Volume
6 Number 3 July 2008 |
NIOSH eNews Web page |
To subscribe, click here |
Printer Friendly Version |
NIOSH Launches Online Global Road Safety at Work Resource Library NIOSH Receives IOM Report on Personal Protective Technology Program |
CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Two Documents for Public Review and Comment REMINDERS Nominations Being Accepted for First “Safe in Sound” Award |
r2p Corner NORA |
NORA 2008 Virtual Symposium Opens July 30! Health Hazard Evaluation: Evaluation of Potential Musculoskeletal Hazard. |
Upcoming Events Call for Abstracts Upcoming Conferences |
From the Director's Desk |
I hope you will be able to join us on July 29 in Denver, when NIOSH and its partners will convene NORA Symposium 2008: Public Market for Ideas and Partnerships. Information on registration, lodging, and the preliminary program are available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora/symp08/. We are proud that the National Occupational Research Agenda, NORA, continues to serve as a beacon, a blueprint, and a rallying point for the national research that is so critical for preventing work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths. Chances are, you are familiar with the accomplishments that marked NORA's first decade, and with the anticipation that attended the launching of its second decade in 2006 http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora/. NORA Symposium 2008 will showcase successes associated with NORA partnerships in the second decade. Those successes include examples of r2p -- research to practice -- in which NORA has been instrumental for moving innovative research products into actual workplace use. The successes also include examples of ongoing research that address the increasingly complex challenges of our field in the 21st Century. This research is the incubator for the next generation of r2p products. NORA Symposium 2008 will also offer opportunities for expanding today's collaborations. If you have wondered how you might become one of our distinguished NORA partners, you are certain to find answers and inspiration in Denver. This will be a rare chance to learn about the range of current programs and projects under NORA, to network with eminent colleagues from NIOSH and partner organizations, to learn more about today's emerging challenges in safety and health, and to hear -- straight from the practitioners themselves -- about the effective, practical workplace interventions that have grown from NORA. I am particularly pleased about these features of NORA Symposium 2008:
Modern IT and communication systems such as the web, teleconferencing, and cell phones make it possible for researchers to work together over long distances. Nevertheless, the lifeblood of any successful partnership has to be face-to-face interaction. NORA Symposium 2008 provides a rare opportunity for our extended community to come together in person, share the excitement of our common mission for the public good, and plan ahead to meet our next set of challenges. I look forward to seeing you in Denver. |
NIOSH Launches Online Global Road Safety at Work Resource Library |
NIOSH now offers an online library to house resources from around the world related to the prevention of road traffic injuries and deaths while at work. The resources, which include employer policies and guidance documents on road safety at work, research reports on risk factors for work-related crashes, as well as statistics about worker injuries and fatalities on roads, are stored in the “Road Safety at Work” online library at http://www.roadsafetyatwork.org. Contact Jane Hingston at JHingston@cdc.gov for more information or to contribute to the online library. |
NIOSH Receives IOM Report on Personal Protective Technology Program |
On June 26, 2008 the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued their report on the NIOSH Personal Protective Technology (PPT) Program. The review committee made five recommendations to further “the already substantial efforts of the PPT program.” Details of the committee’s findings and recommendations can be found at http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3740/45683/55601.aspx. |
Lifetime Scientific Achievement Award |
Congratulations to Dr. Vincent Castranova on receiving the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 2008 Charles C. Shepard Award for Lifetime Scientific Achievement. Dr. Castranova is the chief of the Pathology and Physiology Research Branch, NIOSH Health Effects Laboratory Division in Morgantown, WV. More information about the award and Dr. Castranova’s distinguished record of scientific achievements and leadership can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/updates/upd-06-16-08.html. |
NIOSH to Host “No Fit Test” Respirator Workshop |
Are innovations in half-mask respirator fit possible? If so, what are the factors that inhibit or encourage the development of better fitting respirators? These topics will be discussed at the “No Fit Test” Respirator Workshop to be held November 6, 2008 in Pittsburgh, PA. The NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory and the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, will host the workshop to focus on the nature and process of product innovation and development in negative pressure half-face piece respirators, to gauge the current “state-of-the-art,” and to stimulate new designs and approaches for improved respirator fit. The results of the workshop will lead to a better understanding of how future NIOSH research can encourage ongoing development of better fitting respirators without compromising long-term protection. Registration is free but required. You can register at http://cpheo.sph.umn.edu/mcohs. |
CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report |
Two recent scientific articles in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) were co-authored by NIOSH scientists.
|
Two Documents for Public Review and Comment |
NIOSH has posted two documents for public comment.
