Research/Studies

Washington – Falls – many involving ladders – are a leading cause of workplace injuries, according to a NIOSH study published April 25 in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Arlington, VA – The study used by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to retroactively justify changes to truck drivers’ hours-of-service regulations is flawed, claims an April 22 report from the American Transportation Research Institute.

Washington – NIOSH Director John Howard is accusing the U.S. Department of Agriculture of misinterpreting a recent NIOSH study on increased poultry-processing line speeds and the effect on worker safety.

Research Triangle Park, NC – The second phase of a study to evaluate the health of cleanup workers who responded to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is beginning, and researchers are encouraging participants to stay involved with the project.

Sacramento, CA – Federal agency statistics vastly undercount the number of nonfatal injuries and illnesses in the agricultural industry, according to a new study from the University of California Davis School of Medicine.

Quebec – Workers with noise-induced hearing loss may be at higher risk of injury in the workplace, according to a new Canadian study from the Institut National de Santé Publique.

Ann Arbor, MI – Working a mentally challenging job may help protect people from cognitive decline after they retire, concludes a new study from the University of Michigan.

Washington – A new study of a poultry facility in South Carolina has concluded that although musculoskeletal disorder symptoms remained relatively stable after processing line speeds increased, MSD injuries and symptoms at the plant still were higher than the industry average and recommended levels.

San Francisco – First responders who were exposed to particulate matter at Ground Zero during and after 9/11 may be at higher risk for sleep apnea and post-traumatic stress disorder, suggest two new studies presented March 20 at the American Heart Association's EPI/NPAM 2014 Scientific Sessions.

Philadelphia – Chronic sleep deprivation may cause lasting damage in the brains of shift workers, suggests a new study from the University of Pennsylvania.