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NIOSH Mine Safety Product Receives 2004 Industry R&D Award
Personal Dust Monitor one of most technologically significant new products of the year.

NIOSH, Partners set Steps to Healthier Workforce Symposium
Experts in the fields of health protection and health promotion convene to strategize ways to make workers safer and healthier.

Requiring Safety Belt Use is Key Employer Policy for Preventing Job Vehicle Deaths
NIOSH Director remarks at key motor vehicle safety symposium.

In Memoriam: John M. Dower
NIOSH mourns passing of distinguished leader in respiratory hazards.

International Labor Organization Releases Fact Sheets on Work Economic Security
International group identifies economic strengths and weaknesses in new report.

NIOSH Hosts International Visiting Scientists
Agreement between NIOSH and Korean counterpart provides avenue for knowledge and resource exchange.

Preliminary Results From NIOSH-Supported WTC Screenings Issued
MMWR notes physical and psychological effects on emergency responders.

Pittsburgh Federal Executive Board 2004 Women of the Year Awards
Four NIOSH employees are honored by local executive board.

MMWR: National Occupational Respiratory Mortality System
Respiratory mortality data now accessible through CDC web site.

NIOSH Offers Lead Removal Handwipe Method for Licensing
Partner assistance needed to commercialize NIOSH developed product.

Nancy Bollinger Retires After Notable NIOSH Service
NIOSH colleague advanced the field of workplace respiratory protection.

Proposals Requested for Joint Nanotechnology Research Grants
Deadline for applications is January 5, 2005.

Research to Practice (r2p)

NORA

News From Our Partners

Communication Products

Nanotechnology Workplace Safety and Health

Preventing Occupational Exposure to Antineoplastic and Other Hazardous Drugs in Health Care Settings

Two New Mining Publications

Ergonomic Assessment of Musculoskeletal Risk Factors at Four Mine Sites: Underground Coal, Surface Copper, Surface Phosphate, and Underground Limestone

Safety and Health Training for an Evolving Workforce: An Overview From the Mining Industry

Upcoming Events

Workshop on Reducing Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Drugs to Healthcare: Converting Theory to Practice

First International Symposium on Nanotechnology and Occupational Health

17^th International Symposium on Epidemiology in Occupational Health

2^nd International Symposium on Work Ability

University of Cincinnati Education and Research Center's Pilot Research Symposium

Steps to a Healthier Workforce Symposium

Contact Dermatitis 2004-Blending Science with Best Practice

Developing Experimental Approaches for Evaluation of Toxicological Interactions of Nanoscale Materials

Word of the Month

ICOH

  From the Director's Desk

NIOSH and diverse partners will sponsor a national conference on November 15-17 in Baltimore, Md., to stimulate strategic workplace violence research and prevention efforts. Participants will share the latest research findings, identify prevention strategies, challenges, barriers, information dissemination gaps, and explore roles that organizations and agencies can fill in achieving workplace violence prevention.

Expert panel presentations and working sessions will be organized around four categories of workplace violence: 1) violence associated with criminal intent, 2) customer and client violence, 3) employee-on-employee violence, and 4) violence associated with personal relationships. The discussions will help guide the development of a strategic plan for workplace violence research and prevention.

The conference, “Partnering in Workplace Violence Prevention: Translating Research to Practice,” developed from NIOSH discussions with stakeholders on the most important research and prevention needs across diverse work settings and types of workplace violence. Co-sponsors include the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence, the Injury Prevention Research Center at the University of Iowa, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Liz Claiborne, State Farm Insurance, and Verizon Wireless. Further information on the conference, including on-line registration, is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2006-144/.

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NIOSH is the recipient of the prestigious R&D 100 Award for the development of the Personal Dust Monitor (PDM). The PDM measures respirable coal mine dust mass to provide accurate real-time exposure data which can be used by the coal miner to prevent overexposure. The award recognizes the 100 most technologically significant new products of the year as judged by R&D Magazine. The award was also given to Rupprecht and Patashnick Co., Inc. (the instrument manufacturer) and to the partnership (United Mine Workers of America, Bituminous Coal Operators Association, and the National Mining Association) that cooperated and helped guide the research for the development of a successful instrument. While not an official member of the partnership, the Mine Safety and Health Administration assisted by funding initial development, facilitating the safety approvals for the device, and participating in the underground testing. News of the award was published in the September 2004 issue of R&D Magazine, and the award will be presented on October 14, 2004 . For more information on the PDM, contact Jon Volkwein, NIOSH Pittsburgh Research Laboratory, at JVolkwein@cdc.gov.

