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Volume 6 Number 4
August 2008
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As
the new Acting Director of NIOSH, I wanted to take this opportunity to
introduce myself. My professional background and career path have been in the
areas of occupational, injury, and environmental epidemiology, and I had the
privilege of joining NIOSH in July 2007 as Principle Associate Director.
Before that, I served as Director of the Unintentional Injury Prevention
Division in CDC's National
Center for Injury
Prevention and Control, and had a short temporary assignment as the CDC Goal
Team Leader in the agency's Office of Strategy and Innovation.
I have been with NIOSH for just over a year now and I have been greatly
impressed during this time with the dedication and hard work of the NIOSH
staff and that of our partners and stakeholders. This impressive body of work
was no more apparent than during the 2008 NORA Symposium, held July 29 in Denver, Colorado.
The
Symposium was an opportunity to highlight the important and significant work
we are all doing to address worker safety and health across all industries.
This year we had the honor of awarding three projects for their innovative
research and partnerships. I would like to again congratulate those who
worked on the following projects:
- The 2008 NORA Innovative Research Award Winner
– “Optimizing Supervisor Response to Workplace Injury”
- The 2008 NORA Innovative Research Award
Honorable Mention – “Lab Testing of Adjustable Safety
Rail-Roof Bracket Assembly”
- The 2008 NORA Partnering
Award Winner – “Safe Patient Handling and Movement Training
Program for Schools of Nursing”
I
am looking forward to hearing about the continued success from this
year’s winners at the 2010 NORA Symposium.
We
also had the opportunity to hear about the continued success of the 2006
awardees. It was wonderful to hear of new partnerships that have come about,
the adaption of lessons learned from the initial projects to other industries,
and the significant changes achieved by these researchers in improving the
communication of occupational safety and health risks to workers.
A
new feature of this Symposium was its accessibility online for those who were
not able to attend in person. This “Virtual Symposium” can still
be viewed online and I would encourage all of you to visit, view and comment
on the submitted posters, and watch a video of Dr. John Howard’s
excellent key note speech. The “Virtual Symposium” is accessible
at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora/symp08/virtualsymposium.html.
It
was encouraging to meet and in many cases to renew my association with so
many of NIOSH’s dedicated stakeholders and partners who have made a
commitment to working with us in addressing the current and future
occupational safety and health issues. This idea of working together through
NORA and other partnerships is a legacy given to us by the long line of
distinguished NIOSH Directors. I hope to continue to foster this legacy as
Acting Director with the same hope of fostering partnerships that result in a
safer workplace for all workers.
It
is my honor and privilege to serve as the Acting Director of NIOSH in this
time of transition. And I look forward to working with all of you as we move
forward together.
Christine M. Branche, Ph.D.
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NIOSH joins in
highlighting National Firefighter Health Week
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 In
conjunction with their Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program, the National
Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has announced that the second annual National
Firefighter Health Week will be held August 18 – 22, 2008. NIOSH is
partnering with the NVFC to promote this week-long initiative that is
designed to educate the fire and emergency services community, and the
public, about heart-health as well as a variety of other health and wellness
issues. Each day of National Firefighter Health Week is dedicated to a different
health issue of particular concern to the fire and emergency services. The
issues that will be highlighted are behavioral health, nutrition,
heart-health, respiratory/lung health, and diabetes. Please go to the
following link for more information on this very important initiative http://www.healthy-firefighter.org
or contact Tim Merinar at TMerinar@xxxxxxx.
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ILO names Dr.
John Howard to head ILO Encyclopedia Steering Committee
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Former NIOSH Director John Howard,
M.D., will chair the Steering Committee of the International Labour
Organization's (ILO) Steering Committee for the 5th Edition of the ILO
Encyclopedia of Occupational Health and Safety, the ILO announced July 24,
2008. Dr. Howard's longstanding experience in leading a national approach to
occupational safety and health will help the ILO ”apply the lessons learned
from his nation to many of our ILO country programmes, thus improving the
lives of our constituents throughout the world," said Dr. Sameera
Al-Tuwaijri, the director of the ILO's Safework Programme. The ILO
Encyclopedia is an international resource of information for preventing
work-related injuries and illnesses. Further information about the ILO
Encyclopedia is available through the ILO by emailing ENCYCLOPAEDIA@xxxxxxx.
