One special type of wearable technology holds particular promise for workplace health and safety, including potential applications in industry, healthcare, the military, and other arenas. Human exoskeletons are external structures or “suits” that support wearers in some fashion. In many ways, exoskeletons provide truly superhuman strength. They can be used to help lift heavy loads; hold a heavy tool over one’s head; walk faster, farther, and with less fatigue while carrying heavy items or rucksacks; and lift patients. They can even help paraplegics walk without crutches or other supports. Workers wearing an exoskeleton can sustain awkward postures, hold heavy tools, and absorb movement and vibration, potentially reducing stressors on the body and, therefore, reducing injuries. While exoskeletons have been in use for several years, older versions were heavy, bulky, cumbersome, and extremely expensive. Newer technology, materials, and creative thinking is leading to development of wearable “help” that has potential to prevent injuries and increase productivity without being prohibitively expensive or so unwieldy workers don’t want to use them. Traditional exoskeletons utilize a stiff frame (typically metal or carbon fiber) with a power source; some look like wearable robots. As human exoskeletons become easier to use and more cost effective, they are likely to be used increasingly in healthcare and industrial settings over the next few years. Some manufacturers, sensitive to the associations of the term “exoskeleton” with high cost and less than stellar ease of use, have adopted language such as “exosuit,” “wearable robotics,” and “wearable exo-muscles.” This article uses “exoskeleton” to refer to all types of wearable external support systems. Many of the prototypes for exoskeletons use fabrics that feature air chambers (air muscles), artificial gel muscles and sensors, or “4D” materials that are bendable and twistable in some positions but can stiffen in others. These wearables fit tightly to the body, move with body motions, and are made out of soft, flexible materials. Industries that require workers to perform lifting tasks have many instances of back injuries, shoulder injuries, and neck injuries. These injuries aren’t cheap, easily topping $100,000 in direct costs per incident if surgery is required. Many times, these injuries also reduce quality of life. Preventing them not only saves money: it helps keep workers healthy and avoid indirect “costs” such as physical pain that may never go away, family issues and stress, and lower income from shortened careers. Coworkers suffer too, due to the stress of being short-staffed; serious injuries can also lead to low morale among coworkers. While many exoskeletons are still in prototype, they hold great promise for reducing injuries, and their potential applications in occupational health and safety have drawn attention from NIOSH. In a post to its Science Blog on March 4, NIOSH notes that lifting and handling materials and use of heavy tools contribute to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), which account for nearly 30 percent of workplace injuries and illnesses that result in time away from work. According to Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, in 2012 the costs of injuries from overexertion exceeded $15 billion. NIOSH notes that the market for exoskeletons is expected to grow from $3 million in 2016 to more than $1 billion in 2021—not quite as large as the wearable technology market, but a tremendous increase nonetheless. The agency hasn’t yet conducted scientific studies on the potential benefits of exoskeletons for occupational safety and health. The blog post states that most existing studies of exoskeletons have been conducted in laboratories; calls for studies of long-term use in actual work environments; and identifies several issues that researchers might wish to address, such as the potential for transference of load between musculoskeletal regions that might put wearers at risk, the effects of exoskeletons on wearers’ sense of balance, and the potential for creating a “false sense of security” for wearers when handling heavy loads. NIOSH is also interested in determining how to safely adjust weight limits for lifting and handling of materials for workers wearing exoskeletons.