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Volume 4 Number 5 September 2006
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On
September 11, the United States marks the
fifth commemoration of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. First and foremost, the
commemoration gives occasion to honor the courage of those who died in the
attacks, to express our deepest sympathy for their survivors and loved ones,
to thank the responders who labored selflessly at the disaster site, and to
recognize the continuing impact of those tragedies.
I
am proud that NIOSH has worked closely with its universe of partners and
stakeholders to address the health and safety demands of the 9/11 disaster.
This
work has drawn on scientific and technical expertise rooted in NIOSH's 35
years of leadership. It has also challenged NIOSH, in many ways, to adapt its
expertise to the changing landscape of the post 9/11 era. To name some of
these contributions:
Within
hours of the World Trade Center (WTC) destruction, NIOSH staff were on site
at Ground Zero to offer technical assistance to responders who labored
heroically in the wake of the attacks. This was part of an unprecedented
federal deployment of help.
In
other technical assistance, NIOSH also helped to assess and recommend steps
to address potential occupational exposures to workers in several buildings
in the zone of the WTC dust plume.
NIOSH
has been the diligent steward of federal funds to fund medical screening,
monitoring, and treatment of WTC responders. This effort was begun with first
steps in 2002, recognizing the need to identify, anticipate, and address
potential health threats associated with WTC exposures in rescue, recovery,
clean up, and restoration.
NIOSH
has built on lessons learned from the 9/11 emergency response to help design
new equipment and strategies for safeguarding responders in large-scale
disasters.
More information can be found at
the WTC topic page at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/wtc/.
In the past seven months, I have been privileged to meet many in the New York
City community. Their personal stories have reinforced my
conviction that NIOSH has a vital continuing role to play in strengthening
safety, health, and security in the post-9/11 workplace. With your help, we
are dedicated to fulfilling that mission.
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Report Released on National
Academies' Review of NIOSH Hearing Loss Research Program
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The National Academies' Committee
to Review the NIOSH Hearing Loss Research Program released its report of
findings and recommendations on August
30, 2006. The Hearing Loss Research Program is the first of as
many as 15 NIOSH programs that will be evaluated with respect to their
impact, relevance, and performance addressing emerging issues. A copy of the
report is available online at http://www.iom.edu/Default.aspx?id=36811.
NIOSH thanks the National Academies, the
evaluation committee, and review participants for their work. NIOSH is
studying the report's findings and recommendations. More information about
National Academies' evaluation of NIOSH research programs can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nas.
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NIOSH Posts Revised Nanotechnology
Page
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A revised nanotechnology topic
page, describing NIOSH research on the occupational safety and health
implications and applications of this emerging technology, is available
online at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/nanotech.
The page was revised to make it easier for stakeholders and the general
public to navigate, read, and use, reflecting the substantial amount of
material that has been added to the topic page since the original version was
introduced in 2004. The revised page also highlights an updated version of
the online document "Approaches to Safe Nanotechnology: An Information
Exchange with NIOSH," which was first posted in 2005.
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NIOSH to Seek Applications for
2006 Director's Award
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NIOSH
is soliciting applications for the 2006 NIOSH Director's Award for Scientific
Achievement in Occupational Safety and Health. The award each year recognizes
outstanding scientific research achievement in the field of occupational
safety and health that has made a major impact or has the potential of making
a major impact for practitioners and workplaces. Researchers who are
currently receiving independent investigator-initiated grant support from
NIOSH are eligible for the competitive award, which provides a $10,000
supplement in direct costs to the grant that is the basis for the work cited
in the award. Watch the NIOSH Web page at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/oep for the
announcement.
With the 2005 Director's Award,
NIOSH was pleased to recognize the exemplary research of Dr. Charles A. Czeisler,
whose positions include Baldino Professor of Sleep Medicine and Director of
the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School. The 2005
award recognized groundbreaking research by Dr. Czeisler on the impact of
long working hours on serious medical errors by interns, and reductions in
the rate of such errors with strategic limitations on work shifts. More
information about Dr. Czeisler and his research activities can be found at http://sleep.med.harvard.edu/people/faculty/210/Charles+A+Czeisler+PhD+MD.
