|
|
Volume 4 Number 4 August
2006
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
summer of 2006 has been a season of extreme weather, from scorching
record-setting temperatures in much of the U.S., to heavy rains and fierce
thunderstorms resulting in dangerous flooding. Severe weather affects every
aspect of our lives, including the time we spend at work. The impact is
especially great for men and women whose jobs involve outdoor activity.
NIOSH
provides several resources to help employers and workers address the seasonal
aspects of summer on the job, and to keep summertime work safe and healthy:
 Every
summer, heat is a concern for construction workers, landscape employees,
and others whose jobs are performed outdoors. This year, in many areas,
people who work indoors had no respite either. Fierce thunderstorms,
fueled by the extreme heat, resulted in power outages from New York to
California. Workers scrambling to restore power and air conditioning in
high temperatures are at risk for heat-induced disorders, such as
fatigue, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. NIOSH has assembled a resource
of information on its heat stress topic page, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/heatstress,
to remind workers not only of the potential for heat-related illness but
also injuries caused by slippery palms, fogged safety glasses, and
dizziness.- Responding to floods and
cleaning up flood damage afterwards pose many challenges and many
potential safety and health concerns. NIOSH’s wide-ranging
recommendations for keeping these work activities safe, with particular
attention to work activities in response to hurricanes and tropical
storms, are available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/flood.
 For outdoor workers such as
farmers, groundskeepers, and construction workers, summer can bring the
potential risk of exposure to the West Nile Virus through mosquito
bites. Precautions should be taken to prevent contact with potentially
infected mosquitoes. The NIOSH West Nile Virus topic page, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/westnile,
provides safety recommendations for employers and workers.- As families take to the water for relief from the
heat, they may not be aware of a risk of exposure to carbon monoxide
associated with generators and engines on houseboats and some other
kinds of recreational vessels. Employees at marinas and other facilities
who service and maintain such
 vessels may also be at risk.
Working with the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Park Service, and the marine
manufacturing industry, NIOSH has developed extensive data and
recommendations to prevent carbon monoxide poisonings and deaths. A new
NIOSH topic page, Carbon
Monoxide Dangers in Boating, provides a resource
for employers in marine recreational fields, employees, and others. This
page, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/coboating,
includes NIOSH health hazard evaluation reports that document risk
factors for exposure to carbon monoxide on and around houseboats; NIOSH
engineering control technology reports that describe evaluations of
engineering controls; and a national case listing of carbon monoxide
poisonings and deaths reported by states. For more information, contact
Kevin Dunn at KDunn@xxxxxxx or
Alberto Garcia at AGarcia1@xxxxxxx.
We at NIOSH hope that you will
have a safe and enjoyable time in this final month of summer, and we
encourage you to follow these safe practices while beating the heat.
|
|
Status Update from the NIOSH
National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory
|
|
During
the month of June, the NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology
Laboratory (NPPTL) opened 41 requests for extensions of existing respirator
approvals, and 15 applications for new approvals. In addition, NIOSH opened
processes for reviewing quality assurance (QA) manuals for two respirator
products; some manufacturers choose to submit their QA manuals for NIOSH
review prior to submitting the actual products. Applications for testing and
certification for 41 air-purifying and five air-supplied respirator
applications were closed, as well as applications involving five quality
assurance manuals. Thirty-six extensions of approval were closed, and 20 new
approvals closed. Certification was granted for 46 products, and 13
applications were denied.
NIOSH also conducted
post-certification activities, including 13 site audits and eight product
audits. Product audits are conducted on previously certified respirators that
NIOSH purchases and checks to ensure they are still in compliance with NIOSH
certification standards. NIOSH also investigated four field problems that
were reported and opened one certified product investigation.
|
|
Special Issue of Journal of Environmental Monitoring
|
|
The Journal of Environmental Monitoring
has released a special issue highlighting selected presentations from the Second Symposium on Beryllium
Particulates and their Detection, held November 2005
in Salt Lake City, UT. Featured in the issue, dated June 12, 2006, is an
editorial by Martin Harper, NIOSH Health Effects Laboratory Division, on
workplace aerosol sampling procedures and their relevance to the assessment
of beryllium exposures. Scientific articles by NIOSH researchers Kevin
Ashley, Paul Schlecht and Aleks Stefaniak include laboratory and field
analyses of trace level beryllium, vacuum sampling techniques for industrial
hygienists, and validating a portable method for determining trace levels of
beryllium. A link to the special issue, with abstracts, is available at the
Journal’s web site, http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/Journals/em/Beryllium_SI.asp.
|
|
New Health Hazard Evaluation
Reports Now Available
|
|
Three
new health hazard evaluation reports are available from NIOSH:
- Evaluation
of exposure to welding fumes. NIOSH
investigators responded to an employee request to assess whether smoke
from plasma cutting and welding was associated with employee complaints
of sore throat, runny nose, eye irritation, coughing, migraines, and
vomiting. The findings suggested that exposures to metal fumes, carbon
monoxide, and ozone did not exceed applicable occupational exposure
limits. To address irritant symptoms, however, the NIOSH investigators
made recommendations to improve general ventilation and hazard
communication training. The full report is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2003-0237-2986.pdf.
