NIOSH’s Respiratory Health Division: 50 years of science and service

Abstract

The year 2017 marked the 50th anniversary of NIOSH’s Respiratory Health Division (RHD). RHD began in 1967 as the Appalachian Laboratory for Occupational Respiratory Diseases (ALFORD), with a focus on coal workers’ pneumoconiosis. ALFORD became part of NIOSH in 1971 and added activities to address work-related respiratory disease more generally. Health hazard evaluations played an important role in understanding novel respiratory hazards such as nylon flock, diacetyl, and indium-tin oxide. Epidemiologic and laboratory studies addressed many respiratory hazards, including coal mine dust, silica, asbestos, cotton dust, beryllium, diesel exhaust, and dampness and mold. Surveillance activities tracked the burden of diseases and enhanced the quality of spirometry and chest radiography used to screen workers. RHD’s efforts to improve scientific understanding, inform strategies for prevention, and disseminate knowledge remain important now and for the future.

Status and prediction of disapproval of the Korean workers’ compensation insurance for diseases and injuries

“…21 In another case, respiratory system diseases (J00-J99) had the second highest risk of disapproval for occupational diseases, even though respiratory hazards are common exposure factors in most workplaces, including construction and mineral industries. 22 According to the World Health Organization, occupational respiratory diseases, including pneumoconiosis, asbestosis, and silicosis, have been considered a global issue, as estimated by the Global Burden of Disease project in 2000. 23 Regardless of this global concern, workers with respiratory diseases must be accompanied by supporting documents regarding their working history and accurate diagnoses to approve claims of work-related respiratory diseases.…”

The B Reader Program, Silicosis, and Physician Workload Management

“…The NIOSH B Reader system finds its origins in this program, which aimed to identify, certify, and engage qualified physicians in a national CWP screening endeavor 11 . As its name implies, “B” Readers were initially called upon to confirm suspected features of pneumoconiosis in a second-opinion capacity 12 .…”

“…The NIOSH B Reader system finds its origins in this program, which aimed to identify, certify, and engage qualified physicians in a national CWP screening endeavor. 11 As its name implies, ''B'' Readers were initially called upon to confirm suspected features of pneumoconiosis in a second-opinion capacity. 12 The program today dispenses with the preceding ''A'' Readers and instead relies upon a cadre of highly trained B Readers to independently establish findings of CWP.…”

Breathing-Focused Yoga Intervention on Respiratory Decline in Chronically Pesticide-Exposed Farmers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

“…However, the large-scale use of pesticides has surfaced as a double-edged sword associated with a varying range of detrimental health outcomes (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15). Prevention of workrelated respiratory disease constitutes the primary focus of the National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) (16). Though the modifiability of occupational exposures through educational strategies has grabbed some clinical interest as a preventive measure for further exacerbations including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and chronic bronchitis (17).…”