Volume
6 Number 5 September 2008 |
NIOSH eNews Web page |
To subscribe, click here |
Printer Friendly Version |
r2p Corner Around NIOSH Podcast Highlights NIOSH Researcher's Professional Accomplishments |
NIOSH Hosts Safety and Health Interventions Session at Mining Expo Improved Criteria for Emergency Medical Protective Clothing Upcoming Survey to Collect Injury Data on Minority Operated Farms News from Our Partners |
Communication Products Upcoming Events Word of the Month |
From the Director's Desk |
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. |
In Memoriam: Bill Wallace |
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.) |
Nanotechnology issues discussed by Dr. Howard in Public TV interview |
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. |
NIOSH Storm and Flood Cleanup Topic Page Provides Resources for Hurricane Response Workers |
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. |
NIOSH Funded Study Helps Teens Stay Safe at Work |
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/. |
The Stories We Can Tell… NIOSH NORA Photo Contest Winners Announced |
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/. |
NIOSH Researchers Win in CDC Annual Photo Contest |
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.
|
r2p Corner |
Occupational Safety and Health at Xavier UniversityIn 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@cdc.gov. |
NORA |
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@cdc.gov. Unique contributions from diverse partners will be required to accomplish the many surveillance, research, and research-to-practice goals outlined. |
Around NIOSH |
Podcast Highlights NIOSH Researcher's Professional AccomplishmentsVincent 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 ExpoNIOSH 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 ProcessRichard 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
|
News From Our Partners |
Occupational Health Disparities Affecting Connecticut’s Hispanic WorkforceNIOSH 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. |
Communication Products |
Two NIOSH documents are now available in Spanish"Protecting Poultry Workers from Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)" DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2008-128 http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/niosh/docs/2008-128_sp/default.html. The English version is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2008-128/. "Workplace Solution - Water Spray Control of Hazardous Dust When Breaking Concrete with a Jackhammer" DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2008-127 http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/niosh/docs/wp-solutions/2008-127_sp/default.html. The English version is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/wp-solutions/2008-127/. |
Upcoming Events |
“No Fit Test” Respirator WorkshopNIOSH 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 usAssociation of Occupational Health Professionals National Safety Council Expo 2008 National Occupational Injury Research Symposium (NOIRS) FFA American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting & Exposition Call for AbstractsPartners in Emergency Preparedness Conference ASTM Association of periOperative Registered Nurses Congress 2009 American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Expo 2009 Emergency Nurses Association Annual Conference American Occupational Health Conference 2009 American Association of Occupational Health Nurses 2009 Symposium and Expo Upcoming ConferencesAmerican Association of Occupational Health Nurses Conference for Leadership Advancement 14th International Society for Respiratory Protection 20th Annual Occupational Medicine Update National Safety Council Expo 2008 Mine Expo International 2008 National Occupational Injury Research Symposium (NOIRS) American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting & Exposition 2008 Worker Safety and Health Technical Conference PCIH 2008 ISEA Fall Meeting Protection 2033 8th Conference of the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology 2008 NIOSH Direct-Reading Exposure Assessment Methods (DREAM) Workshop International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) 2008 Annual Conference International Roofing Expo 2009 SME Annual Meeting” and “CMA 111th Annual National Western Mining Conference Emergency Nurses Association Leadership Conference 29th Triennial Congress of the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH 2009) American Association of Occupational Health Nurses 2009 Symposium and Expo Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) 2009 ASSE Professional Development Conference and Exposition “SAFETY 2009” ASTM Conference 19th International Symposium on Shiftwork and Working Time |
Word of the Month |
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. |
NIOSH eNews on the Web: www.cdc.gov/niosh/enews/
NIOSH
Home |
NIOSH Search | Site
Index | Topic
List | Contact
Us |