Women's Safety and Health Issues at Work

Job Area: Transportation

In 2004, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated 1.7 million women were working in transportation, warehousing, and utilities, combined. Women working in transportation may be concerned about transportation accidents, injuries from falls, and respiratory illnesses.

Related Resources

A story of impact: improved safety for truck drivers: designing safer cabs based on driver body dimensions
Because a well-designed truck cab can make a significant difference in the safety working conditions for truck drivers, more attention should be paid to body dimensions of women who represent a growing percentage of truck drivers.

Cause-specific mortality among a cohort of U.S. flight attendants
The study found no evidence of increased breast cancer or melanoma among female flight attendants.

Circadian rhythm disruption: a chronic occupational hazard among flight attendants?
The study looked at whether female flight attendants were more likely to experience circadian disruption (sleep cycle/circadian rhythm disruption) compared to teachers. Although flight attendants slept longer than teachers, the study found flight attendants experienced lower quality sleep compared to teachers.

Development of historical exposure estimates of cosmic radiation and circadian rhythm disruption for cohort studies of Pan Am flight attendants
This article describes a method developed to estimate flight crews’ exposure to two potential causes of cancer: cosmic radiation and disruption of circadian rhythm due to travel through multiple timezones.

Job stress among female flight attendants
This study looked at constant job stressors among flight attendants. NIOSH researchers wanted to study the relationships between job stressors and psychological distress and job unhappiness. Researchers found moderate to low levels of distress and dissatisfaction. Lowering job stressors and enhancing social support may improve the well-being and job satisfaction of flight attendants.

Occupational lung cancer in US women, 1984-1998
The study of mortality data for more than 4 million women who died between 1984 and 1988 found that, with adjustments made for smoking, a significantly greater percentage than expected of lung cancer death was found among US women working in the US manufacturing, transportation, retail trade, nursing/personal care, and agriculture, forestry and fishing industries.

Prevalence of respiratory symptoms among female flight attendants and teachers
Potential health effects of the indoor environment in office buildings and aircraft have generated considerable concern in recent years. This study looked at the frequency of self reported respiratory symptoms and illnesses in flight attendants and schoolteachers. The study found FAs and teachers report a higher frequency of work- related upper respiratory symptoms, chest illness, and cold or flu than the general working population.

Psychosocial risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the lower-back among long-haul international female flight attendants
The flight attendants with lower back work-related muscle and bone disorders had higher perceived psychological job demands, job insecurity, and physical load, compared with those without lower-back work-related muscle and bone disorders. Findings suggest the need to consider the role of job tasks and psychosocial risk factors on lower back work-related disorders.

NIOSH Fatal Occupational Injury Cost Fact Sheet: Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities (NAICS 48, 49, 22)
This study found that the mean economic costs of fatalities to women in the Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities sector were higher than men.