NIOSH Science Blog Posts
ONDCP Launches New Recovery Ready Workplace Toolkit
In 2022, approximately 110,000 Americans died from a drug overdose. At the same time, 46 million Americans aged 18 or older experienced a substance use disorder in 2022. Nearly two thirds of those people (30.1 million) were employed. The drug overdose epidemic is occurring in and impacting workplaces. Unintentional overdose from the nonmedical use Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsIs Occupational Physical Activity Harmful to Health?
A recent webinar from the National Occupational Research Agenda’s Cancer, Reproductive, Cardiovascular, and Other Chronic Disease Prevention (CRC) cross-sector council describes research related to the potential effects of occupational physical activity on workers’ cardiovascular health. This blog summarizes the webinar and discusses the differences between (1) leisure-time physical activity, and (2) occupational physical activity Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsHealth Equity, Work, and Motor Vehicle Safety
Among U.S. workers, driving a motor vehicle or being exposed to traffic hazards as a pedestrian while at work is a significant risk. In fact, motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) are the leading cause death at work in the United States [1]. Many factors can play a role in work-related MVCs, but have you considered Read More >
Posted on by Leave a commentLooking to the Past and the Future of NIOSH Nanotechnology Guidance
NIOSH has been at the forefront of research on engineered nanomaterials since the early 2000’s. As the NIOSH Nanotechnology Research Center (NTRC) celebrates its 20th anniversary, we look back over two decades of NIOSH NTRC published guidance to help reduce worker exposures to engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). Both companies and workers use this guidance to keep workers Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsHazardous Exposures to Silica in Metal and Nonmetal Mining Indicate the Need for Better Prevention
Mined raw materials, or products produced from them, are essential for all industries. Mining will remain an essential industry even with the shift to sustainable energy as critical minerals that will support the needs for zero-emission vehicles, carbon-free energy, and production of energy resources and everyday products must be mined. Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentWant to Improve the Well-Being of Health Workers? The System Itself Must Change
The pandemic has brought attention to the safety, health, and well-being of workers in healthcare. Recent efforts to address these issues include, the Office of the Surgeon General’s Addressing Health Worker Burnout,(1) an “Advisory on Building a Thriving Health Workforce,” from the National Academy of Medicine’s National Plan for Healthcare Workforce Wellbeing (2) and Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsPreparing for the Future: NIOSH Applications of Strategic Foresight
Change is all around us, and it is happening more intensely and more rapidly than ever before. NIOSH recognizes that many of the social, technological, economic, environmental, and political changes we experience can impact the design of work and the lives of working people.1 We also understand the benefit of proactively preparing for future Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsStay Safe and Warm This Holiday Season Like Frosty the Worker
♪ Frosty the Worker, Is a jolly happy soul, With his big warm boots and his warm-up breaks, The cold cannot take its toll. ❄ ♪Hypothermia and chilblains, May be fairy tales one day, Cuz’ with training and prevention, Frostbite can be kept at bay.❄ ♪It really isn’t magic when, A warm wool hat is Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsHelp for the Holidays: Preventing Fatigue, Violence, and Stress in Retail
The holidays can be the most stressful time of the year—especially for retail workers who often work long hours and irregular shifts. These workers might also deal with crowds, violence, and robberies. This blog highlights the risk of fatigue, violence, and stress for workers in retail stores and provides strategies for making retail work Read More >
Posted on by Leave a commentThe Role of Skills in the Future of Work
To survive and thrive in a fast-changing world, workers need to keep updating their skills to improve their employment chances, advance their careers, and meet the shifting needs of employers.1 Employers typically look for workers with proficiency in the technical and cognitive skills needed to do the job, but they also look for more Read More >
Posted on by Leave a commentOn-duty Injuries Among Ohio Law Enforcement Officers
Law enforcement officers (LEOs) face many workplace hazards. Current research does not include a complete picture of nonfatal injuries that officers sustain while on-duty. Workers’ compensation (WC) data are an underutilized source for occupational injury surveillance in the law enforcement field. A recently published research article explored patterns and characteristics of workers’ compensation injury claims over Read More >
Posted on by Leave a commentSocial Connection and Worker Well-being
In May, the U.S. Surgeon General, Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA, released Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community calling for a whole-of-society approach to address the epidemic of loneliness and isolation.1 Below we briefly highlight information from the Advisory Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsThe Cannabis Industry and Work-related Asthma and Allergies
In January 2022, there were about 428,000 people working in the legal cannabis industry across the country.[1] Workers in the cannabis industry face potential workplace hazards, including exposure to: Bacteria, mold, and other fungi resulting from high humidity. Wet conditions and poor ventilation in work environments. Endotoxins (bacterial cell wall components released when certain Read More >
Posted on by 5 CommentsNIOSH Ag Centers Celebrate 10 Years on YouTube
One hundred years ago, farmers, loggers, and fishermen turned to their families and communities for advice on safety, health, production, and repairs. They may have even consulted the Farmer’s Almanac or asked a cooperative extension agent. Although family, friends, print media, and extension agents are still great sources of information, the farmers, loggers, and fishermen Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentBloodborne Pathogen Exposures Continue in Operating Room Settings
Despite legislation and improved technology, data from Massachusetts hospitals show that sharps injuries have increased in the operating room (OR) [1]. These injuries place healthcare workers at risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens (BBPs). There is an urgent need to renew efforts to protect healthcare workers inside the operating room. The Massachusetts data highlight a gap Read More >
Posted on by Leave a commentUsing Public Health Data to Protect Workers in the Oil and Gas Extraction Industry
Oil and gas extraction (OGE) workers play an important role in supporting the U.S. economy. In 2021, 326,160 workers were employed by OGE companies to help meet U.S. energy needs.1 This work is not done without risk. Workers in the OGE industry regularly face hazardous exposures such as flammable and toxic gases and vapors, Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsVisualizing Ohio Workers’ Compensation Claims by Event/Exposure
Research has shown that large state datasets of workers’ compensation (WC) claims can be successfully linked to state employment data to examine claim counts and rates by industry and cause of injury.1-6 This can give us better insight into industry trends, helping to focus attention towards areas where employers and workers would benefit most Read More >
Posted on by Leave a commentNew Burnout Prevention Training for Public Health
A new free online training, Understanding and Preventing Burnout among Public Health Workers: Guidance for Public Health Leaders will help managers and supervisors prevent burnout in the public health workers they lead and in themselves. The course, from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, is part of a health worker mental health Read More >
Posted on by Leave a commentABLES: A Leader in Public Health Lead Surveillance
In the early to mid-20th Century, it was becoming increasingly apparent that the metal lead had a Jekyll and Hyde persona. At that time, lead was a common and useful additive to paint and gasoline among other uses. However, evidence mounted, implicating lead as the cause of many health problems (see related blog). In adults, Read More >
Posted on by 6 CommentsMental Health, Alcohol Use, and Substance Use Resources for Workers and Employers
The workplace is an important setting to address mental health conditions, excessive alcohol use, and other substance use disorders among workers. In 2021, more than half of U.S. adults who reported a mental illness in the last year were employed. National U.S. data show that 70% of all adults with a substance use disorder (including Read More >
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