NIOSH Science Blog Posts
A Partnership: NIOSH and Mexican Consulates help support the health and safety of workers
This is the fourth in a series of blogs describing the development and purpose of the Protéjase educational materials. These materials were created as part of NIOSH’s mission to conduct research and determine effective ways of delivering occupational safety and health information. Organizations that serve Spanish-speaking immigrant workers can use these materials to encourage Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsPartnership Increases Capacity in Agricultural Safety on the Navajo Nation
Farming and ranching are important to the livelihood and culture of the Navajo Nation. Nearly all families living on the 27, 000 square mile reservation are involved in agriculture.1 Many of them use traditional farming practices that do not include powered machinery. However, an increasing number of farmers are changing to cash crops and larger-scale Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentFACE Investigation Documents Factors Contributing to a Worker’s Death Inside Pressure Cooker
The headlines a few weeks ago were alarming. The tragic death of a worker in a 270-degree oven three years ago led to a $6 million agreement to settle criminal charges in what Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey said was the largest payout in a California workplace death (see news report). The California Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsIllustrating the Point: Choosing the right ARTIST for the message
As an artist, please provide one detailed and emotive illustration that captures this message: “You have come to this country looking for a better future. You also want to show that you are hardworking. You have overcome great obstacles to give your family a better life.” It may be surprising that from these few words Read More >
Posted on by 10 CommentsOne Size Does Not Fit All
When your safety and your life depends on it, you need your equipment to fit properly. This is especially true in the workplace. Improper fit may prevent workers from performing their job duties safely and effectively. If your respirator does not seal properly to your face, if your gloves are too big, if your seatbelt Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsNIOSH Travel Health and Safety Resource Kit for Workers with International Assignments
Travel Internationally for Work? Tell us what you think. Ever looked at international travel resources on the web? There are an incredible number. Most are intended for leisure travel and not for work-related travel, and most are overwhelming in detail. In addition to the many logistics involved in making foreign travel a pleasant and successful Read More >
Posted on by 15 CommentsHealth Effects from 9/11: Lessons Learned
Today, as the world remembers the terrorist attacks of 9/11 we must also remember that tens of thousands of responders and survivors of the disaster continue to suffer adverse health effects every day. Multiple types of toxic exposures were encountered by the responders, clean-up personnel and residents of the surrounding community. A new Continuing Read More >
Posted on by 15 CommentsIllustrating the Point: Choosing the right ART for the message
If you wanted to deliver a series of public health messages to people gathered at a busy Consulate (think Saturday at the DMV), or at another trusted community organization, how would you do it? We investigated the answer to that question specifically for a Spanish-speaking immigrant worker population, and specifically for conveying information designed to Read More >
Posted on by 26 CommentsLabor Day Message from NIOSH Director, John Howard, M.D.
Labor Day is a time to reflect upon and honor the contribution by American workers to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. First celebrated in New York City in 1882, Labor Day became an official federal holiday in 1894. While the character of the celebrations has changed over time, Labor Day today Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsN95 Day 2015: The tools to build a culture of proper respiratory protection practices
Every day is a day to think about worker safety. But today, on our annual N95 Day (09/04/2015), we embrace our dedication to proper respiratory protection practices, shining it with a bit of elbow grease, and displaying it at the very front line of our priorities. Today we find the time necessary to focus Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsProtect Yourself at Work: A Series of Print and Video Materials for Spanish-speaking Immigrant Workers
Recently, NIOSH released a series of multi-media communication products for organizations that serve Spanish-speaking immigrant workers entitled Protéjase en el trabajo (Protect yourself at work). This series of products is a result of a multi-faceted project that includes 1) a partnership between NIOSH and the Mexican Consulates in the U.S. and 2) the development of Read More >
Posted on by 9 CommentsOverlapping Vulnerabilities
Not all workers have the same risk of being injured at work, even when they are in the same industry or have the same occupation. Different factors can make some workers more vulnerable than others to workplace illness or injury. These include social dynamics, such as age, race, class, and gender; economic trends, such Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsPalm Tree Worker Suffocated by Palm Fronds – Another Death in California
On August 13, 2015, another worker was suffocated by palm fronds in California (see news report). This is at least the fourth similar fatality since the California Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program (CA/FACE) program issued a report and video on this hazard in February 2014. The drought in the Western U.S. may have Read More >
Posted on by 28 CommentsImproving the Safety and Health of Bison Handlers
Recent media reports of bison injuring visitors at Yellowstone National Park have raised public awareness of the hazards of interacting with bison. Those who work with these animals face unique risks. Bison are the largest land mammals in North America, weighing in at about 1,000-2,000 pounds.1 They can run 35 miles per hour and Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentErgonomics Climate Assessment
Researchers from Colorado State University and the Colorado School of Public Health recently found workplaces that value employees’ safety and well-being as much as company productivity yield the greatest rewards. The study, “Ergonomics Climate Assessment: A measure of operational performance and employee well-being,” was recently published in the Applied Ergonomics journal. The study describes Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsThe NIOSH eDoc: New way to get NIOSH information on the Move
The new NIOSH eDoc provides a mobile-friendly format for short NIOSH publications. This new publication product presents workplace safety and health information in a way that is accessible and easy to use on any mobile device, desktop, or laptop computer. NIOSH eDocs are created using Responsive Web Design which enables web content to automatically Read More >
Posted on by 11 CommentsWorkplace Medical Mystery Solved: Influenza-like Illness Sickens Golf Course Worker
Workplace Medical Mystery Solved: Golf Course Worker Becomes Ill with an Influenza-like Illness With five golf course maintenance staff sick, the golf course superintendent was suspicious. Either something really contagious is going around or there is something at the course making the staff sick, he thought. Not taking any chances, the superintendent informed the course’s Read More >
Posted on by 6 CommentsNIOSH Research Highlights Importance of Rigorous Standards for Gowns Used to Protect Healthcare Workers
Recent research performed at the NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL), with support from Nelson Laboratories, suggests that some isolation gowns do not meet the performance standards established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). Isolation gowns are the second-most-used piece of personal protective equipment (PPE) Read More >
Posted on by 9 CommentsWorkplace Medical Mystery: Influenza-like Illness Sickens Golf Course Worker
Chris was thrilled to have landed a summer job working at the local golf course. He was going to be a junior in college and he knew forthcoming summers would entail internships in a dark, windowless office. Chris loves playing golf and this job would give him the opportunity to play for free whenever he had the Read More >
Posted on by 14 CommentsTurn it Down: Reducing the Risk of Hearing Disorders Among Musicians
Have you ever gone to a concert or performance and found your ears ringing on the way home? Imagine if that was your job and your ears were exposed regularly to such loud sound levels? Orchestra players, music teachers, conductors, DJ’s, band members, singers, sound engineers, and many others may be exposed to dangerously high Read More >
Posted on by 16 Comments