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NIOSH Programs > Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities > NIOSH Funded Research Grants
Transportation, Warehousing and UtilitiesActivities: NIOSH Funded Research GrantsNIOSH sponsors research and training through its extramural programs, which complement the Institute's intramural programs. More information is available from the NIOSH Office of Extramural Programs. Screening for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Commercial DriversObesity, male gender, and middle age, the typical demographic features of the commercial driver, are also the three strongest risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea. Morbidity from this condition is substantial, and includes hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke, insulin resistance, and fall-asleep crashes. The purposes of this project are to: 1) Evaluate how well self-assembled technologies used in the home setting identify sleep apnea in commercial drivers; 2) Determine whether an occupational screening evaluation can be combined with home diagnostic technologies to reduce the number of patients that need testing; and 3) Determine the relative economic costs of these screening strategies. Project contact: Indira Gurubhagavatula Development of Guidelines and Assessment Tools for Truck Ingress/EgressThis project will develop procedures to evaluate anthropometric and biomechanical considerations related to risk of slipping or falling while entering or exiting a truck. The assessment procedures will be developed based on studying truck drivers in truck ingress/egress for use with digital human modeling software to characterize human factors evaluations of truck cabs. The research will yield scores that can be used to rank alternative systems. The design guidelines will be based on application of the new assessment procedure so that they specify system-level as well as component-level requirements. The outcomes of this research will be applied to improving truck design. Project contact: Matthew Reed Preventing Work Injuries and Chronic Illnesses in TruckersThe aims of this study are to: 1) identify injury risk factors and the prevalence of health problems among truck drivers; 2) to compare driver medical examination results with other health indicators; and 3) to develop and pilot test a health promotion and weight reduction program for truckers. Expected project outcomes are: 1) identification of risk factors for motor vehicle crashes and injuries, emphasizing the factors that shorten truck drivers’ careers; 2) recommendations to change the Commercial Driver Medical Examination; and 3) determination of drivers’ potential acceptance of a weight reduction program. Project contact: Kurt Hegmann A PC Based Virtual Reality Simulation for Forklift Safety Training, Phase IIThis project aims to deliver a low cost, hands-on, active OSHA-compliant virtual reality safety trainer that allows trainees to operate a virtual forklift in hazardous conditions. The result of this project will be a radically improved forklift safety training platform that will be the first ever mass marketed virtual reality based simulation. Project contact: Kevin P. Chugh Control of Workplace Diesel Exhaust ParticulateThe specific aim of this project is to reduce the risk of lung cancer and other cancers in workers by developing and testing practical technology to control DEP emissions from workplace machinery. Project contact: Alfredo Armendariz Page last updated: July 21, 2005
Page last reviewed: April 25, 2008 Content Source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) |
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NIOSH Program:Transportation, Warehousing and Utilities |
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