t follow any of these channels, make it your 2020 Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentInjury Among Temporary and Permanent Workers in Ohio
There are an estimated 1.4 million temporary help agency workers in the US.[i] However, to date, there has been limited research comparing injury rates of temporary and permanent workers. NIOSH recently published “Comparative analyses of workers’ compensation claims of injury among temporary and permanent employed workers in Ohio” in the American Journal of Industrial Medicinehttp://at Read More >
Posted on by Leave a commentIndustrial Exoskeletons
Exoskeletons used in the workplace are referred to as “industrial exoskeletons.” Their purpose is to augment, amplify, or reinforce the performance of a worker’s existing body components—primarily the lower back and the upper extremity (arms and shoulders). Despite a lack of research, manufacturers of these devices claim productivity gains, work quality improvements, and a reduction Read More >
Posted on by 8 CommentsUnderstanding the Economic Benefit Associated with NIOSH Research and Services: A Second Report of NIOSH Impact by RAND
NIOSH continues to quantify the benefits of its research and services in terms of lives saved, injuries or illnesses averted, or increases in worker productivity. Three new case studies highlight the economic benefits of personal dust monitors for coal miners, improved ambulance design, and improved amputation surveillance. These case studies are presented in a new Read More >
Posted on by 1 Comment四個州的人造石檯面工人暴發矽肺病
人造石檯面，又稱「石英石檯面」，由石英骨料和樹脂粘合劑聚合而成。這些材料的外觀與天然石材相似，正越來越廣泛地用於住宅建築和家居裝飾中。在 2010 年至 2018 年間，美國的石英石檯面進口量已增加了近 800%（美國國際貿易委員會）。人造石材含有的結晶矽可能比天然石材多得多（含量 > 90%，而花崗岩中含量 < 45%）（職業安全與健康管理局 [OSHA]/美國國家職業安全衛生研究所 [NIOSH] 危害警報）。諸如切割、打磨、拋光和鑽孔一類的作業有可能將危險含量的矽塵擴散到空氣中。吸入含矽的材料（例如人造石）粉塵會導致矽肺病。矽肺病由肺部疤痕引起，可導致永久性肺損傷，是一種漸進的、致人衰竭的、不可治愈的甚至是致命的疾病。 接觸矽塵會對製造、加工和安裝天然石材檯面和人造石檯面的工人帶來健康危害。矽肺病的症狀可包括咳嗽、疲勞、氣短或胸痛。在接觸可吸入的結晶矽塵長達 10 年或更長時間之後，通常會發生矽肺病。但是，密集的接觸會導致該病進展更快，還會導致更嚴重的肺病。除矽肺病外，吸入少量（「可吸入的」）結晶矽顆粒還會引發肺癌、慢性阻塞性肺病 (COPD) 和腎病，並且會伴發肺部感染、自身免疫性疾病和心血管受損。 先前在美國德克薩斯州曾報導過一例與人造石加工有關的矽肺病病例（Friedman，2015 年）。最近，在加利福尼亞州、科羅拉多州、華盛頓州和德克薩斯州的石材加工業工人中發現了 18 例矽肺病，其中兩例死亡（Rose 和 Heinzerling，2019 年）。這些工人中大多數從事人造石材料的作業，年齡大多不到 50 歲。以色列、西班牙和澳洲也曾報導過人造石工人中暴發矽肺病的情況（Kramer，2012 年；Perez-Alonso，2014 年；Hoy，2018 年；Leso，2019 年）。澳洲昆士蘭州為所有處於風險中的石材加工工人提供了醫學篩查，從中發現有 12% 的工人患上了矽肺病（Kirby，2019 年）。2018 年，美國已有近 9000 家公司和 96000 名員工從事石材加工業（美國勞工統計局的季度就業和工資普查）。由於這些員工中有許多人大概未進行過醫學檢查，因此美國很可能還有其他矽肺病病例仍未發現。 僱主必須為工人做好保護，確保他們不直接與結晶矽塵接觸。聯邦職業安全與健康管理局 (OSHA) 已簽發兩項可吸入的結晶矽塵標準，以為工人提供保護。施工標準 (29 CFR 1926.1153) 以及一般工業和海事作業標準 (29 CFR 1910.1053) 均於 2016 年 Read More >
Posted on byBrote de silicosis entre los trabajadores de mesones de piedra de ingeniería en cuatro estados
Los mesones hechos con piedras de ingeniería, que también se llaman “superficies de cuarzo”, se producen fusionando agregados de cuarzo con un aglutinante de resina. Estos materiales tienen una apariencia similar a la de la piedra natural y su uso se ha vuelto cada vez más popular en la construcción de casas y las mejoras Read More >
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