NIOSH eNews web page

National Academy of Sciences to Announce Framework Committee for NIOSH Research Program Evaluation
We especially invite you, as a valued stakeholder, to respond to the NAS invitation for comments, and to make your voice heard.

Request for Public Review and Comment of NIOSH Alert: Preventing Asthma and Death from MDI Exposure During Spray-on Truck Bed Liner and Related Applications
Public comment period closes March 31, 2005.

Vacancy Announcement: Deputy Director, NIOSH Health Effects Laboratory Division
The application deadline is March 25, 2005.

Proceedings of the International Conference on Occupational and Environmental Exposures of Skin to Chemicals: Science and Policy
Report published in March issue of Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology.

NIOSH Cincinnati Employees Wear Red to Raise Awareness
Participate in national campaign to educate women about heart disease.

Call for Abstracts: 2^nd International Symposium on Nanotechnology and Occupational Health
March 31, 2005 deadline for abstracts approaches.

Look for Us
Three upcoming conferences will showcase research and activities by the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory and the mining research laboratories in Pittsburgh and Spokane.

Around NIOSH
A quarterly review of what’s happening around the Institute.

NIOSH Diversity Initiative
Diversity: Forward on outreach and strategic planning

Division of Applied Research and Technology (DART)
Newly developed engines reduce carbon monoxide emissions from recreational boats

Division of Respiratory Disease Studies (DRDS)
Staff participate in recent surgeon general workshop

Division of Safety Research (DSR)
An agreement was implemented with American Medical Response to analyze injuries to EMS workers

Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies (DSHEFS)
Jane Brown McCammon recognized by the U.S. House of Representatives

Education and Information Division (EID)
MOUs signed with clinical toxicology community

Health Effects Laboratory Division (HELD)
Researcher named CDC/NIOSH engineer of the year

National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL)
Update to the February eNews “r2p Corner”

Pittsburgh Research Laboratory (PRL)
Hearing Loss Simulator released on CD–ROM

Spokane Research Laboratory (SRL)

r2p Corner

Have patent, will license…A New Cr^VI Analytical Method

NORA

Long work hours, organization of work issue, featured on new Topic Page

News From Our Partners

OSHA Announces New Safety Card for Safe Trenching Practices

Communication Products

HHE: Study of Exposures to Pseudo-narcotics Related to Law Enforcement

IC 9472: Wearing Hearing Protection Properly: A 3-D Training Aid for Drillers (NIOSH Pub. No 2005-107)

Specific Medical Tests or Examinations Published in the Literature for OSHA-Regulated Substances (NIOSH Pub. No 2005-110)

A Compendium of NIOSH Economic Research (NIOSH Pub. No 2005-112)

NIOSH introduces three new Topic Pages

Upcoming Events

International Beryllium Research Symposium-Be2005

Fourth International Conference on Work Environment and Cardiovascular Diseases

Call for Papers: Advanced Personal Protective Equipment - Challenges in Protecting First Responders

8^th Annual Applied Ergonomics Conference

2005 International Workshop on Environmental Monitoring and Silica Dust Exposure Assessment

Symposium on Beryllium: Sampling and Analysis

Call for Papers: Work, Stress and Health 2006: Making a Difference in the Workplace

Occupational and Environmental Exposures of Skin to Chemicals-2005

Fifth International Symposium on Modern Principles of Air Monitoring

“Word” of the Month

Ultrasonification and strong anion exchange solid phase extraction

  From the Director's Desk

The earthquakes and tsunamis that struck Southeast Asia on December 26, 2004 caused one of the worst natural disasters in modern history. Over 250,000 deaths are directly attributable to the events, approximately 500,000 people were injured and five million people are homeless or without adequate access to sustainable resources. The devastation was enormous and the ongoing massive cleanup, recovery and rebuilding efforts are remarkable. Ensuring that those involved with this arduous task remain safe and healthy is the foundation for NIOSH response efforts undertaken as part of CDC’s recovery assistance.

