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Volume
7 Number 9 January 2010
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From the Director's Desk
--John Howard, M.D. Director, NIOSH
January eNews 2010
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Green and Safe — by Design
Last
month, in remarks that followed his appearance at the United Nations climate
change conference in Copenhagen, President Obama reaffirmed his vision of
clean energy and the curbing of carbon emissions as an economic and national
security imperative. "If America leads in developing clean energy,"
the President said, "we will lead in growing our economy, in putting our
people back to work, and in leaving a stronger and more secure country to our
children."
The
commitment to reducing carbon emissions and developing an environmentally
sustainable economy poses complex and challenging questions. However, as
President Obama suggested, it also presents an opportunity that many
entrepreneurs and business leaders will be quick to seize. Efforts to develop
new sources of sustainable energy, to limit and conserve today's fossil
fuels, and to expand the use of environmentally friendly practices and
products already inform financial decisions every day across a wide range of
industries, including energy supply, recycling, agriculture, construction,
manufacturing, mining, and transportation.
The
implications of a "green" economy for occupational safety and
health were highlighted at last month's workshop, "Making Green Jobs
Safe: Integrating Occupational Safety and Health into Green and
Sustainability." At the same time world leaders were meeting in
Copenhagen, NIOSH and its partners were hosts to more than 150 stakeholders
in Washington, D.C. The workshop focused on ensuring that the safety and
health needs of workers are included in initiatives to mitigate global
warming, protect the climate, and cope with effects that are expected even if
greenhouse emissions stopped today.
I was
pleased that the workshop generated lively and thoughtful discussion. Certain
observations emerged as common themes throughout the meeting:
- Incorporating
worker health and safety into green jobs, early in their design or
creation, has the potential for being a "transformative"
breakthrough for doing business in the 21st century, in which preventing
occupational injuries and illnesses is widely accepted as a fundamental
business practice. Building safety and health into a new business, workplace,
or job is a basic principle of NIOSH’s Prevention through Design
(PtD) program (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ptd/),
of which the green, safe jobs initiative is a part.
- Inherently,
a green job is no safer than a job in a traditional task that involves
similar conditions or demands, whether working with heavy equipment or
handling potentially toxic chemicals. Our colleague Michael J. Wright,
director of health, safety, and environment for the United Steelworkers
of America, noted this analogy in his keynote address at the workshop:
If a worker dies in a fall from a height of 40 feet, the tragic outcome
is the same regardless of whether he was installing solar panels or maintaining
a smokestack.
- One chemical or process may be more
environmentally beneficial than another, but the benefits for the
environment do not necessarily make the substitute chemical or process
safer for workers. An example is the solvent 1-bromopropane (1-BP),
which is used increasingly as a substitute for ozone-depleting
chlorofluorocarbons. Recent findings associate 1-BP with the risk of
neurological impairment from work-related exposures. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5748a2.htm
If worker
health and safety is to take hold as a guiding principle in green jobs, key
decision-makers at many levels of industry will have to be engaged and
convinced, from financial officers who sign off on corporate budgets to
managers who have responsibility for running day-to-day operations at
individual work sites.
As the
green economy expands, occupational safety and health professionals will have
to keep pace or risk falling behind. At the outset, we face critical gaps in
knowing, with confidence, all the types of existing jobs that may be regarded
as "green," anticipating those yet to come, and understanding all
of the occupational hazards they may entail.
Selected presentations and proceedings from the
workshop will be posted on the “Prevention through Design: Green, Safe,
and Healthy Jobs” web page, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/PtD/greenjobs.html.
I encourage you to watch for these materials and to consider ways in which
you can help NIOSH and its partners meet these and other critical and
challenging tasks that we face as we enter a new year and a new decade. As
food for thought along those lines, I invite your attention to the NIOSH
Science Blog for January 4, 2010, in which we present six ideas about the
steps needed to protect both workers and the environment by making
occupational (worker) safety and health concepts part of green and
sustainability developments. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/blog/
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NIOSH National Construction Center Cooperative Agreement
Awarded to CPWR- The Center for Construction Research and Training
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NIOSH is excited to announce a five-year, $25 million
cooperative agreement award to CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and
Training. The award was based on the extramural competition resulting from
the NIOSH National Construction Center Request for Application (RFA)
published in February, 2009. Erich (Pete) Stafford, executive director of
CPWR, is the principal investigator for this award. The Center, based in
Silver Spring, Md., includes both internal researchers and a university-based
consortium involving nine different academic partners. NIOSH intends for the
Center to directly link to the diverse construction community, to serve as a
leader in applied construction research, and to diffuse and disseminate
effective interventions in the construction industry. More information about
the 17 new projects, which target a number of NORA Construction goals and
emerging issues, is available at http://www.cpwr.com/research-new_projects.html.