   NIOSH, Partners set Steps to Healthier Workforce Symposium

NIOSH will convene a symposium with diverse partners on October 26-28 in Washington, D.C. to examine new opportunities for advancing workplace health and productivity by better integrating worker and workplace health protection and healthy lifestyle promotion. The symposium, which is co-sponsored by 22 industry groups, labor groups, corporations, professional organizations, and government organizations, will mark the official launch of NIOSH’s “Steps to a Healthier Workforce” initiative. The new initiative will encourage workplace safety and health programs that focus on both the prevention of work-related illness, injury, and disability, and the promotion of healthy living and lifestyles to reduce and prevent chronic disease. Further information on the symposium can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/steps/2004/symposium.html. Due to overwhelming response, the symposium is currently oversubscribed. For further information about “Steps to a Healthier Workforce,” visit http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/steps.

   Requiring Safety Belt Use is Key Employer Policy for Preventing Job Vehicle Deaths

Employers should implement and enforce the use of safety belts in company and agency vehicles. This recommendation was made by NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration/National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Motor Vehicle Safety (NHTSA) Symposium held September 14. Among the general population, the use of safety belts saved nearly 12,000 lives in motor vehicle crashes in 2000 and could have prevented an additional 9,000 fatalities had the victims been wearing safety belts. NHTSA estimates injuries from non-use of safety belts cost employers more than $1 billion each year in health insurance and other direct costs. More information on NIOSH recommendations to prevent work-related motor vehicle fatalities and injuries can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/injury/traumamv.html.

   In Memoriam: John M. Dower

NIOSH mourns the loss of John M. Dower, who passed away on September 8. John retired from NIOSH’s National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory in October 2003 after a distinguished 30-year career with NIOSH, the U.S. Bureau of Mines, and the Mine Safety and Health Administration. An industrial hygienist, John was instrumental in conducting research and developing criteria to protect emergency responders, miners, and other workers from occupational respiratory hazards. Among other accomplishments, he led the NIOSH team that developed new criteria in 2002 for testing and certifying respirators to protect emergency responders from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents. He also contributed substantially to federal efforts to promote the standardization and interoperability of personal protective equipment for emergency responders. In research to prevent occupational illnesses among miners, John developed standards for testing coal mine dust personal sampling devices and contributed to the development of mine ventilation standards.

   International Labor Organization Releases Fact Sheets on Work Economic Security

The International Labor Organization has released fact sheets based on their new report, “Economic Security for a Better World.” The fact sheets, divided into 13 topic areas, provide bulleted lists of major study findings. NIOSH serves as an information center for the ILO and works actively with the ILO through the World Health Organization Global Network of Collaborating Centers. The report and associated fact sheets can be accessed on the ILO web site at http://www.ilo.org/public/english/protection/ses/index.htm.

   NIOSH Hosts International Visiting Scientists

Two scientists from the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) currently work at the NIOSH Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations and Field Studies as part of an exchange program between NIOSH and KOSHA. Bu-Hyan Kwon works with the NIOSH Ergonomics Upper Limb study making significant contributions to the exposure assessment process through testing and validating a NIOSH developed computer program for upper limb postural analysis. Eun A. Kim participates in numerous NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluations and assists NIOSH researchers in data management. Initiated in 1996, NIOSH and KOSHA collaborate through the exchange of researchers, technical information and materials, and by conducting joint research projects.

   Preliminary Results From NIOSH-Supported WTC Screenings Issued

Preliminary results of the NIOSH-supported health screenings of 1,138 rescue and recovery workers and volunteers from the World Trade Center attack indicate high rates of persistent upper and lower respiratory effects and persistent psychological effects associated with the responders’ work at the disaster site, according to reports by the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in the Sept. 10 issue of CDC’s Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report. Mt. Sinai is part of a consortium that was awarded federal funding through NIOSH grants to conduct health screenings for the WTC workers and volunteers. The article on the physical health status of the rescue and recovery workers can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5335a1.htm, and the article on psychological effects can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5335a2.htm. More information on the support for the screening program can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/updates/hhs-03-18-04.html.

