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Volume 6 Number 5
September 2008
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The
memory of September 11, 2001, is particularly vivid every year at this time,
as we mourn and honor our fellow Americans who died in the terrorist attacks
that day, and commemorate the heroism of the responders who went into the
devastation at Ground Zero on missions of rescue and recovery.
As
a part of the national response to the attacks, NIOSH scientists and
engineers were among those mobilized by the Federal Government to provide
technical assistance on-site for responders as rescue and recovery proceeded
at the World Trade Center site. Seven years later, NIOSH continues to partner
with the responder community and the medical community, our fellow government
agencies, and others in meeting national needs from the long-term impact of
9/11. We are honored to have this role, and we are mindful that what we do is
vitally important for responders and their loved ones.
Since
2002, federal funds have supported health services for the World Trade Center
responders. Today, these services include clinical health screening,
monitoring, and treatment for health conditions associated with exposures
from the World Trade Center attack. Services are provided for responders in
the New York metropolitan area and for those who came to Ground Zero from
other parts of the country. NIOSH was mandated to administer these funds
through our extramural contracts and grants program. We are committed to
carrying out our duties responsibly, thoughtfully, and sensitively.
More
recently, we were also designated to administer funds for providing access to
medical screenings, diagnostic services, and treatment for residents,
students, and other "non-emergency responders" impacted by the
World Trade Center catastrophe. We issued an announcement for proposals on
July 24, 2008, with a deadline of August 25, 2008, and we expect to award
funding by the end of this month. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/updates/upd-07-24-08.html
Screening,
monitoring, and treatment are essential for addressing acute health effects
and guiding timely, effective medical care for individuals. At the same time,
the services supported through federal funds also provide a complementary
underpinning for research to help answer ongoing questions about potential
risks for populations associated with World Trade Center exposures: What
trends appear when cases are analyzed in aggregate? What conditions
associated with exposures are most likely to occur? Do the conditions persist
over time? Will exposures be associated with illnesses that have long latency
periods – illnesses that would take years or decades to emerge?
At
NIOSH’s encouragement, a body of high-quality scientific literature
addressing such questions has grown over the past six years. Peer-reviewed
studies by our clinical partners have identified certain conditions whose
onset or aggravation may be related to World Trade Center exposures, clinical
findings suggest. These include certain respiratory symptoms, digestive
disorders, and mental health conditions. Continued research, in conjunction
with monitoring and treatment, will help scientists and doctors assess
whether these conditions remain persistent over time, and whether other
conditions are likely to emerge. Some of the notable studies that have been
published to date, in addition to other information about the monitoring and
treatment efforts, can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/wtc/.
With the help of our partners, we
continually evaluate our efforts to make sure that we continue to meet the
mandate entrusted to us, that we anticipate ongoing needs, and that
policymakers have needed information for future planning. I want to thank
everyone who helps us to do so. I have had occasion to meet many of our
colleagues and stakeholders in our shared World Trade Center activities, and
I have been impressed with their high regard for NIOSH’s
professionalism and dedication. With your help and theirs, we will continue
to do our best to meet the level of quality and service expected of us.
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In Memoriam:
Bill Wallace
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Dr. Bill
Wallace
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Friends
and colleagues were shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden death on July
20, 2008 of Dr. Bill Wallace, a distinguished senior scientist in the NIOSH,
Health Effects Laboratory Division, who was vacationing at Cape May, NJ with
his family. Bill was a physicist, whose first postdoc was at the Department
of Energy facility in Morgantown, where he did research in nuclear magnetic
resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Bill developed an NMR pulse sequence that is
used today as part of magnetic resonance imaging. Bill went on to become a
division director at the Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC) focusing
on environmental control technologies.
Bill
came to NIOSH in 1980 with an intense interest in coal workers’
pneumoconiosis and similar diseases. This inspired three main research
quests: What are the surface properties of dusts that make some dusts much
more dangerous than others, how does pulmonary surfactant interact with
pathogenic dusts, and how can fibrotic lung disease be diagnosed at an early
stage so treatment might be possible? Over the next several decades,
Bill’s research led to a patented method for ranking dusts for
surface-available silica, which is in use now in China and elsewhere, and has
been validated by epidemiological studies. Studies have confirmed that
pulmonary surfactant interactions with dusts, especially diesel exhaust
particulates, are crucial to their biological activity. In collaboration with
a HELD Team and the Radiology Department at the WVU Health Sciences Center,
Bill developed a method using 18F-fluoroproline and Positron Emission
Tomography to detect excess collagen synthesis in the lungs of test animals
with induced silicosis. The results were validated by histopathology and
published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.