The destructive force of the earthquake and tsunami flood waters. Photo courtesy of Bob Martin.

NIOSH personnel were immediately deployed to evaluate occupational hazards and safety risks in the affected regions. N. Kumar Kittusamy and Mike Gressel were deployed to Banda Aceh, Indonesia where they conducted a rapid needs assessment of health care infrastructure as part of a World Health Organization (WHO) team. Eric Esswein went to Phang Na Province, Thailand to evaluate the occupational safety and health of forensic procedures at two temporary morgue sites.

Workers doffing PPE immediately after leaving the victims identification (temporary morgue) area at Wat Yan Yao morgue site. Photo courtesy of Eric Esswein.

The CDC Emergency Operations Centers set up specific teams to address the variety of immediate medical and social needs of the region. The CDC Occupational and Environmental Health (OEH) Team: Operation Earthquake, initially led by Bruce Bernard, and later by Tom Hales, laid the groundwork and provided day-to-day support for the U.S. occupational and environmental health and safety responses. Members of the team included NIOSH staff Max Kiefer, Jim Spahr, Greg Kullman, Sally Brown, Jennifer Hornsby-Myers and Kathleen Kowalski-Trakofler, and staff from the National Center for Environmental Health (co-lead Mark Miller), the CDC Office of Health and Safety (Jean Gaunce) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (Alan Parham). The team, based in the CDC Emergency Operations Centers:

• served as liaisons for deployed staff,
  
  
• developed and disseminated guidance concerning occupational and environmental safety of forensics, http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/tsunamis/pdf/handleremains.pdf and http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/tsunamis/pdf/tsunami-autopsyliquidwaste.pdf
  
  
• developed and disseminated guidance on pesticide safety for local pesticide applicators, http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/tsunamis/pdf/tsunamiworkers-pesticidesafety.pdf
  
  
• assessed mental health issues for emergency responders and relief workers,
  
  
• coordinated information with the American Industrial Hygiene Association to identify damaged facilities, toxic sites, and chemical spills,
  
  
• assisted in the development of guidelines for immunization of deployed staff and workers participating in the clean-up,
  
  
• provided guidance on equipment selection and personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff in the field, and
  
  
• provided information to the families of deployed staff.

One critical function arose through the OEH Team reaching out to local unions in Banda Aceh through contacts from the AFL-CIO International Solidarity Center. The team found that workers were feverishly trying to restore power to hospitals, businesses and high priority public services but the tsunami had destroyed all their PPE. Jim Spahr spearheaded the effort and contacted the International Safety Equipment Association to initiate the process. The team began matching potential donors with the needed equipment. By February 4, 2005, the shipment of equipment, totaling 1,500 pounds and valued at approximately $30,000, arrived in Banda Aceh. Items included hard hats, face shields, high- and low-voltage gloves, arm protectors, leather lineman boots, and fall equipment. We are grateful to those companies who responded so generously with this urgent request.

All deployed staff has now returned from the field and the team operates as needed. Under the direction of the current Leader, Jennifer Hornsby-Myers, the team continues to carefully monitor the occupational safety and health needs of the region. More information on remaining safe during tsunami clean-up can be found at http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/tsunamis. Information regarding the international response to this disaster can be found on the World Health Organization (WHO) web site http://www.who.int/hac/crises/international/asia_tsunami/en.

   National Academy of Sciences to Announce Framework Committee for NIOSH Research
   Program Evaluation

On February 28, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) named provisional members to a Framework Committee that will oversee the evaluation of selected NIOSH program areas. NIOSH has asked NAS to review its programs of research as part of NIOSH’s commitment to expert external program review. NAS panels are highly respected for their record of providing unbiased guidance to federal research programs. The NAS Framework Committee will adopt methods and standards for use by sub-committees that will be impaneled for each NIOSH research program reviewed. The reviews are planned to take place in pairs over a number of coming years.

