NIOSH Science Blog Posts

Summer Hazards for Workers

During the summer, more workers are performing job tasks outdoors ranging from construction work to farming to road paving and painting. While the hazards can be different from those found in indoor environments, there are still practical ways to protect workers from outdoor hazards.  Read More >

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Police and Stress

By the nature of their jobs, many police officers face tremendous stress on a daily basis. NIOSH and colleagues at the University at Buffalo are studying the effects of policing and stress on adverse metabolic and early stage cardiovascular outcomes.  Read More >

Posted on by Tara A. Hartley, MPA, MPH, Cecil M. Burchfiel, PhD, MPH and John M. Violanti, PhD62 CommentsTags ,

Preventing Violence against Taxicab Drivers

Taxicab drivers face a very high risk of workplace homicide, even greater than those working in law enforcement and security. NIOSH is proposing an evaluation of the effectiveness of cameras in preventing violence against taxicab drivers.  Read More >

Posted on by Cammie Chaumont Menéndez, PhD, MPH, MS 29 Comments

Making the Business Case for Prevention through Design

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is leading a National Prevention through Design (PtD) initiative to promote the concept of "designing out" or minimizing occupational hazards and risks early in the design process. Read more on the NIOSH Science Blog and provide insight about your successes and challenges in implementing PtD. Read More >

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NIOSH Seeks Input on Direct Reading Exposure Assessment Methods (D.R.E.A.M.) Workshop

Direct-reading instruments are valuable tools for detecting and measuring worker exposure to hazards. Through the NIOSH Science Blog, NIOSH is seeking input on direct reading methods research needs and comment on topics for the Direct Reading Exposure Assessment Methods (D.R.E.A.M.) Workshop. Read More >

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Nanotechnology: Should carbon nanotubes be handled in the workplace like asbestos?

Do the nanoparticles used in nanotechnology pose unintended risks of illness or injury for workers employed in the industry? The NIOSH Science Blog looks at one nanomaterial—carbon nanotubes—and discusses new research findings about their similarities to asbestos and how they should be handled in the workplace to protect workers. Read More >

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Are your ears really protected? Find out with NIOSH’s QuickFitWeb

Hearing protectors such as ear plugs and earmuffs only work if they fit and are worn properly. NIOSH's QuickFitWeb is an online tool which allows users to check the fit of their hearing protectors in a minute or less. Read more and check your hearing protectors on the NIOSH Blog.  Read More >

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Portfolio Management at NIOSH

NIOSH accomplishes its mission through a portfolio of programs. Each of these programs selects research goals that are of the most relevance to real world problems, conducts research of the highest scientific quality that is directed by those goals, and measures the impact that its research has in the daily lives of workers. Read More >

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Workers Memorial Day 2008

 by NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. On this Workers Memorial Day, April 28, 2008, the nation mourns fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, children, grandparents, brothers, sisters, and cherished friends who have died from work-related injuries and illnesses. In their memory, we renew our national commitment to make the workplace safer and healthier. Although much progress has Read More >

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Commercial Fishing Safety

Commercial fishing is the most dangerous occupation in the U.S., with an annual fatality rate that is almost 36 times higher than the fatality rate for the average U.S. worker. An emphasis on understanding the commercial fishing culture and the rugged work environment coupled with quality science has helped NIOSH create practical prevention recommendations that are now commonly used in the industry and are saving lives. Read More >

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Frequency of Respirator Fit Testing

Over three million American workers are required to wear respirators to protect themselves from hazards in their workplace. Since the fit of the respirator to the user's face affects the protection provided by the respirator, occupational safety and health professionals recommend fit assessment during the initial selection of a respirator model and at some periodicity as part of a respiratory protection program. Read More >

Posted on by Ed Fries and Ziqing Zhuang98 Comments

Violence Against Teachers and School Staff

Because of an increase in the prevalence of school-based policies aimed at reducing violence in youth and recent reports suggesting that teachers and other school staff may face daily threats of workplace violence, NIOSH was prompted to examine risk factors and prevention policies and practices for workplace violence for K-12 school staff. Read More >

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Influenza Pandemic and the Protection of Healthcare Workers with Personal Protective Equipment

NIOSH is committed to ensuring that its research is relevant and making a difference in the lives of workers. As such, in 2005, NIOSH asked the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to form a standing committee to provide strategic guidance in addressing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) issues for workers. One issue the committee deemed of high importance is PPE for healthcare workers in the event of pandemic influenza. Read More >

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Preventing Needlesticks in Surgical Personnel

Each year an estimated 385,000 needlesticks and other sharps-related injuries are sustained by hospital-based healthcare personnel; an average of 1,000 sharps injuries per day.  Read More >

Posted on by Walter Alarcon, MD, MSc6 CommentsTags ,

Saving Miners’ Lives with Video-based Training

How do you take miners miles below ground to teach them how to protect themselves from some of the most dangerous hazards in the mining industry without endangering their safety or ever leaving the comfort and security of the training room? The answer, training videos.  Read More >

Posted on by Elaine T Cullen, PhD2 CommentsTags , ,

Contingent Workers

One analysis of 2005 federal data found that 16% of contingent workers have family incomes less than $20,000, a proportion twice as high as that of noncontingent workers. Only 13% of contingent workers had health insurance provided by their employer, compared with 72% of noncontingent workers. Read More >

Posted on by Kristin J. Cummings, MD, MPH, and Kathleen Kreiss, MD1 Comment

Body Art

Tattoo artists and body piercers are at increased risk of coming in contact with blood in the workplace, which may increase their exposure to bloodborne diseases. NIOSH recommends safe work practices to decrease body artists' exposure to blood and improve safety and health.  Read More >

Posted on by Everett Lehman, MS, MBA, and Amy Mobley, MS144 CommentsTags , ,

NIOSH Dose Reconstruction Program

Dose reconstruction is a scientifically complex process. In fact, the entire Compensation Program involves many challenging issues—many of them outside the realm of science. The NIOSH process has always been an open one. And, as always, we welcome comments and questions.  Read More >

Posted on by Larry Elliott31 Comments

Youth@Work: Talking Safety

Millions of teens in the United States work. Approximately 2.4 million 16- and 17-year-olds worked in the United States in 2006. Surveys indicate that 80% of teens have worked by the time they finish high school. While few would argue that most work provides numerous benefits for young people, it can also be dangerous. Read More >

Posted on by Carol Merry Stephenson, PhD4 CommentsTags

Ergonomics for Construction Workers

Construction is one of the most hazardous industries in the United States. Some of the most common construction injuries are the result of job demands that push the human body beyond its natural limits. Workers who must often lift, stoop, kneel, twist, grip, stretch, reach overhead, or work in other awkward positions to do a job are at risk of developing a work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WMSD) such as back problems, carpal tunnel syndrome, and tendonitis to name a few.  Read More >

Posted on by James T Albers, MS, CIH, and Cheryl F Estill, MS, PE7 Comments