Archive for NIOSH
Shift Work and Sleep
In today’s competitive economy, an increasing number of U.S. businesses operate to meet customer demand for 24/7 services. These around-the-clock operations are required in order to maintain a place in the global market where transactions with clients, suppliers, and colleagues can span multiple time zones. Consequently, for many men and women, the workday no longer fits the traditional 9-to-5 model. They may clock in at midnight and out at 8 in the morning, or they may follow a Read more [...]
Deepwater Horizon
With last week’s premier of the movie Deepwater Horizon, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) remembers the workers who were killed and injured in the explosion as well as the tens of thousands who worked on containment and clean up activities. NIOSH played an important role in protecting and monitoring the health and safety of the cleanup workers. Updates on some of our efforts are provided below. See the DEEPWATER HORIZON RESPONSE: Gulf of Mexico Oil Cleanup Read more [...]
National Employ Older Workers Week is a Chance to Reflect on the Safety and Health Needs of Older Workers
This last full week of September is National Employ Older Workers Week. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the week “recognizes the vital role of older workers in the workforce … and aims to increase awareness of this labor segment and develop innovative strategies to tap it.” In observance of this event, join us today for the National Center for Productive Aging and Work and NIOSH Total Worker Health® Webinar, “Productive Aging and Work: Theory, Health Data, Read more [...]
Using Occupation and Industry Information to Better Serve Your Patient Population
Conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes. On average, American workers spend close to half their waking hours at work. As a result, work can have significant impacts on health. As electronic health records (EHRs) are replacing paper medical records in most healthcare environments, making sure these records have all the essential information to serve a patient population is a key step in EHR implementation. At the patient level, Read more [...]
Hear and Now: The Noise Safety Challenge
The Burden of Noise The idea of being hurt on the job tends to produce images of harrowing trauma, broken bones, and blood. Yet every year for more than a quarter of a century, hearing loss has quietly been among the most prevalent occupational health concerns in the United States. Approximately 22 million U.S. workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels at work. In addition to diminishing workers’ quality of life, occupational hearing loss carries a high economic price to society. An Opportunity Read more [...]
N95 Day 2016: Proper Use, Filtration, and Fit – The Three-Legged Stool of Respiratory Protection
Dear N95 Day enthusiast – We want to thank you for joining us for another year of N95 respiratory protection information celebration. We know – today is 9/6, not 9/5. But we hope that many of you enjoyed the Labor Day holiday yesterday and are rested and ready for our annual N95 Day holiday today! NIOSH established this observance because N95 respirators are so important to the health and safety of workers in so many different industries. Much of the information this year focuses on the Read more [...]
Labor Day 2016: A Statement by NIOSH Director John Howard, MD
To many, Labor Day signifies the end of summer vacations, the beginning of a new school year or a time to find bargains. It’s important to remember Labor Day is much more than just a retail holiday or a day off of work. We must not forget it is a day to celebrate workers—from teachers to retail workers, from stockbrokers to commercial fisherman—for their contribution to America’s strength and prosperity. The best way we, in the occupational safety and health community, can Read more [...]
Keeping Workers Safe on the Road
Reducing deaths due to motor vehicle crashes has been one of the greatest public health achievements of the last 50 years. In 2014, the rate of crash deaths in the United States, based on miles driven, was one-fifth the rate for 1966. And, the number of deaths decreased from 50,894 in 1966 to 32,675 in 2014. But, as CDC Vital Signs reports, the United States still lags behind other high-income countries in reducing deaths and injuries from motor vehicle crashes. Moreover, we should be concerned by Read more [...]
Where do you get your information? A survey of occupational safety and health practitioners
CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training receives NIOSH funding under a competitively awarded cooperative agreement that supports an extensive research program in occupational safety and health for the building industry. CPWR-supported researchers pursue original research in fields such as safety culture and climate, engineering controls for airborne silica and welding fumes, and the increasing use of engineered nanoparticles in construction materials, to name just a Read more [...]
Cardiovascular Health Status by Occupational Group
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is responsible for 1 out of every 3 deaths in the United States, making it the leading cause of death. CVD illness and death accounts for an estimated $120 billion dollars of lost productivity in the workplace. With approximately 55% of Americans employed, the workplace is an important factor to consider in cardiovascular health research and a viable setting for carrying out health promotion programs. Just last week, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Read more [...]