The names of the provisional members of the Framework Committee will be posted shortly by way of the NAS Web site, http://www.nationalacademies.org/. From that site, readers can use a search (using NIOSH as the key term) to access the announcement of names. We invite your comments on the suitability of both the committee as a whole and its individual members to review NIOSH programs, but the time for comment will be limited. Comments will be accepted on the NAS Web site for 20 days after the announcement. The NAS will take those comments into consideration before the make-up of the committee becomes permanent. There will also be a NAS internal review process during which the provisional members examine each other for conflicts of interest. A similar public process will occur for each of the specific review panels that are eventually named. Progress updates of all the NIOSH review panels will be available on the NAS Web site. NIOSH invites you to visit the NAS Web site, and to review the new page on the Framework Committee when it is posted shortly.

   Request for Public Review and Comment of NIOSH Alert: Preventing Asthma and Death from
   MDI Exposure During Spray-on Truck Bed Liner and Related Applications

The public is invited to review and make comments on the draft version of the NIOSH Alert: Preventing Asthma and Death from MDI Exposure During Spray-on Truck Bed Liner and Related Applications. The Alert contains important safety information that is needed by the public. Your input will strengthen our efforts to create documents that support the NIOSH mission: prevention of work-related illnesses and injuries.

The draft Alert can be accessed on the NIOSH Web site http://www2a.cdc.gov/truckbedliner. The Alert summarizes case reports of death and disease following occupational exposure to methylene- bis(phenyl isocyanate) (MDI) and makes recommendations for preventing asthma, other respiratory disease, and death from exposure to MDI during spraying operations.

Public comments will be accepted until March 31, 2005. After that date, NIOSH will consider all the comments submitted and make appropriate revisions to the Alert before the final version is published. Please submit comments using one of the following options:

via the NIOSH Web site, http://www2acdc.gov/truckbedliner/truckbedlinercmts.html

via email, truckbedliner@cdc.gov

via postal mail,

NIOSH Mailstop R-2
Robert A. Taft Laboratory
4676 Columbia Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45226
ATTN: DART Associate Director for Science

   Vacancy Announcement: Deputy Director, NIOSH Health Effects Laboratory Division

NIOSH is currently seeking candidates for the position of Deputy Director, Health Effects Laboratory Division. The position is located in Morgantown, W.Va. and the application deadline is March 25, 2005. There are two vacancy announcements for this position, according to the application category as follows:

Current or Former Federal Employees apply under MP6-05-014.

All Other U.S. Citizens apply under DE6-05-013

   NIOSH Cincinnati Employees Wear Red to Raise Awareness

Cincinnati employees shown wearing red are: front row (l-r) Joy Shattuck, Jeannie Nigam, Relada Miller, Thais Morata; back row (l-r) Christine Toennis, Kathleen Mitchell, Glenda Wong, Randall Smith, Mary Ann Butler.

NIOSH Cincinnati employees raised awareness about the leading killer of women, heart disease, by participating in the National Wear Red Day, Friday, February 4. An initiative of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (National Institutes of Health), National Wear Red Day is part of The Heart Truth campaign educating women about heart disease. The Cincinnati activities included blood pressure screenings and health sessions about warning signs, and the importance of early screening for risk factors.

The NIOSH employees were part of a local effort in Cincinnati, coordinated through the Federal Women's Program (FWP), a Special Emphasis Program operated under the U.S. Office of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO); the Cincinnati Health Unit, operated under Federal Occupational Health (FOC); and the Health Promotion Committee (HPC), operated locally under the Office of Administrative and Management Services (OAMS). To learn more about The Heart Truth campaign and National Wear Red Day, visit http://www.hearttruth.gov.

