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20 results for COVID-19

Protecting Workers and the Public from Wildfire Smoke

  The Canadian wildfires highlight the hazard of wildfire smoke, an issue faced annually by many communities across the United States. In this blog, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and National Center for Environmental Health teamed up with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide

Posted on by Maryann M. D’Alessandro, PhD; Meghan Kiederer, BA; Joseph Schall, MA; Maria Mirabelli, PhD, MPH; Susan Stone, MS; CAPT Lisa Delaney, MS, CIH; CAPT Christa Hale, DVM, MPH, DACVPM (Epi); Lew Radonovich, MD4 Comments

International Women in Engineering Day

  June 23, 2023 is International Women in Engineering Day. In the United States, women make up 14% of the engineering workforce (15% internationally).[1]  In 2020, 24% of bachelor’s degrees in engineering were earned by women, and women of color earned 10% of the total engineering degrees.[1]  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Posted on by Julie Tisdale-Pardi5 Comments

National Safety Month 2023

Each June, we celebrate National Safety Month. Safety matters every day of the year, but during June it gets the extra attention it deserves so we can all stay safe from the workplace to anyplace. As part of the celebration of safety, the National Safety Council (NSC) selects themes for each week of the month. This

Posted on by Jennifer M. Lincoln, PhD, CSP; Lauralynn Taylor McKernan, ScD, CIH; and John Dony4 Comments

Economic Security and Worker Well-being

  The future of work incorporates ongoing and future changes to the workplace, work, and workforce. Understanding the adaptations in how work is being performed and the associated consequences on worker safety, health, and well-being is essential and requires sustained attention from occupational safety and health researchers and their partners. To meet the challenges and

Posted on by Tapas Ray, PhD, and Sarika Abbi, MPA1 Comment

Critical Steps Your Workplace Can Take Today to Prevent Suicide

  Employers can play a vital role in suicide prevention. Historically, suicide, mental health, and well-being have been underrepresented in workplace health and safety efforts, but this is changing. In some European countries, there are workplace standards for workplace psychosocial hazards that put workers at risk for suicide. Additionally, in France, employers have been made

Posted on by Hope M. Tiesman, PhD; Jodi Frey, PhD, LCSW-C, CEAP; and Sally Spencer-Thomas, PsyD

Psychosocial Hazards Often Overlooked in Construction Industry

Why Do Psychosocial Factors of Work Matter? The construction industry has considerable safety and health hazards that result in high rates of injury, illness, and fatality. Common hazards include noise, fall, electrical, and chemical hazards. Approximately 60% of all construction fatalities each year can be attributed to the ‘focus four’ hazards of falls, struck-by, caught

Posted on by Aurora B. Le, PhD, MPH, CSP, CPH; Doug Trout, MD, MHS; Ann Marie Dale, PhD; Scott Earnest, PhD, PE, CSP4 Comments

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the Agricultural Community

Avian influenza (bird flu) is caused by infection with avian influenza (flu) Type A viruses. These viruses routinely spread among wild aquatic birds worldwide and can infect domestic poultry and other bird and animal species. Sporadic human infections with bird flu viruses have occurred. Avian influenza A viruses are classified into the following two categories:

Posted on by Carolyn Sheridan, RN, BSN; Jenna Gibbs, MPH, PhD; Matthew Spencer, CSP, SHRM-CP; John Gibbins, DVM, MPH2 Comments

Violence Against Public Health Workers

  Many workers who were on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic experienced increased physical and mental stress. One study found that 70% of U.S. workers felt more stressed at work during COVID-19 than at any other point in their professional careers [1]. Public health workers, including epidemiologists, contact tracers, laboratory scientists, community health workers,

Posted on by Hope M. Tiesman, PhD; Scott A. Hendricks, MS; Douglas M. Wiegand, PhD; Barbara Lopes-Cardozo, MD; Carol Y. Rao, ScD; Libby Horter, MPH; Ramona Byrkit, MPH; and Charles E. Rose, PhD.1 Comment

The Effectiveness of DIY Air Filtration Units

  Portable air filtration units, or air cleaners, remove airborne particles (called aerosols) from the air indoors. Air filtration units were widely used during large wildfire outbreaks in the western United States,[1] and their use surged nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to reduce exposure to aerosols containing the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Homemade or

Posted on by Raymond Derk, MS; Jayme Coyle, PhD; William Lindsley, PhD; Francoise Blachere, MSc; Angela Lemons, MS; Samantha Service, MS; Stephen Martin Jr., PhD, PE; Kenneth Mead, PhD, PE; Steven Fotta; Jeffrey Reynolds, PhD, PE; Walter McKinney, MSEE; Erik Sinsel, MS; Donald Beezhold, PhD; and John Noti, PhD13 Comments

Most-viewed NIOSH Products of 2022

  As we look forward to 2023, we also are taking a look back at our most-viewed products of 2022. After two years of information focused on COVID-19, 2022 brought a variety of topics that engaged our users including ergonomics, construction, ladder safety, and working in the heat. Below is a summary of the top