|
REMINDERS |
Save the Date: NIOSH To Host DREAM Workshop in NovemberNIOSH will host the “DREAM (Direct Reading Exposure Assessment Methods) Workshop” on November 13 – 14, 2008, in Arlington, VA. The workshop will bring together stakeholders from academia, labor, management, method development and research, government and manufacturing to discuss research needs in the area of direct reading methods for assessing occupational exposures. Input from the workshop will be used to set research priorities for the methods. Information on the workshop will be available on the NIOSH Web page, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/drm. Nominations Being Accepted for First “Safe in Sound” AwardNIOSH and the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) have established a new award to be given each year to companies or organizations that exemplify Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention. The first “Safe in Sound” award will be presented at the NHCA annual conference in February 2009 and will recognize organizations that document measurable achievements in hearing loss prevention programs, obtain information on their real-world successes, and widely disseminate information on how others can use these successful strategies or benchmark their own programs. Additional information and submission details can be found at http://www.safeinsound.us. Nominations will be accepted until September 1, 2008. |
NIOSH Science Blog |
|
r2p Corner |
NIOSH Offers Workplace Solution for Water Spray Control of Hazardous DustA new NIOSH Workplace Solutions document, Water Spray Control of Hazardous Dust When Breaking Concrete with a Jackhammer, NIOSH Publication No. 2008-127, provides practical recommendations for using water-spray control devices to reduce occupational exposures to hazardous dust in employing jackhammers to break concrete pavement. Dust released in such operations may contain crystalline silica, which can cause silicosis, a deadly lung disease. The document is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/wp-solutions/2008-127/. |
NORA |
NORA Wholesale and Retail Trade Draft AgendaThe NORA Wholesale and Retail Trade Sector Council requests comments on its draft National Wholesale and Retail Trade Agenda posted at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora/comment/public/WholRetTradeDraftJune2008. This preliminary draft national strategy consists of six strategic goals. Four focus on adverse health or exposure conditions, and the remaining two focus on demographic characteristics that contribute to the risk of injury, illness and death. The Council also seeks organizations to join partnership efforts to advance the draft priorities. NORA 2008 Virtual Symposium Opens July 30!A virtual symposium is being held in conjunction with the NORA Symposium 2008: Public Market for Ideas and Partnerships. The virtual symposium, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nora/symp08/virtualsymposium.html, will showcase the keynote presentations, NORA 2008 awards, and workshop presentations. It will also feature a virtual poster session with a blog-like capability to encourage dialogue between the poster author(s) and the viewer about the importance of the work to the viewer, as well as possible collaborations and partnerships to use the results to improve workplace practice. |
News From Our Partners |
The deadline has been extended to apply to the “2008 National Safety Council’s Research Poster Award Program” for research papers based on occupational safety and health. The extended deadline for submissions is August 1, 2008. Application and submission forms can be accessed at http://www.nsc.org/network/college_univ_init/posterhome.aspx. The award is sponsored by the NSC College and University Initiative: Education and Research and the Campbell Institute. |
Communication Products |
The second issue of “PtD in Motion” is now available with a focus on the construction industry. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/PtD/html/Ptd-inMotion-Issue2.html Recent submissions to the NIOSH Docket 129 “Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers action plan” have been added to http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docket/nioshdocket0129.html “Guidance on Emergency Responder Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Response to CBRN Terrorism Incidents” DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2008-132. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2008-132 Two NIOSH documents are now available in Spanish
Two new NIOSH Topic Pages are now available:
Health Hazard Evaluation: Evaluation of Potential Musculoskeletal Hazard.The HHE Program responded to a union request at a poultry processing plant concerning potential musculoskeletal hazards resulting from job tasks in the deli division. The NIOSH HHE investigators observed frank hanging and frank removing tasks and interviewed workers about their work and medical histories. It was found that workers used awkward postures and performed heavy lifting, which increased their risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders. Investigators found that workers reported musculoskeletal pain and discomfort in their back and shoulders when hanging and removing franks. HHE Program investigators recommended that managers provide workers with taller platforms in both the raw and cooked production areas to reduce awkward postures; that managers rotate workers from lifting to non-lifting jobs to limit lifting tasks to less than two hours per rotation; that employees take specific measures to minimize horizontal research distance while working; and that employees take the time to work safely and lift properly. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2007-0098-3061.pdf. |
Upcoming Events |
Look for Us“International Association of Fire Fighters 49th Convention” “International Association of Fire Chiefs Fire Rescue International 2008” “Association of Occupational Health Professionals” “National Safety Council Expo” Call for AbstractsASSE Professional Development Conference and Exposition “SAFETY 2009” “29th Triennial Congress of the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH 2009)” “Emergency Nurses Association Leadership Conference” “American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Expo” “American Occupational Health Conference 2009” “Association of periOperative Registered Nurses Congress 2009” “2009 Emergency Nurses Association Annual Conference” Upcoming Conferences“2008 Johnson Conference: Critical Issues in Monitoring Asbestos” “International Association of Fire Chiefs Fire Rescue International 2008” “American Association of Occupational Health Nurses Conference for Leadership Advancement” “14th International Society for Respiratory Protection” “2008 National Occupational Injury Research Symposium (NOIRS)” “PCIH 2008” “8th Conference of the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology” “International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) 2008 Annual Conference” “International Roofing Expo” “2009 SME Annual Meeting” and “CMA 111th Annual National Western Mining Conference” “Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) 2009” “19th International Symposium on Shiftwork and Working Time” |
Word of the Month |
NIOSH eNews on the Web: www.cdc.gov/niosh/enews/
NIOSH
Home |
NIOSH Search | Site
Index | Topic
List | Contact
Us |