   Call for Abstracts: 2^nd International Symposium on Nanotechnology and Occupational Health

NIOSH and its fellow sponsoring and co-sponsoring organizations are inviting abstracts for the Second International Symposium on Nanotechnology and Occupational Health. The deadline for abstracts is March 31, 2005. The symposium will provide a global forum for presenting and discussing the latest findings and activities in research on nanotechnology and occupational health. It will be held on October 3-6, 2005, in Minneapolis, Minn. The First International Symposium was held in Britain in October 2004 was cosponsored by NIOSH and the United Kingdom Health and Safety Executive.

“This area of research is a key component of maintaining U.S. leadership and competitiveness in the dynamic nanotechnology market,” said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. “We encourage the scientific community to share new results, progress reports, and recommendations that will make the 2005 symposium as stimulating as its predecessor in 2004.” Further information about the call for abstracts and the announcement of the 2005 Second International Symposium is available at http://www.cce.umn.edu/conferences/nanotechnology.

Under the National Nanotechnology Initiative and other partnerships, including membership on the Nanostructured Science, Engineering and Technology subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council committee on technology, NIOSH conducts a robust program of research on nanotechnology and occupational health. More information is available on the NIOSH nanotechnology topic page at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/nanotech.

   Look for Us

Stop by and chat with NIOSH staff at the NIOSH Exhibit Booth at these upcoming conferences.

• The 2005 Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration Annual Meeting and Exhibit, February 28- March 2, 2005 in Salt Lake City, Utah. http://www.smenet.org/meetings/AnnualMeeting2005/index.cfm.
  
  
• The Association of PeriOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) 52^nd Congress, April 3-7, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. http://www.aorn.org/Congress/Attendees/default.htm.
  
  
• The 2005 International Society of Mine Safety Professionals Critical Issues/Train-the-Trainer Conference, May 15-29, 2005 in Reno, Nevada.
  
  

   Around NIOSH

NIOSH Diversity Initiative
NIOSH’s recent actions advance priority goals of increasing internal diversity and positioning NIOSH to serve a diverse U.S. workforce as effectively as possible:

• Pamela Wilkerson has joined NIOSH’s Office of Extramural Programs to expand diversity-related outreach to NIOSH’s external partners. Pam will head up efforts to increase the number of diverse institutions and organizations that apply for NIOSH research and training grants, and to broaden recruiting practices that will build a more diverse workforce in the Institute. Thanks are due to Pam for her previous service leading NIOSH’s overall diversity program for the past three years. Under Ms. Wilkerson’s guidance, NIOSH established a myriad of new activities and tools that have helped to promote diversity. These include the development of the formal NIOSH diversity initiative, the creation of the NIOSH Diversity Council, introduction of the NIOSH Diversity web page, and lead the diversity council in the development of projects that will be initiated institute-wide.
  
  
• Succeeding Pam in directing the Diversity initiative are Kimberly Peabody and Constance Harrison in the NIOSH Office of Minority Health. They are focusing on the implementation of the diversity projects throughout the institute.
  
  
• In order to accomplish this task, NIOSH has expanded its support for diversity by supporting three meetings of the NIOSH Diversity Steering Council (DSC) per year. This year’s meetings will yield a strategic plan for implementation and evaluation of the new projects. This commitment reflects the support that NIOSH Director John Howard has voiced for the Diversity initiative: “Each of us has a stake in enhancing diversity at NIOSH, and I encourage you to support our mutual efforts to enhance NIOSH’s diversity.”

Division of Applied Research and Technology (DART)
Recently, numerous marine engine manufacturers have introduced newly developed engines that dramatically reduce carbon monoxide (CO) emissions when compared to their predecessors. Development and introduction of these new low-CO engines, incorporating fuel injection and catalytic converters, is partly a result of the efforts of NIOSH researchers and their partners. NIOSH research has found high-CO emissions to be a significant hazard on many of the approximately 17 million recreational boats in the U.S., most of which use gasoline-powered propulsion engines or generators that produce hazardous CO concentrations. For more information contact Tony Zimmer, AZimmer@cdc.gov or Ron Hall, RMHall@cdc.gov or visit http://safetynet.smis.doi.gov/COhouseboats.htm.

