NIOSH Science Blog Posts
‘Twas the Week before Christmas: Safety and Health at the North Pole
‘Twas the week before Christmas, Santa’s elves work long shifts, Everyone’s exhausted, but there have to be gifts; Their work schedule leaves them tired and sleepy, But a mistake with the toys will make children weepy; Exercise, diet and relaxation techniques, Can help the elves get a better night’s sleep; And workshop policies friendly to Read More >
Posted on by 13 CommentsHear and Now Noise Safety Challenge Winners: Part 3 of 3
Every year 22 million workers are at risk of losing their hearing from workplace noise hazards. Work-related hearing loss is a widespread problem, but it is a problem that can be solved. On August 1, 2016, NIOSH, OSHA, and MSHA issued a challenge to inventors and entrepreneurs with the dual goals of inspiring creative ideas Read More >
Posted on by 5 CommentsHear and Now Noise Safety Challenge Winners: Part 2 of 3
Every year 22 million workers are at risk of losing their hearing from workplace noise hazards. Work-related hearing loss is a widespread problem, but it is a problem that can be solved. On August 1, 2016, NIOSH, OSHA, and MSHA issued a challenge to inventors and entrepreneurs with the dual goals of inspiring creative ideas Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentHear and Now Noise Safety Challenge Winners: Part 1 of 3
Every year 22 million workers are at risk of losing their hearing from workplace noise hazards. Work-related hearing loss is a widespread problem, but it is a problem that can be solved. On August 1, 2016, NIOSH, OSHA, and MSHA issued a challenge to inventors and entrepreneurs with the dual goals of inspiring creative ideas Read More >
Posted on by 3 Comments‘Tis the Season for Shopping and Safety
‘Tis the season for shopping and for working—specifically in retail. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2015, 4.6 million Americans worked in retail sales while 3.4 million more worked as cashiers, making up almost six percent of total U.S. employment. This holiday season, many retail employees are working longer hours and to meet Read More >
Posted on by 5 CommentsOccupational Hazards and Climate
Climate-related occupational hazards have historically received little attention. In 2009, NIOSH began work to address this gap and developed a framework to identify climate-related occupational hazards. Recently, NIOSH investigators published new work in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. Based on a review and assessment of the peer-reviewed literature from 2008–2014, the article updates Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsThe New ANSI Nail Gun Standard is a Lost Opportunity for Safety
Pneumatic nail guns have (PNGs) caused injury and death to both workers and consumers. These easy-to-use tools are designed to quickly drive nails into work surfaces. Commercially available first in the 1960s, PNGs are now the most popular type of nail gun in use. These tools are able to drive any size nail into wood Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsOccupational Safety and Health Economics Workshop
In early September 2016, researchers from Canada and the U.S. convened a workshop in Montreal to analyze current and emerging issues in the economics of worker safety and health, and to formulate potential collaborative research aiming to improve and standardize economic metrics of worker injury and illness, including metrics of the under-recognized burden for workers Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsNew Curriculum Helps Workers with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Learn How to Stay Safe on the Job
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Labor Occupational Health Program at the University of California, Berkeley recently published a curriculum to help workers who have and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) learn how to stay safe while they do their jobs. The Staying Safe at Work curriculum fills an important need for general Read More >
Posted on by 6 CommentsNever fear! NEAT 2.0 is here! – How to perform nanomaterial exposure assessment in the workplace
Please see the Technical Report: Occupational Exposure Sampling for Engineered Nanomaterials released in July 2022. Do you think you might have exposure to nanomaterials in your workplace? Never fear! NEAT 2.0 is here! Engineered nanoparticles are unique. They are generally smaller than both red blood cells and viruses, don’t weigh much, and have a great amount Read More >
Posted on by Leave a commentNIOSH’s State-of-the-Art Facility in Morgantown Celebrates 20 Years
Next week marks the 20th anniversary of the opening of the L building in Morgantown, West Virginia, an addition to the existing facility which was dedicated in 1971. This state-of-the-art National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) facility represents a commitment to occupational safety and health. The creation of the new building created over 200 new jobs in Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsReducing Whole Body Vibration to Improve the Safety and Health of Bus Drivers
On the road every day, transportation workers are responsible for the safe delivery of passengers, materials and goods across the United States. Bus drivers ensure our kids and family members arrive safely. Bus drivers are vital to our economy, but their job can put them at increased risk for health problems. In 2014, musculoskeletal disorders Read More >
Posted on by 12 CommentsCapturing Work-related Injuries from Emergency Department Data
Work-related injuries frequently occur, despite the fact that many are preventable. It is critical that we accurately describe and monitor these injuries in order to improve prevention efforts. Because there is no comprehensive data source that captures all work-related injuries, the occupational injury community relies on multiple sources to describe the problem. The occupational supplement Read More >
Posted on by Leave a commentShift Work and Sleep
In today’s competitive economy, an increasing number of U.S. businesses operate to meet customer demand for 24/7 services. These around-the-clock operations are required in order to maintain a place in the global market where transactions with clients, suppliers, and colleagues can span multiple time zones. Consequently, for many men and women, the workday no longer Read More >
Posted on by 11 CommentsDeepwater Horizon
With last week’s premier of the movie Deepwater Horizon, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) remembers the workers who were killed and injured in the explosion as well as the tens of thousands who worked on containment and clean up activities. NIOSH played an important role in protecting and monitoring the health and Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsNational Employ Older Workers Week is a Chance to Reflect on the Safety and Health Needs of Older Workers
This last full week of September is National Employ Older Workers Week. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the week “recognizes the vital role of older workers in the workforce … and aims to increase awareness of this labor segment and develop innovative strategies to tap it.” In observance of this event, join us Read More >
Posted on by 5 CommentsCelebrating National Farm Safety and Health Week: Farm Safety: A Legacy to Be Proud Of
September 18-24, 2016, is National Farm Safety and Health Week (NFSHW). This annual event, begun by the National Safety Council in 1944, promotes safe and healthy practices on farms and ranches around the U.S. Agriculture is among our most hazardous industries, with a work-related fatal injury rate of 25.6 deaths per 100,000 workers annually, according Read More >
Posted on by 16 CommentsUsing Occupation and Industry Information to Better Serve Your Patient Population
Conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes. On average, American workers spend close to half their waking hours at work. As a result, work can have significant impacts on health. As electronic health records (EHRs) are replacing paper medical records in most Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsHear and Now: The Noise Safety Challenge
The Burden of Noise The idea of being hurt on the job tends to produce images of harrowing trauma, broken bones, and blood. Yet every year for more than a quarter of a century, hearing loss has quietly been among the most prevalent occupational health concerns in the United States. Approximately 22 million U.S. workers Read More >
Posted on by 6 CommentsN95 Day 2016: Proper Use, Filtration, and Fit – The Three-Legged Stool of Respiratory Protection
Dear N95 Day enthusiast – We want to thank you for joining us for another year of N95 respiratory protection information celebration. We know – today is 9/6, not 9/5. But we hope that many of you enjoyed the Labor Day holiday yesterday and are rested and ready for our annual N95 Day holiday today! Read More >
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