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MMWR: Adult Blood Lead
Epidemiology and Surveillance-United States 2003-2004
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The number of U.S. adults
with elevated blood lead levels declined in 2003-2004 from previous years,
according to new findings reported by NIOSH from data collected through the
Adult Blood Lead Epidemiology and Surveillance (ABLES) program. The program
is funded by NIOSH and enhances health surveillance to identify elevated
blood lead levels. The new findings were reported in Morbidity and Mortality
Weekly Report (MMWR) for August 18. The full MMWR can be accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5532a2.htm.
More information on the ABLES program can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ABLES/ables.html.
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Monthly Report from the NIOSH
National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory
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The
NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) releases new
figures on the respirator certification and approval process. During the
month of July, 17 requests for extensions of existing respirator approvals
and nine applications for new approvals were opened. In addition, NIOSH
opened processes for reviewing quality assurance (QA) manuals for three
respirator products; some manufacturers choose to submit their QA manuals for
NIOSH review prior to submitting the actual products. Thirty applications
were closed. These include 23 air-purifying, five air-supplied respirator
applications as well as applications involving two quality assurance manuals,
14 extensions of approval and eight new approvals. Certification was granted
for 27 products, and one application was denied and two were withdrawn. NIOSH
also conducted post-certification activities, including three site audits and
four 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.
NPPTL
will host the following public meetings.
- September 19, 2006 – Arlington, Virginia
– public meeting to discuss concept requirements for
closed-circuit escape respirators
- September 28, 2006 –
Golden, Colorado –
public meeting to discuss concept requirements for closed-circuit escape
respirators
- October 11, 2006 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
– respirator manufacturers meeting
- October 12, 2006 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
– public meeting to discuss ongoing standards and research
developments
- October 13, 2006 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
– public meeting to discuss new and continuing research
Additional details, including
registration information, are available on the NPPTL Web site http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/.
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NIOSH Agricultural Centers to Host
Journalists Workshop
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The “Children and
Agriculture: Telling the Story” Workshop for Journalists will be held
October 20-21 in Wenatchee, Washington. This
workshop provides an excellent opportunity for interested journalists to
learn more about the role of media covering childhood agricultural safety and
health issues. Among the topics for discussion: children at work in the
agriculture industry, farmworker housing and children’s health, and
environmental exposures including pesticide takehome pathways. The workshop
will be hosted by two NIOSH Agricultural Centers: the National
Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety and the
Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center. More
information on the workshop can be found at http://www.marshfieldclinic.org/nfmc/pages/default.aspx?page=nfmc_edu_and_train_journ_wkshp_welcome
or by contacting Scott Heiberger, National Farm Medicine Center, at heiberger.scott@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
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New Site
Showcases Industrial Workers from the 1940s.
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Over 50 photos of Connecticut workers
and occupational health professionals are now available for viewing on the
Connecticut Department of Public Health Web site. These photos are from the
NIOSH Collection of Historic Photographs and were taken by John Collier, Jr.,
a photographer for the Farm Security Administration on assignment for the
U.S. Public Health Service and the State of Connecticut Department of Health
in the early 1940's. The photos and brief descriptions can be viewed at http://www.dph.state.ct.us/BRS/EOHA/Documents/present.pdf.
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 NIOSH and AIHA co-host Chinese delegation
NIOSH and the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) had the pleasure
of co-hosting a delegation of Chinese occupational safety and health
officials and industry leaders on August
17, 2006. Marilyn Fingerhut, NIOSH Office of the Director, and Ed Thimons,
NIOSH Pittsburgh Research Laboratory, represented NIOSH at the event. Dr.
Fingerhut provided details on NIOSH global activities and Mr. Thimons
presented the NIOSH mining safety and health research program with particular
emphasis on methane and dust control. This meeting furthers our partnership
agreement with AIHA and extends the global exchange of occupational safety
and health information.
Two Revised Standards Released by National Fire Protection Association
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recently released two revised
personal protective equipment (PPE) certification standards. As part of a
Memorandum of Understanding between NIOSH and NFPA, personnel from the NIOSH
National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory serve as members of the
NFPA committees revising the standards and contributed scientific, technical
and user information that was critical to the revision process. NFPA 1994 Standard on Protective
Ensembles for First Responders to CBRN Terrorism Incidents
sets minimum levels of protection for emergency first responders to incidents
involving chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) particulate
terrorism agents. The revised standard sets ensemble protective performance
of hazard environments requiring the use of respiratory protective devices
approved to NIOSH CBRN respirator standards. NFPA 1971 Standard on Protective Ensembles for
Structural and Proximity Fire Fighting now includes an
optional protection category for CBRN hazards. More information on the
revised standards can be found on the NFPA Web site, http://www.nfpa.org.