Posted on by Garrett Burnett, MS, MBA; Katie Shahan, JD; Burt Tienken; and Julie Tisdale-Pardi, MA2 Comments

Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

  January 9th is National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Law enforcement officers (LEO) place their lives and their health and safety at risk while protecting the public. While some of the risks may be obvious, there are many hazards officers face in the line of duty including: motor vehicle incidents, needlestick injuries, noise and lead

Posted on by Hope M. Tiesman, PhD; Melanie Lee Fowler, MS, CSP; Luenda Charles, PhD, MPH; John M. Violanti, PhD; Desta Fekedulegn PhD, MPH; Christa L. Themann, MA, CCC-A; Sarah Hughes, MPH, Julie Tisdale-Pardi, MA.

NIOSH Rising Stars

Like many workplaces, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is working to help prepare staff to become leaders in their fields. One way NIOSH is readying its next generation of leaders is through the Rising Stars Program. The Rising Stars program was created by NIOSH to provide an opportunity for employees to

Posted on by Amanda Dunnick, MPH; Margaret Banton, MSA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP; and Constance Franklin, MPA

Total Worker Health® Symposium: A Closer Look at Keynotes

We’re taking a closer look at the presentations delivered during the 3rd International Symposium to Advance Total Worker Health®. Attendees from across the globe heard from experts in the field during keynote addresses, presentations, workshops, and “bright spots,” a new conference feature that highlights successful and innovative interventions in 10-minute presentations. Presentations explored opportunities to

Posted on by Emily Kirby, BPH1 Comment

Celebrating the 3rd International Symposium to Advance Total Worker Health®

October 11-14, 2022, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Center for Health, Work & Environment (CHWE) presented the 3rd International Symposium to Advance Total Worker Health®. Held virtually and in-person at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, the symposium is the only NIOSH-sponsored event focused solely on advancing Total Worker

Posted on by Emily Kirby, BPH; L. Casey Chosewood, MD, MPH; and Adele Childress, PhD, MSPH4 Comments

The Evolution of Elastomeric Half-Mask Respirators and Exhalation Valves

Interest in using elastomeric half-mask respirators (EHMRs) as an alternative to N95®* filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) in healthcare settings is growing because of their ability to be cleaned, disinfected, and reused. During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the high demand for N95 FFRs caused national supply shortages, leading organizations to rely on other

Posted on by Bailey Shaw, DO(c); Adam Hornbeck, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, FNP-C; Susan M. Moore, PhD; and Marisa Fries, BS2 Comments

NIOSH News for National Nanotechnology Day!

  Every year on October 9th we celebrate National Nanotechnology Day. The date 10-9 pays homage to the nanometer scale: 10–9 (one billionth of a meter). Anything that can be measured in nanometers is extremely small! For instance, the width of a strand of human hair is about 90,000 nanometers, bacteria are between 300–5,000 nanometers,

Posted on by LCDR Adrienne Eastlake, MS, RS/REHS; Gary Roth, PhD; Nicole Neu-Baker, MPH

Reflecting on the NIOSH Education and Research Centers’ Continuing Education and Outreach

In recognition of the 45th anniversary of the Education and Research Centers (ERCs), we reflect on the Centers’ four decades as a NIOSH-funded grantee. This blog focuses on the Centers’ effectiveness in serving as a resource to our nation’s workforce through continuing education and outreach.  Background Continuing education and outreach are a core part of

Posted on by Donjanea F. Williams, EdD; Julie Tisdale-Pardi, MA; Elizabeth H. Maples, PhD, CIH; and John Staley, PhD.

Highlights from a New Report on Indicators of Workplace Violence

  Federal agencies recently published a joint statistical report on workplace violence entitled Indicators of Workplace Violence, 2019. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) examined incidents of fatal and nonfatal violence that occurred against persons at work or on

Posted on by Erika Harrell, Jeremy Petosa, Nicole Dangermond, Susan Derk, Dan Hartley, and Audrey Reichard7 Comments

Pre-pandemic Mental Health and Well-being of Healthcare Workers

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers faced substantial work-related stress. Most research on the mental health and well-being of healthcare workers has focused on physicians and nurses, with less attention paid to other healthcare occupations. Recent research from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) evaluated the pre-pandemic mental health and well-being

Posted on by Sharon Silver, MS; Jia Li, MS; Suzanne Marsh, MPA; and Eric Carbone, PhD7 Comments

Students Making Their Mark at NIOSH

Training the next generation of occupational safety and health specialists is a critical part of the NIOSH mission. Most training is done through the NIOSH supported Education and Research Centers (see related blog). In addition to these formal programs, each year NIOSH is fortunate to host student interns within the Institute. NIOSH staff give students

Posted on by Julie Tisdale-Pardi, MA4 Comments