NIOSH Science Blog Posts

New Software Tracks Health of Emergency Responders

As we recognize September as National Preparedness Month, U.S. and international emergency personnel have been overwhelmed with responses to the hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and wildfires experienced in this month alone. While these responders often put their lives on the line for public safety, we at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) together Read More >

Posted on by CDR Jill Shugart, MSPH, REHS2 Comments

Cured-in-Place-Pipe (CIPP): Inhalation and Dermal Exposure Risks Associated with Sanitary Sewer, Storm Sewer, and Drinking Water Pipe Repairs

Background Cured-in-place-pipe (CIPP) is the most popular water pipe repair method used in the U.S. for sanitary sewer, storm sewer, and is increasingly being used for drinking water pipe repairs. Today, approximately 50% of all damaged pipes are being repaired using CIPP technology. The CIPP procedure involves the chemical manufacture of a new plastic pipe Read More >

Posted on by Andrew J. Whelton, PhD; Jonathan Shannahan, PhD; Brandon E. Boor, PhD; John A. Howarter, PhD; Jeffrey P. Youngblood, PhD; and Chad T. Jafvert, PhD. 28 Comments

National Employ Older Workers Week Webinar

September 25th to the 29th is National Employ Older Workers Week! The U.S. workforce is aging. The share of the labor force made up of people 55 years and older has increased from 12 percent in 1994 to 22 percent in 2014, and it is projected to reach approximately 25 percent in 2024.1The aging of Read More >

Posted on by Bermang Ortiz, BA and Juliann Scholl, PhD5 Comments

N95 Day 2017: When to think Beyond the N95 FFR

Buckle your seat belts! Put on your high-speed safety gear! We’re about to blast off on a journey to explore the N95 respirator … and beyond. It’s N95 Day, and that means we are focusing on respiratory protection, and invite you to do the same. We’ll make it easy. NIOSH and our N95 Day partners Read More >

Posted on by Margaret Sietsema, PhD, and Jaclyn Krah Cichowicz, MA 9 Comments

Labor Day 2017: A Statement by NIOSH Director, John Howard, MD

The American Dream promises that, through hard work and dedication, we can each achieve success. In the occupational safety and health community, we support this dream by dedicating ourselves to ensuring that work is safer, healthier, and more productive for workers, employers, and the Nation. How we work continues to change, from the tools we Read More >

Posted on by John Howard, MD 6 Comments

NLE Calc: A Mobile Application Based on the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation

  Knowing how much weight an individual worker can safely lift is a key component to preventing back injury in the workplace. NIOSH recently released a free mobile lifting application, NLE Calc, which helps users determine safe lifting limits. The new NIOSH app takes information from the internationally renowned “Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation” out of Read More >

Posted on by Emily Warner, MA, Stephen D. Hudock, PhD, CSP, and Jack Lu, PhD, CPE21 Comments

High Blood Pressure and Obesity in Miners

Little is known about the cardiovascular risks for miners in the US as most research to date has focused on respiratory illness. Potential mining-related risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as particulate matter, carbon monoxide, noise, vibration, temperature extremes, and shift work combined with personal risk factors can put miners at greater risk of poor Read More >

Posted on by Michelle Martin, MS, and LT Megan Casey, RN, BSN, MPH 10 Comments

Opportunities for Integrating Safety and Health into Sustainable Building Projects: Have You Tried the Prevention through Design (PtD) Pilot Credit?

Ten years ago the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) launched the concept of Prevention through Design (PtD), which champions preventing and controlling occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities by “designing out” or minimizing hazards and risks. Since then, many safety and health professionals have become familiar with the concept and implemented it in Read More >

Posted on by Christine Branche, Ph.D., FACE, Heather Langford, LEED AP BD+C, O+M, and Matthew E. Gillen, FAIHA4 Comments

Health-related Quality of Life (HRQOL): Variation across occupation groups

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an individual’s or group’s self-perception of their physical and mental health over time. HRQOL goes beyond the traditionally diagnosable health outcomes to provide a measure of well-being, it has become an important part of health surveillance. HRQOL is used outside of public health by fields such as psychology, social Read More >

Posted on by Taylor M. Shockey, MPH8 Comments

Understanding respiratory protection options in Healthcare: The Overlooked Elastomeric

