At a glance
eNews is the monthly newsletter of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Each month includes an update from NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard, featured NIOSH research, new worker safety and health resources, upcoming meetings, and more!
From the Director's Desk
John Howard, M.D., Director, NIOSH
Workers Memorial Day: A Time to Remember
On this Workers Memorial Day, please join me in remembering and honoring workers who have died or suffered injury or illness in the workplace. At NIOSH, we recognize that the burden of workplace death, injury, and illness is tremendous. When a worker dies, their family, friends, and community carry this lifelong burden.
In keeping with the NIOSH vision of Safer, Healthier Workers, our research focuses on preventing work-related death, injury, and illness. Whether in the laboratory or in the field, our research is guided by the health and safety needs of the U.S. workforce.
The first step in preventing work-related death, injury, and illness is understanding where and how these events occur. For example, the NIOSH Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program (FFFIPP) investigates work-related death and serious injury among firefighters and recommends steps to prevent similar incidents. Nearly 30 years after its inception, the FFFIPP has investigated about half of all deaths among U.S. firefighters.
A relatively new member of the NIOSH family is the NIOSH National Firefighter Registry for Cancer. Like the FFFIPP, the registry is within the Center for Firefighter Safety, Health, and Well-being. Open to all U.S. firefighters, the registry is the largest effort of its kind to understand and reduce cancer in this workforce. With more than 45,000 firefighters joining since voluntary enrollment began in 2023, participation continues to grow.
In another program, NIOSH is the federal agency responsible for evaluating and approving respirators used in the workplace. Under the NIOSH Respirator Approval Program, approval depends upon meeting strict federal regulations for performance and safety. To ensure that approved respirators still meet these regulations, NIOSH continues to test commercially available respirators.
Since health hazards can occur in any workplace, the NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation Program accepts requests for evaluations across industries. Among the health hazards evaluated are heat, noise, and radiation; mold and anthrax; tuberculosis and flu; and strain on muscles and bones. If the program decides an on-site visit is needed, NIOSH staff may observe work processes, talk to employees and employers, and measure exposures.
One of our longest-running programs is the NIOSH Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program. Established by the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, this program focuses on early detection of black lung disease. Through its annual mobile health screenings, the program brings services directly to the communities that need them the most. This year, through its state-of-the-art mobile unit, the program will reach coal miners in seven states, from Alabama to Ohio. Black lung disease cannot be cured, but it can be prevented by avoiding exposure to coal mine dust. Under a regulation known as Part 90, miners with early symptoms can request a transfer to a job with less exposure to coal mine dust.
These are just a few examples of NIOSH research and programs that reflect our commitment to safe and healthy workers and workplaces. Workers Memorial Day not only commemorates injured and fallen workers but also serves as a reminder that all workers deserve safe and healthy workplaces.
Research Rounds
Prevalence of Reduced Mid-Expiratory Flow Among Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program Participants
By Laura Kurth, Noemi B. Hall, Brian Ansell, A. Scott Laney, and David J. Blackley, NIOSH
Why is this study important?
Coal miners who breathe in coal mine dust are at risk of lung disease. Symptoms may be mild to severe, depending on exposure amount and length. An early sign of obstructive lung disease is reduced airflow during the middle part of exhaling, caused by limited airflow through the small airways of the lung.
Early detection of lung damage from breathing in coal mine dust is important to prevent more serious disease. To this end, the NIOSH Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program provides lung function testing and chest X-rays to coal miners throughout the United States.
How did you do the study?
We calculated the number of coal miners with possible small airways disease based on their lung function testing results. We analyzed lung function, chest X-ray, and survey results from more than 7,000 coal miners who did not have obstructive lung disease based on standard lung function tests (spirometry). The miners participated in the program from August 2014 through December 2022. We defined signs of small airways disease as mid-expiratory airflow less than 65% of the predicted value when exhaling forcefully.
What did you find?
About 7% of coal miners without obstructive lung disease by spirometry had evidence of small airways disease. Older age, longer tenure, and X-ray evidence of black lung disease were associated with a greater likelihood of small airways disease. Almost 11% of miners aged 60 and older had signs of small airways disease, compared with nearly 4% of miners under 40. About 17% of those with signs of black lung disease on X-ray also had signs of small airways disease.
What are the next steps?
To prevent small airways disease, it is important to reduce coal miners' exposure to coal mine dust. This study shows that signs of small airways disease are common in coal miners even when other spirometry measures are normal. These signs may be an early indicator that the disease could progress.