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 First Meetings Scheduled for the NORA Sector Councils
The NORA Sector Councils are getting to work for occupational safety and
health research. During the next six months, eight sector councils and one
sub sector council will meet to draft goals, performance measures, and
implementation plans for the nation. The following table outlines the
upcoming meetings.
The councils are designed to be
representative of the sectors and knowledgeable of the many issues facing
those workers but still small enough to work effectively as a group. If you
want to be involved but are not called upon to be a member, stay tuned to
next month’s eNews to find out how you can be sector council
corresponding member. As always, contact the NORA Coordinator, NORACoordinator@xxxxxxx, if you
have any questions.
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Division of Applied
Research and Technology (DART)
On August 10 – 11, NIOSH along with the National Hearing Conservation
Association sponsored the "Barriers to Effective Use of Hearing
Protectors" Conference in Covington, KY. The
emphasis of the meeting was to identify real and perceived barriers to
hearing protector wear, point out new and emerging research areas and develop
best practices for meeting those barriers. Professionals from government,
academia, and industry attended and presented. For more information about
NIOSH research on hearing loss prevention in the workplace, visit http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise
or contact William Murphy at WMurphy@xxxxxxx.
Division of
Respiratory Disease Studies (DRDS)
A study reported in the August 25 issue of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report finds 11 cases of advanced coal workers’
pneumoconiosis in Lee and Wise counties, Virginia, a higher than expected
incidence. The findings emphasize the importance of comprehensive measures to
control coal mine dust effectively. The article is online at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5533a1.htm.
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Crash test dummy
head strike
against CPR seat cabinetry
during ambulance crash test.
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Division of Safety
Research (DSR)
Incorporating design features based on NIOSH research of ambulance
crash-related injury risk to emergency medical service (EMS) workers,
the Winter Park, FL Fire
Rescue Department has placed a new ambulance into service. In an
EMSResponder.com article titled Florida Rescuers Design Safer Ambulance,
Lt. A. J. Isaacs, the project manager, reported that some of the changes were
made after reviewing NIOSH ambulance crash studies. Contact Paul Moore at PMoore@xxxxxxx for more information on the
NIOSH ambulance safety research. The EMSResponder.com article can be found at
http://www.emsresponder.com/article/article.jsp?id=3519&siteSection=1.
Division of
Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies (DSHEFS)
Dr. Marie Haring Sweeney, Chief of the DSHEFS Surveillance Branch, was
presented with an award for dedicated and effective contribution to the
development of the Health Sector of Vietnam. The award was presented in
recognition of her achievements as the U.S. Health Attaché to Vietnam from
October 2003 through June 2006.
Education and
Information Division (EID)
NIOSH and the Institute for Work and Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, are conducting
an updated literature review of occupational safety and health training
research. The updated review will include training literature from the past
decade with attention given to those factors that make training effective.
Health Effects
Laboratory Division (HELD)
Dr. James Antonini recently received the American Welding Society Safety and
Health Award. The award is presented annually to an individual who best
encourages the advancement of welding safety and health through conducting
research, education activities, development of safe practices or the
dissemination of knowledge through publications or other means.
 National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL)
NIOSH is conducting a project to establish total inward leakage (TIL) laboratory
test capability and performance requirements for respirator certification.
The project is initially addressing the performance requirement for half-mask
respirators, including elastomeric and filtering facepiece styles. For more
information on this project, please visit the NIOSH Web site at
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/standardsdev/til/.
Pittsburgh Research Laboratory (PRL)
Using technology initially developed by NIOSH, the TramGuard™ system
has become the first Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) approved proximity detection system for remote control continuous
mining machines. The system was designed to reduce the number of fatalities
and injuries among miners working near continuous mining machines. The
mention of a trademarked product does not constitute a NIOSH commercial
endorsement. More information on the MSHA action is available at http://www.msha.gov/MEDIA/PRESS/2006/NR060829.asp.
