What Services Can CDC/NIOSH Provide to Employers and Employees Involved in a Hurricane Recovery?

NIOSH is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the Department of Health and Human Services.

CDC/NIOSH is the federal agency which evaluates and makes recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness.

What Services Can CDC/NIOSH Provide to Workers Involved in a Hurricane Recovery?

Evaluate workplace problems from a broad public health perspective utilizing physician epidemiologists, industrial hygienists, industrial psychologists, and engineers

• Brief workers concerning the health and exposure risks of concern following the hurricane, including flood waters and sediment, debris, mold, odors, heat stress, work stress, infectious disease, risks of handling human and animal remains, etc.
  
  
• Evaluate illness, injury and workplace stress through confidential questionnaires, record reviews, employee interviews, measurement of exposures, and medical testing, if needed.
  
  
• Measure heat stress, noise, and air contaminants such as dust, metals, silica, volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde, and other indoor pollutants.
  
  
• Provide guidance on controlling exposures, including engineering controls, administrative controls, and use of appropriate personal protective equipment.
  
  
• Provide a final written report through CDC to the employees and employees.
  
  
• Employees, authorized representatives of employees, or employers can request an evaluation of possible health hazards associated with a job or workplace. Requests for HHEs must be in writing to NIOSH and must specify those work areas and potential hazards which need to be evaluated.
  
  Your request can be kept confidential.
  
  There are several ways to request an HHE:

  Electronically, using the following link:
  
  http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/hheform.html

  By mail or fax.

  Fill out and print this PDF form (177kb, 2 pages)

  Fax to: (513) 841-4488

  or mail to:

  NIOSH, Hazard Evaluation and Technical Assistance Branch
  4676 Columbia Parkway, R-9
  Cincinnati, Ohio 45226
  

  For more information about Requesting an HHE contact:
  NIOSH Toll-Free Information Service: 1-800-35-NIOSH
  (1-800-356-4674)

  NIOSH, Hazard Evaluation and Technical Assistance Branch
  4676 Columbia Parkway, R-9
  Cincinnati, Ohio 45226
  (513)841-4382 FAX: (513)841-4488