Office workers are at high risk of experiencing musculoskeletal, or soft-tissue, disorders from repeated motion and awkward positions, such as sitting for long hours in front of a computer. Previous research has shown that safe and efficient, or ergonomic, office equipment can help reduce the risk, but obtaining the right equipment sometimes can be challenging.

Workers often tend to be healthier and live longer than their unemployed peers, who may be unable to work due to illness or other issues. A recent study by NIOSH and a university partner aimed to understand how to account for these “healthy worker effects” in studies among pregnant workers.

They may have been on to something. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) believes that having the right amount of knowledge helps protect workers from harmful levels of chemicals. For this reason, NIOSH recently released a report on occupational exposure banding to assess chemical hazards in the workplace.

The total cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States is estimated to be $327 billion . Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ: CTAS), a leading provider of workplace first aid, safety supplies and training services, is teaming with the American Diabetes Association® (ADA) to help people living with diabetes thrive in the workplace.

Fewer injured workers are receiving opioids, and more are receiving non-opioid medications (e.g. NSAIDs) and non-pharmacologic treatments like physical therapy, according to a study just released by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). John Ruser, president and CEO of WCRI, said opioid overdose deaths continue to be a top public health priority in the United States.

Today is National Heatstroke Prevention Day (July 31st), a good time to focus attention on precautions that should be taken against extreme heat and humidity. Employees who are new to outdoor work at at greatest risk for heat-related illnesses. Cal/OSHA found that of 25 incidents of heat-related illness they investigated, almost half of the cases involved a worker on their first day of work.

Although many women can and do work throughout their pregnancies – depending upon the physical demands of their job – being pregnant can present challenges in the workplace. The Mayo Clinic offers guidance on how to alleviate common pregnancy discomforts that may occur at work, and how to determine if a work task might jeopardize a pregnancy.

The quality of sleep, more than the quantity, has a lot to do with save behaviors in the workplace, according to Colorado State University (CSU) researchers who studied the relationship between the two as it applied to Portland-area construction workers. The research, which was part of an Oregon Healthy Workforce study, compared the workers’ self-reported sleep patterns with reports of safety behavior and workplace injuries.

Dueling ads currently playing out on the nation’s TV screens show both sides in an escalating conflict involving manufacturers, health experts and federal regulators. PSAs produced by the FDA warn American children about the dangers of e-cigarette use, or vaping. Meanwhile, e-cigarettes – whose makers have so far managed to evade the ban on tobacco advertising, despite the fact that the devices contain tobacco – are portrayed as health aids which can assist smokers in quitting the use of conventional cigarettes.