Besides
science pursuits, Bill was a dedicated humanist, a United Way and Salvation
Army board member, and great scholar and conversationalist. We will miss you,
Bill! (even your adaptation of Shakespeare’s sonnets into country and
western songs)!
(Contributed
by Mike Keane on behalf of Bill’s friends and coworkers.)
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Nanotechnology
issues discussed by Dr. Howard in Public TV interview
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In a new public television
segment, former NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D., and other representatives
from government, research, business, and health advocacy discuss issues
relating to the health and safety implications of nanotechnology. The segment
was broadcast on the August 12, 2008, edition of "QUEST," a science
and nature series produced by KQED-TV, San Francisco. "Nanotechnology's
future depends on how much investment we make in risk assessment and risk
management now, in the first decade of the 21st Century," Dr.
Howard states in an interview taped in May. The segment is available on-line
at http://www.kqed.org/quest/television/macro-concerns-in-a-nano-world.
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NIOSH Storm
and Flood Cleanup Topic Page Provides Resources for Hurricane Response
Workers
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Now that the 2008 Hurricane Season
is in full force, NIOSH would like to remind you that the NIOSH Storm and
Flood Clean up Topic Page http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/flood/
is a resource for employers and workers to help prepare in advance for
anticipated response activities, and to prevent work-related injuries and
illnesses in the field once rescue, recovery, and clean-up begin. The page
provides information on recommendations for relief workers and emergency
responders, assessment tools for hurricane response, and links to information
about hazards associated with storm and flood cleanup.
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NIOSH Funded
Study Helps Teens Stay Safe at Work
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A NIOSH funded Teens at Work
Project was featured on a Boston local television news story on young workers
in July. The Teens at Work Project was developed by the Massachusetts
Coalition for Occupational Health and Safety (MassCOSH) to help reduce the high
rate of injury for teens by educating them of their rights and of safety
precautions. For more information or to view the news segment, go to http://www.thebostonchannel.com/investigative/17025393/detail.html.
NIOSH resources for preventing work-related injuries and illnesses among
working youths are available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/youth/.
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The Stories We
Can Tell? NIOSH NORA Photo Contest Winners Announced
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NIOSH recently held its first NORA
Photo Contest. Participants were asked to submit photos related to one or
more of the seven NORA sectors. The photos were judged on the following three
criteria: aesthetic quality of the photograph, quality of the story told by
the photo, and originality of the subject. A winner was selected from each
NORA sector category as well as a "best in show." To view the
winning photos go to http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora/symp08/photoContest.html
or view all submitted photos as well as other NIOSH photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/niosh/.
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NIOSH
Researchers Win in CDC Annual Photo Contest
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NIOSH
researchers showed off their photography skills in CDC’s annual photo
contest, winning in both the domestic people and domestic program categories.
The winners are identified below with their winning photo.
Gregory Molinda won second place in domestic programs
category for his photo of a NIOSH researcher evaluating a “roof
fall” and trying to determine the best support to reinforce the rock.
This photo taken by Tom Bobick tied for third place in
domestic programs. His photo demonstrates workplace safety. The worker is on
a 45° steep-slope roof, notes Bobick. “What is normally a risky
workplace has been turned into a safe work environment through the use of the
NIOSH-designed adjustable roof bracket-safety rail system…”
This photo by Sung-Chul Seo is of a scientist
investigating mold in a home flooded by Hurricane Katrina. It is the
first-place winner in the domestic people category.
Anita Wolfe won second place in the domestic people
category for this photo that shows a 70 year old coal miner who still works
underground in the anthracite coal fields of eastern Pennsylvania.
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 Occupational Safety and Health at Xavier University
In August NIOSH signed a
Memorandum of Understanding with Xavier University’s Williams College
of Business, Cincinnati, to help advance the safety and health of workers, by
raising awareness of the business case for preventing worker injury and
illness. As a result of this agreement, the first effort by NIOSH and Xavier
University will be the development of an MBA course, “Business Value of
Safety and Health,” that is focused on improving safety and health in
the workplace to increase productivity and profit. This effort, in
collaboration with the National Safety Council, will integrate safety and
health material into the business school curriculum. The course is scheduled
for spring 2009. Further information about the agreement is available from
DeLon Hull, director of the NIOSH Office of Research and Technology Transfer,
DHull@xxxxxxx.