Division of Respiratory Disease Studies (DRDS)
Kay Kreiss, Jean Cox-Ganser, Terri Pearce, Ju-Hyeong Park, Nancy Sahakian, and Lisa Benaise from the Field Studies Branch of DRDS attended the Surgeon General’s Workshop on Healthy Indoor Environments, held in Bethesda, MD. Dr. Kreiss was the invited moderator for the session “Vision of the Future,” which discussed the possible conclusions and recommendations that may appear in the Workshop Summary Report. Dr. Cox-Ganser gave an invited presentation on “Priority Research Needs for Improving the Health of Workers in Indoor Environments.” Additional information on the workshop can be found on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Web site http://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/library/healthybuildings. Further information on NIOSH’s indoor environmental quality research program is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/indoorenv/.

Division of Safety Research (DSR)
Riding and working in the patient compartment of an ambulance places Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workers at the potential risk of injury on every call. To improve assessment of injury risks to EMS workers in ambulance crashes, the Division of Safety Research recently signed a Letter of Agreement with American Medical Response (AMR) to analyze non-fatal injuries to EMS workers. AMR is the largest private ambulance service provider in the United States. Under the agreement, NIOSH and AMR researchers will conduct a detailed analysis of national-level data of non-fatal injuries to private service EMS workers using a database maintained by AMR. The results of these analyses will be useful in identifying potential injury risk factors for EMS workers, and complement current NIOSH research to improve the design of ambulance patient compartments and occupant restraint systems to better protect EMS workers. More information on motor vehicle safety can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/motorvehicle/.

Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies (DSHEFS)
On December 8, 2004, Jane Brown McCammon was recognized on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for her distinguished public service career. Representative Scott McInnis of Colorado paid tribute to Jane’s contributions to the field of occupational safety and health. In her twenty years with NIOSH, she served on assignment to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment working diligently to develop prevention programs for occupational hazards and directed the NIOSH Denver field office which provides technical assistance and health hazard evaluations for every state West of the Mississippi River. Jane is best known for her work to identify boat-related carbon monoxide poisonings as a severe public health threat. We wish Jane all the best on her retirement and future endeavors.

Education and Information Division (EID)
NIOSH has entered into Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with the three major professional associations representing the clinical toxicology community, the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), the American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT), and the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology (AACT). The purpose of these MOU's is to develop collaborative efforts regarding the toxic effects of chemical exposures on workers. NIOSH has had a long relationship with the clinical toxicology community and these MOU's formalize this relationship and further mutual interests.

Health Effects Laboratory Division (HELD)
HELD Senior Research Scientist, Dave Frazer was awarded the CDC/NIOSH Engineer of the Year Award for 2005 in a luncheon on February 25 in Bethesda, Maryland. Each year the Chief Engineer of the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) recognizes the exemplary work of engineers throughout the PHS by honoring an engineer in each agency with this prestigious award.

Dr. Frazer’s was nominated for this award based on his distinguished and productive career at NIOSH, spanning nearly 30 years, having co-authored over 100 manuscripts in engineering, pulmonary physiology, and occupational health, co-authored 100 abstracts at national and international scientific conferences, and serves as a reviewer for several scientific journals.

National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL)
As mentioned in the “r2p Corner” of the February edition of NIOSH eNews, Breakthrough, a CD-ROM based computer model, assists users of air-purifying respirators with predicting the “end of service life” for respirator cartridges designed to protect against toxic organic vapors. Recognizing its importance, Roy McKay of the Department of Environmental Health, College of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati has incorporated the software into the curriculum for a graduate course on Respiratory Protection. Through this course, Dr. McKay assists students with developing methods for cartridge change out schedules. This product is one of 20 methods used. In addition, Dr. McKay utilizes the software during a day and a half continuing education workshop on Respiratory Protection.

