Categories: Exposure, Outdoor work
August 12th, 2011 1:45 pm ET -
Brenda Jacklitsch, MS
Many areas of the country have been experiencing extreme temperatures this summer, and sadly the news has been full of stories about the lives lost due to heat stroke. While newscasters warn to stay out of the heat, many workers do not have that option. Keeping workers cool and well-hydrated are the best ways to protect them when working in hot environments.
Risk factors for heat illness
Workers should be made aware of the many risk factors that may affect their heat tolerance. Risk factors that may influence heat illness include high air temperatures and humidity, direct sun exposure, indoor radiant heat sources (ovens, hot manufacturing processes, etc.), limited air movement, physical exertion, not drinking enough fluids (dehydration), personal protective equipment or clothing, certain medications, physical condition, lack of recent exposure (not acclimatized), and advanced age (65+). Workers should discuss their individual risk factors with their healthcare provider.
12 Comments -
Read more
Categories: Cancer, reproductive and cardiovascular diseases, Respiratory health, Technology
August 4th, 2011 2:50 pm ET -
Simone Tramma, MD, MS; Eileen Storey, MD, MPH; Douglas B. Trout, MD, MHS; Marie Haring Sweeney, PhD, MPH
In early 2011 NIOSH posted a blog entry commenting on the preliminary results from the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST), funded by the National Cancer Institute, that found a 20.3% reduction in deaths from lung cancer among current or former heavy smokers who were screened with low-dose helical computed tomography (CT) versus those screened by chest X-ray (CXR). On June 29, 2011, the peer-reviewed primary results from the NLST were published online in the New England Journal of Medicine. This is an update to the previous blog.1
The National Lung Screening Trial
The National Lung Screening Trial (NLST)2 was a national randomized controlled trial launched by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in 2002 to determine whether annual screening with low-dose helical CT would lead to earlier detection and reduced mortality from lung cancer relative to screening with CXR.
6 Comments -
Read more
Many areas of the country have been experiencing extreme temperatures this summer, and sadly the news has been full of stories about the lives lost due to heat stroke. While newscasters warn to stay out of the heat, many workers do not have that option. Keeping workers cool and well-hydrated are the best ways to protect them when working in hot environments. 
