NIOSH Research Rounds - December, 2018

NIOSH Research Rounds - December, 2018

Volume 4, Number 6 (December 2018)

Inside NIOSH: Noise-related Health Risk Varies by Industry and Occupation High blood pressure and high cholesterol are more common among workers exposed to loud noise at work, according to a NIOSH study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine. Researchers at NIOSH also found that a quarter of U.S. workers–an estimated 41 million people–reported a history of noise exposure at work. Read More... Nonfatal Injuries Remain High Among Firefighters Firefighters continue to experience frequent nonfatal injuries, especially strains and sprains, according to a NIOSH study of injuries treated in U.S. emergency departments published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Read More... Outside NIOSH: Poor Sleep Can Impair Workplace Safety Practices The NIOSH Total Worker Health® Program looks for ways organizations can improve worker health and well-being, on and off the job. One aspect of home that overlaps into work is sleep. Healthy sleep is essential for worker safety and well-being, especially for work, such as construction, that requires following many safety procedures. Knowing how lack of sleep affects safety behaviors, as well as how to design effective organizational-level interventions, can improve worker health and safety. Read More... Computer Model Estimates Chemical Exposure Years after Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill More than 8 years ago, one of the largest oil spills in U.S. history killed 11 oil rig workers and dumped more than 3 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Cleanup efforts have continued since April 2010, when the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and sank. The Gulf oil spill affected hundreds of miles of coastline, and researchers are now working to understand the full extent of the chemical exposures to the thousands of workers who were cleaning this area. Read More...