Pittsburgh Research Laboratory (PRL)
The hearing loss simulator is designed to motivate action to prevent hearing loss. It does this by demonstrating what Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) sounds like. Prerecorded sounds are played through this Windows-based program, and the user or trainer “dials in” different amounts of simulated exposure to noise. Trainees can immediately hear the effects of noise exposure. Speech becomes noticeably duller, less distinct, and harder to understand as the level of hearing loss increases. Trainees who experienced the simulator showed a positive change in their knowledge and beliefs about NIHL. For instance, they showed a better understanding that noise affects hearing more at high than low frequencies. They also showed high levels of intentions to use hearing protection and avoid noisy areas. The simulator is now available on CD–ROM by contacting Bob Randolph at RRandolph@cdc.gov.

Spokane Research Laboratory (SRL)
N. Kumar Kittusamy was in the field when CDC put out a call for volunteers to assist in relief work following the earthquake and resulting tsunami of December 26. One week later, he and five others were members of a team formed to assist the World Health Organization (WHO) in providing technical assistance and resources to the Indonesian Ministry of Health. See story on NIOSH Assistance in Recovery Efforts “From the Director’s Desk.”

  r2p Corner

The challenge for employers and occupational health professionals: finding an analytical method that will identify hexavalent chromium (CR^VI) at very low levels. The answer: a new analytical method developed by NIOSH. The method is now available for commercial licensing under U.S. Patent 6,808,931, issued to NIOSH on Oct. 26, 2004.

The method reliably identifies and measures CR^VI at lower levels than those detectable using traditional methods. It does so through ultrasonication and strong anion exchange solid phase extraction. It has been extensively field-tested by NIOSH, and the results of those tests have been published in peer-reviewed journals. The method follows many other analytical techniques, first devised and validated by NIOSH, that have become standard industrial hygiene practices over the past 30 years.

For more information on licensing the method, contact DeLon Hull at DHull@cdc.gov. For further technical information, contact Kevin Ashley at KAshley@cdc.gov.

   NORA

   News From Our Partners

OSHA Announces New Safety Card for Safe Trenching Practices
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published a new safety information pocket card designed to help ensure safer trenching and excavation practices. The safety card explains the federal requirements for construction excavation safety, outlines required criteria for excavation or trench walls, and provides specific requirements for protective systems. The card is available in both English and Spanish and can be accessed at http://www.osha.gov/Publications/trench/trench_safety_tips_card.pdf.

   Communication Products

HHE: Study of Exposures to Pseudo-narcotics Related to Law Enforcement
NIOSH offered recommendations to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Canine Enforcement Training Center (CETC) for reducing employee exposures to particulates, acetic acid, and other potential air contaminants in the preparation of pseudo narcotics used for law-enforcement training purposes. Results of this NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) will help other law enforcement agencies whose employees do similar work. The full report is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/reports/pdfs/2004-0012-2948.pdf. More information on HHEs can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe.

IC 9472: Wearing Hearing Protection Properly: A 3-D Training Aid for Drillers (NIOSH Pub. No 2005-107)
The 3-D reel is a self-teaching aid for drillers and others working at a drill site. The seven scenes illustrate how to properly use foam earplugs and earmuffs. The reel is ideal for use by individuals or during informal tool-box trainings or formal trainings. The accompanying instructor's manual contains information needed to use the training reel for formal and/or group training and is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/pubs/. The 3-D training reel can be requested from the Pittsburgh Mine Training Publications Office at minetraining@cdc.gov.

Specific Medical Tests or Examinations Published in the Literature for OSHA-Regulated Substances (NIOSH Pub. No 2005-110)
This updated poster summarizes recommendations from NIOSH and OSHA for the biological monitoring of chemicals or medical examinations of workers to detect adverse health effects after exposure to chemicals. The poster can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nmed/default.html.

