NIOSH Science Blog Posts
The Most Popular NIOSH Content from 2017
As we embark upon a new year we look back to see what NIOSH information our readers, online visitors, followers and tweeters accessed during 2017. We have complied a list of the top five most popular NIOSH blogs, tweets, web pages, search terms, publications and Facebook posts during 2017. Last year we also increased our presence Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsSpirometry Training Video Release
“Fill your lungs completely…and blast the air out! Keep blowing until I tell you to stop.” This coaching will sound familiar if you’ve ever performed a breathing test known as spirometry. Valid spirometry testing requires full participant effort and a carefully trained technician. Spirometry tests lung function by measuring how much and how hard a Read More >
Posted on by Leave a commentNon-occupational Uses of Respiratory Protection – What Public Health Organizations and Users Need to Know
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) mission is to promote safe and healthful working conditions by conducting research and providing recommendations to diminish hazardous situations within occupational settings. However, there are situations in which the same respiratory hazards that can be faced by workers are also a potential concern to the public. Read More >
Posted on by 7 CommentsUnderstanding the Economic Benefit Associated with NIOSH Research and Services: A New Analysis of NIOSH Impact by RAND
Do you ever wonder if NIOSH research and services yield a positive economic benefit to workers, employers, and society? Assessments of the impact of worker safety and health research and services often involve statistical analyses of written publications or qualitative analyses conducted by subject matter experts. Such assessments do not quantify the economic return on Read More >
Posted on by 2 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 4 CommentsMusculoskeletal Health Research to Benefit Couriers, Messengers, and Baggage Handlers
In October 2017 the NIOSH Musculoskeletal Health Cross-Sector program published the first blog in a series to highlight musculoskeletal health research at NIOSH. With the holiday season coming to an end, this blog—the third installment in the series—will discuss how best to promote musculoskeletal health to reduce the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among baggage Read More >
Posted on by Leave a commentWHO Guidelines to Protect Workers from Nanomaterials
Introduction from NIOSH Director, John Howard, MD The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has been at the forefront of research on working safely with nanomaterials. NIOSH leads the U.S. federal government health and safety initiative for nanotechnology coordinating research and activities through the NIOSH Nanotechnology Research Center (NTRC) established in 2004. The Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsMusculoskeletal Health Research to Benefit Temporary Retail Workers
In October 2017 we published the first blog in a series to highlight musculoskeletal health research at NIOSH. With the holiday season upon us, this next installment will take the opportunity to discuss how best to promote musculoskeletal health in retail establishments to reduce the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders among temporary retail workers. Temporary or Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentNIOSH 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 CommentsSystematic Review for Occupational Safety and Health Questions
What is systematic review? There are many different types of occupational safety and health questions and a variety of scientific methods to answer them. Systematic review is one method for comprehensively reviewing a body of scientific literature. It is an explicit and transparent process to identify, select, synthesize, and critically appraise the scientific literature relevant Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsRetail Worker Safety and Health during the Holidays
The practice of American shoppers looking for a deal on the Friday after Thanksgiving has evolved into a four-day retail event ending with Cyber Monday. This shopping bonanza leading off the holiday shopping season has implications for workers who may have long workdays and expanded work schedules. The approaching season offers an ideal time for Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentNew Research on Worker Tobacco Use
An estimated one in five working U.S. adults use some type of tobacco product according to new research from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Of the estimated 32.7 million working adults who used tobacco, an estimated 6.9 million use two or more tobacco products Read More >
Posted on by 5 CommentsFlu Virus Generated in Coughs and Exhalations
It’s flu season. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducts research on protecting health care providers and other workers from infectious diseases including influenza. A significant portion of our research deals with understanding how the influenza virus is transmitted. Influenza is known to be transmitted through respiratory secretions containing the virus. Airborne Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsTo Beard or not to Beard? That’s a good Question!
This blog and infographic from 2017 are intended for workers who wear respirators at work. For the most up-to-date information on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), please visit CDC’s COVID-19 website. The month of November is full of fun, interesting, and thought-provoking observances. November is National Raisin Bread Month, Historic Bridge Awareness Month, and Inspirational Read More >
Posted on by 44 Comments10 Years of Blogging at NIOSH
Ten years ago today we posted our first NIOSH Science Blog, Preventing Fire Fighter Fatalities from Cardiovascular Events. Since then we have posted 433 blogs on a range of topics from A Robot May Not Injure a Worker: Working safely with robots to Preliminary Field Studies on Worker Exposures to Volatile Chemicals during Oil and Read More >
Posted on by 7 CommentsHalloween Quiz
This Halloween see if you can figure out which iconic Halloween figure, ghost, ghoul or member of the undead could benefit most from the following NIOSH information. While hazards for the undead are many and varied, we have offered some possible answers below. Feel free to share your answers with us in the comment section – Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsBlog Series to Highlight Musculoskeletal Health Research at NIOSH
Before the end of World War II, there was little interest in fitting workplace conditions and job demands to the capabilities of the working population—a scientific practice known as ergonomics. By the 1970s, NIOSH researchers were pioneering the study of musculoskeletal health as professional ergonomists, examining physical and social components of work environments (such as Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsNational Protect Your Hearing Month – Time to Fill the “Know-Do” Gap
When it comes to health, a large gap often exists between what we know (for example, we know that eating too much sugar is bad for our health) and what we still do. Hearing loss prevention is no exception. We have been aware of the harmful effects of overexposure to noise for over a century. Read More >
Posted on by 10 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 33 CommentsJob Complexity, Race, and Socioeconomic Status: Examining Health Disparities from an Occupational Perspective
Research conducted in the United States on racial/ethnic health disparities and socioeconomic status (SES) has not fully considered occupation. Because racial and ethnic groups are not represented equally in all occupations, differences in job characteristics may help explain racial/ethnic health disparities. Two recent studies by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) explore Read More >
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