In cities around the world, an army of researchers has been busy swabbing mass transit kiosks, public benches, hospital floors, and other high traffic urban surfaces. They’re looking for genetic evidence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and using the data to build computational models that could warn us of impending viral outbreaks. READ MORE

With the array of influences on worker safety and health, how do researchers know what questions to ask or where to look for issues? Traditionally, they focused on the workplace itself. As the COVID-19 pandemic and other current events have shown, however, outside influences—social, political, and economic—can have profound effects. READ MORE

For most of the past year, occupational and environmental health and safety professionals have been responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. At some point, however, pandemic operations will demobilize. How, then, will OEHS professionals lead their workplaces to a new, post-pandemic "normal?" READ MORE

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is making major changes to the way it evaluates the safety of new chemicals, the agency announced March 29. To start, EPA will assess the risks of all uses—known and potential—of a new chemical, and it will mandate necessary protections for workers. READ MORE

For months, health authorities have singled out indoor spaces with poor ventilation as potential infection hotspots. READ MORE

[In a recent blog post, NIOSH shares] excerpts from The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1971-1996: A Brief History by Lynne Page Snyder, PhD. Dr. Snyder completed the historical essay in 1998 while she was with the Office of the Public Health Service Historian at the National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine. Despite the title, Snyder’s work also traces the predecessors of NIOSH back to 1914. READ MORE

Marking a major milestone, the National Toxicology Program acclaims its common goals and collaborative research with NIOSH. This year is the 50th anniversary of NIOSH, which was created by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. READ MORE

After a year of frequently changing guidance and requirements for construction firms, OSHA has issued new guidance on mitigating and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace, which expands on earlier guidance on preventive measures and addresses new topics such as workplace testing programs, employee vaccinations, and sick leave policies. READ MORE

For people working in the agriculture industry who have developed Parkinson's as a result of long-term exposure to pesticides, claiming benefits from Quebec's workplace health and safety board is about to get easier. READ MORE

The National Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction was launched in 2012 through the NORA Construction Sector Council with leadership from NIOSH, OSHA, and CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training to address the high rate of both fatal and nonfatal falls in the industry. READ MORE