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Volume 4 Number 9 January
2007
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A
year after the Sago mine disaster of January 2, 2006, the impact of the
tragedy continues to be felt. As safety and health professionals, we are
reminded that our work to identify, understand, and mitigate risks of injury
and death in work environments has a profound human dimension.
The
Sago disaster and the subsequent fatal explosion at the Darby mine in
Kentucky on May 20, 2006, prompted the landmark Mine Improvement and New
Emergency Response Act of 2006 (The MINER Act) which was
signed on June 15, 2006 http://www.msha.gov/MinerAct/2006mineract.pdf.
Among the charges given to NIOSH and its partners in the federal government,
the Act:
- Establishes an Office of Mine
Safety and Health in NIOSH, with responsibilities for stimulating new
mine safety technologies and equipment.
- Mandates NIOSH research on
alternatives for safe refuge of miners inside a mine during and
following an emergency, with results of the research to be reported by
the end of 2007.
- Gives NIOSH an important role in assisting a new
technical study panel on the utilization of belt air and the composition
and fire retardant properties of belt materials in underground coal
mining.
NIOSH
is working intently with its partners in the Mine Safety and Health
Administration, other federal and state agencies, and the mining community to
carry out its duties under the Act. Elsewhere in this issue, you will see
news items about our solicitation of proposals for refuge chamber research, and
about the formation of the technical study panel. The items provide links to
further information about these initiatives, which I encourage you to read.
In coming months, as these and
other efforts progress, we will keep you informed through new postings to the
NIOSH web page, NIOSH eNews
coverage, and other channels. We welcome your interest and comments as we
proceed.
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Update of Study of Asbestos
Disease in Libby Miners Published
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An updated NIOSH study of
asbestos-related diseases among vermiculite miners, millers, and processors
in Libby, Montana, was published on-line by Environmental Health Perspectives,
a peer-reviewed research journal of the National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences, on January 3. The study followed the Libby workers through
2001 and found that they had significantly higher than expected incidences of
fatal asbestosis, lung cancer, and cancer of the pleura. The findings were
consistent with previous mortality studies of workers from this cohort, which
were published by NIOSH researchers in the 1980s. The article is available
online at http://www.ehponline.org/members/2007/9481/9481.pdf.
NIOSH information and recommendations for minimizing the generation and
inhalation of dust during the handling of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite
from Libby are on the NIOSH topic Web page at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/vermiculite/.
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Broadening the Reach for Best
Practices of Handling Antineoplastic Drugs
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Work of NIOSH researchers
providing recommendations on best practices for controlling occupational
exposures involving antineoplastic drugs in health care settings appears in
the December 2006 issue of CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians (http://caonline.amcancersoc.org/current.shtml).
The journal, which is published by the American Cancer Society, describes
itself as the most widely circulated cancer journal in the world. The
article, “Preventing Occupational Exposures to Antineoplastic Drugs in
Health Care Settings,” broadens the audience reach of the 2004 NIOSH Alert on Hazardous Drugs
(DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2004-165, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2004-165/)
to include oncologists, primary care physicians, and nurses. This is the most
recent information available promoting safe handling of antineoplastic drugs
for the more than 5.5 million healthcare workers potentially exposed. Recent
studies have shown that workers continue to be exposed despite improvements
in safety policies and procedures since the 1980s. Contact Tom Connor at TConnor@xxxxxxx
for more information.
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Study of Effects in Women Cyclists
Reported
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Women who participated in prolonged,
frequent bicycling had decreased genital sensation and were more likely to
have a history of genital pain than women runners, a study by researchers
from NIOSH, Yale University’s School of Medicine, and Albert Einstein
College of Medicine found. The findings were published in the November 2006
issue of the Journal
for Sexual Medicine. An abstract is available on line
at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2006.00317.x.
The study did not address the long-term effects of bicycling on genital
sensation or women’s sexual health. It proceeded from earlier research
among police bicycle patrol officers, which suggested that prolonged bicycle
riding may have negative effects on nocturnal erectile function in men and
indicate a need for innovative bicycle saddle designs. More information about
NIOSH occupational health research on bicycle saddles and reproductive health
is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/bike/.
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NIOSH-Funded
Study Links Long Hours with Patient Risk
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First-year doctors-in-training
reported that working five extra-long shifts, of 24 hours or more at a time
without rest, per month led to a 300 percent increase in their chances of
making a fatigue-related preventable adverse event that contributed to the
death of a patient, according to a new study funded by NIOSH and the Agency
for Healthcare Research and Quality. Preventable adverse events are defined
as medical errors that cause harm to a patient. "In conjunction with
earlier research showing that medical interns also have an increased risk for
car crashes after leaving work at the end of an extra-long shift, this new
study adds further evidence that issues of occupational safety, health, and
quality of patient care in the health-care setting are closely linked,"
said NIOSH Director John Howard M.D. The study was published December
12, 2006, in the on-line, peer-reviewed journal PLoS Medicine http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0030487.
