NIOSH Science Blog Posts
The 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 CommentsWork, Stress, and Health: Help Us Plan the Next 25 Years
In May, NIOSH, the American Psychological Association (APA), and the Society for Occupational Health Psychology (SOHP) hosted the 11th International Conference on Occupational Stress and Health. “Work, Stress, and Health 2015: Sustainable Work, Sustainable Health, Sustainable Organizations” marks 25 years of efforts to advance research and intervention on work-related stress through the conference series. Read More >
Posted on by 20 CommentsN95 Respirator Use During Pregnancy – Findings from Recent NIOSH Research
Recent NIOSH research has shed some light on the topic of the safety of N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFR) use by pregnant workers. Women make up approximately one-half of the US work force. At any given time, about 10% of those female workers of child-bearing age (15–44 years of age) will be pregnant. Because Read More >
Posted on by 15 CommentsAddressing the Hazards of Temporary Employment
A Joint Session of the NORA Manufacturing Sector and Services Sector Councils Factors such as fluctuations in the economy, changing social habits and access to technology have boosted a rapid growth in temporary work arrangements [Luo,T]. Under many names–temporary workers, contingent workers, contract workers, long-term temps, workers in dual employer situations, on-demand freelance–these workers seem Read More >
Posted on by 9 CommentsSilicosis Update
Silicosis is a potentially fatal but preventable occupational lung disease caused by inhaling respirable particles containing crystalline silicon dioxide (silica). Quartz, a type of crystalline silica, is the second most abundant mineral in the earth’s crust and workers across a wide range of occupations and industries are exposed to silica-containing dusts. The risks, causes, Read More >
Posted on by 107 CommentsWorkplace Medical Mystery Solved: Drum Maker Develops a Suspicious Rash
Ousmane, a drum maker living in Washington, DC, was concerned about the lesion that had developed on his forearm. His doctor thought it was likely an infected spider bite, but after taking antibiotics for 7 days, the sore had gotten worse, not better. Ousmane decided to go see an infectious disease specialist. Laboratory tests showed Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentWorkplace Medical Mystery: Drum Maker Develops a Suspicious Rash
He thought it was an insect bite. Ousmane immigrated to the United States from West Africa when he was just 20. Now living in Washington, DC, he has a thriving business making and repairing traditional West African drums as well as teaching workshops and playing around the city with his performance troupe or with friends Read More >
Posted on by 32 CommentsWorkplace Secondhand Smoke Exposure During Pregnancy: Who is protected?
There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke, and avoiding this preventable health hazard is particularly important for the health of pregnant women and their unborn babies. Secondhand smoke exposure is associated with chronic diseases such as lung cancer, coronary heart disease, and stroke and with adverse reproductive effects, including low birth Read More >
Posted on by 17 CommentsRespiratory Hazards for Latino Horse Farm Workers
With the upcoming Belmont Stakes and the possibility of a Triple Crown winner, all eyes are on the world of horse racing. These races are the culmination of years of work far from the glory of the grand stage of horse racing. What is not seen on this grand stage is that there are many Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsCleaning for Asthma-Safer Schools Reduces Asthma Risk, Saves Money
A 43-year-old high-school custodian started having breathing problems he associated with using a bathroom disinfectant and a floor stripper. When he was away from the chemicals for a few months, his breathing problems improved. The problems came back once he returned to work. He visited the emergency room several times, and healthcare providers repeatedly Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsCollaboration with Wikipedia
For the past four months, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has been doing something new and exciting for a government agency: they have been employing a Wikipedian-in-Residence. This collaboration with Wikipedia makes NIOSH only the second federal agency, and the first federal scientific agency, to engage with the encyclopedia project in Read More >
Posted on by 11 CommentsA Hard Day’s Night: Training Provides Nurses with Strategies for Shift Work and Long Work Hours
“The problem for me became very severe and my head nurse actually called me into her office to discuss it… it had gotten to the point where I was so chronically sleep-deprived that I was falling asleep while I was trying to report off to the on-coming shift. So, I’m sitting there talking about very Read More >
Posted on by 6 CommentsNIOSH, Nail Guns, and Consensus Standards: Where We Stand
Recently, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) released a revision to ANSI SNT-101, “American National Standard for Power Tools – Safety Requirements for Portable, Compressed-Air-Actuated, Fastener Driving Tools (ANSI SNT-101 2015)” (i.e., nail guns). NIOSH participated in the consensus process used to revise the standard. In all stages, NIOSH recommended changes that were consistent Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsProtecting Nail Salon Workers
Last week, the New York Times published a two-part series highlighting what it characterized as exploitative employment practices and unsafe working conditions for nail salon workers, including exposures to hazardous chemicals. On the heels of the reports, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on May 11 ordered emergency measures in the state “to prevent unlawful Read More >
Posted on by 6 CommentsNIOSH Study Evaluates Risks for Pregnant Flight Attendants
Some job hazards for flight attendants have changed greatly over the years. For example, while U.S. flight attendants are no longer exposed to second hand smoke at work, today there are heightened safety concerns due to terrorism , but some hazards have been present on the job since the first flight attendants started working. Flight Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsThe Stand-Down Is On! Join the National Safety Stand-down to Prevent Falls in Construction
The construction industry is one of the most dangerous, and within construction, falls are the leading cause of death and injury. Every year, workers fall from ladders and roofs, down stairs, through floors and holes, and off of scaffolding. In 2013 across the United States, three-hundred and five construction workers died because of a fall. Read More >
Posted on by 4 Comments