NIOSH Science Blog Posts
Using a Seat Belt: A safety priority on- and off-the-job
Share Roads Safely is this week’s emphasis for National Safety Month. Motor vehicle safety is an important topic in the workplace as motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of fatal injuries among workers in the United States. When it comes to reducing severity of injury or death in a crash, seat belt use can Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsMaking Alaska a Safer Place to Work
During 1980-1989, Alaska had the highest work-related fatality rate of any state in the nation, with a rate of 34.8 deaths per 100,000 workers per year compared to the average U.S. rate of 7 deaths per 100,000 workers per year. At the invitation of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services and the Read More >
Posted on by 12 CommentsProtecting Young Workers in Retail Jobs
June, which is National Safety Month, is an appropriate time to focus on young workers, as they head out of school and into the workforce. Many of them will find jobs in the retail industry, a leading employer of young workers in the United States. In 2014, there were approximately 18.1 million workers younger than Read More >
Posted on by 15 CommentsHelp Set the Research Priorities for Occupational Respiratory Diseases
Work-related respiratory diseases include both those that are uniquely caused by work, such as coal workers pneumoconiosis, and those that are caused by both work and non-work factors. Asthma is an example of this second type of condition. Work-related asthma is the most common respiratory disease treated in occupational health clinics in the United Read More >
Posted on by 20 CommentsNational Safety Month
It’s National Safety Month. Each June, the National Safety Council and its partners raise awareness on preventing the leading causes of injury and death at work, on the roads and in our homes and communities. This year’s theme is SafeForLife. Each week of June has a different focus area. In this joint blog from the Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsPPE-Info Database
“When you purchase a product, you expect it to work. Construction workers on high-rise buildings need to be confident that their safety harnesses will protect them in a fall. Firefighters need to know that their gloves and other protective equipment can withstand high temperatures. Healthcare workers administering highly toxic chemotherapy agents need to know Read More >
Posted on by 7 CommentsExtreme Heat: Are you prepared for summer work?
The approach of summer is a reminder to us all of the need to recognize, and act to prevent, the harmful effects of excessive heat. The White House has designated May 23–27, 2016, as Extreme Heat Week, during which Federal agencies will work with community planners and public health officials to enhance community preparedness for Read More >
Posted on by 13 CommentsNMAM 5th Edition
Workers in various industries and occupations can face health risks from exposure to airborne chemical and biological agents. These exposures are typically measured by monitoring workplace air. Air monitoring can also be helpful to determine the effectiveness of controls that are used to minimize worker exposures. While inhalation is the most likely route of exposure Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsNIOSH Mine Emergency Escape Simulation Technology Available for Developers
Background All underground coal miners in the United States receive escape training on a quarterly basis. This training prepares them for exiting the mine in the event of an emergency and it must include walking either the primary or the secondary escape route from their work area to the outside (30 CFR, 2015). As a Read More >
Posted on by 16 CommentsSuicide Among Former NFL Players
The question of whether football players are at higher risk of suicide than the general population has been raised in the popular and scientific literature. In 2012, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a paper primarily focused on death from heart disease among former National Football League (NFL) players (see Read More >
Posted on by Leave a commentHealthy Vision Month
NIOSH is excited to partner with the National Institutes of Health’s National Eye Institute (NEI) to help promote Healthy Vision Month! Every May, the NEI empowers Americans to make their eye health a priority and educates them about steps they can take to protect their vision. For more on NEI’s Healthy Vision Month campaign, Read More >
Posted on by 5 CommentsStanding–Down to Prevent Falls in Construction
We know falls in the workplace are preventable and yet falls remain the leading cause of death in construction. As part of the effort to prevent falls in construction, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), is again partnering with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and CPWR—The Center for Construction Research and Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsAre Hospital Cleaning Staff at Risk When Using a One-step Cleaner?
Workers’ health and safety is an important consideration when choosing cleaning and disinfectant products. In health care settings, disinfection products help minimize healthcare-acquired infections. In January 2015, the National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOSH), received a request to conduct a health hazard evaluation at a Pennsylvania hospital using a new surface cleaning product consisting Read More >
Posted on by 46 CommentsWorkers Memorial Day Message 2016
Each year we pause on April 28 for Workers Memorial Day to publicly remember the workers who died or suffered from exposures to hazards at work. While worker deaths in America are down, on average, even one death or one injury is still too many. To prevent injury, illness, and death in today’s workplaces, Read More >
Posted on by 6 CommentsMeasuring the Impact of Hearing Loss on Quality of Life
Hearing loss is common in the United States. More people have hearing loss than diabetes, cancer or vision trouble. Occupational hearing loss, which is caused by exposure at work to loud noise or chemicals that damage hearing, is the most common work-related illness. It is also permanent. Read More >
Posted on by 30 CommentsConvenience Store Compliance to Reduce Workplace Violence
Robbery-related homicides and assaults are the leading cause of death in retail businesses. Workers in convenience stores have a 7 times higher rate of work-related homicide than workers in other industries (2 homicides per 100,000 workers vs. 0.28 per 100,000 workers). There are disparities among the homicide victims, too. Specifically, black, Asian, and Hispanic Read More >
Posted on by 9 CommentsWorkplace Injury, Illness and Death- How do we know how many?
Workers Memorial Day, April 28, is a day to reflect on how work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths affect American workers, their families and society at large. Each year at this time NIOSH reports on the burden of workplace injury and illness (see MMWR). But how do we know how many workers died or suffered Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsPartnering to Promote Workplace Safety and Health in Tribal Communities
Over 5.2 million American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) live across the United States. In 2013, approximately 1,319,000 AI/AN workers were employed in the U.S. workforce1,2. AI/AN workers are 42 percent more likely to be employed in a high-risk occupation (defined as an occupation where the injury and illness rate is more than twice the Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsHow Employers Can Keep Older Drivers Safe at Work
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of work-related deaths in the United States. Millions of workers, such as long-haul truck drivers, sales representatives, and home health care staff, drive or ride in a motor vehicle as part of their jobs. As our workforce ages, we need to pay special attention to the needs of Read More >
Posted on by 5 CommentsTraumatic Brain Injuries in Construction
Falling 25 feet to the ground from a roof, being struck in the head by a steel beam as it is transported across a worksite, or getting hit by a vehicle moving supplies–these are only a few examples of why the construction industry has the greatest number of both fatal[i] and nonfatal [ii] traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) Read More >
Posted on by 14 Comments