A Compendium of NIOSH Economic Research (NIOSH Pub. No 2005-112)
The compendium provides an overview of research projects pertaining to economic analysis for the prevention and control of occupational injury and illness. Included are 22 projects conducted by NIOSH and 32 projects funded by NIOSH during 2002 and 2003. The compendium can be accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2005-112/default.htm.

NIOSH Introduces Three New Topic Pages

• Occupational Sentinel Health Events SHE(O)
  A new NIOSH topic page provides the framework for determining an Occupational Sentinel Health Event (SHE[O]). A SHE(O) is a disease, disability, or untimely death which is occupationally related and whose occurrence may: 1) provide the impetus for epidemiologic or industrial hygiene studies or 2) serve as a warning signal that materials substitution, engineering control, personal protection, or medical care may be required. The topic page provides links to abstracts of review articles which classified the events. The Web site is http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/SHEO.
  
  
• Infectious Aerosols
  The Infectious Aerosols topic page provides resources to aid workers and employers for reducing exposures to infectious aerosols. Included are links to NIOSH publications, related topic pages and a link to NIOSHTIC-2 search results. The topic page is http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/infectaero.
  
  
• Aerosols
  This page provides links to a variety of information regarding the measurement, control, exposure characterization and health effects associated with aerosols in the workplace. Also included are links to results from extensive research NIOSH has conducted to minimize the adverse health effects associated with aerosol exposures. The topic page is http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/aerosols.
  
  
  

   Upcoming Events

International Beryllium Research Symposium-Be2005
NIOSH along with the Canadian Institut de Recherche Robert-Sauvé en Santé et en Sécurité du Travail (IRSST) and the National Jewish Medical and Research Center is cosponsoring the International Beryllium Research Symposium or Be2005 to be held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on March 8–11, 2005. The conference will highlight the newest developments in the prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment of beryllium sensitization and Chronic Beryllium Disease (CBC). The latest research on exposure, epidemiology, and clinical care as well as an international overview of beryllium sensitization and chronic beryllium disease will be presented. More information on this symposium can be found at http://www.irsst.qc.ca/en/intro-be-2005.html or by contacting Mark Hoover at MHoover1@cdc.gov.

Fourth International Conference on Work Environment and Cardiovascular Diseases
The Fourth International Conference on Work Environment and Cardiovascular Diseases will be held March 9-11, 2005, in Newport Beach, Calif. The conference is presented under the auspices of the International Commission of Occupational Health, Scientific Committee on Cardiology in Occupational Health. NIOSH along with the University of California at Irvine Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, the University of California, Los Angeles Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, the Center for Social Epidemiology, the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, the American Psychological Association and the Japan Association of Job Stress Research will cosponsor the event focusing on characterizing the changes occurring in work in both industrialized and developing nations. The role of globalization and the importance of social movements, including unions, will be explored. More information on the conference is available at http://www.coeh.uci.edu/ICOH.

Call for Papers: Advanced Personal Protective Equipment - Challenges in Protecting First Responders
The NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) along with the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is sponsoring Advanced Personal Protective Equipment - Challenges in Protecting First Responders. The conference will be held October 16-18, 2005 at the Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center in Blacksburg, VA.

Attendees will learn about the hazards posed by emerging threats, the application of personal protective equipment (PPE) technology to these threats, and associated challenges with selecting and interfacing different PPE items. The emphasis of the conference will be on practical issues of threat accommodation, standards, regulations, applications of best practices, manufacturing and distribution issues, PPE decision-making and purchasing, and multi-PPE integration. The deadline for submission of abstracts is March 15, 2005. More information on the conference can be found at http://www.conted.vt.edu/appe or by contacting Tom Fisher at TFisher@cdc.gov.

8^th Annual Applied Ergonomics Conference
NIOSH and partners are cosponsoring the 8^th Annual Applied Ergonomics Conference, March 21-24, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The conference will provide examples of everyday ergonomic problems and challenges faced in the workplace. Companies will share best practice programs with excellent returns on their companies’ ergonomics investment. More information on the conference is available at http://www.appliedergo.org/conference.

