Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene

N95 respirators are the core equipment used by healthcare workers to prevent the spread of respiratory diseases. The protective effect of N95 against infection spread depends on the fit of the N95 to the wearer, which is related to the wearer's facial dimensions. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess the relationship between the fit of three types of N95 and facial dimensions. A total of 305 healthcare workers from ten hospitals in Beijing were recruited for this study. Facial dimensions of workers were measured using Intel RealSense Depth Camera D435...

Work-related deaths are a persistent occupational health issue that can be prevented. However, prevention opportunities can be hampered by a lack of adequate public health resources. The Western States Occupational Network (WestON) is a network of federal, state, and local occupational health professionals that includes a 19-state region of the United States. To encourage public health collaboration, WestON partners examined work-related fatalities within the region. Fatality counts (numerators) were obtained from the U...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, dental face shields were recommended to protect the eyes. This study aimed to examine to what extent face shield and mask contamination differ when a pre-procedural mouth rinsing with Chlorhexidine (CHX) is conducted before treatment. In this prospective, randomized study, three groups of subjects were formed (rinsing with 0.1% CHX, water, or no rinsing (control) before aerosol-producing treatments). After each of the 301 treatments, the practitioner's face shield was swabbed with eSwab and the mask was brought into contact with agar plates...

Acrylamide (ACR) is an irritant that can cause damage to the eyes, skin, and nervous and reproductive systems. This study aims to illustrate a case of central nervous system and optic nerve damage from exposure to ACR. In this case, a 49-year-old male material handler was accidentally splashed with ACR solution on both of his upper limbs. Consequently, he was admitted to the hospital with toxic encephalopathy, characterized by cerebellar ataxia and slurred speech. Magnetic resonance imaging scan, a brain computed tomography scan blood sample analyses, optic coherence tomography, electroneuromyogram, and visual evoked potentials examination were performed...

Last responders constitute an occupational category that includes all those who are involved in the postmortem care of deceased persons and their families. The work of last responders is often considered "dirty work" and, as a result, stigmatized. Last responders are aware of this stigma, and stigma consciousness has been associated with negative health outcomes. Despite the wide acknowledgment of stigma among last responders, specific risk, or protective factors for experiencing stigma have not been investigated...

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No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Portable X-ray fluorescence has successfully been used to effectively evaluate occupational exposure to airborne and surface metal contaminants non-destructively. Traditional methods of assessing metal surface contamination involve the costly, time-consuming collection and laboratory analysis of wipe samples, making portable X-ray fluorescence an attractive alternative method for screening worksites by reducing delays in risk assessment decision-making. Existing research into this use of portable X-ray fluorescence has primarily been centered on the analysis of airborne and surface lead contamination...

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No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Air quality in a cancer facility is integral to the success of patient treatment. The organization must be committed to providing a patient care environment free of physical and biological hazards that result from construction and demolition activities. This project's intent was to safely demolish a derelict building in Texas while minimizing air quality risks and impacts to nearby hospitals and a proximal cancer hospital. Two of the neighboring facilities were less than 18 feet (5.5 m) away from the demolition location...

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The NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards is a trusted resource that displays key information for a collection of chemicals commonly encountered in the workplace. Entries contain chemical structures, occupational exposure limit information ranging from limits based on full-shift time-weighted averages to acute limits such as short-term exposure limits and immediately dangerous to life or health values, as well as a variety of other data such as chemical-physical properties and symptoms of exposure. The NIOSH Pocket Guide (NPG) is available as a printed, hardcopy book, a PDF version, an electronic database, and a downloadable application for mobile phones...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Hearing protection device (HPD) fit-testing is a recommended best practice for hearing conservation programs as it yields a metric of the amount of attenuation an individual achieves with an HPD. This metric, the personal attenuation rating (PAR), provides hearing health care, safety, and occupational health personnel the data needed to select the optimal hearing protection for the occupational environment in which the HPD will be worn. Although commercial-off-the-shelf equipment allows the professional to complete HPD fit tests in the field, a standard test methodology does not exist across HPD fit-test systems...

Many oil and gas extraction (OGE) activities occur in high heat environments, resulting in significant risk of heat-related illness among outdoor workers in this industry. This report highlights cases of occupational heat-related illness that resulted in death and identifies common risk factors for heat-related fatalities and hospitalizations among OGE workers. Two databases maintained by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) were reviewed to identify heat-related fatalities, hospitalizations, and associated risk factors among OGE workers...