Research Impact
Aerosolized Toxins, Chemical Exposures, Heat Stress
Did you know?
- Exposure to fine mineral dust 1 to 3 months before the estimated onset of coccidioidomycosis(Valley Fever) was linked to a higher incidence of the disease.
- Risk assessment methods capable of evaluating groups of similar chemicals and chemical mixtures are essential for addressing emerging hazards linked to new technologies.
- Heat exposure is a leading environmental risk factor, responsible for an estimated 300,000–500,000 deaths annually.
From Pesticide Exposure to Exoskeletons in Construction
- Dominic worked with Dr. Carisa Harris to explore the benefits & barriers that construction workers face in exoskeleton use
- Presented her work as a NIOSH Trainee on the impact of precarious work and psychosocial stress on physical and mental health of California workers at The California Commission on Health and Safety and Workers Compensation
- Dominic found that exoskeletons can enhance physical activity among construction workers by providing mechanical assistance, reducing fatigue, and improving overall efficiency.
The PULSE Poultry Study
- 4 in 5 evaluated workers were found to be at high risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders.
- Workers who handled more chicken parts per minute faced a higher risk of injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
- 2 in 5 evaluated workers reported moderate to severe work-related pain in the past year, yet many did not inform their supervisors due to fears of job loss.
- 1 in 5 jobs tested showed peracetic acid levels exceeding safety recommendations, potentially causing breathing issues and irritation
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Protecting People From The Spread Of Valley Fever
- Valley fever is lung disease that people catch from breathing outdoor dust in some regions of the West, Valley fever starts with flu-like symptoms but can progress to serious illness or death.
- Camponuri’s research is forecasting when and where we expect to see the most Valley fever cases, information that can help people know when to avoid dusty conditions and alert doctors when to expect more Valley fever cases so they can give their patients the right tests and treatment.
- His forecast accurately predicted sharp increases in cases over the past two years, and he hopes to continue improving and sharing his work to alert those who are at highest risk for infection. Camponuri’s work is helping professionals make sure people are protected.
From Hand Therapy To Human Factors And Ergonomics
- Thai developed a predictive model for EMG-based normalized peak force
- Thai focused on identifying cost-effective & accessible predictors to predict hand force
- She presented to Ergonomics, Environmental Health and Safety, and Product Development teams at BOEING, aiming to inform future design requirements
Fuel For The American Economy: Keeping Oil And Gas Workers On The Job
- Workers getting sick can be a big problem, as our economy relies on these workers to keep oil and gas operations running efficiently.
- To protect the health of workers, identify and control the hazards workers face on the job.
- Madeline Sit, a NIOSH trainee, spent last summer working with Chevron to sample chemical and noise exposures that Chevron's field workers face on the job.
- Her work will help oil companies ensure workers stay healthy and work as efficiently as possible to provide fuel for the American economy.
Internship Program Trains Future Leaders To Ensure America's Workplaces Are Safe
- The Occupational Health Internship Program (OHIP) is a full time and summer paid internship that is funded by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Interns work on projects around the country to:
- Reduce exposures to chemicals for maintenance workers
- Ensure access to the right protective gear for workers in sawmills & construction jobs
- Help standardize engineering controls by working with employers & contractors
Preventing Firefighters From Getting Respiratory Disease
- Respiratory disease is any illness or disorder affecting the lungs, airways, organs, and tissues involved in breathing.
- Trainings under the NIOSH-funded Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (COEH), are designed to teach physicians how to prevent and manage work-related injuries and illnesses.
- These specialized trainings help doctors understand how to treat diseases and get firefighters back on the line as quickly as possible.
- COEH helps doctors share information with other firefighters so they have the protective equipment and knowledge to protect themselves from getting similar respiratory injuries.
Preventing Injuries For Homecare Workers Who Assist The Elderly And Disabled
- There is a greater need for homecare workers who can take care of aging people in their own homes. Yet injuries for homecare workers are a big problem that can result in worker shortages.
- NIOSH funded research, publications, and training materials are used to train homeworkers and employyers in keeping them healthy in order to help ensure aging seniors and people with disabilities are well cared for.
Keeping Nurses Healthy
- Each year, 30,000-38,000 nurses or nursing assistants are away from work due to work related musculoskeletal disorders (back injuries, shoulder, neck or wrisits).
Keeping nurses healthy and safe on the job is imperative to providing quality care to patients
- Policies and pracices promote safe patient handling and make hospital work environments safe. California's safe patient handling legislation reduces the risk of musuloskeletal injuries among healthcare workers.
Roles in improving nurses' safety
- organizational safety culture
- availability of lift equipment
- psychosocial factors
Protecting Healthcare Workers From Violence, Keeping Essential Staff At The Bedside
- Nurses and other staff in healthcare settings experience high levels of physical violence and other threatening behaviors.
- In addition to physical pain and injury, this violence causes fear, anxiety, leading many frontline staff to consider leaving the profession.
Rachel Odes, a PhD and RN, reseach on California's violence prevention standard, helps hospitals understand what works and doesn't work to keep healthcare workers safe on the job.
- The research found that new kinds of incident reporting can help health care systems better understand risk factors and organizational responses to incidents of violence.
Internship Program Trains Students In Workplace Safety
- The Occupational Health Internship Program (OHIP), funded by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), is a paid summer internship that helps young people learn about the field of occupational safety and health from workers and their employers.
OHIP Project Examples
- Interviewing caregivers
- Reducing exposure to chemicals
- Ensuring access to the right protective gear
- Helping standarize engineering controls
Keeping Students Safe In Their First Job
- Young workers are more likeley to be hurt at work than older workers.
- In addition to factories, teens in America work with hot ovens, farm equipment, and sharp landscaping tools.
* Mallory, a 14 year old, wanted to earn money for church camp. She tried to grab a bag of ice one afternoon and her arm got trapped in the auger. An Injury she will have for the rest of her life.
NIOSH publishes a free curriculum to teach young people to look out for hazards in the workplace, think about solutions to address hazards, and speak up when there is a problem with health and safety on the job.
Meat Processing Line - Speeds & Worker Health
- The Swine Processing Line Speed Study examines the impact of evisceration line speed on worker safety in swine processing establishments.
- Aman Mehrotra, a graduate student with a specialization in Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE), receives support from NIOSH to continue his research.
- He discovered that 46% of evaluated workers are at high risk for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
- Over 42% of workers reported moderate to severe upper extremity pain.
- Some solutions to these issues are implementing meat-packing practices to reduce hand exertion and medical management practices.