NIOSH Science Blog Posts
Nickel Nanoparticles: A Case of Sensitization Associated with Occupational Exposure
In an article published online May 8, 2014 by the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, researchers W. Shane Journeay, Ph.D., M.D., and Rose H. Goldman, M.D., MPH, report the case of a worker who developed sensitization to nickel when working with nickel nanoparticle powder. According to the details of the case presented by Journeay and Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsSafe Handling of Hazardous Drugs
May is National Oncology Nursing Month. In honor of these nurses and all who work with hazardous drugs (many of which are used in the treatment of cancer) we are posting this blog on how to safely prepare, administer or otherwise handle these drugs. About 8 million U.S. healthcare workers are potentially exposed to Read More >
Posted on by 16 CommentsReports of Worker Fatalities during Flowback Operations
Although worker safety hazards in the oil and gas extraction industry are well known, there is very little published data regarding occupational health hazards (e.g., types and magnitude of risks for chemical exposures) during oil and gas extraction operations. To address the lack of information, NIOSH requests assistance from oil and gas stakeholders in further Read More >
Posted on by 27 CommentsA NIOSH Role in Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention
*NCCI has released new data since the posting of this blog. Recent workers’ compensation studies reveal controlled substances accounted for 29% of prescription drug costs in 2014. Prescription drug abuse and overdoses are a major public health concern (Health, United States 2013). The CDC reports that opioid overdose deaths in particular have quadrupled since 1999, Read More >
Posted on by 39 CommentsHow Well Do You Think You Are Protected?
Understanding proper use and disposal of protective gowns for healthcare workers The prevalence of infectious diseases, such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV, SARS and avian flu, have raised the concern of hospital personnel over the possibility of acquiring such infections. Healthcare workers (HCWs) in or outside hospitals who have contact with patients, body fluids, Read More >
Posted on by 16 CommentsA Voice in the Wilderness: Alice Hamilton and the Illinois Survey
Today, on Workers Memorial Day we remember those who died from work-related causes and take stock of what we still need to accomplish to reduce the toll of workplace injury, disease, and death. As we do this, it may be helpful to look back at how far we have come and remember one woman in Read More >
Posted on by 8 CommentsCoccidioidomycosis: An Enduring Work-Related Disease
Background Coccidioidomycosis, also known as Valley Fever, is a disease caused by the fungus Coccidioides. The fungus grows in the soil in very dry areas. Coccidioidomycosis is endemic (native and common) in the southwestern United States, the Central Valley of California, Mexico, and parts of Central and South America [CDC 2013a]. About 150,000 new infections Read More >
Posted on by 10 CommentsThe History and Future of NIOSH Morgantown
To commemorate Workers Memorial Day, NIOSH is hosting a week of blogs with a new post each day ending on Monday, April 28th. To start us off, we will highlight the past and look to the future with a retrospective on the history of occupational safety and health research and NIOSH in Morgantown, West Virginia. Occupational Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsSo How Accurate Are These Smartphone Sound Measurement Apps?
NIOSH has released a free smartphone sound measurement app for iOS devices. For more info and to download the app, see the NIOSH sound level meter app page . Please share your comments on the related NIOSH science blog post. As of June 2013, 60% of all mobile subscribers use smartphones—that’s more than 140 million devices. Read More >
Posted on by 211 CommentsDo We Need to Challenge Respirator Filters With Biological Aerosols?
The purpose of this NIOSH Science Blog is to explain what is currently known about an important aspect of respirator filtration. For decades, respirator researchers have been asked whether filters need to be tested with aerosols similar to those encountered in the environment (Figure 1). Common sense suggests that viruses or bacteria are collected differently Read More >
Posted on by 8 CommentsMaking of the New NIOSH Homepage
What you told us Did you catch the St. Patrick’s Day launch of the new, streamlined NIOSH homepage? For those expecting a routine makeover, we want to take you behind the scenes. For over four years, the NIOSH Web Team has collected information through user testing and from feedback and discussions with users. We heard Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsMaking a Splash: Three Fishermen Saved by Personal Flotation Devices!
On the night of June 26, 2010 the fishing vessel Paul Revere, a salmon setnet skiff, capsized while setting their gear in preparation for the start of fishing season. The skipper and her two crew members were thrown in the waters of Bristol Bay near South Naknek, AK. The crew spent two harrowing hours drifting Read More >
Posted on by 7 CommentsSilica Hazards from Engineered Stone Countertops
A new engineered stone countertop product known as “quartz surfacing,” was created in the late 1980s by combining quartz aggregate with resins to create a product for use in home building and home improvement. Manufacturing of this material, including products such as CaesarStone™, Silestone™, Zodiaq™, or Cambria™ is a fast growing industry. First made in Read More >
Posted on by 67 CommentsWorld Cancer Day – Cancer Detectives in the Workplace
Today is World Cancer Day. Around the world, 12.7 million people are diagnosed with cancer every year, and the number is expected to increase due to the growth and aging of the population, as well as reductions in childhood mortality and deaths from infectious diseases in developing countries (ACS 2011). Cancer is the leading cause Read More >
Posted on by 8 CommentsPersistent Pain in the Neck! What Resources Help you Prevent MSDs in the Workplace?
Repetitive tasks, awkward postures, twisting and turning, or forceful exertions at work are often associated with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), such as neck or back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, or tendinitis. These are disorders or injuries that affect muscles, tendons, nerves, discs, ligaments, etc. They remain a leading work-related condition. About 30% of all injuries and Read More >
Posted on by 16 CommentsUsing Workers’ Compensation Records for Safety and Health Research
Workers’ compensation insurance has been established in all states to provide income protection, medical treatment, and rehabilitation for employees who are injured or become ill as a result of work. Workers’ compensation claims and medical treatment records along with other information resources have been used to conduct occupational safety and health research and surveillance and Read More >
Posted on by 69 CommentsControlling Exposures to Workers Who Make or Use Nanomaterials
Background It is difficult to estimate how many workers are involved in this field. By one estimate, there are 400,000 workers worldwide in the field of nanotechnology, with an estimated 150,000 of those in the United States [Roco et al. 2010]. The National Science Foundation has estimated that approximately 6 million workers will be Read More >
Posted on by 5 CommentsWhat’s Next for the NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods
Many products essential to daily life are produced using chemicals that can endanger human health unless properly controlled. While the end product may be safe for the consumer, the workers who manufacture the product may be occupationally exposed to the chemical ingredients more directly or at higher concentrations than the consumer who uses the Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsReducing Worker Exposure to ETS
What better time than during the American Cancer Society’s annual Great American Smokeout, to highlight the benefit of comprehensive smoke-free workplaces on the health of workers. Furnishing a smoke-free work environment has been shown to both reduce exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) among non-smokers, and also to decrease smoking among employees. In Massachusetts, recent Read More >
Posted on by 6 CommentsWomen in Science
“When I grow up, I want to be an industrial hygienist.” Hearing a ten-year-old girl say those words would probably warrant a double take. While there might be some little girls out there dreaming about one day conducting research and working in a laboratory, studies suggest that more often, it’s a ten-year-old boy who will Read More >
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