Manufacturing
Food, clothes, chemicals, furniture, oil and coal are just a few products processed by manufacturing workers. In 2004, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated over five million women were working in manufacturing - three million of these were production jobs. With the wide range of products processed, women working in manufacturing may be at risk for exposure to hazardous chemicals, physical demands, loud equipment, and long work hours.
NIOSH publications that relate to women working in manufacturing include:
A randomized controlled trial evaluating the effects of new task chairs on
shoulder and neck pain among sewing machine operators: the Los Angeles
garment study
This study looked at the effect of chair design on neck/shoulder
pain among sewing machine operators. The study found neck and shoulder
pain among sewing machine operators could be reduced by using an
adjustable height task chair with a curved seat pan.
Mortality among a cohort of garment workers exposed to formaldehyde: an
update
This study looked at workers from three garment plants to examine causes
of death that may be related to working with formaldehyde. Researchers
found a possible link between formaldehyde exposure and dying of
myeloid leukemia.
Mortality of workers employed in shoe manufacturing: an update
This is an update to a previous study that looked at the possible link
between cancer deaths and exposure to toluene in workers from two shoe
manufacturing facilities. Results indicated a possible link between
lung cancer death and repeated exposure to low levels of organic
solvents.
Polychlorinated biphenyls and neurodegenerative disease mortality in an
occupational cohort
This study examined PCB-exposed workers employed at capacitor manufacturing
plants that used PCBs. The study was done to determine whether death from certain
neurological diseases was higher compared to the U.S. population. Researchers
found women had a higher risk of death from certain neurodegenerative diseases
(amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson disease, and dementia).
For additional information that applies to men and women working in manufacturing, check out these other NIOSH web pages:
Manufacturing