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2008 NORA
Innovative Research and Partnering Awards Announced
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Congratulations to the recipients
of the 2008 NORA Innovative Research and 2008 NORA Partnering Awards,
presented on July 29. The 2008 NORA Innovative Research Award honored a
collaboration that developed and tested a successful strategy for
strengthening the key role of supervisors in reducing workers’ risk for
painful and costly work-related musculoskeletal injuries. The 2008 NORA
Partnering Award recognized two partnerships, one that developed, applied and
evaluated a curriculum for schools of nursing in techniques and mechanical
aids for lifting and moving patients safely, and the other for study design,
data gathering, data analysis, manuscript preparation and the design of
research-to-practice efforts relating to a new model for working safely with
beryllium and beryllium materials. Learn more about these awards and the
awardees at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora/symp08/award08.html.
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NIOSH engineer
receives first ASTM leadership award
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Angie Shepherd, General Engineer
with the NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, is the
inaugural recipient of the ASTM International President’s Leadership
Award. The award was presented during the ASTM Annual Members Meeting on June
25, 2008 by Jim Thomas, President of ASTM International. This new award was
created "to recognize the accomplishments of individuals early in their
ASTM career." Originally known as the American Society for Testing and
Materials, ASTM International is a long-established voluntary standards
development organization.
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NIOSH study
estimates burden of silicosis mortality
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A study by NIOSH scientists in the
July 18 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s
(CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report estimates the “years of
potential life lost” before age 65 due to death from silicosis. This is
a measure of the severity and prevalence of silicosis, underscoring the need
to prevent this occupational disease. The full article is available online at
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5728a3.htm.
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NIOSH FERV
Showcased as Premier Exhibit at AIHce 2008
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The NIOSH Field Evaluations and
Response Vehicle (FERV) traveled to Minneapolis,
Minnesota, June 2-4, 2008, for the
American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Expo 2008. The exhibit included an
open-house of the vehicle and a series of posters that highlighted health
hazard evaluations (HHEs) and emergency response activities. There was also a
photo slide show, examples of sampling equipment and personal protective
equipment, and a variety of NIOSH and HHE program-specific handouts. Since
being placed into service in 2006, the FERV has transported hearing booths to
New Orleans to provide audiometric testing at
animal shelters; supported a large-scale heat stress evaluation at an
aluminum smelter in Texas; and has also been
used for several local HHEs in the Cincinnati,
Ohio area. NIOSH investigators
foresee an ever-increasing use of the FERV to support HHEs and emergency
response efforts.
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Update from
the NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology
Laboratoy
(NPPTL)
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From January 1 through June 30,
2008, the NPPTL Technology Evaluation Branch closed a total of 331 projects:
236 products were granted approvals, 28 were denied and 15 applications were
withdrawn from the manufacturer. Of the approvals, 42 pertained to new
products, and 130 pertained to modifications of previously approved products;
there were 18 certified product investigations. Also during this
time, 284 applications were received: 125 were extensions and 49 were new
approvals. The NPPTL Engineering Evaluation Team conducted 46 quality
assurance manual audits to evaluate the quality assurance process and
manufacturing practices. There were 22 new approvals or modifications of
approval for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN)
respirators.
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REMINDER: Two
Documents for Public Review and Comment
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NIOSH
has posted two documents for public comment.
- The revised draft strategic research document,
“Asbestos Fibers and Other Elongated Mineral Particles: State of
the Science and Roadmap for Research,” incorporating public
comments and peer review comments on the initial version. All comments
are requested by September 30, 2008 http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/review/public/099-A
- NIOSH is seeking input from
stakeholders and manufacturers on the draft document, “The
Potential Modification of the NIOSH Statement of Standard for a
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Full Facepiece
Air-Purifying Respirator.” Comments will be accepted until October
16, 2008. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/review/public/139
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- The July 28, 2008 posting by
Dr. Sidney Soderholm, NIOSH NORA Coordinator, features details of the
NORA Symposium 2008. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/blog/nsb072808_nora.html
- The “No Fit Test”
Respirator Research Workshop by Ed Fries and Ron Shaffer at the NIOSH
National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory provides details and
draft workshop topics for the upcoming workshop scheduled for November
6, 2008. The blog is currently posted at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/blog.