More information about the earlier study on medical interns' risk for car
crashes linked with extra-long shifts can be found in the February 2005 NIOSH
eNews.
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NIOSH
Chief of Staff Receives Meritorious Service Medal
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Captain Frank Hearl (left) receives his
Meritorious Service Medal from Captain Greg Kullman, NIOSH.
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Frank J. Hearl, NIOSH Chief of Staff and a Captain in the
Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, received the
Meritorious Service Medal, the second highest award available to Public
Health Service officers, in recognition of an exemplary career at NIOSH that
began in 1974. This award is given in recognition of meritorious service of a
single, particularly important achievement, a career notable for
accomplishments in technical or professional fields, or unusually
high-quality and initiative in leadership. The award cited Captain Hearl’s
outstanding leadership and scientific accomplishments, creative engineering,
innovative and adaptive approaches to complex occupational safety and health
issues, and contributions to engineering leadership, which had a major impact
on worker health.
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NIOSH
Mine Research Official Named to Technical Panel
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Dr. Jurgen F. Brune, chief of the
Disaster Prevention and Response Branch of NIOSH’s Pittsburgh Research
Laboratory, was named to a federal Technical Study Panel on the utilization
of belt air and the composition and fire retardant properties of belt
materials in underground coal mining. The panel was created under Section 11
of the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act of 2006 and
will prepare and submit a report to the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of
Health and Human Services, and Senate and House Committees. Dr. Brune is one
of six panel members. More information on the study panel is available from
the Mine Safety and Health Administration at http://www.msha.gov/MinerAct/BeltAir/BeltAir.asp.
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NIOSH
Invites Applications for Mine Refuge Chamber Project
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On December 18, 2006, NIOSH
invited applications for a contract to develop engineering guidelines for refuge chambers in mines. The work will support a mandate for
NIOSH research under the MINER Act of 2006. In several countries, refuge
chambers are accepted as a means of survival for miners in underground mines
after a disaster, if escape is not feasible. In the U.S., as a result of the Sago
and Darby mine disasters, several states now require or will require the use
of refuge chambers. The NIOSH solicitation is available at http://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/CDCP/CMBP/2007%2DN%2D09190/listing.html.
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- World of Concrete, January
23-26, NIOSH booth # N136
- Construction Safety
Conference and Exposition, February 13-14, NIOSH booth #513
- 2007 SME Annual Meeting & Exhibit and 109th
National Western Mining Conference, February 25-28, NIOSH booth #1123
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 NIOSH Partners in Beryllium Sample Method Validation
In collaboration with a private company and Los Alamos
National Laboratory, NIOSH researchers validated a standardized portable
fluorescence method for determining trace beryllium in workplace air and wipe
samples. Laboratories can now be accredited for this field-portable technique
through the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Laboratory
Accreditation Program. This technique offers a rapid and sensitive
analysis of beryllium exposure in the workplace. This method has been
published as an ASTM International Standard (ASTM D7202) and is in the
approval process for inclusion in the fifth edition of the NIOSH Manual
of Analytical Methods. For information, contact Dr. Kevin Ashley at KAshley@xxxxxxx.
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(left to right) Eva Hellsten (Brussels), Göran
Pershagen (Stockholm), Lang Tran (Edinburgh), Lars Wiklund (Stockholm), Bengt
Fadeel (Stockholm), Valerian Kagan (Pittsburgh), Magnus Svartengren
(Stockholm), Harald Krug (Karlsruhe), Anna Shvedova (Morgantown).
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NIOSH Research Presented at Swedish Nanotoxicology Forum
NIOSH toxicity studies on nano-scale particles were presented at a November
27, 2006, symposium, “Nanotoxicology: Potential Risks and Safety
Assessment” at Sweden’s Nobel Forum. This symposium on nanotoxicology,
the first symposium of its kind in Sweden, covered a wide spectrum of topics
of relevance to the understanding of properties and effects of nano-sized
particles that have implications for occupational health. The symposium was
hosted by the Institute of Environmental Medicine at Karolinska Institutet,
and was sponsored, in part, by the Swedish Society of Toxicology. NIOSH
joined more than 100 participants from academic institutions, industry, and
government agencies, and Swedish Public Radio broadcast short interviews with
two of the invited speakers, Dr. Anna Shvedova of NIOSH and Dr. Eva Hellsten
of the European Commission. A review based on the Nobel Forum symposium will
be published early next year in the journal Nanotoxicology.