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 Many of
the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Sector Councils (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora/councils)have
already posted a draft national agenda for their sectors (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora). They
are now preparing updated agendas based on the comments received as they move
into the implementation phase. If you or your organization has an interest in
the accomplishment of ;one or more of the goals and are not already involved,
contact the NORA Coordinator at noracoordinator@xxxxxxx.
Unique contributions from diverse partners will be required to accomplish the
many surveillance, research, and research-to-practice goals outlined.
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Podcast Highlights
NIOSH Researcher's Professional Accomplishments
Vincent
Castranova, director of the Pathology and Physiology Research Branch in the
NIOSH Health Effects Laboratory Division, was interviewed by the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for a podcast highlighting his
professional accomplishments and his recognition as the winner of the 2008
Shepard Award for Lifetime Achievement. The podcast is available at http://www2a.cdc.gov/podcasts/player.asp?f=9988.
NIOSH Hosts Safety
and Health Interventions Session at Mining Expo
NIOSH
will host a special session at MINExpo International 2008 on September 23-24
in Las Vegas, NV. "Safety and Health Interventions for Mining"
will cover ten important topic areas where NIOSH has made significant
progress toward the goal of a safer and healthier mining workplace. For more
information on the meeting go to http://www.minexpo.com/overview.shtm.
NIOSH Representative
Appointed to the EPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Chemical
Prioritization Process
Richard
W. Niemeier, Associate Director for Science, NIOSH Education and Information
Division, will represent NIOSH on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) chemical
prioritization process. This Standing Federal Science Review Committee will
meet three times per year to evaluate the current IRIS documents as well as
newly prioritized substances.
PtD News
Donna
Heidel, certified industrial hygienist, has formally joined NIOSH in the
Education and Information Division. Donna will continue her role as the
recently-appointed NIOSH coordinator for the Prevention through Design (PtD)
National Initiative. Donna was instrumental in the publication of the initial
PtD workshop proceedings and has been working with partner organizations and
companies as well as individual PtD experts to draft a strategic plan for the
PtD National Initiative. More information on PtD can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/PtD/.
Improved Criteria
for Emergency Medical Protective Clothing
NIOSH
research is incorporated in the National Fire Protection Association’s
NFPA1999 Standard on Protective Clothing for Emergency Medical Operations,
2008 Edition. The technical standard provides a new level of personal
protective equipment (PPE) protection for the nation’s Emergency
Medical Service. The NIOSH research incorporated in the technical standard
reflects NIOSH’s partnership with EMS responders to learn about their
PPE needs and identify appropriate technical performance levels for
equipment. Contact Angie Shepherd for more information dlq0@xxxxxxx.
Upcoming Survey to
Collect Injury Data on Minority Operated Farms
NIOSH is collaborating with the
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to collect data from the approximately
50,000 minority farm operators (Asians, Blacks, Native Americans, and
Hispanics) across the U.S. The survey, conducted every five years, will collect
data on the number of youths living on the farms and the number and type of
farm-related injuries, illnesses, and hazards to youths and adults. Findings
will be used to monitor nonfatal injury patterns, assess farm hazards and
exposures, and prioritize research. USDA will then share the results to each
participating farm and provide information on steps to reduce agricultural
injuries. Contact John Myers at JRMyers@xxxxxxx
for information on the survey or visit http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/agriculture/
for more information on agriculture safety.
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Occupational Health
Disparities Affecting Connecticut’s Hispanic Workforce
NIOSH health surveillance partners
at the Connecticut Department of Public Health recently reported an analysis
of occupational health disparities in the state’s Hispanic workforce.
The analysis showed that Connecticut’s Hispanic workforce had
consistently higher rates of non-fatal occupational illnesses, injuries, and
fatalities than their White counterparts for the years 1999-2006.
Additionally, while the non-fatal illness and injury rates for Hispanic and
White workers had both declined between 1999 and 2006, the disparity between
the two groups was virtually unchanged (2.3 times higher for Hispanic workers
in 1999 and 2.4 times higher in 2006). In 1999, the occupational fatality
rate for Hispanic workers in Connecticut was almost five times higher than the
rate for White workers. While this disparity gap has been decreasing since
1999, the occupational fatality rate for Hispanic workers remained 2.5 times
higher than the rate for White workers in 2006, indicating a continuing need
for targeted education and intervention efforts.
