https://medicalxpress.com/occupational-medicine-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Occupational medicine The average age of the German population is rising. Coupled with the growing labor shortage, these demographic trends pose major challenges for pension systems. According to proposals from the Pension Security Commission, the state pension age is to be gradually linked to rising life expectancy from 2032 onward. However, this will only work if people remain fit for work even in old age. Until now, there has been little scientific evidence in Germany as to whether, and for whom, a further extension of working life is feasible from a health perspective. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-longer-careers-younger-disadvantaged-workers.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 20:40:01 EDT news705064741 Workplace exposure to pesticides (herbicides and insecticides) is linked to a 60%–70% heightened risk of the most common form of motor neuron disease—amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS for short—finds a synthesis of the available evidence, published online in Occupational & Environmental Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-workers-pesticide-exposure-linked-heightened.html Tue, 04 Aug 2026 18:30:03 EDT news704970182 Compared with Army veterans, male veterans of the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard have higher rates of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), while Marine veterans have lower rates, according to a new study published July 29, 2026, in Neurology. The study also found that male and female officers had higher rates of ALS than enlisted personnel. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-veterans-als-military.html Wed, 29 Jul 2026 16:00:06 EDT news704463369 Lecterns have been a feature of public speaking for centuries. Research in the International Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics has developed a new design based on body measurements and working patterns of university instructors to reduce postural health risks linked to work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Lecturers rated it easier to use than conventional lecterns, the study reports. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-conventional-lecterns-outperformed-ergonomic-prototype.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 17:00:02 EDT news704463910 Sleep disturbances are far more common among workers in middle to later life than previously believed, according to a study that links work-related stress to a range of well-being issues. Researchers found that nearly 70% of participants experienced persistent, clinically significant sleep problems, despite having no known history of sleep disorders. Even more concerning, almost 92% met the clinical threshold for a sleep disorder at least once during the study. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-potential-crisis-workers-links-stress.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 16:20:03 EDT news704463781 A new four-paper series in The Lancet Public Health reflects a two-year collaboration among researchers at San Diego State University and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP), and sex workers from diverse geographic settings. Developed through meaningful community partnership, the collection provides the most comprehensive synthesis of evidence on sex workers' health in more than a decade and offers a contemporary approach to inform future research, policy and practice. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-paper-series-broadens-sex-workers.html Tue, 28 Jul 2026 07:20:05 EDT news704432761 Between 2018 and 2024, those who worked in construction and trades made up approximately one-third of deaths from opioid toxicity in Ontario where occupation was known, according to a report released this week by the Ontario Drug Policy Research Network (ODPRN). In addition to highlighting the toll of opioid toxicities in this sector, the report also draws attention to their impact among people across various occupations. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-opioid-toxicity-deaths-highest-workers.html Fri, 24 Jul 2026 22:40:01 EDT news704103090 Employees who engage with digital technology more mindfully are better protected against technostress, exhaustion and poorer mental well-being—and a new tool can now measure this capacity, according to new research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-mindful-digital-technology-workplace-burnout.html Fri, 24 Jul 2026 08:00:01 EDT news704097782 A recent Ontario Coroner's Review documented 34 deaths by suicide among correctional workers over the past 15 years, with 17 of those deaths occurring since 2020. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-mental-health-wont-psychological-injury.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 20:00:06 EDT news703772667 Black and Asian doctors in the UK are up to 30 times less likely to be offered medical training posts in some specialties than white candidates, data published exclusively by The BMJ today show. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-black-asian-doctors-specialties.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 18:30:08 EDT news703314686 A recent study from the Department of Nursing Science at the University of Eastern Finland published in the Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing found that reported incidents of severe workplace violence in forensic psychiatric inpatient care are not evenly distributed but concentrated in specific everyday situations, ward areas and times of day. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-workplace-violence-clusters-specific-routines.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 14:20:04 EDT news703245972 Health care professionals performing minimally invasive procedures in fluoroscopy laboratories, often called "cath labs," should no longer have to accept preventable radiation exposure and orthopedic injuries as part of their jobs, according to an expert consensus statement released today that is endorsed by six leading medical societies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-medical-societies-fluoroscopy-labs.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 11:00:08 EDT news703143623 Emergency call takers and dispatchers serve as the invisible frontline of public safety, navigating life-or-death crises over phone lines and radios without ever seeing the outcomes of their efforts. Now, a new study from UT San Antonio reveals that the specific words these workers use to describe their most stressful calls can provide early warning signs of depression and anxiety. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-word-choice-linked-depression-anxiety.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 10:20:13 EDT news703239182 Artificial intelligence could predict an individual office worker's risk of musculoskeletal injury in specific body parts, a study by QUT health and data scientists has found. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-neck-pain-stem-poor-stress.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 10:30:18 EDT news703155905 A football player standing over a penalty in a hot, high-altitude stadium is dealing with more than pressure. His body is trying to keep cool. His heart and breathing may be working harder. Less oxygen is reaching his muscles. One poor decision can end his team's World Cup. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-world-cup-football-fatigue-extreme.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 17:00:01 EDT news702820981 Silicosis—a devastating, incurable lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust—is surging worldwide, fueled by a new wave of aggressive cases in young tradespeople working with engineered stone. Despite its growing impact, the biological triggers that turn silica exposure into life-threatening lung inflammation and scarring have remained poorly understood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-airway-cells-immune-trigger-silicosis.html Mon, 06 Jul 2026 09:20:01 EDT news702543899 The transition to hybrid work has improved the psychosocial work environment among white-collar employees, according to new research from Umeå University. Positive effects include more accessible leadership, greater autonomy over work tasks and an increased ability to complete work within regular working hours. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-hybrid-women.html Thu, 02 Jul 2026 16:20:05 EDT news702210158 Cancer researchers at the Sylvester Firefighter Cancer Initiative (SFCI), part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, took a rare step to better understand the cancer risks wildland firefighters face: They became wildland firefighters themselves. The firsthand experience is shaping a new study of smoke, heat, heavy gear and environmental exposures as Wildland Firefighter Week of Remembrance, June 30–July 6, brings national attention to the dangers of the job. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-lab-cancer-wildland-firefighters.html Thu, 02 Jul 2026 07:40:01 EDT news702189301 Hot weather is already having a negative impact on U.K. construction workers' health and well-being, and most construction sites are not set up to protect them, researchers have found. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-sites-ready-extreme-workers-experienced.html Fri, 26 Jun 2026 07:20:03 EDT news701669641 Careers that tend to expose people to repeated low-level shock waves are associated with a slightly higher risk of clinically documented anger, aggression and violence, new research from University of Utah Health has found. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-jobs-high-exposure-explosions-anger.html Fri, 19 Jun 2026 07:00:03 EDT news701063761 Bending forward and, to a lesser extent, walking a lot at work in early pregnancy may raise the risk of miscarriage, finds a large study of more than 470,000 Danish women, published online in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-lot-miscarriage-early-pregnancy.html Thu, 18 Jun 2026 18:30:03 EDT news700990336 If you walk into a Costco, Home Depot or Lowe's and order a countertop for your kitchen renovation, the store will likely contract with a local fabrication shop, instructing it to make one from a material called engineered stone. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-quartz-countertops-health-crisis.html Thu, 18 Jun 2026 12:20:08 EDT news701003282 University of Warwick researchers have shaped a new Mental Health Joint Code of Practice, launched by the Construction Leadership Council, that presents solutions to poor mental health in construction, which is one of the most significant risks facing the construction industry. The Office for National Statistics says the suicide rate for men in U.K. construction is nearly four times the national average. Yet mental health harm is not inevitable; it is the result of decision-making around how construction work is designed, planned and led. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-tackling-root-mental-health.html Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:00:05 EDT news700824893 Paraquat is one of the world's most widely used herbicides. It's also highly toxic, and some research points to a link with Parkinson's disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-paraquat-parkinson-evidence-common-weed.html Tue, 16 Jun 2026 08:40:01 EDT news700811101 Mesothelioma deaths and diagnoses continue to rise in the United States despite decades of asbestos regulation and reduced industrial use, according to a new national analysis from Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-mesothelioma-cases-deaths-decades-asbestos.html Thu, 11 Jun 2026 16:00:01 EDT news700387621 A new study finds that employer points systems, which penalize workers for absences regardless of the reason, are strongly associated with presenteeism, the practice of showing up to work while sick, and that these systems undermine the public health benefits of paid sick leave laws even in jurisdictions where such protections are on the books. Published in the June 2026 issue of Health Affairs, the research, "Points-Based Attendance Systems Associated With Presenteeism Despite Paid Sick Leave Protections," draws on 2024 survey data from more than 3,000 hourly service-sector workers at 63 large U.S. firms. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-sick-workers-job-paid.html Thu, 11 Jun 2026 13:20:05 EDT news700400521 Routine exposure to harmful levels of the human tissue preservative formaldehyde is risking the health of thousands of NHS staff working in pathology departments across the UK due to poor monitoring and control, finds an analysis of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, published online in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-routine-exposure-formaldehyde-health-thousands.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 18:30:04 EDT news700132551 Heat could pose a danger to workers at the upcoming FIFA World Cup, according to a new study from the University of Georgia. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-pose-threat-world-cup-workers.html Tue, 09 Jun 2026 10:20:02 EDT news700215745 New Curtin University research has found Australians exposed to asbestos could be falling through the cracks of lung cancer screening programs. The study, published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, warns thousands of people at high risk of lung cancer may not be identified early enough because asbestos exposure is not being properly considered in current screening efforts. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-06-reveals-asbestos-lung-cancer-screening.html Tue, 02 Jun 2026 08:20:05 EDT news699601622 Occupational exposure and residential exposure to coal operations are associated with worse cancer mortality, according to a review published in Public Health. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-05-worse-cancer-mortality-association-exposure.html Wed, 27 May 2026 20:20:01 EDT news699092474