"We are pleased that CPWR will work with stakeholders and NIOSH to
advance construction safety and health research. They have a long and
relevant history in the area, and we look forward to working with them,"
said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. For information about the NIOSH
Construction Research Program, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/construction/.
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NIOSH Announces New Office of Construction Safety and
Health
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In December, NIOSH announced its new Office of
Construction Safety and Health. Christine Branche, Ph.D., NIOSH Principal
Associate Director, will serve as acting director of the new office.
Construction is a key industrial sector that employs over eight million
Americans. To address the special problems in construction, it is critical
that NOSH ensures rigorous coordination of our construction safety and health
research. For more on construction research at NIOSH, go to http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/construction/.
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2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act Includes Increase
for NIOSH
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The 2010 Consolidated Appropriations Act, signed by
President Obama on Dec. 16, includes $373,171,000 for NIOSH. This amount
represents a $13.1 million increase over NIOSH's funding for Fiscal Year
2009. It includes $70,723,000 for the World Trade Center medical monitoring
and treatment program, administered by NIOSH. Further, the bill provides an
additional amount of $55,358,000 to support NIOSH's technical and scientific
responsibilities under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation
Program Act.
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New Web Site Available on NIOSH Scientific Information
Quality
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A new NIOSH web page at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/review/peer/
provides an easily accessible, one-stop, and up-to-date source of information
on the independent peer review of all NIOSH documents that are defined by
NIOSH as influential in terms of their potential impact on public policy or
the private sector. This information also demonstrates NIOSH compliance with
administrative requirements, including Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
requirements, for public posting of influential documents. The new page lists
all such NIOSH documents and provides links to each document and to all
independent peer-review comments for each document.
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NIOSH Blog Named in "Top 50 Blogs to Learn About
Medicine"
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NIOSH Pioneer Frank Stern Retires
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 Epidemiologist
Frank Stern, MS, is retiring from the NIOSH Division of Surveillance, Hazard
Evaluations, and Field Studies after 39 years of government service. Mr.
Stern is thought to be the last actively employed NIOSH employee who has been
with the agency from its creation. Mr. Stern started his career in 1970 at
the Bureau of Occupational Safety and Health the predecessor of NIOSH, as a
computer systems analyst. Mr. Stern has worked on various studies throughout
his career at NIOSH. His work regarding beta-naphthylamine at the Augusta
Chemical Co. in Augusta, Ga., was the forerunner to the NIOSH Worker
Notification Program. He also authored 36 peer-reviewed publications and
received two Alice Hamilton Award nominations.
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In Memoriam: NIOSH Team Leader Dr. Petia Simeonova
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 NIOSH extends
condolences to the family and friends of Petia Petrova Simeonova, M.D., Ph.D.,
from the NIOSH Health Effects Laboratory Division in Morgantown, W.Va., who
passed away on Dec. 16, 2009, after a long and brave battle with cancer. Dr.
Simeonova came to NIOSH in 1996 from the National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health. She was an accomplished,
internationally recognized scientist with numerous publications in the
medical research field of immunotoxicology and in groundbreaking
toxicological research on nanomaterials, and was frequently cited in the
scientific literature. Her research contributions have been recognized by
several prestigious scientific awards, including two Alice Hamilton Awards
for Excellence in Occupational Safety and Health, and several nominations for
the Charles Shepard Award with the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
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MSHA and NIOSH Unite to Eliminate Black Lung
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Coal workers' pneumoconiosis, also known as black lung
disease, persists as a work-related hazard in coal mining. NIOSH joins with
the Mine Safety and Health Administration and other partners in a renewed
effort — which began with a Dec. 3 MSHA kickoff event in Beckley, W.Va.