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“No Fit
Test” Respirator Workshop
NIOSH
and the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Division of
Environmental Health Sciences, are cosponsoring a “No Fit Test” Respirator
Workshop November 6, 2008, in Pittsburgh, PA. This workshop will focus on the
nature and process of product innovation and development in negative-pressure
half-facepiece respirators to gauge the current state of the art, and to
stimulate new designs or approaches for improved respirator fit. The results
of this workshop will lead to a better understanding of how future NIOSH
research can encourage on-going development of better-fitting respirators
without compromising long-term protection. The workshop is free but
registration is required http://cpheo.sph.umn.edu/mcohs/.
Look for us
Association of Occupational Health
Professionals
September 17 – 20, 2008, Denver, CO. Booth numbers 55 & 56
National Safety Council Expo
September 22 – 24, 2008, Anaheim, CA. Booth number 1594
2008 National Occupational Injury
Research Symposium (NOIRS)
October 21 – 23, 2008, Pittsburgh, PA
FFA
October 22 – 24, 2008, Indianapolis, IN. Booth numbers 446 & 448
American Public Health Association
(APHA) Annual Meeting & Exposition
October 25 – 29, 2008, San Diego, CA
Call for Abstracts
Partners in Emergency Preparedness
Conference
April 14-15, 2009, Tacoma, Washington. Deadline for abstracts is September
15, 2008. http://capps.wsu.edu/conferences/emergencyprep/
ASTM
July 13-16, 2009, Burlington VT. Deadline for abstract and/or presentation
submission is October 15, 2008. Email submissions to elight@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Association of periOperative
Registered Nurses Congress 2009
March 15 – 19, 2009, Chicago, IL. Deadline for proposals is October 1,
2008.
http://www.aorn.org/Education/EducationEvents/CallForProposals
American Industrial Hygiene
Conference and Expo
May 30 – June 4, 2009, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Deadline for Technical
Papers, Poster Abstracts and Roundtable Panel Program submissions is October
6, 2008. http://www.aiha.org/aihce09/default.htm
2009 Emergency Nurses Association
Annual Conference
October 7 – 10, 2009, Baltimore, MD. Deadline is January 15, 2009.
http://ena.org
American Occupational Health
Conference 2009
April 26 – 29, 2009, San Diego, CA. Deadline for Academic Abstracts is
January 31, 2009. http://aohc2009.abstractcentral.com
American Association of Occupational
Health Nurses 2009 Symposium and Expo
April 17 – 23, 2009, Orlando, FL. Deadline for poster presentation
submissions is March 1, 2009.
http://www.aaohn.org/education/symposium-expo/cfp/index.cfm
Upcoming Conferences
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
National Safety Council Expo
September 22 – 24, 2008, Anaheim, CA. http://congress.nsc.org/nsc2008/public/MainHall.aspx?ID=17&MMID=17
2008 Mine Expo International
September 22-24, 2008, Las Vegas, NV. http://www.minexpo.com/overview.shtm
2008 National Occupational Injury
Research Symposium (NOIRS)
October 21 – 23, 2008, Pittsburgh, PA. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/noirs/2008
American Public Health Association
(APHA) Annual Meeting & Exposition
October 25-29, 2008, San Diego, CA http://www.apha.org/meetings/
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/
ISEA Fall Meeting Protection 2033
November 11, 2008, Arlington, VA. http://www.safetyequipment.org/#inside
8th Conference of the
European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology
November 12 – 14, 2008, Valencia, Spain. http://www.ea-ohp.org
2008 NIOSH Direct-Reading Exposure
Assessment Methods (DREAM) Workshop
November 13-14, 2008, Washington, DC. http://www.team-psa.com/dream2008/main.asp
International Association of
Emergency Managers (IAEM) 2008 Annual Conference
November 15 – 20, 2008, Overland Park, KS. http://www.iaem.com/events/annual/intro.htm
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
ASTM Conference
July 14-17, 2009 in Burlington VT. Email elight@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
for information.
19th
International Symposium on Shiftwork and Working Time
August 2 – 6, 2009, Venezia, Italy. http://www.shiftwork2009.it
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IRIS (the Integrated Risk Information System): An
electronic database (http://cfpub.epa.gov/ncea/iris/index.cfm) containing
information on human health effects that may result from exposure to various
substances in the environment. It is maintained by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
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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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Tanya Headley
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Story Editor Emeritus
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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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