Highlights
NIOSH Seeks Members for Federal Mine Safety and Health Committee
NIOSH is seeking three members for the Mine Safety and Health Research Advisory Committee. This committee, required by federal law, has up to 10 experts in mine safety and health research, occupational safety and health, engineering, industrial hygiene, epidemiology, medicine, or related scientific and technical disciplines. NIOSH announced the vacancies in a Federal Register Notice that was published on March 24. Nominations are due by April 22.
Call for Nominations Open for Prevention Through Design Award
NIOSH is excited to call for nominations for the 2026 Prevention through Design (PtD) Award. This annual award recognizes individuals, teams, and organizations that make workplaces safer by removing or reducing hazards through design. The award also recognizes those who have helped build knowledge that supports PtD solutions. Participants are encouraged to submit new or previous nominations for projects that improve workers' health and safety. Nominations are due June 1.
Request for Public Comment: Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health Value Profile Draft Document
NIOSH is asking for public comments on a draft Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) Value Profile for the chemical lewisite. NIOSH develops IDLH values for workplace chemical concentrations and conditions that can cause immediate and serious health risks. Comments will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on May 18. To read the draft and learn how to submit comments, visit the docket website.
NIOSH Adds Four Organizations to Total Worker Health Affiliate Program
NIOSH's Total Worker Health® Program has added four new affiliates: BETA Healthcare Group, Interactive Community Alliance, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, and Oregon State University. The NIOSH Total Worker Health Affiliate Program works with government and nonprofit groups to advance the safety, health, and well-being of America's workers. These new affiliates show the breadth of the affiliate network, ranging from employers using Total Worker Health approaches to groups promoting worker well-being. Visit the NIOSH website to learn more, including how to become an affiliate.
Federal Register Notices
Meeting of the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
The notice was posted on March 30. Comments must be received by April 15. The meeting will be held on April 29.
Solicitation of Nominations for Appointment to the Mine Safety and Health Research Advisory Committee
The notice was posted March 24. Nominations must be received by April 22.
Proposed Data Collection Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations: The National Firefighter Registry for Cancer (NFR)
The notice was posted February 24. Comments must be received by April 30.
Request for Public Comment on the Draft Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) Value Document for Lewisite
The notice was posted March 18. Comments must be received by May 18.
Meeting of the Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health, Subcommittee for Procedure Reviews, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
The notice was posted on March 30. Comments must be received by May 29. The meeting will be held on June 5.
New Communication Products
Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program Reports
- Senior Captain and Two Firefighters of Ladder Company Burned During Primary Search in Garden Apartment Fire—Texas (Report Slides)
- Career Firefighter Dies During Warehouse Fire at Unpermitted Film Studio—Georgia (Report Slides)
Health Hazard Evaluation Reports
- Evaluation of Diesel Exhaust Control Methods at a Fire Station in a City Fire Department
- Evaluation of Cancer Concerns Among Employees at an Elementary School
- Evaluation of Exposure to Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Cancer Concerns Among University Employees
- Evaluation of Peracetic Acid Exposure and Symptoms among Employees at a Beverage Manufacturing Facility
NIOSH Science Bulletin
News From Our Partners
New Documentary Explores Dangers of Shrimping
The Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health at the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health hosted the first screening of Hotel of 10,000 Stars. The event was held on March 31. The documentary shows the unseen labor behind the Gulf Coast shrimping industry and explains the dangers these workers face on the job. For more information, please visit the center's Continuing Education resources.
OSHA launches Safety Champions Program
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched the new Safety Champions Program to help businesses improve workplace safety. This program uses a three-step approach—introductory, intermediate, and advanced—that follows OSHA's Recommended Practices. Employers can work on their own or receive help. The goal is to build a strong, proactive safety and health program. Learn more and sign up at Safety Champions or contact SafetyChampions@dol.gov.
2026 Workers Memorial Safety Summit & Ceremonies in Washington, DC
Join OSHA for a Workers Memorial Safety Summit and Workers Memorial Ceremonies April 20–24 at the U.S. Department of Labor. This event honors fallen workers and raises awareness of occupational safety and health. OSHA invites National Cooperative Program participants to serve as exhibitors at the first Safety Summit April 21–22, 9:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. (ET). Memorial ceremonies will be held April 23, 1:00–3:30 p.m. (ET), followed by a candlelight vigil at 7:00 p.m. (ET). Visit OSHA's Workers Memorial webpage for more information.