2005 International Workshop on Environmental Monitoring and Silica Dust Exposure Assessment
NIOSH along with the Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology will cosponsor the 2005 International Workshop on Environmental Monitoring and Silica Dust Exposure Assessment, April 15-18, 2005 in Wuhan and Yichang, Republic of China. The conference will provide a forum for discussion of research needs, strategies, and opportunities for effective international collaboration on environmental dust monitoring methods and comparison, physical and chemical characteristics of silica dust, epidemiological perspectives on silica dust hazards, and biomarkers of silica dust-induced lung cancer and silicosis. More information on the conference can be found at http://www.who.int/occupational_health/mediacentre/en/Announcement.pdf or by contacting Bill Wallace at WWallace@cdc.gov.

Symposium on Beryllium: Sampling and Analysis
The Symposium on Beryllium: Sampling and Analysis, sponsored by ASTM Committee D22 on Air Quality and its Subcommittee D22.04 on Workplace Atmospheres, will be held April 21-22, 2005, at the Hilton Reno Resort, Reno, NV. The symposium will provide a forum for technical exchanges on current research and status regarding beryllium sampling and analysis issues. While the primary emphasis will be on current research in the area of beryllium sampling and analysis, it is intended that participants will be able to identify areas where pertinent standards can be developed concerning beryllium sample collection and analytical procedures. For information about the symposium, including registration information and the technical program, access the ASTM web site at http://www.astm.org/SYMPOSIA, click on ‘Next 12 Months’, scroll down to ‘D22 Symposium on Beryllium’ and click or contact Kevin Ashley at KAshley@cdc.gov.

Call for Papers: Work, Stress and Health 2006: Making a Difference in the Workplace
NIOSH, the American Psychological Association, the National Institute of Justice of the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Labor, will convene the sixth international conference on occupational stress and health, Work, Stress, and Health 2006: Making a Difference in the Workplace in Miami, Florida, March 2-4, 2006, at the Hyatt Regency Miami Hotel. The conference is designed to address the constantly changing nature of work, and the implications of these changes for the health, safety, and well-being of workers. In keeping with the conference theme of “making a difference in the workplace,” there will be a particular focus on the translation of research to practice and workplace programs, policies, practices, case experiences, and other efforts to prevent stress in today’s workplace. The deadline to submit proposals is May 1, 2005. More information about the conference and the call for papers can be found at: http://www.apa.org/pi/work/callforpapers.html.

Occupational and Environmental Exposures of Skin to Chemicals-2005
NIOSH along with the Karolinska Institutet and the Stockholm County Council in Sweden is cosponsoring Occupational and Environmental Exposures of Skin to Chemicals-2005 in Stockholm, Sweden, June 12-15, 2005. The conference will focus on practical ways to better prevent local and systemic injury and disease caused by exposing skin to chemicals. More information on the conference is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/skin/OEESC2/ or by contacting Sid Soderholm at SSoderholm@cdc.gov.

Fifth International Symposium on Modern Principles of Air Monitoring
NIOSH along with the National Institute for Working Life, Sweden, and the National Institute of Occupational Health, Norway will cosponsor the Fifth International Symposium on Modern Principles of Air Monitoring, June 12-16, 2005 in Loen, Norway. The scientific program will feature the latest developments in exposure assessment and strategies as well as analytical air sampling and measurement/monitoring methodologies. New for the Fifth International Symposium, the topic of biomonitoring will be addressed. More information on the symposium can be found at http://www.airmon.org or by contacting Martin Harper at MHarper@cdc.gov.

   Word of the Month

Ultrasonification and strong anion exchange solid phase extraction: An innovative process for analyzing hexavalent chromium (CrVI) at low levels. This method consists of using an ultrasonic bath and buffer solution to extract CrVI from samples and using a chemical resin to separate/isolate CrVI from other metals and potential interferences in the extracted sample solutions.