Morgantown, WV — A permanent disability caused by a work-related injury can increase the risk of other serious health disorders and even premature death, results of recent study suggest.

Washington – A new publication from NIOSH is intended to help public health researchers better understand workers’ compensation insurance and how records can be used to help prevent workplace illnesses and injuries.

State College, PA — Using a 3D device on a microchip that mimics the behavior of human lungs, researchers from Penn State University will use a $400,000 grant from NIOSH to study the effects of nano-scale coal dust on the lungs of underground miners, the university has announced.

Cleveland – Health care workers frequently contaminate their skin and clothing when removing gloves or gowns, and researchers from the Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center are recommending additional education and redesigned personal protective equipment.

Uppsala, Sweden – A study of current and former shift workers shows that shift work may contribute to cognitive difficulties that take years to recover from, according to researchers at Uppsala University and Malmö University.

Vallejo, CA — Citing multiple studies that suggest shift workers are at increased risk of developing sleep disorders and metabolic syndrome – raising their chances for heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes – a recent analysis led by a researcher from the Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine concludes with actions both employers and workers can take to help improve shift worker health.

Spokane, WA — Night shift schedules “throw off the timing of expression of cancer-related genes in a way that reduces the effectiveness of the body’s DNA repair processes when they are most needed,” results of a recent study led by researchers from Washington State University show.

College Station, TX — Adverse health effects of shift work – including increased risk of stroke – may persist even after workers resume traditional, 24-hour circadian cycles, according to a recent study by researchers from Texas A&M University.

Wuhan, China — Shift work is linked to two kinds of mental health issues – and lifestyle factors can play a role, results of a recent study out of China suggest.

Morgantown, WV — Researchers at West Virginia University are working on a project that uses robots to help reduce slips and falls in retail workplaces.

Northampton, England — Prompted by workers’ safety concerns about the quietness of electric forklifts, British researchers are working to develop an audible alert.

Miami — Temporary construction workers face “unique barriers” to reporting injuries and near misses, according to researchers from the University of Miami and the NIOSH-funded Occupational Safety and Health Program at the Florida Department of Health.

Vaasa, Finland — Organizations with “structurally powerful” CEOs experience fewer workplace injuries and illnesses, Finnish researchers claim.

Chicago — A group of researchers is calling for an increase in occupational health and safety research focused on Indigenous people.

Houston — For older workers, the right job fit can benefit overall health and well-being, while a poor fit is more likely to push them into retirement, according to researchers from Rice University and Colorado State University.

Gainesville, FL — Knowing when to log off and unplug from work can make managers better leaders, results of a recent study show.

Bowling Green, KY — Leadership training and organizational support may help bolster the well-being and careers of women in safety leadership positions, according to a researcher from Western Kentucky University.

Boston — A group of researchers from the Boston University schools of medicine and public health has developed what it calls a “fast, accurate and cost-effective approach” to test whether certain chemicals increase people’s cancer risk.

Gaithersburg, MD — Using an equation they derived while studying the “motion of a so-called torsional pendulum,” researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology have found a “surprising link” between the equation and the work of crane operators on construction sites.

Berkeley, CA — Cannabis industry workers may be at increased risk of respiratory problems as a result of on-the-job exposure to various hazards, results of a recent study led by a University of Washington professor indicate.

Melbourne, Australia — A recent study of stone countertop industry workers reveals an “alarmingly high” occurrence of silicosis, indicating that government-mandated screening tests may be inadequate to diagnose the disease.

Athens, OH — “Scientists suspect that about 80% of stunt performers have experienced one or more serious head impacts while working.” That’s why an Ohio University professor is working with researchers at the Boston University Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center to look at the brains of film and TV stunt performers.

St. Louis — Workers in construction, landscaping, agriculture and other outdoor industries may be at risk of infections caused by soil fungi that historically had been found only in certain regions of the country, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis say.

Toronto – Government safety and health inspections that result in penalties for non-compliant employers encourage organizations to take action to reduce work-related injuries, according to research from the Institute for Work & Health.

Melbourne, Australia — Musculoskeletal disorders cost people around the world nearly 140 million years lost to ill-health, disability or early death, results a recent study out of Australia and Iran indicate.