- Evaluation
of ergonomic factors at a building products distribution facility.
NIOSH investigators responded to a management request to address
concerns about ergonomic aspects associated with the lifting of
materials when filling customer orders. The evaluation indicated that
workers generally used good practices, such as positioning themselves to
avoid reaching across pallets while lifting, and adjusting the height of
storage and delivery pallets. However, the evaluation found a risk of
musculoskeletal injuries when factors such as the weight of objects
being lifted were assessed through the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation
and other criteria. Recommendations, including using lifting devices and
reducing the weights of bundled building materials, were made to reduce
the risk of injury. The full report is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2005-0318-3006.pdf.
- Evaluation of mold exposure at a marine
terminal. NIOSH investigators
responded to requests from managers of a cruise line and U.S. Customs and
Border Protection, operating at a marine terminal. The requests
concerned possible health problems related to mold exposure. Employees
in the marine terminal had higher rates of respiratory complaints than
employees from a nearby, non-contaminated facility. The NIOSH
investigators made numerous recommendations, including recommendations
to install vapor barriers between interior and exterior walls, seal
holds in the building envelope, evaluate engineering options to stop
water from entering the building, improve ventilation, conduct routine
maintenance, and seek evaluation and care from an experienced
occupational medicine physician. The full report is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2005-0138-3004.pdf.
|
|
NIOSH Chief Scientist Begins Term
as Interim CDC Associate Director for Science
|
|
James Stephens, Ph. D., the NIOSH
Associate Director for Science, became the Acting Associate Director for
Science for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on July 3.
Dr. Stephens began his NIOSH career in 1992 as a research chemist at the
Morgantown, WV, facility. In 1999, he became a senior scientist in the NIOSH
Office of the Director and was appointed as the NIOSH Associate Director for
Science in 2004. Anita Schill, Ph.D., NIOSH’s Deputy Associate Director
for Science, will serve as the interim NIOSH Associate Director for Science.
|
|
New York State Fair, August 24
– September 4, 2006, Syracuse, NY.
Be sure to stop by Booth #52 at the Verizon Center of Progress to visit an
exhibit by NIOSH’s National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory
(NPPTL) and the American Industrial Hygiene Association. Attendees can see
demonstrations on detecting workplace hazards and making safety and health
recommendations to prevent workplace illness and injury. Stations will
feature displays on physical, biological and chemical hazards, industrial
hygiene education and career information, and resources for preventing
workplace illness and injury.
8th
Annual Technologies for Critical Incident Preparedness Conference and
Exposition 2006, September 6 – 8, 2006, Atlanta, GA.
Look for NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory staff at
Booth #614 at this upcoming conference presented by the U.S. Department of
Justice’s National Institute of Justice, in association with CTC
Inc.-Public Safety Technology Center (CTC). Bill Haskell, program manager for
NPPTL research on personal protective equipment ensembles, will present
“Update on NIOSH CBRN Respiratory Protective Equipment
Standards and Project HEROES CBRN Structural Fire Fighting Ensemble
Program.”
|
|
 NIOSH and DuPont advance nanotechnology safety and health.
NIOSH and E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. will
collaborate on work to evaluate current product performance, test methods,
and research gaps related to personal protective equipment used to reduce
occupational exposures to nanoparticles. The agreement came in a memorandum
of understanding signed in June. The agreement is part of NIOSH’s
larger strategic program to advance research on the occupational safety and
health applications and implications of nanotechnology in the workplace. This
agreement is effective through December 2007.
|
|
 NORA public comments are now available online.
Public comments describing National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA)
research needs are now available online. They can be searched and printed at
the NORA Web site, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora.
Beginning in May 2005, NIOSH posed the question, “What do you think are
the greatest needs for workplace safety and health?” The comments
currently available were received from over 700 people who responded through
the NORA Web site and at the NORA town hall meetings. Their comments describe
which diseases, injuries, exposures and populations require new research and
interventions. Comments ranged from individuals to organizations, including
this comment from a 15-year old student worker:
Teens are…injured at a [rate] twice the rate of
adults…research should be geared towards teens…We teens have fun
and vibrant ways of spreading information and can recruit others to join us
in our fight…Hopefully, everyone in this room is listening, because
I’m really speaking through my heart. If you’re down with me,
then you’re trying to help the teens. (Full
comment is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/enews/nora/nora1/.)
Comments
also spanned cross-sector needs to sector-specific suggestions, such as this
comment about the health care and social assistance sector grouping:
We need a good series of studies of the impact of irregular hours of
work on the health of employees in this industry. This would include shift
work, but should not be restricted to “regular” shifts. One of
the areas worth exploring is the impact of irregular hours on diet and
obesity of workers. (Full comment is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/enews/nora/nora2/.)
You can search all of the comments
by visiting the NORA Web site, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora.
|
|
MSHA releases biannual newsletter
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) released the July issue of
its Approval and
Certification Center Customer Service Newsletter. The
newsletter provides information to equipment manufacturers and others
involved in the mining community. http://www.msha.gov/techsupp/acc/newsletters/newsletters.asp.
|
|
Four new mining-related publications
are now available.