Olympic Work
As Olympic fever takes hold, we would like to take the opportunity to highlight research from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) that relates directly or indirectly to the athletes or their events. NIOSH has the responsibility of conducting research and making recommendations to prevent work-related injuries and illnesses. Although Olympic competition differs from employment (defined as work performed for hire or pay), the contests often involve stresses and hazards Read more [...]
Workplace Medical Mystery Solved: Influenza-like Illness strikes Worker at Wildlife Refuge
Just before entering veterinary school, Michelle found a summer job at a wildlife refuge. She spent most of her time caring for Asian and African elephants until she came down with what she thought was the flu. Had she been around anyone who was sick? Had she travelled anywhere recently? Michelle’s doctor needed to ask a lot of questions to get to the bottom of her illness. He knew her diabetes left her more susceptible to some infections. Then he asked where she worked. A wildlife refuge. Read more [...]
Workplace Medical Mystery: Influenza-like Illness strikes Worker at Wildlife Refuge
Michelle was thrilled to have landed a job at a wildlife refuge in the Ohio River Valley the summer before she started veterinary school. She hoped to specialize in zoological medicine and work with zoo animals. Three months into her summer job, Michelle came down with the flu—or so she thought. An animal lover, Michelle knew she wanted to be a veterinarian from a very young age. When she traveled to Africa to study abroad her junior year of college she fell in love with the large, exotic animals Read more [...]
NIOSH’s Engineering Controls Database
The hierarchy of controls shows us that engineering controls can protect workers by eliminating or reducing hazardous conditions to acceptable exposure levels. The idea behind the hierarchy is that the control methods at the top of the graphic are potentially more effective and protective than those at the bottom. Following the hierarchy of controls can lead to safer systems, where the risk of illness or injury has been substantially reduced. Examples of controls include elimination, substitution, Read more [...]
Improving Workers’ Health Across the Globe
According to the International Labour Organization, globally, 6,300 people die as a result of occupational injury or work-related diseases every day – more than 2.3 million deaths per year1. This has a tremendous impact on the global community- individuals, families, and employers. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is committed to improving worker safety and health both domestically and internationally. One of NIOSH’s three strategic goals is to enhance Read more [...]
Help Set the Research Agenda for the Healthcare and Social Assistance Sector
NIOSH wants to hear from you on how to improve workplace health and safety in the Healthcare and Social Assistance industry sector. Your insights will be used to inform the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). NORA is a partnership program to stimulate innovative research and improved workplace practices in occupational safety and health. Since 1996, NORA has brought together diverse parties to identify the most critical issues in workplace safety and health and then work together Read more [...]
The “S” in NIOSH
The “S” in NIOSH could stand for science, super, or spectacular but as we all know (and maybe sometimes forget) it stands for safety. Safety is a critical part of the NIOSH mission: safety and health at work for all people through research and prevention. Why Is Worker Safety So Important? In 2014: -4,821 U.S. […]
Using a Seat Belt: A safety priority on- and off-the-job
Share Roads Safely is this week’s emphasis for National Safety Month. Motor vehicle safety is an important topic in the workplace as motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of fatal injuries among workers in the United States. When it comes to reducing severity of injury or death in a crash, seat belt use can […]
Making Alaska a Safer Place to Work
During 1980-1989, Alaska had the highest work-related fatality rate of any state in the nation, with a rate of 34.8 deaths per 100,000 workers per year compared to the average U.S. rate of 7 deaths per 100,000 workers per year. At the invitation of the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services and the […]
Protecting Young Workers in Retail Jobs
June, which is National Safety Month, is an appropriate time to focus on young workers, as they head out of school and into the workforce. Many of them will find jobs in the retail industry, a leading employer of young workers in the United States. In 2014, there were approximately 18.1 million workers younger than […]
Help Set the Research Priorities for Occupational Respiratory Diseases
Work-related respiratory diseases include both those that are uniquely caused by work, such as coal workers pneumoconiosis, and those that are caused by both work and non-work factors. Asthma is an example of this second type of condition. Work-related asthma is the most common respiratory disease treated in occupational health clinics in the United […]
National Safety Month
It’s National Safety Month. Each June, the National Safety Council and its partners raise awareness on preventing the leading causes of injury and death at work, on the roads and in our homes and communities. This year’s theme is SafeForLife. Each week of June has a different focus area. In this joint blog from the […]
PPE-Info Database
“When you purchase a product, you expect it to work. Construction workers on high-rise buildings need to be confident that their safety harnesses will protect them in a fall. Firefighters need to know that their gloves and other protective equipment can withstand high temperatures. Healthcare workers administering highly toxic chemotherapy agents need to know […]
Extreme Heat: Are you prepared for summer work?
