NIOSH Science Blog Posts
Respiratory 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 8 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 CommentsHigher 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 >
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