In the healthcare industry, the importance of respiratory protection is often overlooked. Choosing the correct respirator for the exposure level and work task is a critical component of a respiratory protection program.  Most healthcare workers are aware of the N95 respirator but may not be aware that the re-formable, reusable elastomeric respirators are a viable option Read More >

Posted on by Michael Bach PhD, RN22 Comments

Embracing Partnerships to Translate Research into Practice in Agriculture: Launching the National ROPS Rebate Program

Agricultural workers face myriad dangers each day, resulting in high injury and fatality rates. Unfortunately, high stress levels and competing demands often make it difficult for farmers to prioritize safety. Over the last several decades, researchers, industry partners, and farmers have been among those working together to reduce fatalities from tractor overturns at the national Read More >

Posted on by Pam Tinc, MPH, and Julie Sorensen, PhD 2 Comments

Ladder Safety in the Wholesale and Retail Trade Sector: Take the Right Steps towards Safety

In 2014, work-related falls to a lower level in the wholesale and retail trade (WRT) sector accounted for over 12,500 reported injuries. These injured employees were out of work for an average of 7 to 11 days [BLS 2015, BLS 2016]. This blog provides information about preventing ladder-related injuries in the wholesale and retail trade Read More >

Posted on by Peter Simeonov, PhD; Vern Putz-Anderson, PhD, CPE; and Donna Pfirman4 Comments

Fentanyl Exposure Risks for Law Enforcement and Emergency Response Workers

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic drug that is similar to morphine and heroin, but is 50 to 100 times more potent. Fentanyl and its analogs, such as carfentanil, can pose a potential hazard to law enforcement, emergency medical personnel, and firefighters who could come into contact with these drugs through the course of their work Read More >

Posted on by Jennifer Hornsby-Myers, MS, CIH; G. Scott Dotson, PhD, CIH; and Deborah Hornback, MS 21 Comments

Exoskeletons 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 Alissa Zingman, MD; G. Scott Earnest, PhD, PE, CSP; Brian D. Lowe, PhD, CPE; Christine M. Branche, Ph.D., FACE; 4 Comments

40 Years of Safety Research

In 1977, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recognized the need for a separate group dedicated to safety research and as a result, the Division of Safety Research – or DSR – was created. DSR serves as the focal point for the nation’s research program for preventing traumatic occupational injuries, such as: Read More >

Posted on by Dawn Castillo, MPH; Tim Pizatella, MSIE; and Sydney Webb, PhD 2 Comments

Heat 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 Brenda Jacklitsch, MS3 Comments

Help Put an End to Preventable Deaths During National Safety Month 2017

The majority of people who die from preventable injuries are in the prime of their lives – raising families and enjoying their careers and active lifestyles.  It’s National Safety Month, an opportunity to help prevent these unnecessary injuries and deaths at work, on the roads, and in our homes and communities. This year, the theme Read More >

Posted on by John Howard, MD, and Kathy Lane 4 Comments

50 Years of Protecting Worker Respiratory Health

2017 is an important year for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Respiratory Health Division (RHD). This is the 50th anniversary of our establishment in 1967 as the Appalachian Laboratory for Occupational Respiratory Disease (ALFORD) within the U.S. Public Health Service. ALFORD subsequently joined NIOSH in 1971, changed into the Division of Read More >

Posted on by David Weissman, MD, and Doug Johns, PhD 3 Comments

Using Clear Communication at NIOSH

What is clear communication? Clear communication means using familiar concepts, words, numbers, and images presented in ways that make sense to the people who need the information – your intended audience.     Why should I care about clear communication? Whether you’re communicating health messages to employers or workers, every audience has its own level Read More >

Posted on by Sydney Webb, PhD; Rebecca Olsavsky, MS; Stephanie Pratt, PhD; and Tanya Headley, MS 1 Comment

DERMaL eToolkit

Emergency response personnel are often at risk of getting dangerous chemicals on their skin. Despite the availability of numerous high-quality resources designed to guide emergency management and operations personnel, data gaps continue to exist on specific hazards or scenarios. Available resources contain an overwhelming quantity of data on inhalation exposures, but data related to dermal Read More >

Posted on by Naomi Hudson, DrPH, MPH Leave a comment