   Pittsburgh Federal Executive Board 2004 Women of the Year Awards

Congratulations to the following NIOSH employees who were recently recognized during the 2004 Women of the Year Ceremony sponsored by the Pittsburgh Federal Executive Board.

• Debra Handlin was a nominee in the Staff Support Category. Debra is the Chief of the Program and Administrative Activity in the Division of Safety Research.
  
  
• Launa Mallet was a finalist in the Professional (non-supervisory) Category. Launa is a sociologist at the Pittsburgh Research Laboratory.
  
  
• Andrea Pascoe Conteen was a finalist in the Staff Support Category. Andrea is an Administrative Officer at the Pittsburgh Research Laboratory.
  
  
• Jeanne Zimmer was the winner in the Technical Category. Jeanne is a Physical Science Technician in the Pittsburgh Research Laboratory.

The awards are designed to focus attention on female employees who have exemplified a high degree of character, job interest and performance, and who have evidenced a substantial contribution to women in the Federal Government.

   MMWR: National Occupational Respiratory Mortality System

The National Occupational Respiratory Mortality System (NORMS) has recently been added to the CDC’s web site. NORMS is a data storage and data retrieval system containing national mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics for respiratory diseases including asthma and pneumoconiosis. The user can generate statistics for U.S. residents by age, race, and gender at the national, state or county level. Occupational mortality data is available by industry at the national and state levels. NORMS data are available at http://webappa.cdc.gov/ords/norms.html.

   NIOSH Offers Lead Removal Handwipe Method for Licensing

NIOSH is soliciting a partner to refine development of a novel cleansing and removal method for lead contamination on the skin. This novel method is designed to eliminate lead exposures detected by the earlier NIOSH developed “Lead Surface Sampling Full Disclosure Kit.” Preliminary research has shown that this method is highly effective and performs better than traditional handwashing with soap and water and other commercial handwashing products. Licensing information may be obtained from Suzanne Seavello Shope at sshope@cdc.gov. Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) information may be obtained from Kathleen Goedel at kgoedel@cdc.gov.

   Nancy Bollinger Retires After Notable NIOSH Service

Nancy Bollinger, a long-time member of the NIOSH family, retired October 1 after a 32-year career as an outstanding scientist, administrator, and mentor. Nancy began with NIOSH in 1972 with the Testing and Certification Laboratory in Morgantown, W.Va., working in the respirator certification program. Her adept performance helped to establish this new program as a widely respected center of technical excellence. It also led to her becoming chief of the Certification and Quality Assurance Branch in the Division of Safety Research in 1984. In 1991, Nancy was selected as the deputy director for the Division of Respiratory Disease Studies (DRDS). Working in a new and different setting, Nancy proved her managerial and organizational skills in DRDS. During the construction of its expanded facilities in Morgantown in the 1990s, NIOSH again called on Nancy's leadership in designing the future mission and organization of the new Health Effects Laboratory Division (HELD), and in providing key input to the design teams working on the construction of the Morgantown expansion project. In 1997, Nancy was selected as the deputy director of HELD, where she also served with distinction. In addition to her outstanding leadership, scientific knowledge, and management talents applied to the efficient operations in HELD, Nancy continued to advance the field of workplace respiratory protection. NIOSH offers its appreciation to Nancy for her many contributions to occupational safety and health, and best wishes on future endeavors.

   Proposals Requested for Joint Nanotechnology Research Grants

NIOSH, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Science Foundation (NSF) are seeking applications proposing research on the potential implications of nanotechnology and manufactured nanomaterials on human health and the environment.  Areas of particular interest include the toxicology of manufactured nanomaterials; the fate, transport, and transformation of manufactured nanomaterials; and human exposure and bioavailability. The deadline for applications is January 5, 2005. Complete details of the request and the application submission process are available on the EPA web site, http://es.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2004/2004_manufactured_nano.html.

   Research to Practice (r2p)

NIOSH is working with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to address potential occupational health concerns of employees who operate baggage screening x-ray machines at airports. NIOSH is assessing employees’ work practices, characterizing potential employee exposure to x-rays from screening machines, and providing recommendations for TSA and their employees. Since this study involves workers at several airports and is conducted across seasonal changes, providing the latest study findings to everyone is essential. Using the r2p approach, NIOSH developed a web site, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/airportscreener, to provide workers with effective techniques for reducing potential exposure and TSA with preliminary research findings and recommendations so that measures can be taken immediately. For additional information, contact John Cardarelli, NIOSH Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, at JCardarelli@cdc.gov.

