NIOSH Science Blog Posts
Using 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 >
Posted on by 14 CommentsLadder Safety: There’s an App for That
NIOSH recently released its first smart phone application (app) for mobile devices. This free app is aimed at improving extension ladder safety by providing real-time safety information delivered via the latest technology. Falls are a persistent source of injury in many occupations and in home use. Falls are the number one cause of construction-worker fatalities Read More >
Posted on by 45 CommentsFree On-line Violence Prevention Training for Nurses
In 2012, the Healthcare and Social Assistance (HCSA) sector was amongst the largest industry sectors in the U.S. employing an estimated 19.4 million workers (13.5% of the total workforce)[1]. On average, over the last decade, U.S. healthcare workers have accounted for two-thirds of the nonfatal workplace violence injuries in all industries involving days away from Read More >
Posted on by 34 CommentsThe Importance of Occupational Safety and Health: Making for a “Super” Workplace
There’s just something about superhero movie summer releases that gets us here at NIOSH excited about safety. This summer the source of our inspiration came from the Man of Steel© movie. In the film, pre-Superman Clark Kent is working as a commercial fisherman (a hazardous job if you’re not a man of steel). He risks Read More >
Posted on by 29 Comments1-Bromopropane
1-Bromopropane (1-BP), also known as n-propyl bromide (nPB), is an organic solvent used in a number of commercial and industrial applications. 1-BP may be found in products used in vapor and immersion degreasing operations for cleaning metal, plastics, electronic and optical components; in adhesive spray applications; and in dry cleaning operations. 1-BP may also be Read More >
Posted on by 8 CommentsFirst NIOSH Comic Helps Dispel Internet “Myth”
In June, we released the first-ever NIOSH comic Straight Talk About Nail Gun Safety. The comic has been well received by organizations and stakeholders interested in increasing awareness and prevention of injuries resulting from nail gun use. In the publication we described (p 1, panel 3) the pneumatic nail gun (PNG) velocity, 150 ft/sec, Read More >
Posted on by 43 CommentsReducing Taxicab Homicides
Taxicab drivers face one of the highest homicide rates of any occupation. While rates of homicide have declined among the general working population (in 2010, 0.37 per 100,000 employed), they remain high in the taxicab industry (7.4 per 100,000 employed for the same year). In the early 1990s, bullet-resistant partitions were the dominant safety equipment Read More >
Posted on by 44 CommentsWomen’s Health at Work
This week is Women’s Health Week. With over 58% of U.S. women in the labor force[i], the workplace must be considered when looking at women’s overall health. We must keep in mind that susceptibility to hazards can be different for men and women. Additionally, women face different workplace health challenges than men partly because men Read More >
Posted on by 62 CommentsHelp! What do you want from a mobile Pocket Guide?
Since its first printing in 1978, the NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (NPG) continues to be the Institute’s most popular document. The NPG provides general descriptive, exposure, and protective and emergency recommendations for 677 chemicals commonly found in the work environment. Workers, employers, and occupational health professionals all use the NPG in the course Read More >
Posted on by 159 CommentsWorkplace Health Is Public Health
It’s National Public Health Week. Those of us who work in workplace safety and health know that workplace health is an integral part of public health. While “Creating a Healthy Workplace” is one of the five themes of National Public Health Week, the role of workplace health in Public Health is not always clear to the general public. If you Read More >
Posted on by 22 CommentsWork-Related Amputations: Who’s Counting?
Knowing how many, who and where injuries or disease are occurring is a basic premise of preventing injuries and illnesses. If we don’t have accurate information on injury/illness occurrence, we don’t know how many resources to devote, what action(s) to take or whether the action we do take is effective. New findings from Michigan State Read More >
Posted on by 11 CommentsMaintaining a Relationship with your SCBA
Happy Valentine’s Day! Today is the day of the year dedicated to showing our significant others just how much we care. Boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, and wives all scurry to make the day special with chocolates, flowers, romantic dinners, and thoughtful gifts. Why? Because good relationships take work. Good relationships take maintenance. Have you ever thought Read More >
Posted on by 22 CommentsDangers of Bathtub Refinishing
On April 30, 2024, the EPA finalized a ban on most uses of methylene chloride, protecting workers and communities from fatal exposure. The rule requires stronger worker safety requirements for remaining industrial uses. Information on the ban can be found here. At least 14 workers have died since 2000 as a result of Read More >
Posted on by 181 CommentsHypertension and Low Wages
If workers earning low wages didn’t have enough stressors in their lives, they can now add hypertension to the list. Our new research finds that low wages are a risk factor for hypertension among working people. The research was recently published in the European Journal of Public Health, “Are Low Wages Risk Factors for Hypertension?”, Read More >
Posted on by 10 CommentsTop 12 NIOSH Science Blog Posts in 2012
The ringing in of a new year brings not only resolutions but the inevitable recap of the past year including the obligatory lists: Top 10 News Stories, Top 10 Weather Events, even Top Ten Celebrity Mug Shots. We decided to add our own list—The Top 12 NIOSH Science Blogs of 2012. The list shows the Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsThe Superhero Ensemble: Protecting More than a Secret Identity
It’s that time of year again – the time of mall madness and wracking our brains for gift ideas. Those of us reaching for the easy stocking stuffers are perhaps sharing the same idea – DVDs of this summer’s big screen blockbusters. We noticed many were of the superhero variety (The Dark Knight Rises, Avengers, Read More >
Posted on by 12 Comments