Spokane Research Laboratory (SRL)
On August 3-5, 2006, the Spokane Research Laboratory
hosted the Major
Hazard Risk Assessment course presented by Professor
Jim Joy of the University of Queensland, Mineral
Industry Safety and Health Centre (MISHC). Attendees came from all sectors of
the mining industry and included representatives from Consol Energy, Phelps
Dodge, Newmont, Teck Cominco, Stillwater Mining, and Revett Mining. SRL's
Floyd Varley, who organized the initial course, will host a follow-up course
Risk Assessment Facilitator's course the week of September 11th.
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AAOHN to debut conference for leadership achievement in
September
The American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN) will hold its
annual Conference for Leadership Advancement, formerly Conference of Leaders,
in Long Beach, CA, September 13-15,
2006. Details of the conference, including registration
information, can be found on the AAOHN Web site at http://www.aaohn.org.
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Preventing
Asthma and Death from MDI Exposure During Spray-on Truck Bed Liner and
Related Applications
NIOSH requests assistance in preventing asthma, other respiratory diseases,
and death from exposure to methylenebis (phenyl isocyanate) (MDI). More than
10,000 U.S. workers are potentially exposed
to MDI during spray-on truck bed lining operations. NIOSH recommendations on
reducing exposures are provided in at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2006-149.
NIOSH videos available as audio pod
casts
The NIOSH videos "Working with Stress" http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/video/stress1.html
and "Violence on the Job" http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/video/violence.html
were featured as audio pod casts in the unveiling of the new U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Pod cast site, http://www2a.cdc.gov/podcasts. These
audio versions were adapted form the existing NIOSH videos of the same name http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/video.
The new CDC Pod cast site features pod casts, transcripts and video versions
of CDC publications.
Proceedings
of the First American Conference on Human Vibration
A NIOSH proceedings document is available from the First American Conference on Human Vibration
was held June 5-7, 2006 in Morgantown, WV. The
meeting showcased the most recent research regarding the physiological
effects of vibration and explored the etiology of vibration-induced disorders
and illuminated opportunities for their diagnoses, treatment and prevention.
The proceedings document can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2006-140.
Glutaraldehyde Topic
Page
NIOSH has developed a new safety and health topic page for glutaraldehyde, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/glutaraldehyde.
Glutaraldehyde is a colorless, oily, liquid-chemical with a pungent odor and
is used in a variety of industries. Workers can be exposed to glutaraldehyde
through inhalation or skin contact potentially resulting in upper and lower
respiratory problems, eye irritation and dermatitis.
Health Hazard Evaluations
The
following Health Hazard Evaluation Reports have been released.
- Evaluation of physical and psychological symptoms
following Hurricane Katrina. NIOSH
investigators responded to requests from union and management
representatives to evaluate physical and psychological symptoms among
employees of the New Orleans Fire Department and the New Orleans Police
Department in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The full
reports are available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2006-0023-3003.pdf
(NOFD) and http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2006-0027-3001.pdf
(NOPD).
- Evaluation of exposure at a newspaper printing
facility. NIOSH investigators
responded to an employee request to evaluate exposures to ethylene
glycol, propylene glycol, volatile organic compounds, respirable
particulate matter, and carbon monoxide. The full report is available at
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2005-0361-3005.pdf.
- Evaluation of exposures in a university research
laboratory. NIOSH investigators
responded to management request to evaluate potential employee exposure
to aerosolized Mycobacterium
tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) in an animal
bio-safety level 3 (ABSL3) laboratory. The full report is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2004-0081-3002.pdf.
- Evaluation
of dermatitis and exposure to metalworking fluids exposure.
NIOSH investigators responded to a union local’s request at a
facility that manufactures tapered steel roller bearings for use in
industrial and agricultural equipment. The full report is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2004-0399-3007.pdf.
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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 several 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 environments, such as
construction, agriculture, entertainment, and landscaping. 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. 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.
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Proximity detection systems are
designed to keep miners from being run over, crushed or pinned when they are
positioned too close to a continuous mining machine by providing automatic
proximity detection and shutdown of the continuous mining machine.
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NIOSH eNews on the Web:
www.cdc.gov/niosh/enews/
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Editor in Chief
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Max Lum
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Story Editor
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Tara Hartley
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Public Affairs Officer
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Fred Blosser
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Technical Lead
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Glenn Doyle
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Technical Support
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Joseph Cauley
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