NIOSH Science Blog Posts
The 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 CommentsGoing Green: Safe and Healthy Jobs
Green jobs—good for the environment, good for the economy. But are green jobs good for workers? The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and its partners recently launched the Going Green: Safe and Healthy Jobs initiative to make sure that green jobs are good for workers by integrating worker safety and health into "green jobs" and environmental sustainability. Read More >
Posted on by 52 CommentsSecondhand Smoke and Casino Dealers
Simply working in a casino does not mean dealers must gamble with their health. Results of new research conducted by NIOSH on secondhand smoke—the exposure of non-smokers to tobacco smoke—confirm that dealers at the casinos investigated were exposed to secondhand smoke. Read More >
Posted on by 54 CommentsUsing Digital Chest Images to Monitor the Health of Coal Miners and Other Workers
Conventional screen-film chest radiographic imaging has been an indispensable tool for monitoring the lung health of miners and other dust-exposed workers. Over the next decade, conventional film-based radiography will be completely replaced by digital radiography systems in the United States and elsewhere. Read More >
Posted on by 15 CommentsTake Aim at Protecting Yourself
If you work or train regularly at indoor firing ranges, you could be exposed to hazardous levels of lead and noise. An estimated 16,000–18,000 indoor firing ranges operate in the United States. Read More >
Posted on by 68 CommentsSafety and Health in the Horse-Racing Industry
It is estimated that over 146,000 individuals work in the horse-racing industry. This estimate includes jockeys, trainers, exercise riders, grooms, valets, starting gate attendants, apprentice jockeys, and veterinarians. Little is known about the health status or number and nature of injuries and illnesses to workers in this industry. However, there are many risk factors involved when a 115-pound jockey rides an 1,100 pound animal running 40 miles per hour. Read More >
Posted on by 16 CommentsUsing No-nose (Noseless) Bicycle Saddles to Prevent Genital Numbness and Sexual Dysfunction
Over 40,000 workers including police officers, emergency medical technicians, and security staff ride bicycles as part of their job. Research has shown that riding with a traditional bicycle saddle can create pressure in the groin and may lead to a loss of sensation and a decrease in blood supply to the genitals. No-nose bicycle saddles can significantly reduce this pressure and alleviate the resulting negative health consequences. Read More >
Posted on by 63 CommentsMultifaceted Approach to Assess Indoor Environmental Quality
Indoor work environments have changed. However, many questions remain regarding occupational asthma and work-exacerbated asthma and the indoor environment. What are the irritants/sensitizers that cause these diseases? Can they be controlled? What is the actual physiological mechanism? What are the actual exposures in the workplace? Read More >
Posted on by 68 CommentsNanotechnology: Human and Environmental Exposure Assessment of Nanomaterials Workshop
Because of the relative newness of nanotechnology, very little exposure data have been reported in the scientific literature. At this stage, measuring or determining risk becomes a little like trying to solve a mystery when major clues are missing. Scientists and engineers face this challenge even as the market for nanotechnology grows, and along with it, an increasing demand from diverse parties for guidance to underpin its responsible development. Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentPersistent Pulmonary Fibrosis, Migration to the Pleura, and Other Preliminary New Findings after Subchronic Exposure to Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes
Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are a type of engineered nanomaterial that shows promise for creating stronger, more durable building materials; improving cancer therapies; creating more efficient means of energy generation, storage, and transmission; and speeding computer processes. However, as with other types of engineered nanomaterials, the potential occupational health implications of MWNCTs are not well understood at this emergent stage of the technology. Read More >
Posted on by 25 CommentsNail Salon Table Evaluation
NIOSH is requesting that developers, manufacturers, and vendors of vented nail tables (VNTs) submit new, unused, downdraft VNTs for a free evaluation. The NIOSH research will include an evaluation of VNT airflow and capture characteristics, noise level, ergonomic features, and filter life. Results of the research and recommendations from NIOSH will be communicated back to the submitter with the hope of providing valuable information for maximizing the efficiency of VNTs. Read More >
Posted on by 26 CommentsViolence Against Pharmacists
Violence against pharmacists differs from violence experienced by other healthcare workers. Increasingly, pharmacists face violence from robberies at their workplace. Across the United States, reports of pharmacy robberies specifically related to the theft of Oxycontin and Vicodin have been reported. Read More >
Posted on by 25 CommentsNO2 Emission Increases Associated with the Use of Certain Diesel Particulate Filters in Underground Mines
Emissions of and exposure to diesel particulate matter can sometimes be controlled through use of newer diesel engines, better engine maintenance, alternative fuels, or ventilation upgrades. Some mines may need to use diesel particulate filters, however. This has created concern about potential exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) resulting from their use. Read More >
Posted on by 108 CommentsImproved Criteria for Emergency Medical Protective Clothing
Over one million firefighters and an additional 500,000 emergency medical technicians and other first responders are engaged in emergency medical service (EMS) operations. NIOSH research has led to revised standards for personal protective equipment for EMS workers and, in turn, the development of new equipment and products providing a level of protection not previously available to the nation's EMS responders. Read More >
Posted on by 7 CommentsPreventing Death and Injury in Tractor Overturns with Roll-Over Protective Structures
Tractor overturns are the leading cause of occupational agricultural deaths in the United States. Between 1992 and 2005, 1,412 workers on farms died from tractor overturns. The Roll-Over Protective Structure (ROPS) was developed to protect tractor operators from death and disability from these events by providing a protective zone for the operator in during a tractor overturn. Read More >
Posted on by 33 Comments1-BP: A Potential Occupational Hazard
The toxic nature of 1-BP is not fully understood. Case reports demonstrating neurotoxic, reproductive, development and other health effects in workers who use or make 1-BP indicate that the brominated solvent may represent an unrecognized occupational health risk. In this week's issue of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) presents two independent cases of 1-BP exposed workers diagnosed with the clinical manifestations of neurotoxicity. Read More >
Posted on by 5 CommentsFire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program
In 1998 the NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program was created to conduct independent investigations of fire fighter line of duty deaths and to formulate recommendations for preventing future deaths and injuries. As NIOSH enters the 10th year of the Fire Fighter Program we are working to better reach small and rural fire departments with the results of our fatality investigation reports and prevention recommendations. We request your assistance in helping us achieve this goal. Read More >
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