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Update
from the NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL)
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 Personal Protective Equipment for Healthcare Workers During an
Influenza Pandemic
The Institute of Medicine convened a December 13-14, 2006, meeting of an
expert committee and NIOSH to examine research directions and certification
and testing issues regarding the use of personal protective equipment during
an influenza pandemic. The study will focus on face masks and respirators for
healthcare professionals. A workshop is scheduled to take place in February
2007. A report will be issued that includes the committee's recommendations
on next steps for research on personal protective equipment for use in an
influenza pandemic. Information about the committee membership, committee
charge, and the first meeting can be found at:
http://www8.nationalacademies.org/cp/meetingview.aspx?MeetingID=1762&MeetingNo=1
Changes to NFPA
Standard Call for NIOSH Certification
Revisions made for the 2007 edition of the National Fire Protection
Association’s (NFPA) Standard 1981 require that self-contained
breathing apparatus presented for NFPA approval under the standard for use in
chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) incidents must also
have certification by NIOSH for such use. For more information, see the
December 8, 2006, letter to all manufacturers at
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/resources/pressrel/letters/lttr-120806.html
or contact Heinz Ahlers at hahlers@xxxxxxx.
Collaborative
Project on Permeation Test Criteria Begin
NIOSH began a new collaborative project, “Risk-Based Material
Permeation Criteria,” in December 2006. The objective of this project
is to create permeation test end points for toxic industrial chemicals, based
on toxicological data. The outcomes of this project will be used to directly
support the development of national and international consensus standards to
support the certification of appropriate protective clothing ensembles for
chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) incidents. Partners
include the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion, and Preventive Medicine,
the Royal Military College of Canada, International Personal Protection, and
additional external consultants. Contact Angie Sheperd at AMSheperd@xxxxxxx for more information.
NPPTL Releases
October and November Figures on the Respirator Certification and Approval
Process
During November 2006, the Technology Evaluation Branch of NIOSH’s
National Personal Protection Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) closed a total of
27 projects. There were 14 respirator approval decisions and three denials,
and 10 applications were withdrawn by the manufacturer. Of these 27 projects,
16 were for certification of new products, eight were modifications of
products that had been previously approved, and three were Certified Product
Investigations. During October 2006, NIOSH received 26 applications for
extensions of approval and 15 applications for new approvals.
The Engineering Evaluation team
conducted two quality assurance manual audits to evaluate the quality
assurance process and manufacturing practices. One product audit was
initiated. The Certified Product Investigation Process completed three
evaluations of previously certified products. Seven new approvals and two
modifications of approval were for CBRN respirators.
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Mark
Your Calendars: Important Paper and Poster Submission Deadlines.
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Just
a reminder of several upcoming paper and poster submission deadlines for
occupational safety and health related conferences.
- National Safety Council 2007 Congress and Expo
October 12-19, 2007, Chicago, Illinois
Call for Papers deadline is January 12, 2007
http://www.nsc.org
- Association of Occupational Health Professionals 2007
National Conference
September 26-29, 2007, Savannah, Georgia
Call for Posters deadline is February 15, 2007
http://www.aohp.org
- Occupational and
Environmental Exposures of Skin to Chemicals
June 17-20, 2007, Golden, Colorado
Call for Papers deadline is February 17, 2007
http://www.mines.edu/outreach/cont_ed/oeesc
- European Respiratory Society Annual Congress 2007
September 15-19, 2007, Stockholm, Sweden
Call for Papers deadline is February 22, 2007
http://www.ersnet.org/ers/default.aspx
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Survey and Analysis
of Air Transportation Safety Among Air Carrier Operators and Pilots in Alaska
This document, DHHS (NIOSH), Publication No. 2007-102, describes a
comprehensive survey of air taxi and commuter operators and pilots in Alaska
in which company and pilot demographics, flight practices, and attitudes
about safety were examined. The document provides information about current
practices and how industry views potential safety measures, which is critical
to designing effective prevention strategies.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2007-102/
Workplace Solutions:
Preventing Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Sonography
This document, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2006-148, addresses risks that sonographers
face for developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The document
provides NIOSH recommendations appropriate engineering controls, work
practices, hazard communication, and training to prevent these work-related
musculoskeletal disorders.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/wp-solutions/2006-148/
Three New Mining
Publications Are Now Available
NIOSH released the following mining publications:
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Refuge Chamber: A fixed or
portable chamber at a strategic location in an underground mine, where miners
may take haven and survive for an extended period if they are unable to
escape from a mine during or after an emergency.
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NIOSH eNews on the Web:
www.cdc.gov/niosh/enews/
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NIOSH eNews is Brought to
You By:
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John Howard, M.D.
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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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Please send
your comments and suggestions to us at nioshenews@xxxxxxx.
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