domingo, 24 de julio de 2016

NIOSH Research Rounds - July, 2016

NIOSH Research Rounds - July, 2016

CDC

In This Issue



Investigators Design Experimental Engineering Control for Silica Dust

Silicosis is an irreversible, but preventable, occupational lung disease caused by inhalation of respirable crystalline silica dust (RCS). Each year, millions of workers, primarily in construction, sandblasting, and mining, are at risk of silicosis (and lung cancer) from exposure to RCS. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) investigators study how to prevent workers’ exposure to this serious health risk. Recently, they developed a novel engineering control, called the NIOSH mini-baghouse retrofit assembly, to help control RCS released from sand moving machinery on oil and gas extraction sites. Below, study lead author Barbara M. Alexander, Ph.D., P.E., C.I.H., NIOSH engineer and industrial hygienist, explains how the experimental tool works.

During the process known as hydraulic fracturing, workers use special equipment that injects fluid under high pressure into a drilled well to break apart the rock formation and release the oil and gas. Typically, the fluid primarily contains water, sand or a similar substance, and treatment chemicals. Using pressurized air to transfer sand from delivery trucks into sand movers generates RCS, which then disperses into the air.

Workers face a significant health risk from inhalation of RCS during hydraulic fracturing and other oil and gas extraction tasks. At hydraulic fracturing sites, NIOSH investigators identified concentrations of respirable silica that were 10 to 50 times over the permissible limits set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. NIOSH research has identified at least seven sources of airborne RCS release at oil and gas extraction sites during hydraulic fracturing.

New Laboratory Method Evaluates Vibrations From Hand-held Riveting Tools

When considering aircraft worker safety, the most visible jobs—pilot, air traffic controller, security screener—often come to mind. In truth, however, worker safety begins long before takeoff. During aircraft construction and maintenance, workers attach layers of sheet metal to airframes using hand-held tools called bucking bars. Used with air-powered riveting hammers, bucking bars enable workers to set rivets into predrilled holes in aircraft and other products. The problem is that bucking bars, like most powered hand tools, transmit vibrations, which increase the risk of injuries and disorders to the blood vessels, nerves, muscles, and bones of the hands. Although manufacturers have introduced new types of bucking bars designed to reduce risk, their effectiveness is unclear because there is no standardized method to measure their transmitted vibrations.

Obstructed Breathing More Common in Certain Jobs

Airway obstruction, which can signify lung diseases such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), was more common among workers in construction and oil and gas extraction than in other industry, investigators at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reported after analyzing results from a nationwide survey. These findings underscore the importance of monitoring the lung function of workers in high-risk jobs.

A major contributor to disability and death, lung disease is the third-leading cause of death in the United States. Although lung diseases such as asthma and COPD have genetic influences, hazardous occupational and environmental exposures have important causative roles. Consequently, preventing these exposures can help to prevent disease. Previous research has suggested that workers in certain jobs with exposure to vapors, gases, dust, and fumes are more likely than other workers to develop airway obstruction. Non-occupational exposures such as tobacco smoking, exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke, and exposure to other forms of air pollution can also increase risk. Research identifying work-related factors in airway obstruction is vital to better recognize this risk, enable those who already have the disorder to receive treatment, and prevent future cases.

Study Finds Increase in ALS Among Former Flight Attendants

Flight attendants often have the opportunity to travel the world, but working on aircraft may increase certain health risks. Last year, a study from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found that pregnant flight attendants might be at higher risk for miscarriages. A new study by NIOSH and federal partners has found that former flight attendants were significantly more likely to die of the disease ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, compared to people in the general population. It is important to note, however, that this was an observational study, which shows only associations, not causes.

Also called Lou Gehrig’s disease, ALS involves progressive deterioration, or neurodegeneration, of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary movement. The cause of ALS is unknown, although environmental factors may play a role in some cases.

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