   NORA

When the NORA Reproductive Health Research Team formed in 1997, few large studies included occupation as a risk factor for birth defects or infertility. And only a tiny fraction of the estimated 84,000 chemicals used in worksites had been tested for their reproductive toxicity.

With so much research needed, team co-leader Barbara Grajewski explains, “just simple things, like getting occupational exposures on the map,” can be crucial first steps for reducing a worker’s risk of reproductive disorders. To begin to address this need, the team of NIOSH researchers and diverse partners published a national reproductive research agenda in the June 2003 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives. This agenda offers guidelines to better understand and prioritize reproductive risks and the populations they effect.

The key components of the agenda, and accomplishments made in each area under the NORA initiative since the team was formed in 1997, include the following:

• Understanding and prioritizing reproductive exposures. Several team members have participated in expert panels to identify high priority chemicals needing further research.
  
  
• Stimulating and coordinating reproductive research. NIOSH and NORA have partnered with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to study boron and male fertility and worked with the National Center for Environmental Health to assess workplace exposures to phthalates. They also partnered with the NORA Control Technology team to recommend interventions to reduce health care workers’ reproductive risks from antineoplastic drugs.
  
  
• Including occupation in large epidemiologic studies. The Harvard Nurse’s Health Study and the National Children’s Study now collect data on occupation as a result of involvement from team members. The large sample sizes of these landmark studies give researchers the potential to learn much more about occupational reproductive risks than was previously possible.
  
  
• Improving communication to workers, policy makers, employers, and researchers. The team will be convening a session at next year’s Society of Toxicology meeting to discuss how to communicate reproductive risks on Material Safety Data Sheets, the information sheets workplaces use to describe potential chemical hazards.

For further information, visit the NIOSH NORA reproductive team’s web site at http://www2a.cdc.gov/nora/noratopictemp.asp?rscharea=fpa .

   News from our Partners

The American Society of Safety Engineers released their updated Roadway Crashes transportation safety brochure. The brochure provides guidance on driving near and around commercial vehicles and work zones. Employers can find information on ways to increase employees’ roadway safety and parents can learn how to properly secure children riding in vehicles. Key transportation safety contact information, including links to NIOSH web sites, is also included in the brochure. The brochure is accessible on the ASSE web site, http://www.asse.org/.

   Communication Products

Nanotechnology Workplace Safety and Health DHHS (NIOSH) Pub. No. 2004-175 is an easy-to-read fact sheet describing nanotechnology, how it is used and the role NIOSH is taking to study its use in workplace safety and health issues. NIOSH is part of an international effort of research groups, government agencies, and industry interested in understanding the health impact of nanotechnology and how to control potential risk. The fact sheet is accessible at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2004-175.

Preventing Occupational Exposure to Antineoplastic and Other Hazardous Drugs in Health Care Settings DHHS (NIOSH) Pub. No. 2004-165 provides guidance to health care workers on ways to avoid exposure to hazardous drugs. Pharmaceutical agents are classified in the scientific literature as “hazardous drugs” if studies in human or animals indicate that they have the potential to cause cancer, to result in developmental or reproductive toxicity, or to harm organs at low dose exposures. The document can be accessed online at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2004-165 and will be issued later in print format.

Two new Mining Publications are now available:

• Ergonomic Assessment of Musculoskeletal Risk Factors at Four Mine Sites: Underground Coal, Surface Copper, Surface Phosphate, and Underground Limestone DHHS (NIOSH) Pub. No. 2004-159 summarizes work activities and physical risk factors that put miners at increased musculoskeletal injury risk. Ways of reducing risk factors for the examined work tasks are also reported. The document is accessible at /niosh/mining/pubs/2004-159.
  
  
• Safety and Health Training for an Evolving Workforce: An Overview From the Mining Industry DHHS (NIOSH) Pub. No. 2004-155 identifies the key issues in this evolving safety and health training area. Among these are the unique physical, psychological, social and cultural differences between newer miners and the present workforce; learning styles and work expectations; and the impact of technology. The report is accessible at /niosh/mining/pubs/2004-155.

