Volume
2 Number 3 July 2004 |
NIOSH eNews web page |
To subscribe, click here |
Printer Friendly Version |
NIOSH/RAND
Report Addresses Coordination, Planning for Emergency Responder Safety
NIOSH
Papers Highlighted for Exemplary Science for Prevention of Work Injury
and Illness Keeping
Employees Safe While Keeping Food Safe Voluntary
Guidance Issued for Workplace Use of Anthrax-Spore Detection Systems
|
Study
Addresses Reproductive Question Associated With Occupational Bicycle Riding NIOSH
Providing Assistance to Transportation Security Administration NIOSH
Workshop Explores the Effectiveness of Electret Filters Workplace
Violence DVD NIOSH,
OSHA, Pallet Association Sign Alliance NIOSH
Part of International Panel Charged with Evaluating Finnish Occupational
Group |
Although much has been accomplished in the past 30 years to control workplace noise and to establish effective workplace programs to protect employees’ hearing, work-related hearing loss continues to be a persistent concern. Approximately 30 million workers are exposed to hazardous noise on the job and an additional nine million are exposed to solvents and other agents associated with the risk of hearing impairment. Further progress against this hazard hinges on finding ways to better identify worker populations at potential risk, and on designing more effective controls. NIOSH is joining with diverse partners to advance this critical research, while helping businesses and employees find practical solutions using the knowledge at hand. Some examples of this research and outreach follow. Identifying
the Scope of the Problem
More information on current noise and hearing loss research data collection instruments and methods can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise/research/dataCollection.html. Engineering
Controls and Personal Protective Equipment
Resources
Partnerships
More information on NIOSH research related to hearing loss prevention can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise. More information about hearing loss prevention research in mining can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/topics/hearing.
|
NIOSH/RAND Report Addresses Coordination, Planning for Emergency Responder Safety |
Recommendations to further the safety of emergency responders at the scene of terrorist attacks and other disasters are described in a new report that was issued by NIOSH and the RAND Corporation on June 16, 2004. The report, funded by NIOSH, proposes a new approach that would make protecting the health and safety of emergency responders – including police, firefighters and ambulance crews – a key priority in coordinating the overall response to terrorist attacks and major disasters. More information on the report is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/updates/upd-06-16-04.html.
|
NIOSH Papers Highlighted for Exemplary Science for Prevention of Work Injury and Illness |
Nine scientifically exemplary studies by NIOSH researchers were nominated for the 2004 Charles C. Shepard Science Awards. The nine papers illustrate how NIOSH applies advanced laboratory techniques to identify potential health effects from workplace exposures; highlight NIOSH’s innovative use of death certificates, illness surveillance systems, and rigorous statistical methods to identify workplace exposures that may cause disease and to identify worker populations that face serious risk of such illnesses; and display NIOSH’s practical experience in devising and improving engineering controls and personal protective equipment. The NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards was nominated for outstanding contribution to public health and Marilyn Fingerhut, NIOSH International Coordinator, was nominated for the lifetime scientific achievement award. The Shepard Awards recognize excellence in science at CDC during 2003. The NIOSH nominations can be viewed at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/updates/upd-06-15-04.html.
|
A recent Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) in a poultry-processing plant posed an interesting challenge for NIOSH researchers. Employees in one department of the plant were wheezing, coughing, and sneezing. The symptoms appeared to be linked with airborne mist from highly chlorinated water used to keep poultry carcasses free from bacterial contamination that could taint the meat. What recommendations could NIOSH make to help the company protect the employees’ health without compromising food safety? Moreover, how could the researchers be sure they would identify the specific cause of the problem correctly, given that the cause might be a contaminant for which a specialized air monitoring technique did not exist? Finding the answers teamed a wide range of NIOSH medical officers, industrial hygienists, engineers, and other specialists. The team included Bradley King, Elena Page, Charles Mueller, Angela Warren, Erin Snyder, Julia Maldonado, Chad Dowell, Manny Rodriguez, and Walter Alarcon of the Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies; James Taylor, David Spainhour, Diana Freeland, and Susan Englehart of the Division of Respiratory Disease Studies; and Donald Dollberg, Katherine Gomez, Mark Millson, Larry Jaycox, Amir Khan, Robert D. Wilson, and G. Scott Earnest of the Division of Applied Research and Technology (DART). The results are described in the NIOSH HHE report, available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2002-0257-2916.pdf.
|
Voluntary Guidance Issued for Workplace Use of Anthrax-Spore Detection Systems |
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including participation by NIOSH, issued voluntary guidelines on June 4, 2004 for employers using autonomous detection systems (ADS) to detect, in approximate real-time, the release of airborne Bacillus anthracis spores in their workplaces. The guidelines provide recommendations to help employers work with local public health and responder agencies in planning strategic response efforts for protecting employees if the anthrax-causing spores are detected in air samples during ADS monitoring. The guidance was published in “Responding to Detection of Aerosolized Bacillus anthracis by Autonomous Detection Systems in the Workplace” in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report: Recommendations and Reports, 53(RR07); 1-12. The report is available on line from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5307a1.htm. The voluntary guidance is part of CDC’s ongoing effort to help strengthen emergency preparedness.