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 NIOSH Inventors Win Technology Transfer
Award
The work of Kevin Ashley, Eric
Esswein, and Mark Boeniger on “Development of a Handwipe Removal Method
for Toxic Metals” has been selected as a winner of the 2008 Federal
Laboratory Consortium (FLC) Midwest Region Excellence in Technology Transfer
Award. The award is presented annually and recognizes federal laboratory
employees who have been successful in transferring a technology developed in
a federal laboratory to the commercial marketplace. This accomplishment will
be recognized at the FLC Midwest Region Meeting in St. Louis, Missouri
later this month. http://www.federallabs.org
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 NORA 2008 Virtual Symposium Open
The
“NORA 2008: Public Market for Ideas and Partnerships Virtual
Symposium” is currently open through August 29, 2008. The virtual
symposium, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora/symp08/virtualsymposium.html,
showcases the keynote presentation by former NIOSH Director John Howard,
M.D., and the NORA 2008 awardees. It also features a virtual poster session
with a blog-like capability where viewers can make a public comment on the
poster presentations and interact with the authors.
NORA Transportation,
Warehousing and Utilities Draft Agenda
The NORA Transportation,
Warehousing and Utilities Sector Council requests comments on its draft
Agenda posted at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora/comment/public/WholRetTradeDraftJune2008.
This preliminary draft national strategy consists of four strategic goals.
The goals focus on traumatic injury, work-related musculoskeletal disorders,
health and wellness, and exposures. The Council seeks comments on the draft
strategic goals as well as the intermediate goals, and the activities and
outputs needed to achieve those goals. The Council also seeks organizations
to join partnership efforts to advance the draft priorities.
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State-based
Occupational Health updates
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Protecting Working
Teens in Massachusetts
NIOSH partners in the Teens at
Work Project (TAW) at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health track
work-related injuries to teens less than 18 years of age and conduct
interviews with injured teens to learn about contributing factors. The
restaurant industry accounts for the greatest number of injured teens. Over
half of all injured teens interviewed report receiving no health and safety
training. At this year’s June meeting of the Council of State and
Territorial Epidemiologists (http://www.CSTE.org),
TAW reported on a new restaurant safety training initiative. TAW adapted the
NIOSH Youth@Work:
Talking Safety curriculum for young workers for use
with teens employed in food services. Nearly 90 culinary arts teachers in Massachusetts’
vocational educational programs were trained as trainers last year, and this
spring, nearly 600 students were trained using the revised curriculum.
Additional teacher trainings will be held next fall. This work is being
extended to teachers and students in the health care services programs. TAW
also will be working on health and safety guidelines for those who place
youth in work-based learning programs. Injury surveillance findings from the
TAW project can be found at http://www.mass.gov/dph/teensatwork.
For additional information contact: Beatriz.Pazos@xxxxxxxxxxx.
The original Talking Safety curriculum is available at http://www.cdc.gov/NIOSH/talkingsafety.
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Tractor Safety
Initiative
The National Agricultural Tractor
Safety Initiative is now online! Read personal accounts from farmers, find
out about some local campaigns that are helping to keep farmers safer on
their tractors, and learn about the most recent tractor safety research. You
can also access resources to help you or your organization become a partner
in tractor safety. Please visit: http://depts.washington.edu/trsafety.
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 “First
Responders: Protect Your Employees with an Exposure Control Plan” DHHS
(NIOSH) Publication Number 2008-115.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2008-115
“First
Responders: Encourage Your Workers to Report Bloodborne Pathogen
Exposures” DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2008-118. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2008-118
 “Faces
of Black Lung” Video DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2008-131. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/video/2008-131
“Exposure
to Stress: Occupational Hazards in Hospitals” DHHS (NIOSH) Publication
Number 2008-136. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2008-136
 “Application
of the ILO International Classification of Radiographs of Pneumoconioses to
Digital Chest Radiographic Images” DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number
2008-139. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2008-139
NIOSH
Docket Archive: Docket Number 135 Healthcare Workers Safety and Health. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docket/nioshdocket0135.html
“NIOSH
Protecting Workers in Construction - Preventing Injuries Related to Motor
Vehicles and Equipment”
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs/const/insights/insightsconstruction.pdf
“NIOSH
Protecting Workers in Agriculture - Preventing Tractor Overturn Injuries: The
New York ROPS Retrofit Social Marketing Intervention” http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs/agff/insights/insightsagrops.pdf
Spanish versions of the following NIOSH
documents are now available:
NIOSH Health Hazard
Evaluations
Evaluation of potential exposure to
radio frequency radiation. The HHE Program responded to a
union request at a weather station. The request concerned potential radio
frequency (RF) radiation exposure to electronic technicians repairing
equipment. HHE Program investigators reviewed incident and maintenance logs
and conducted confidential medical interviews with employees. The
investigators found that a RF health and safety program did not exist. The
investigators found that employees were doing repairs and using equipment
that they had not been trained for. Investigators recommended that managers
ensure that employees are properly trained and enforce proper documentation
of repairs and maintenance in their logs. Investigators also recommended that
managers implement an effective RF health and safety program and enforce
training and safety protocols. HHE Program investigators also recommended
that managers restrict access to areas where spatial average electric field
strength may exceed recommended guidelines and post signs marking these
areas. Additionally, investigators recommended that employees immediately
inform managers of any workplace exposure and then seek medical evaluation.