Columbus, OH — The physical benefits that exoskeletons provide to the musculoskeletal system may be negated by the “mental strain” that results when workers wearing the devices perform tasks that require them to think about their actions, results of a recent study conducted by researchers from Ohio State and Texas A&M universities indicate.

Durham, NC — In an effort to preserve the supply of N95 filtering facepiece respirators used by health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers at Duke Health say they have successfully tested a decontamination process that allows the masks to be reused safely.

West Lafayette, IN — Researchers from Purdue University have developed new designs for N95 facemasks they say will extend the shelf life of the respiratory protection commonly used by health care workers.

Seattle — The cannabis industry needs federal regulations and guidance on workplace safety, according to University of Washington professor and researcher Christopher Simpson.

West Lafayette, IN – A common procedure used to repair water pipes can release hazardous chemicals into the air and should be re-evaluated for its risks to workers, the public and the environment, according to researchers from Purdue University.

West Lafayette, IN — Researchers at Purdue University have outlined recommendations for enhancing the safety of a popular method for repairing water pipes that may release hazardous chemicals into the air, as part of a recent study on rehabilitating damaged drainage culverts.

Toronto — Instead of having a zero-tolerance policy on cannabis use, employers may want to consider “minimum wait periods before a work shift when cannabis consumption is not allowed,” researchers say.

Washington — Although work-related hearing loss in the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting sector is lower overall than most other industries, three specific subsectors “would benefit from continued hearing conservation efforts,” according to researchers from NIOSH.

Washington — NIOSH, in conjunction with Wikipedia, has launched a yearlong campaign aimed at improving the free online encyclopedia’s content related to acoustics and the harmful effects of noise.

Dublin — Frontline health care workers treating COVID-19 patients can reduce their risk of developing a facial pressure injury caused by prolonged use of personal protective equipment by using the contents of a specially designed “care bundle,” claim researchers from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

London — Improving your cardiovascular health can be as simple as replacing 30 minutes of sitting with another activity, results of a recent study out of England show.

Columbus, OH — Moisture and mold go together – even in space – so it’s important to control dust and humidity in space stations to protect astronauts, researchers say.

Melbourne, Australia — Employers incorporating collaborative robots in their workplace can ease the transition for employees by taking three key steps, Australian researchers say.

Evanston, IL — People who prefer to stay up late have a greater chance of dying at a younger age than those who are natural “early to bed and early to rise” types, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at Northwestern University and the University of Surrey.

Washington — If experiencing rude or negative behavior at work keeps you from getting a good night’s sleep, making efforts to “let it go” after you’ve clocked out may help ward off insomnia, according to a recent study from the American Psychological Association.

San Antonio — Nearly 1 in 3 nurses may suffer from insomnia, while more than 1 in 8 admit to taking medications to help them stay awake, according to a recent study.

DeKalb, IL — Programmers and developers of virtual reality applications should focus on minimizing potential ergonomic hazards for users of this fast-growing technology, say researchers from Northern Illinois and Oregon State universities.

Cincinnati — Millions of people working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic may be sitting at improperly arranged workstations that increase their risk of eye, head, neck, back, shoulder, wrist and forearm stress and strain injuries, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by University of Cincinnati researchers.

College Station, TX — Three out of 4 solid waste workers say their employer considers workplace safety and health important, yet only 1 in 4 feel encouraged to share safety-related suggestions.

Washington – Despite a downward trend in asbestos concentration levels over the course of nearly three decades, many workers in construction, automotive repair, manufacturing and other industries inhaled asbestos at heightened levels, according to a recent report.

Iowa City, IA — Three out of 5 young employees have experienced some form of workplace violence, results of a recent study show.

Buffalo, NY — What do workers do to recover when their boss or manager engages in “nonphysical aggression such as humiliating or threatening subordinates, or taking credit for their work”? A pair of researchers recently set out to answer that question.

Toronto — Brief episodes of intense noise exposure for city commuters – particularly those in and around public transit vehicles – could prove damaging in the long term, researchers from the University of Toronto warn in a new study.

Dallas — Navy researcher Kurt Yankaskas is the recipient of the 2019 NIOSH Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Award, presented Feb. 9 at the National Hearing Conservation Association’s annual conference.

Stockholm – Working in the cold increases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, according to researchers at the Karolinska Institute.