   Upcoming Events

Workshop on Reducing Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare: Converting Theory to Practice
NIOSH will sponsor a workshop October 3-5, in San Antonio, Texas, to familiarize healthcare professionals with the recently published NIOSH Alert on Preventing Occupational Exposures to Antineoplastic and Other Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare Settings and to discuss implementation of the recommendations contained in the alert. More information is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/hazdrug/conference.html.

First International Symposium on Nanotechnology and Occupational Health
NIOSH and the Health and Safety Executive of the United Kingdom will co-sponsor the First International Symposium on Nanotechnology and Occupational Health, to be held in Buxton, United Kingdom, on October 12-14. This nanotechnology symposium is the first of its kind to bring together researchers, industry representatives and policy makers in order to define the issues facing workers and employers and to develop strategies to address the potential health risks. The symposium provides NIOSH with a partnership opportunity to address potential occupational health concerns associated with the manufacturing and use of nanomaterials, which are engineered materials of very minute size. Additional information on the meeting is available at http://www.hsl.gov.uk/news/nanosymp.htm.

As an increasing number of nanotechnology-based materials and products enter commercial production, there is a need to understand the potential safety and health risks and how they can be controlled. NIOSH provides additional information on nanotechnology through the web site http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/nanotech.

17^th International Symposium on Epidemiology in Occupational Health
The EPICOH 2004, 17^th International Symposium on Epidemiology in Occupational Health will be held October 13-16, in Melbourne, Australia. NIOSH is one of the sponsors for this year’s conference. EPICOH is one of the major international occupational health and safety conferences and is designed to stimulate discussion and update occupational safety and health researchers, professionals, and stakeholders. This year’s theme is reducing the global burden of occupational disease and injury. More information is available at http://www.med.monash.edu.au/epidemiology/epicoh/index.html.

2^nd International Symposium on Work Ability
The 2^nd International Symposium on Work Ability will be held October 18-20, in Verona, Italy. The Symposium is being organized by the Universities of Milano and Verona, the International Commission on Occupational Health’s (ICOH) Scientific Committee "Ageing and Work" and the International Ergonomics Association’s (IEA) Technical Committee “Ageing.” Topics include ways to assess and promote work ability and the factors affecting the work ability of older workers. NIOSH is an institutional member of ICOH. More information is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/pdfs/workability-a.pdf.

University of Cincinnati Education and Research Center's Pilot Research Symposium
The University of Cincinnati Education and Research Center will host the 5^th Annual Pilot Research Symposium on October 21-22. The symposium will feature the Occupational Health and Safety Pilot Research Project grant recipients. These projects are designed to increase the knowledge and understanding of research trainees and young occupational health and safety investigators and to encourage those in related disciplines to pursue occupational safety and health research. More information can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/conferences/UC-pilot/symp-news-release.pdf.

Steps to a Healthier Workforce Symposium
The Steps to a Healthier Workforce 2004 Symposium will be held October 26-28, at the Cafritz Center on the campus of George Washington University in Washington, D.C. The symposium is being co-sponsored by NIOSH and will bring together communities of occupational safety and health protection and health promotion to develop a coordinated system that addresses both workplace and worker health. More information is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/steps.

Contact Dermatitis 2004-Blending Science with Best Practice
Contact Dermatitis 2004-Blending Science with Best Practice will be held October 28-30, in Bethesda, Md. NIOSH, the NORA Allergic and Irritant Dermatitis Team and other organizations and agencies are sponsoring and hosting this conference. The conference is the latest in a series of scientific meetings and collaborative activities by a diverse industry, government and academic working group to advance research to prevent work-related skin disorders. More information is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/skin/CD2004/.

Developing Experimental Approaches for Evaluation of Toxicological Interactions of Nanoscale Materials
Developing Experimental Approaches for Evaluation of Toxicological Interactions of Nanoscale Materials will be held November 3-4 in Gainesville, Florida. The workshop will address the challenges of conducting and interpreting studies of potential toxic effects of nanoscale materials and lay the foundation for developing a set of best experimental practices for future studies. More information on the workshop can be found at http://www.nanotoxicology.ufl.edu.

  Word of the Month

ICOH: The International Commission on Occupational Health is an international professional organization dedicated to fostering the scientific progress, knowledge, and development of occupational health and safety. Founded in 1906 in Milan, Italy, ICOH will celebrate its centennial International Congress in 2006 in Milan. More information about ICOH at http://www.icoh.org.sg.