The final report is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2007-0095-3063.pdf.
Evaluation of potential noise
exposure. The HHE Program responded to a
management request at a fire department. The request concerned potential
exposure to noise by 911 dispatchers and mechanics in the fire station. HHE
Program investigators monitored noise exposure to mechanics and dispatchers
and looked at hearing test results. Investigators also interviewed workers
and looked at injury and illness records for trauma to the ears. The
investigators found that mechanics’ exposure to noise was above the
NIOSH recommended exposure limit, and that their exposures occurred over
short periods of time. Investigators also found that the potential for harm
to 911 dispatchers’ hearing was low. Investigators recommended that managers
enroll mechanics in a hearing conservation program and require that mechanics
wear ear plugs or ear muffs when working with loud equipment. HHE Program
investigators also recommended that a communications center be built for 911
dispatchers or modify the existing center to meet recommended indoor noise
criteria for buildings. The final report is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2007-0235-3064.pdf.
Evaluation
of health symptoms at an indoor water park. The HHE
Program responded to a request for assistance at an indoor water park. The
request concerned the cause of symptoms involving irritation to the eyes,
nose, skin, and respiratory systems of employees. HHE Program investigators
tested the air for trichloramines, soluble chlorine
compounds, and endotoxins. Investigators tested the water for fecal
contamination, Legionella,
mycobacteria, endotoxin, sulfites, and sulfates. Additionally, investigators
reviewed the ventilation system and water system designs. HHE Program
investigators found that some trichloramine concentrations were at levels
previously reported to cause mucous membrane irritation and that air
endotoxin concentrations were at levels that have been associated with cough
and fever. Investigators recommended that managers assess the ventilation
system to ensure adequate air movement and proper removal of contaminants.
Investigators also recommended that managers consider reducing water
attraction cycle times and use larger droplet discharge nozzles to reduce
aerosolization of contaminants. Investigators recommended that managers
consider redesigning the spray feature piping system to make sure that water
used in the pools is taken directly after the filtration and treatment
cycles. Additionally, investigators recommended that employees report any
work-related symptoms to their supervisors. The final report is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2007-0163-3062.pdf.
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Save the Date: NIOSH
To Host DREAM Workshop in November
NIOSH
will host the “DREAM (Direct Reading Exposure Assessment Methods)
Workshop” on November 13 – 14, 2008, in Arlington, VA.
The workshop will bring together stakeholders from academia, labor,
management, method development and research, government and manufacturing to
discuss research needs in the area of direct reading methods for assessing
occupational exposures. Input from the workshop will be used to set research
priorities for the methods. Information on the workshop will be available on
the NIOSH Web page, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/drm.
 Nominations Being Accepted for First
“Safe in Sound” Award
NIOSH
and the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) have established a
new award to be given each year to companies or organizations that exemplify
Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention. The first “Safe in Sound”
award will be presented at the NHCA annual conference in February 2009 and
will recognize organizations that document measurable achievements in hearing
loss prevention programs, obtain information on their real-world successes,
and widely disseminate information on how others can use these successful
strategies or benchmark their own programs. Additional information and
submission details can be found at http://www.safeinsound.us.
Nominations will be accepted until September 1, 2008.
2008 Worker Safety
and Health Technical Conference Scheduled
The
2008 U.S. National Response Team Worker Safety and Health Technical
Conference will be held October 28-29, 2008, in Washington, D.C.
Further information about potential topics, registration, and lodging can be
found at https://frink2.sraprod.com/wsh/
Look for Us
“International Association of
Fire Chiefs Fire Rescue International 2008”
August 14 – 16, 2008, Denver, CO. Booth #1372. http://www.iafc.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlebr=356
“Association of Occupational
Health Professionals”
September 17 – 20, 2008, Denver,
CO
“National Safety Council
Expo”
September 22 – 24, 2008, Anaheim,
CA
Call for Abstracts
“American Industrial Hygiene
Conference and Expo”
May 30 – June 4, 2009, Toronto,
Ontario, Canada.
