NIOSH Science Blog Posts
How to Put Leading Indicators into Practice
The use of leading indicators is a growing hot topic in occupational and environmental health and safety. The Campbell Institute at the National Safety Council has been studying leading indicators for the past two years to help more organizations take advantage of their predictive power. The Institute defines leading indicators as proactive, preventive, and Read More >
Posted on by 12 CommentsThe Importance of High Standards: A Valentine’s Day Message about Closed-Circuit Escape Respirators
We here at NIOSH LOVE respirators. That’s why every Valentine’s day, we blog about important respirator considerations. It’s our version of an information-packed love letter. In 2014 we discussed essential maintenance tips for self-contained self-rescuers (SCSRs), also known as closed-circuit escape respirators (CCERs). Since that blog entry, the implementation of a new CCER standard Read More >
Posted on by Leave a commentHow to Make Safer, More Knowledgeable Drivers—On and Off the Job
This blog was originally posted on MyCarDoesWhat.org As an employer, what can you do to help workers understand and learn how to use safety features built into vehicles they drive for work—whether you provide these vehicles, or workers drive their own vehicles? Newer vehicles have advanced safety features most of us could not have imagined Read More >
Posted on by 9 CommentsUnderstanding Noise Exposure Limits: Occupational vs. General Environmental Noise
Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is 100% preventable; however, once acquired, it is permanent and irreversible [NIOSH 1998]. Understanding and minimizing the risks associated with noise exposures are the keys to preventing noise-related hearing loss. NIOSH has a long history of leadership in conducting research, advancing control measures, and recommending noise-exposure limits to prevent job-related hearing Read More >
Posted on by 50 CommentsCoffee Workers at Risk for Lung Disease
Obliterative bronchiolitis, an irreversible form of lung disease in which the smallest airways in the lung (the bronchioles) become scarred and constricted, blocking the movement of air, was previously identified in flavoring manufacturing workers and microwave popcorn workers who were occupationally exposed to diacetyl (2,3-butanedione) or butter flavorings containing diacetyl. Now, NIOSH research finds Read More >
Posted on by 11 CommentsNew NIOSH Study Supports the OSHA Annual Fit Testing Requirements for Filtering Facepiece Respirators
Results of a recently completed NIOSH study confirm the necessity of the current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) respirator fit testing requirement, both annually and when physical changes have occurred. The study’s conclusions emphasize that respirator users who have lost more than 20 pounds should be re-tested to be sure that the current Read More >
Posted on by 14 CommentsThe Opioid Overdose Epidemic and the Workplace
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released troubling statistics on the growing epidemic of drug and opioid overdose deaths in the United States. The origins of this epidemic have been linked to prescription opioids. While it is unknown how many drug and opioid overdose deaths are associated with workplace injuries and Read More >
Posted on by 42 CommentsHoliday Gifts from NIOSH
If you are lucky enough to get some time off over the holidays, you may find yourself looking for something to listen to, watch, or read. Our gift to you this holiday season is a compilation of the songs, movies and books with workplace safety and health themes that we have collected through the NIOSH Science Read More >
Posted on by 9 CommentsMovies with Workplace Safety and Health Themes
The 33 2015, Patricia Riggen IMDb rating: 7.0 From IMDb: Based on the real-life event, when a gold and copper mine collapses, it traps 33 miners underground for 69 days. 42nd Street 1933, Lloyd Bacon IMDb rating: 7.7 From our readers: The film has an interesting final image: a drawing of a theatre curtain that Read More >
Posted on byBooks with Workplace Safety and Health Themes
Ahab’s Wife Sena Jeter Naslund (1999) From our readers: A novel written about the wife of Ahab of Moby Dick. She disquises herself as a cabin boy and works on a whaling ship. Animal’s People Indra Sinha– (2007) From our readers: A fictional novel about a boy who was born just before the Bhopal environmental Read More >
Posted on bySongs with Workplace Safety and Health Themes
9 to 5 – Dolly Parton Allentown – Billy Joel Anthracite Fields – Julia Wolfe Banana Boat Song – Harry Belafonte Bread & Roses – James Oppenheim- performed by Joan Biaz The Chemical Worker’s Song– Ron Angel Coal Miner’s Grave – Hazel Dickens Coal Mining Women – Hazel Dickens Drivin Read More >
Posted on by 34 CommentsPreventing Wood Chipper Fatalities
Last week, a 19-year-old North Carolina teen was killed after being pulled feet first into a wood chipper (see news report). It was his first day on the job. Self-feeding mobile wood chippers commonly used during tree trimming operations consist of a feed mechanism, knives mounted on a rotating chipper disc or drum, and Read More >
Posted on by 13 CommentsNIOSH Co-hosts Motor Vehicle Safety Webinar
Earlier this month, the NIOSH Center for Motor Vehicle Safety, together with the Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research, hosted a webinar on Occupational Research in Motor Vehicle Safety. The webinar grew out of interest generated at the National Occupational Injury Research Symposium, and featured presentations on organizational-level approaches to improving work-related Read More >
Posted on by 6 CommentsA Robot May Not Injure a Worker: Working safely with robots
Robots are used in increasing numbers in the workplace and in society in general. As their numbers and capabilities increase, observers have urged that scientists, engineers, and policymakers explore the implications of robotics for society, to ensure that the rise of robots will not spell “doom for humanity” as some critics have warned [1]. Read More >
Posted on by 156 CommentsWork Songs
The 2015 American Music Awards air this Sunday, November 22nd (8 pm EST in case you’re interested). Why is NIOSH blogging about this you may ask? Well, we’ve blogged about workplace safety and health themes in: movies twice (three times if you count the recent blog on James Bond’s occupational hazards), books, the theater, Read More >
Posted on by 19 CommentsFactors Associated with Poor Control of 9/11-related Asthma
Many people who were exposed to dust and fumes during the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center terrorist attacks developed asthma. Although asthma is a chronic illness, symptoms can be prevented with medications and avoidance of triggers. However, many factors, including co-existing medical conditions, can make it difficult to keep asthma symptoms under control. Read More >
Posted on by 15 CommentsWorkplace Medical Mystery Solved: Fire Training Officer Lands in Hospital with a Distressing Lung X-Ray
Bob, an experienced firefighter and trainer started to experience chest pain, shortness of breath, and a cough with blood following a firefighter training that he set up and led. At the emergency room, the doctor ruled out a blood clot in his lungs. However, an x-ray did show Bob had small nodules in his lungs. Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentJames Bond Exposed…To 50 Years of Occupational Hazards
Your heart may race while your eyes follow the iconic figure that is James Bond as he holds it together to do his job: driving at high speed down alleyways, under railway crossings, and often through explosive fire and other obstructions. You may wonder how he will survive driving a car that has just been Read More >
Posted on by 17 CommentsWorkplace Medical Mystery: Fire Training Officer Lands in Hospital with a Distressing Lung X-Ray
Bob was an experienced firefighter. He worked for 17 years as a member of his city’s fire suppression team working his way up to fire captain. After 5 years as captain, Bob decided to transition to the role of fire training officer where he could work five 8-hour shifts per week instead of 24 hour Read More >
Posted on by 13 Comments“Safety Matters” —Bringing Work Safety and Health to the Classroom
Every day, young workers face injury, illness and even death on the job. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that about 1.5 million teenagers from 15 through 17 years old work in the United States. Studies show that nearly 8 of 10 high school students in the United States work at some Read More >
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