NIOSH Science Blog Posts
Reflections on the INTERPHONE Study of Cell Phones and Brain Cancer
Do cell phones cause brain cancer? In May 2010, an international study team published the results of a 5-year-long investigation into that very question. Read the perspective of the only American researcher involved with the INTERPHONE study on the NIOSH Science Blog. Read More >
Posted on by 35 CommentsNIOSH’s Role in the Deepwater Horizon Response
Following the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon and the resulting and ongoing oil spill, occupational health specialists from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) arrived on site in the Gulf on May 2, 2010, as part of the federal interagency effort to anticipate and address occupational and environmental health and safety needs in the Gulf Coast. Read More >
Posted on by 22 CommentsVuvuzelas: What’s the Buzz?
Players, event staff, stadium workers, broadcasters, and referees at the World Cup have been repeatedly exposed at their matches to the thundering noise of vuvuzelas--plastic, meter-long South African horns. Vuvuzelas, especially when trumpeted by thousands of fans at once, can reach damaging decibel levels. The hearing health implications of dangerous noise levels also arise at other noisy sporting events and entertainment venues. Read More >
Posted on by 43 CommentsSkin…Exposed!
Dermal exposures are often given a back seat when chemicals are tested for toxicity or personal protective equipment is designed. However, skin diseases account for 15-20% of all reported occupational diseases in the United States. They result in costs estimated at $1 billion annually. Read More >
Posted on by 18 CommentsSafety and Health for Younger Workers
As we approach the time of year when many young people start summer jobs, we all need to do our part to keep them safe at work. On average each year from 1998 to 2007, about 800,000 workers 15 to 24 years of age were treated in emergency departments and nearly 600 died from work-related injuries. Younger workers were twice as likely as their older counterparts to be treated in hospital emergency departments for work-related injuries. Read More >
Posted on by 15 CommentsStrains, Sprains, and Pains in Home Healthcare: Working in an Uncontrolled Environment
Home healthcare providers face an uncontrolled environment with each residence they enter. The most prevelant occupational injuries among them are strains and sprains. However, workers and employers can do many things to improve conditions and reduce injuries. Read More >
Posted on by 54 CommentsPrevention in Health Reform
NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard summarizes prevention provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and their implications for workplace safety and health. Read More >
Posted on by 38 CommentsMad as a Hatter: Mercury and Other Occupational Hazards at the Movies
Inspired by the release of Alice in Wonderland, Dr. James Kesner discusses workplace safety for actors and as portrayed on film. Vote for your favorite occupational safety and health-related movie and learn NIOSH Director, John Howard's favorite pick on the NIOSH Science Blog. Read More >
Posted on by 52 CommentsBalancing Open Government and Privacy Protection
Transparency, participation, and collaboration form the cornerstone of an open government. Although there is a great desire for openness, there are competing demands in health and safety surveillance and research: national security, personal privacy, and confidentiality. NIOSH is interested in learning about the experiences of others who have expertise in this area or are currently dealing with similar issues of balancing openness and privacy. Read More >
Posted on by 8 CommentsThe Effectiveness of Workplace Training
In light of the costs and time involved with safety and health training, businesses want to know whether training can meet the goals of decreasing workplace injuries and illness, and whether the cost of training programs can be justified. Researchers, training providers, labor, and management should continue to work together to advance the knowledge of effective practices in education and training. Read More >
Posted on by 38 CommentsGoing Green: Safe and Healthy Jobs 2
As green and sustainable practices become more common in the U.S, there is an opportunity to promote worker safety and health as a fundamental dimension of true sustainability. A sustainable product, process or technology should not only protect the environment and the consumer but also the worker. Green jobs must be safe jobs. NIOSH presents six ideas about the steps needed to protect both workers and the environment by making occupational (worker) safety and health concepts part of green and sustainability developments. Read More >
Posted on by 65 CommentsSPIROLA: A Solution for More Effective Use
While mortality rates for most chronic illnesses (heart disease, malignancy, stroke) have declined in the U.S., mortality from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has increased over the past 3 decades. Most cases of obstructive or restrictive respiratory diseases are preventable. Periodic spirometry can provide a valuable tool for early recognition and prevention of respiratory diseases and for maintaining workers' respiratory health and general fitness. Read More >
Posted on by 9 CommentsWorkplace Hearing Loss
It is estimated that over 22 million workers are exposed to hazardous noise on the job and an additional nine million are at risk for hearing loss from other agents such as solvents and metals. Read more about a new surveillance program and provide input on future efforts to prevent hearing loss in the workplace. Read More >
Posted on by 34 CommentsSafety and Health for Tattooists and Piercers
Based on visits to tattooing and piercing studios and interviews with artists, researchers from NIOSH found that many artists and piercers had concerns about exposures to blood and bloodborne diseases. Read More >
Posted on by 49 CommentsN95 Respirators and Surgical Masks
The emergence of H1N1 has created considerable interest about the use of surgical masks and respirators as infection control measures. Given the recent issuance of revised CDC infection control guidance for healthcare personnel that include recommendations for use of N95 respirators, NIOSH has posted a new blog that examines the scientific principles behind the design and performance of these devices. Read More >
Posted on by 163 CommentsThe Business Case for Safety and Health
NIOSH has partnered with the Williams College of Business at Xavier University and the National Safety Council to offer a new course to MBA students titled "Business Value of Safety and Health." The course teaches the next generation of executives the advantages of implementing occupational and environmental health and safety programs. Read More >
Posted on by 15 CommentsRespiratory Protection for Terrorist Threats and Other Emergencies
This September 11th marks eight years since the devastating attacks on the World Trade Center. Since then, NIOSH has developed a systematic approach to identify the hazards that responders would face, assess the capabilities of existing respiratory protection equipment to provide protection against viable threats using benchmark testing, and set certification standards that stretch the capabilities of the protective technologies to enhance the protection offered to responders during CBRN events. Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsOccupational Disease and Nanoparticles
In the September issue of the European Respiratory Journal, the first medical case series of workers with serious disease that the study authors associate with exposure to nano-sized particles has been published. Investigators Y. Song, X. Li, and X Du of the Chaoyang Hospital of the Capital University of Medical Sciences in Beijing, China, report on a series of seven previously healthy young women who developed serious heart and lung disease after working at a print plant exposed to a chemical "paste" mixture containing undefined "nanoparticles" of approximately 30 nanometers in diameter. Read More >
Posted on by 10 CommentsH1N1: Protecting Healthcare Workers
As of July 31, 2009, there were 162,380 documented cases of human infection with H1N1 throughout the world, including the United States. As of August 6, 2009, there were 6,506 hospitalized cases and 436 deaths in the U.S. From the time of its emergence earlier this year, H1N1 has prompted a concerted response from health agencies. Read More >
Posted on by 54 Comments