Deadline for Professional Development Course Proposals is August 15, 2008.
Deadline for Technical Papers, Poster Abstracts and Roundtable Panel Program
submissions is October 6, 2008. http://www.aiha.org/aihce09/
“EMS
Update 2009”
March 25 – 28, 2009, Seven Springs Resort, Champion, PA. Deadline is
September 10, 2008.
“American Occupational Health
Conference 2009”
April 26 – 29, 2009, San Diego,
CA. Deadline for Individual Scientific Abstracts is September 15, 2008.
Deadline for Academic Abstracts is January 31, 2009
http://aohc2009.abstractcentral.com
“Partners in Emergency
Preparedness Conference”
April 14 – 15, 2009, Tacoma,
WA. Deadline is September 15,
2008.
https://capps.wsu.edu/conferences/emergencyprep
“Association of periOperative
Registered Nurses Congress 2009”
March 15 – 19, 2009, Chicago,
IL. Deadline is October 1,
2008.
http://www.aorn.org/Education/EducationEvents/CallForProposals
“American Occupational Health
Conference 2009”
April 26 – 29, 2009. Deadline is December 15, 2008.
http://www.acoem.org/aohc09_abstracts.aspx
“2009 Emergency Nurses
Association Annual Conference”
October 7 – 10, 2009, Baltimore,
MD. Deadline is January 15,
2009.
http://ena.org
Upcoming Conferences
“International Association of
Fire Chiefs Fire Rescue International 2008”
August 14 – 16, 2008, Denver, CO. http://www.iafc.org
“American Association of
Occupational Health Nurses Conference for Leadership Advancement”
September 10 – 12, 2008, Atlanta,
GA. http://www.aaohn.org
“14th International
Society for Respiratory Protection”
September 14 – 18, 2008, Dublin,
Ireland. http://www.isrp.com/dublin/
“20th Annual
Occupational Medicine Update”
September 19 – 20, 2008, Sandestin,
FL
http://www.soph.uab.edu/dsc/continuingeducation/20thAnnualOCCMED
“2008 National Occupational
Injury Research Symposium (NOIRS)”
October 21 – 23, 2008, Pittsburgh,
PA. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/noirs/2008
“2008 Worker Safety and Health
Technical Conference”
October 28 – 29, 2008, Washington,
DC. https://frink2.sraprod.com/wsh
“PCIH 2008”
November 8 – 11, 2008, Tampa,
FL. http://www.aiha.org/pcih08/
“8th Conference of
the European Academy of Occupational Health
Psychology”
November 12 – 14, 2008, Valencia,
Spain.
http://www.ea-ohp.org
“International Association of
Emergency Managers (IAEM) 2008 Annual Conference”
November 15 – 20, 2008, Overland
Park, KS. http://www.iaem.com
“International Roofing
Expo”
February 3 – 5, 2009, Las
Vegas, NV. http://www.theroofingexpo.com
“2009 SME Annual Meeting”
and “CMA 111th Annual National Western Mining
Conference”
February 22 – 25, 2009, Denver, CO. http://sme2009.abstractcentral.com
“Emergency Nurses Association
Leadership Conference”
March 4 – 8, 2009, Reno,
NV. http://www.ena.org
“29th Triennial
Congress of the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH
2009)”
March 22 – 27, 2009, Cape Town,
South Africa.
http://www.icoh2009.co.za
“American Association of Occupational Health Nurses 2009
Symposium and Expo”
April 17 – 23, 2009, Orlando,
FL
http://www.aaohn.org/education/symposium-expo/cfp/index.cfm
“Fire Department Instructors
Conference (FDIC) 2009”
April 20 – 25, 2009, Indianapolis,
IN.
http://downloads.pennnet.com/fe/fdic2008/2009indycallforpapers.doc
ASSE Professional Development
Conference and Exposition “SAFETY 2009”
June 23 – July 1, 2009, San
Antonio, TX. http://www.asse.org
“19th International
Symposium on Shiftwork and Working Time”
August 2 – 6, 2009, Venezia,
Italy. http://www.shiftwork2009.it
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Trichloramines: Byproducts that
can occur in swimming pools as a result of chemical interaction between
perspiration and chlorine disinfectants. At given levels, trichloramines can
irritate mucous membranes.
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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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Acting Director
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Christine M. Branche, Ph.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
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