NIOSH Science Blog Posts
Higher Nurse-to-Patient Ratio Law Improves Nurse Injury Rates by One-Third
California is the only state with a law governing minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios. The ratios vary depending on the type of hospital service but are in the range of one nurse for every five patients. (The ratios are available on the California Department of Public Health website.) The law went into effect in 2004. Read More >
Posted on by 8 CommentsWorkers Memorial Day 2015
Every 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. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the passing Read More >
Posted on by 9 CommentsMorbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: Workers’ Memorial Day 2015
On Workers’ Memorial Day we acknowledge the toll that work-related exposures have taken on American workers, their families, and communities. Each year, NIOSH collaborates with the staff of the CDC Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report (MMWR) to publish the most recent NIOSH analyses of occupational illness and injuries, and investigations of occupational hazards. The Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsWorkplace Medical Mystery Solved: An Unknown Exposure Leaves a Child with High Amounts of Lead in her Blood
The local health department conducted a lead risk assessment of Michelle and Ted’s house that turned up some interesting findings. While their home was built before 1978—when lead-containing paint was banned by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission—no lead-based paint was found in the house. The homes that were demolished to make way for the Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentWorkplace Medical Mystery: Unknown Exposure Leaves Child with High Blood Lead Levels
It was just a routine well child exam. A simple blood test showed 13 micrograms per deciliter (µg/dL) of lead in two-year-old Sarah’s blood; 8 µg/dL more than the 5 µg/dL the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)recommends as a reference level for determining if a child’s blood lead level is much Read More >
Posted on by 25 CommentsWorkplace Suicide
The research literature on occupation and suicide has consistently identified several occupations at high risk for suicide: farmers, medical doctors, law enforcement officers, and soldiers. However, there are few studies examining suicides that occur in U.S. workplaces. Recently published research from NIOSH, examined suicides occurring in U.S. workplaces between 2003 and 2010 and compared workplace Read More >
Posted on by 11 CommentsUPDATE: Reports of Worker Fatalities during Manual Tank Gauging and Sampling in the Oil and Gas Extraction Industry
On May 19th, 2014, NIOSH posted a Science blog titled “Reports of Worker Fatalities during Flowback Operations”. This blog post provided information that NIOSH received from several sources indicating that acute exposures to hydrocarbon gas and vapors likely played a role in the deaths of at least four workers in the oil and gas Read More >
Posted on by 6 CommentsHigh Prevalence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome among Poultry Workers
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) of the upper extremities among poultry processing employees are well documented (Lipscomb et al. 2008; Cartwright et al. 2012). The combination of highly repetitive tasks, forceful movements and working in cold temperatures can increase risk for MSDs such as carpal tunnel syndrome, a disabling medical condition affecting the hands and wrists. In Read More >
Posted on by 11 CommentsTobacco in the Workplace
More than half a century has passed since the first Surgeon General’s Report on the health consequences of smoking. Over that 50-year period, cigarette smoking in the U.S. has declined by more than 50% among all U.S. adults. However, tobacco use continues to be the most frequent cause of preventable death and is responsible Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsThe Silica/Asphalt Milling Machine Partnership – All Good Things Need Not Come to an End
A recent ceremony at World of Asphalt 2015 celebrated the success of the Silica/Asphalt Milling Machine Partnership’s accomplishments to develop and validate engineering controls for silica dust in asphalt milling operations. The partnership between government, industry, labor was coordinated by the National Asphalt Pavement Association over the past decade to design, test, and implement engineering Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsViolence in Healthcare
In the healthcare setting, workplace violence may occur in many forms including: an active shooter, a disruptive patient, or as ongoing incivility from a colleague. The most commonly reported form of violence in healthcare is from the disruptive patient or patient’s family member. In 2013, healthcare workers reported an estimated 9,200 workplace violence incidents Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsA Story of Impact….
It starts with an agency wanting to better protect its workers from hearing loss. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a non-regulatory federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce that conducts measurement research, develops technological standards and performs other important functions. NIST was upgrading the hearing conservation program for its Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsWorkplace Medical Mystery Solved: Blurry vision affects a print press operator
It turns out Jim wasn’t the only one at work with vision problems (see mystery). To his surprise, Jim discovered almost all of his co-workers who worked the line with him at the label production plant had experienced some sort of vision problems over the last year—including changes in vision, blurred vision or irritation. Once Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsWorkplace Medical Mystery:Blurry vision affects a print press operator
At first it was only an annoyance. Jim thought it would go away. Then it became dangerous. Jim works at a big printing company that produces labels for consumer products. If you have a can of motor oil in your garage or a jar of hair mousse in your bathroom cabinet, chances are the Read More >
Posted on by 27 CommentsLong-Haul Truck Driver Health Survey Results
The most recent issue of CDC Vital Signs highlights a few of the safety risks faced by truck drivers. Truck drivers also face health risks that can affect their livelihood. Limited illness and injury data for long-haul truck drivers prompted the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to conduct the National Survey of Read More >
Posted on by 31 CommentsOccupational Exposures to New Drycleaning Solvents
Drycleaning There are about 36,000 commercial drycleaning shops in the United States. Most are owner-operated small businesses with fewer than 10 employees. In addition, some drycleaning shops may be owned and staffed by individuals with limited English language skills and/or may be marginally profitable– factors that may create additional barriers for the owner-operator to maintain a Read More >
Posted on by 14 CommentsA Perfect Romance: A Valentine’s Day Guide to the Necessary Considerations of CBRN APR Use
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear … no, we’re not talking about our plans for Valentine’s Day. For the last few years NIOSH has celebrated this romantic holiday by showing a little love for respirators. This year we are highlighting the special considerations necessary for the use of CBRN APRs (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Air-Purifying Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsFighting Ebola: A Grand Challenge for Development – How NIOSH is Helping Design Improved Personal Protective Equipment for Healthcare Workers
The current Ebola epidemic in West Africa is the largest in history and is unprecedented in many ways, including the large number of healthcare workers who have been infected while treating patients. The large scale of the epidemic, as well as the two healthcare workers who contracted Ebola while caring for the first case in Read More >
Posted on by 27 CommentsThe Future of Wearable Technology in the Workplace
Mention of a product or service does not constitute and endorsement by NIOSH or the Department of Health and Human Services. An era of remarkable innovation is underway. We’re looking at the advent of brand-new technologies called “Wearable Computers”. Wearable computers, also known as body-borne computers or wearables, are defined as “miniature electronic devices that are worn Read More >
Posted on by 54 CommentsBe Pioneers to Protect Our Volunteers!
Emergency responders, such as police officers, fire fighters, and paramedics, are often on the front lines during a disaster, which makes them particularly vulnerable to work-related injuries and illnesses during a response. The scientific community has some knowledge about occupational injuries and illnesses among these groups from surveillance systems currently in place, notably the Bureau Read More >
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