The approach of summer is a reminder to us all of the need to recognize, and act to prevent, the harmful effects of excessive heat. The White House has designated May 23–27, 2016, as Extreme Heat Week, during which Federal agencies will work with community planners and public health officials to enhance community preparedness for […]
NMAM 5th Edition
Workers in various industries and occupations can face health risks from exposure to airborne chemical and biological agents. These exposures are typically measured by monitoring workplace air. Air monitoring can also be helpful to determine the effectiveness of controls that are used to minimize worker exposures. While inhalation is the most likely route of exposure […]
NIOSH Mine Emergency Escape Simulation Technology Available for Developers
Background All underground coal miners in the United States receive escape training on a quarterly basis. This training prepares them for exiting the mine in the event of an emergency and it must include walking either the primary or the secondary escape route from their work area to the outside (30 CFR, 2015). As a […]
Suicide Among Former NFL Players
The question of whether football players are at higher risk of suicide than the general population has been raised in the popular and scientific literature. In 2012, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a paper primarily focused on death from heart disease among former National Football League (NFL) players (see […]
Healthy Vision Month
NIOSH is excited to partner with the National Institutes of Health’s National Eye Institute (NEI) to help promote Healthy Vision Month! Every May, the NEI empowers Americans to make their eye health a priority and educates them about steps they can take to protect their vision. For more on NEI’s Healthy Vision Month campaign, […]
Standing–Down to Prevent Falls in Construction
We know falls in the workplace are preventable and yet falls remain the leading cause of death in construction. As part of the effort to prevent falls in construction, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), is again partnering with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and CPWR—The Center for Construction Research and […]
Are Hospital Cleaning Staff at Risk When Using a One-step Cleaner?
Workers’ health and safety is an important consideration when choosing cleaning and disinfectant products. In health care settings, disinfection products help minimize healthcare-acquired infections. In January 2015, the National Institute for Occupational Health (NIOSH), received a request to conduct a health hazard evaluation at a Pennsylvania hospital using a new surface cleaning product consisting […]
Measuring the Impact of Hearing Loss on Quality of Life
Hearing loss is common in the United States. More people have hearing loss than diabetes, cancer or vision trouble. Occupational hearing loss, which is caused by exposure at work to loud noise or chemicals that damage hearing, is the most common work-related illness. It is also permanent. Hearing loss can have a profound impact […]
Convenience Store Compliance to Reduce Workplace Violence
Robbery-related homicides and assaults are the leading cause of death in retail businesses. Workers in convenience stores have a 7 times higher rate of work-related homicide than workers in other industries (2 homicides per 100,000 workers vs. 0.28 per 100,000 workers). There are disparities among the homicide victims, too. Specifically, black, Asian, and Hispanic […]
Workplace Injury, Illness and Death- How do we know how many?
Workers Memorial Day, April 28, is a day to reflect on how work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths affect American workers, their families and society at large. Each year at this time NIOSH reports on the burden of workplace injury and illness (see MMWR). But how do we know how many workers died or suffered […]
Partnering to Promote Workplace Safety and Health in Tribal Communities
Over 5.2 million American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) live across the United States. In 2013, approximately 1,319,000 AI/AN workers were employed in the U.S. workforce1,2. AI/AN workers are 42 percent more likely to be employed in a high-risk occupation (defined as an occupation where the injury and illness rate is more than twice the […]
How Employers Can Keep Older Drivers Safe at Work
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of work-related deaths in the United States. Millions of workers, such as long-haul truck drivers, sales representatives, and home health care staff, drive or ride in a motor vehicle as part of their jobs. As our workforce ages, we need to pay special attention to the needs of […]
Traumatic Brain Injuries in Construction
Falling 25 feet to the ground from a roof, being struck in the head by a steel beam as it is transported across a worksite, or getting hit by a vehicle moving supplies–these are only a few examples of why the construction industry has the greatest number of both fatal and nonfatal traumatic brain […]
Research Day 2016 Brings Together Students, Alumni, and Professionals
The 8th Annual Occupational and Environmental Health Research Day took place on March 3rd with a record number of almost 200 attendees. Research Day is a yearly tradition, showcasing innovative graduate student research in occupational and environmental health and safety, as well as highlighting alumni experiences and connecting community members working in health and safety to students […]