— to eliminate this irreversible but preventable work-related illness. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/updates/upd-12-03-09.html
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Worker Safety and Health Photos Available at Flickr
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Report Released from Aging Worker Conference
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A newly released report from a NIOSH-cosponsored
national research workshop, "Healthy Aging for Workers," in
February 2009 recommends attention to workplace environments to maintain
"work ability" as workers age, along with legislative fixes and
research to fill in knowledge gaps for keeping workers healthy and
productive. Links to the report and videos highlights from the meeting are
available on the NIOSH WorkLife Initiative web page. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/worklife/
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MMWR Investigates Reported Antimony Oxide Exposure
Outbreak
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Did firefighters’ exposure to antimony in their
fire-retardant uniform pants put them at risk of hazardous exposures to the
metal? Responding to the concern, NIOSH investigated and found no scientific
evidence of a risk. Find out how and why in the Nov. 27 issue of the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5846a4.htm
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Kerry Souza Honored as "Young Activist" in
Improving the Lives of Workers
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Congratulations to NIOSH epidemiologist Kerry Souza,
ScD, MPH, who won the 2009 Lorin Kerr Award, which "recognizes a younger
activist for their sustained and outstanding efforts and dedication to
improve the lives of workers." The award is presented by the
Occupational Health and Safety Section of the American Public Health
Association (APHA). Her work included an innovative program that enhances
community health centers' abilities to recognize and treat work-related
injuries among low-income, minority, and immigrant workers, and the
development of the Occupational Health Disparities Institute, which has
become a significant part of the OHS Section activities at the APHA Annual
Meeting. http://sph.bu.edu/insider/index.php/Alumni-News/souza-sph-98-wins-apha-award-for-work-in-occupational-health-a-safety.html
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Global Happenings
Dr. Stephen Levin Receives Prestigious Irving J. Selikoff Award
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Stephen M. Levin, M.D., research director for the
Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Mt. Sinai School of
Medicine, and an internationally known expert in occupational medicine and
asbestos-related disease, was given the International Collegium
Ramazzini’s prestigious Irving J. Selikoff Memorial Award on Dec. 2 in
New York City. The award, which has only been conferred five times in the
academy’s 27-year history, is given periodically to a scientist or
humanist whose studies and achievements have contributed to the protection of
workers’ health and the environment.
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NIOSH Seeks Public Comment
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New Health Hazard Evaluation Report Now Available
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 The NIOSH HHE
Program evaluated chemical exposures at a facility where glass beads are
blended and repackaged to be applied over wet paint to make street markings
reflective to automobile headlights. The request concerned potential chemical
hazards relating to a silane coating on the imported beads. Investigators
recommended that managers require employees to wear safety glasses or goggles
when handling glass beads. Employees were advised to wash their hands before
eating or touching their faces. Due to employee health concerns, the company
has stopped importing certain glass beads. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2008-0017-3095.pdf
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Video Addresses Bullying in the Workplace
Do you work with a bully? It appears that the answer is
yes for many employees. In just one year, there were 100,000 web downloads of
Washington State’s Safety and Health Assessment and Research for
Prevention (SHARP) Program publication "Workplace Bullying: What
Everyone Needs to Know" http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Research/Files/Bullying.pdf.
The document defines workplace bullying, describes its impact on individuals
and organizations, and includes a workplace bullying policy example as well
as additional resources.
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Video Highlights California Toxic Substance Symposium
The California Department of Toxic Substance Control
(DTSC) posted a video from their Nov. 16, 2009, Nanotechnology Initiative
Symposium in Sacramento, Calif. The video highlights meeting and features
interviews with speakers, including Charles L. Geraci, Ph.D., coordinator of
the NIOSH cross-sector nanotechnology research program. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbXvDCni8ds.