|
Study Addresses Reproductive Question Associated With Occupational Bicycle Riding |
In a new study, NIOSH scientists found that riding a bicycle having a saddle without a protruding nose significantly reduced physical pressure to the groin that has been associated with a measure of erectile dysfunction. The study provides new information and recommendations to help researchers and others address the question of whether men face a risk of sexual dysfunction or impotence from occupational bicycle riding. The report, “Effects of Bicycle Saddle Designs on the Pressure to the Perineum of the Bicyclist,” was published in the June 2004 issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (Volume 36, Number 6, pp. 1055-1062). An abstract of the report and access to the full text are available through the journal’s web page, http://www.ms-se.com. For further information on NIOSH research pertaining to the assessment of effects associated with occupational cycling, visit the NIOSH web page at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/bikerepro/bikepagetop.html.
|
NIOSH Providing Assistance to Transportation Security Administration |
NIOSH continues to provide employees at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) with updated study results through a topic page on the NIOSH web page, X-Ray Exposures from Airport Screening Machines. In 2003, TSA requested that NIOSH conduct an independent study to determine potential radiation exposure to TSA employees who operate baggage screening equipment at airports. The web page allows TSA employees who voluntarily participated in the NIOSH study secure access to their personal dosimetry results. General information about the study, links to information about radiation exposures to TSA employees and potential health effects, and recommendations to address exposure concerns are available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/airportscreener.
|
NIOSH Workshop Explores the Effectiveness of Electret Filters |
On June 10, the NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) held a workshop on issues pertaining to the effectiveness of electret filters, a type of filter used in respirators. Representatives from North Carolina State University (NCSU) and various filter and respirator manufactures, including 3M, ADS Composites Group Inc., Aearo, Delstar Technologies Inc., Drager Safety, Hollinee, Hollingsworth and Vose, MSA, Scott Health and Safety, and Texel Inc., participated. NIOSH convened the workshop to review a work plan for current research under a contract between NIOSH and NCSU and to solicit comments from manufacturers concerning their experience with electret filters. Electret filters have been important in the technological advance of particulate respirators because they offer increased particle capture with reduced breathing resistance. However, some research suggests that electret filter performance can degrade when exposed to certain agents. The research under the NIOSH/NCSU contract is aimed at understanding the mechanisms or processes that occur during filter performance degradation, and possibly developing new materials and methods to prevent or minimize filter degradation. For more information on the workshop, contact Ken Williams at KLWilliams@cdc.gov.
|
A new NIOSH training and educational DVD, Violence on the Job DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2004-100d, provides employers, employees, safety professionals, and others with recommendations and resources for preventing work-related homicides and assaults. The DVD discusses practical measures for identifying risk factors for violence at work, and taking strategic action to keep employees safe. Violence on the Job can be viewed on the NIOSH web page http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/video/violence.html and copies can be ordered free of charge from the NIOSH information number, 1-800-35-NIOSH.
|
The safety and health of workers in the solid wood packaging industry is the goal of a new Alliance signed June 7 between NIOSH, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA). The Alliance focuses on ergonomics and on reducing and preventing exposure to hazards associated with the use of powered industrial trucks, and pallet assembly and disassembly equipment in the workplace. NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D., said that NIOSH “looks forward to new successes in training, education, and outreach through this Alliance,” adding that the “agreement will offer many new opportunities to move the result of NIOSH research into safety and health practice. The results of those efforts will inform and enrich our future research.” More information on the Alliance can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/updates/upd-06-08-04.html.
|
NIOSH Part of International Panel Charged with Evaluating Finnish Occupational Group |
NIOSH participated in an International Evaluation Group (IEG) to evaluate the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) for the period 1997-2003. The evaluation was part of a regular evaluation of institutions under the supervision of the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The IEG reviewed the FIOH unit’s self-evaluation reports and met with FIOH leadership and stakeholders. The IEG concluded that the FIOH was deserving of its fine reputation as an international leader in occupational health and is successful in implementing its mission to improve the quality of modern work life and ensuring the health and safety of Finnish workers. The IEG also made recommendations for FIOH to meet the challenges of the evolving workplace. The report can be accessed at http://www.stm.fi/Resource.phx/publishing/documents/1944/index.htx.
|
Exposure
Assessment Methods Team The NORA Exposure Assessment Methods Team currently sponsors over 50 research projects to assure scientists and practitioners have the most accurate tools available to identify workplace hazards. Biomarker research is one example of the group’s innovative approach. Biomarkers are a series of medical tests, often urine or blood tests, which measure changes in the human body from exposures to toxic substances. DeBord explains that biomarkers are extremely useful for identifying potential occupational health risks because they can detect exposures to chemicals that pass through the skin for which air levels would not provide a good assessment of exposure. The group recently presented their research at the Applying Biomarker Research to Occupational Safety and Health Conference. The conference findings will join the group’s long list of accomplishments, including two peer reviewed manuscripts, a feature article in The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, and several national and international workshops and conferences. For more information about the team’s work, please visit their web page at http://www2a.cdc.gov/nora/noratopictemp.asp?rscharea=eam.
|
Hispanic
Summit
|
The
Sky is Falling Video New
NIOSH Topic Pages
|
Meeting
Scheduled to Strategize on Research for Radiation, Leukemia 3rd
Conference on Metal Toxicity and Carcinogenesis Alert
on Reducing Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Drugs to Healthcare: 2nd
International Symposium on Work Ability Steps
to a HealthierUS Workforce Symposium Contact
Dermatitis 2004-Blending Science with Best Practice
|
NIOSH eNews on the Web: www.cdc.gov/niosh/enews/
NIOSH Home |
NIOSH Search | Site
Index | Topic
List | Contact
Us |