Occupational Illnesses

Chicago — Health care workers commonly carry respiratory viruses on their hands, clothing and personal protective equipment after administering care to patients, accentuating the need to practice “complete hand hygiene and use other PPE to prevent dissemination,” results of a recent study suggest.

Villejuif, France — Frequent use of common cleaning products and disinfectants at work may increase female nurses’ risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by up to 38%, results of a recent study led by researchers from France’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research suggest.

Washington — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning of “an emerging public health threat” after researchers identified an increase in cases of silicosis – an incurable lung disease – among workers who handle engineered stone used to make household countertops.

Macclesfield, England — Employees with asthma miss an average of almost 10% of their work hours, and most are restricted from performing their duties because of their symptoms, both of which negatively affect their emotional well-being, according to the findings of a recent study.

Washington — Nearly 1 out of 4 mining workers experience job-related hearing loss, and more than 1 out of 3 employees in one industry subgroup are affected, according to a recent NIOSH study.

Boulder, CO — The amount of air pollutants in nail salons can make working in one comparable to working at an oil refinery or in an auto repair garage, according to a study from the University of Colorado Boulder.

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.

East Lansing, MI — Estimating that up to half of the 600,000 or so adult cases of asthma in Michigan may be caused or aggravated by on-the-job exposure, the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine has launched a campaign intended to raise awareness of work-related asthma.

Washington — NIOSH is gauging the feasibility of a national registry intended to track cases of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer linked to on-the-job exposure to asbestos.

Washington — NIOSH is looking for more than 1 million U.S. firefighters to take part in a voluntary registry, as the agency seeks to understand why those in the field are at greater risk for certain cancers.