NIOSH Science Blog Posts
NIOSH 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 CommentsTo Beard or not to Beard? That’s a good Question!
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 Role Models Month among so much more. November is also the host month to campaigns like No-Shave November and Movember. Campaigns such as these are working hard to raise money 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 11 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 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 >
Posted on by 3 CommentsNew 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 2 CommentsCured-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 30 CommentsNational 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 5 CommentsN95 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 9 CommentsLabor 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 6 CommentsNLE 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 23 CommentsHigh 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 10 CommentsOpportunities 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 4 CommentsHealth-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 >
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