NIOSH Research Rounds - September, 2017

NIOSH Research Rounds - September, 2017

Volume 3, Number 3 (September 2017)

Inside NIOSH: Study Characterizes Injuries and Exposures among EMS Workers Emergency medical services (EMS) workers, such as emergency medical technicians and paramedics, are essential to the prehospital medical care system. They respond to medical emergencies and disaster incidents and provide non-emergency medical transport. They perform much of their work in uncontrolled environments, and the work can be physically strenuous. Read More... Taxi and Limo Drivers Have High Risk of Violent Death at Work In 2000, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration released recommendations for safe workplaces free of violence. Previous studies showed that these recommendations helped decrease the risk of violence in the retail industry, which has many of the same work-related risks as the taxi and limo industry. These risks include working with cash, working with the public, working alone, and driving during night and early morning hours. The taxi and limo industry, however, remains disproportionately dangerous. In 2014, 31 taxi and limousine drivers, or 10 per 100,000 workers, were killed due to violence while at work compared with < 1 per 100,000 workers overall, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Although motor-vehicle crashes are still the leading cause of work-related death for most transportation industries, 50% more workers died from workplace violence than from motor vehicle crashes in the taxi and limo industry in 2014. Read More... Outside NIOSH: Cost-effective Test Developed for Reproductive Toxicity of Common Chemicals You may have heard about BPA, or bisphenol A, and concerns from consumers about exposure to BPA from plastic containers they purchase or have at home. While many products are now labeled "BPA-Free," workers who make these plastic containers may still face risks from the chemicals used in place of BPA. Read More... Screening Test Does Not Predict Work-related Carpal Tunnel Syndrome A screening test for early signs of carpal tunnel syndrome among new workers prior to job placement does not help prevent the disorder, according to a NIOSH-funded study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. The study appeared in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Read More...