 Information
Circular 9486. Handbook for Methane Control in Mining, DHHS
(NIOSH) Publication Number 2006-127, can be accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/pubs/pubreference/2006-127.htm.
 Technology
News. EZ-Up Curtain Stoppings: A Practical Solution for Directing Ventilation
Airflows in Large-opening Metal/Nonmetal Mines, DHHS
(NIOSH) Publication Number 2006-137, can be accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/pubs/pubreference/2006-137.htm.
 Technology
News. Super Stopping: A Permanent Solid Stopping for Directing Ventilation
Airflows in Large-opening Metal/Nonmetal Mines, DHHS
(NIOSH) Publication Number 2006-134, can be accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/pubs/pubreference/2006-134.htm.
 Report of
Investigations 9667. Effectiveness of Selected Diesel Particulate Matter
Control Technologies for Underground Mining Applications: Isolated Zone
Study, 2003, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number
2006-126, can be accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/pubs/pubreference/2006-126.htm.
Proceedings from two NIOSH-sponsored
conferences are now available.
 Proceedings,
Second International Fishing Industry Safety and Health Conference, DHHS
(NIOSH) Publication Number 2006-114 can be accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2006-114.
 Proceedings
of a Meeting to Explore the Use of Ergonomics Interventions for the
Mechanical and Electrical Trades, DHHS (NIOSH)
Publication Number 2006-119, can be accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2006-119/.
|
|
Barriers
to Effective Use of Hearing Protectors
NIOSH and the National Hearing Conservation Association will cosponsor the Fourth Best Practices Conference
August 10–11, 2006, at the Cincinnati Marriott at River Center in
Covington, KY. The conference will focus on real and perceived barriers to
effective hearing protector use, highlight practical examples of solutions to
overcoming these barriers, and provide direction for future research. Hearing
protector use in special populations and hearing protector use at the limits
of effectiveness are of special interest. Additional information about the
conference can be found at http://www.hearingconservation.org.
13th
International Respiratory Protection of Healthcare Workers and Emergency
Responders
The 13th
International Respiratory Protection of Healthcare Workers and Emergency
Responders Conference will be held August 27-September
1, 2006 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Topics for papers include respiratory
protection for healthcare workers, emergency responders, and those in
developing countries, updates on standards and regulations, emerging hazards
and technologies, and fundamentals of respiratory protection. More
information on the conference can be found at http://www.isrp.com.au/.
Contact
Dermatitis 2006 – Blending Science with Best Practice
A combined meeting of the Experimental Contact Dermatitis Research Group and
the American Contact Dermatitis Society will be held September 28–30,
2006, in Baltimore, MD. The meeting will focus on both the basic and applied
science, and the clinical science of contact dermatitis. More information is
available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/skin/cd2006.
Noise-Induced
Hearing Loss in Children at Work and Play
NIOSH and partners will cosponsor Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) in Children at
Work and Play October 19-20, 2006 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The conference will focus on the issue of NIHL in children who sometimes begin
working as early as age 10-12 years, often in noisy occupational
environments, such as construction, agriculture, entertainment and
landscaping. Other cosponsors for the conference include the National Hearing
Conservation Association, Oregon Health and Science University, the Marion
Downs Hearing Center, the University of Northern Colorado, and the National
Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. More information on
the conference is available at http://www.hearingconservation.org/conf_childrenconf.html.
International Conference on Nanotechnology
Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety: Research to Practice
NIOSH and the University of Cincinnati will cosponsor the International Conference on
Nanotechnology Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety: Research to
Practice December 3-8, 2006 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The
conference is centered on the impact of nanotechnology on occupational and
environmental health and safety. For more information, visit the conference
Web site at http://www.uc.edu/noehs. The conference
follows other successful international forums cosponsored by NIOSH in Buxton,
U.K., in 2004, Minneapolis in 2006, and Miami earlier in 2006.
|
|
CBRN Respiratory Protective Equipment refers to
respiratory protective devices used to prevent potential exposures of
emergency responders by inhalation to airborne chemical, biological,
radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) contaminants..
|
|
NIOSH eNews on the Web:
www.cdc.gov/niosh/enews/
|
NIOSH eNews is Brought to
You By:
|
Director
|
John Howard, M.D.
|
|
Editor in Chief
|
Max Lum
|
|
Story Editor
|
Tara Hartley
|
|
Public Affairs Officer
|
Fred Blosser
|
|
Technical Lead
|
Glenn Doyle
|
|
Technical Support
|
Joseph Cauley
|
Please send
your comments and suggestions to us at nioshenews@xxxxxxx.
|
|
To
unsubscribe to this newsletter
click here,
OR send an email to
LISTSERV@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx with SIGNOFF NIOSHeNews in the body of the
message.
This
newsletter is published monthly via email by the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health to inform members of the public health
community as well as interested members of the general public of Institute
related news, new publications, and updates on existing programs and
initiatives.
|
NIOSH Home |
NIOSH Search
| Site Index
| Topic List | Contact Us
|
|
