NIOSH Science Blog Posts
Wildland Fire Fighting Safety and Health
Wildland fires continue to increase in the Western United States as hot, dry and windy conditions persist, resulting in an extended fire season and factors conducive to fires. Currently, drought conditions are prevalent in the West due to low snow-pack levels, below average rainfall, record setting temperatures and high winds, resulting in a greater than Read More >
Posted on by 29 CommentsYou Can Help Keep Your Kids Safe at Work
Are you the parent of a teen or young adult? Chances are he or she is looking for or has found a summer job. Work provides teenagers with job skills, independence, and unique experiences that help them transition to adulthood. Despite the benefits of work for young people, a number of hazards exist in the Read More >
Posted on by 21 CommentsFirst Father’s Day Tied to the Workplace
Did you know that the first Father’s Day has workplace origins? On July 5, 1908, a West Virginia church sponsored the nation’s first event to explicitly honor fathers.1 The Sunday sermon was held in memory of the 362 men who were killed in explosions at the Fairmont Coal Company mines in Monongah, West Virginia the Read More >
Posted on by 2 CommentsSafety and Health in the Theater: Keeping Tragedy out of the Comedies…and Musicals…and Dramas
On Sunday, the 2012 Tony Awards celebrated the year’s best offerings from “The Great White Way.” While the theater provides entertainment, the preparation and production of live performances can also pose hazards to those working in all aspects of the theater –from actors on stage to set designers behind the scenes and musicians in the Read More >
Posted on by 37 CommentsThe Research Compendium: The NIOSH Total Worker Health™ Program: Seminal Research Papers 2012
In October of 2004, together with our partners, NIOSH sponsored the Steps to a Healthier US Workforce Symposium to mark the launch of a new initiative based on a comprehensive view of worker safety and health. The symposium brought leaders together from the occupational safety and health community and the health promotion community. We commissioned Read More >
Posted on by 14 CommentsWorker Exposure to Crystalline Silica During Hydraulic Fracturing
Hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” is the process of injecting large volumes of water, sand, and chemicals into the ground at high pressure to break up shale formation allowing more efficient recovery of oil and gas. This form of well stimulation has been used since the late 1940s, but has increased substantially over the last 10 Read More >
Posted on by 27 CommentsU.S. Businesses Start and Stay Smaller
Next week is National Small Business Week. Recent research finds that U.S. businesses are starting smaller and staying smaller than in decades past. What are the implications for occupational safety and health? Read More >
Posted on by 9 CommentsSafety Pays. Falls Cost
One sunny June morning in 2009, Hector* went to work just as he had every other morning. He climbed to the roof as usual to begin working. But this day was different. In an instant, Hector was hanging over the outside edge of the second story wall of the home the residential construction company he worked Read More >
Posted on by 24 CommentsGetting Closer to Understanding the Economic Burden of Occupational Injury and Illness
A recent landmark paper by J. Paul Leigh shows that the annual direct and indirect costs of occupational injury and illness in the U.S. are at least $250 billion. This amount exceeds the individual cost of cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Read more about the most comprehensive analysis ever conducted of the burden of occupational illness and injury in the U.S. on the NIOSH Science Blog. Read More >
Posted on by 9 CommentsNIOSH Research on Work Schedules and Work-related Sleep Loss
Yesterday, in honor of National Sleep Awareness Week, we blogged about sleep and work and the risks to workers, employers, and the public when workers’ hours and shifts do not allow for adequate sleep. This blog provides a brief overview of some of the work that NIOSH intramural scientists are carrying out to better understand Read More >
Posted on by 28 CommentsSleep and Work
Sleep is a vital biological function and many Americans don’t get enough. To coincide with National Sleep Awareness Week, the new NIOSH blog post: Sleep and Work summarizes the risks to workers, employers and the public when long hours and irregular shifts required by many jobs do not allow workers to get adequate sleep. Read More >
Posted on by 79 CommentsHair, Formaldehyde, and Industrial Hygiene
A recent settlement requires the makers of Brazilian Blowout hair straightener to warn consumers and hair stylists about formaldehyde in their products. Read more from guest blogger, Dede Montgomery on how the Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology at Oregon Health and Science University worked with their partners to raise awareness of this issue. Read More >
Posted on by 180 CommentsNFL Players Tackling Heart Disease
Many football players are essentially paid to be big—really big—especially those whose job is to block or stop the big guys on the other team. There is a good chance that these players weigh in at sizes that are classified as obese as defined by body mass index (BMI). In the general population, high BMI Read More >
Posted on by 31 CommentsCold Stress
Frostbite, hypothermia, trench foot, and chilblains are all illnesses and injuries caused by cold stress. Those working outside or in areas that are poorly insulated or without heat may be at risk for cold stress. There are many steps employers and employees can take to protect workers from cold stress-related injuries and illnesses. Read More >
Posted on by 11 CommentsA Comprehensive Approach to Workforce Health
“Traditional” occupational hazards and personal characteristics and conditions, such as age, gender, genetics, or weight, are typically considered separately in the workplace. However, most of the diseases and health conditions experienced by workers are influenced by multiple factors. NIOSH authors provide a framework for considering the health of working people in a comprehensive manner. Read More >
Posted on by 14 CommentsRespiratory Protection for Workers Handling Engineered Nanoparticles
Are current NIOSH-approved respirators protective against engineered nanoparticles? Find out and read about current research and recommendations for the use and selection of respirators against engineered nanoparticles on the NIOSH Science Blog. Read More >
Posted on by 36 CommentsErionite: An Emerging North American Hazard
Recent cases of lung disease suggest that erionite, a naturally-occurring fibrous mineral with health effects similar to asbestos, may pose a greater threat to workers than previously realized. Read more about erionite and how to prevent exposure in at-risk occupations such as road construction and maintenance work in areas where erionite-containing gravel or soil is present. Read More >
Posted on by 41 CommentsMap: Occurrences of Erionite
From Sheppard R. Occurrences of erionite in sedimentary rocks of the western United States. Denver, CO: US Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey; 1996. Open File Report 96–018. Read More >
Posted on byPuncture: Exposure for Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure
The movie "Puncture" tells the story of a nurse who contracts AIDS from a needle while at work. Unfortunately, this all-too-common scenario is not fiction. Read more about accidental needlesticks and a program from NIOSH that can reduce these injuries substantially. Read More >
Posted on by 8 CommentsBuy Quiet
Quieter tools and machines lead to decreased hearing loss among the workers who use them. So why aren't companies "buying quiet"? Read more about the challenges in this area and what NIOSH is doing to make it easier to "buy quiet." Read More >
Posted on by 26 Comments