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CPWR Announces Construction Safety Web Resource
CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training
announced the launch of a new Web site, eLCOSH Images, http://www.elcosh.org/images, to
provide high-quality safety and health photos free to the construction
industry. "We're able to offer this new service to trainers, safety
managers and others concerned with safe construction practices because of an
initial gift from NIOSH," said Pete Stafford, executive director of
CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training. "NIOSH gave us
hundreds of slides it had received from John Rekus, formerly with Maryland
OSHA and safety consultant. We decided to create an online collection point
for construction photos to be used in training, toolbox talks, or any other
venture to improve safety and health conditions and work practices on U.S.
construction sites, and we began with Rekus' images." More information
about CPWR is available at http://www.cpwr.com/.
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 NIOSH
Collaborates with Industry to Protect Workers Using Hydraulic Stump Cutters
NIOSH and Vermeer Corporation have collaborated to
apply capacitive sensing technology to detect operators at the controls of a
hydraulic stump cutter. This partnership provides an opportunity for the
technology to be adapted into a commercial product. Vermeer effectively
transferred NIOSH’s basic research and integrated the concepts into
their stump cutter product line. Collectively, these efforts produced a stump
cutter that can detect an operator at the machine’s controls, which
will benefit equipment owners and operators. To learn more, please contact
John Powers at jpowers@xxxxxxx.
References to companies and commercial products do not constitute a NIOSH
commercial endorsement.
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National Healthcare and Social Assistance Agenda Available
The National Healthcare and Social Assistance Agenda
under the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora/. The
agenda contains five strategic goals designed to address top safety and
health concerns and to promote the greatest opportunities to advance
protections within the sector. Contact the NORA coordinator (noracoordinator@xxxxxxx) with
questions or suggestions or to join others to work on these goals.
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New Communication Products
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Implications of Genetics in the Workplace
NIOSH
announces the publication of “Genetics in the Workplace: Implications
for Occupational Safety and Health.” The purpose of this document is to
consolidate the diverse literature and opinions on genetics in the workplace,
to flag important issues, and to provide some considerations for current and
future research and practice. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2010-101/
What Are the Costs When a Worker Dies in the Line of Duty?
NIOSH
announces the publication of "The Cost of Fatal Injuries to Civilian
Workers in the United States, 1992-2001." The data in this document
measure the economic loss to society from the premature deaths of workers. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2009-154/
Vehicle Rollover Topic of Recent Firefighter Fatality
Investigation Report
One
Georgia career firefighter dies and another is seriously injured in a vehicle
rollover crash (F2009-04). http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200904.html
More…
To see other new NIOSH communication products,
including documents and new and updated topic pages, go to the NIOSH
“What’s New” page. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/whatsnew.html
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Upcoming Conferences & Workshops
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National Action Summit for Latino Worker Health and Safety
NIOSH will cosponsor the National Action Summit for Latino Worker Health and
Safety (Cumbre de Acción Nacional para la Salud y Seguridad del Trabajador
Latino) sponsored by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on
April 14-15, 2010, in Houston, Texas. More information will be coming soon at
http://www.osha.gov/.
Nanomaterials and Worker Health: Medical Surveillance,
Exposure Registries, and Epidemiologic Research
NIOSH and the Mountain and Plains Education and Research Center will hold a
conference. “Nanomaterials and Worker Health: Medical Surveillance,
Exposure Registries, and Epidemiologic Research,” July 21-23, 2010, in
Keystone, Colo. The aim of the conference is to identify gaps in information
and address questions focusing on occupational health surveillance, exposure
registries, and epidemiologic research involving nanotechnology workers.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/nanotech/keystone2010/
History of Occupational and Environmental Health Conference
Registration is open for the 4th International Conference on the History of
Occupational and Environmental Health to be held June 19-22 in San Francisco,
Calif. The meeting is organized by University of California San Francisco and
the International Commission on Occupational Health. This will be the first
conference in its series held in North America.
https://www.cme.ucsf.edu/cme/CourseDetail.aspx?coursenumber=MMJ10014.
A comprehensive list of upcoming conferences can be
found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/exhibits.html.
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Flickr - According to
Wikipedia, Flickr is an image and video hosting website, web services suite,
and online community platform. NIOSH currently has over 200 occupational
safety and health-related photos available for public use on our Flickr site www.flickr.com/niosh. To add or donate
photos, please email Tanya Headley at theadley@xxxxxxx.
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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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Tanya
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Copy
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Technical
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Please send your comments and suggestions
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