"In response to a request from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), an investigation was begun into possible exposures to heavy metals and sulfur-dioxide (7446095) at Empresa Metalurigica Vinto (SIC-3339), a large tin smelter near Oruro, Bolivia. Fifteen workers were selected for exposure monitoring. Of the 15, 14 had exposures greater than the NIOSH Recommended Exposure Limit or the OSHA Permissible Exposure Level to arsenic; 11 had hazardous exposures to cadmium (7440439), and eight had hazardous exposures to sulfur-dioxide. Surfaces throughout the facility were highly contaminated with heavy metals. Fifteen workers participated in biological monitoring studies. The median value for urinary arsenic (7440382) (UA) was 78 micrograms per gram creatinine. Nine of the 15 workers had UA levels exceeding the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Biological Exposure Index. The median blood lead (7439921) level was 19 micrograms per deciliter. The authors conclude that a significant health hazard from exposures to heavy metals and sulfur-dioxide exists for some of the employees at this location. The authors recommend that measures be taken to control the hazards, including further study of exposure, implementing engineering controls, improving hygiene facilities, implementing medical surveillance programs, and improving respiratory protection programs. (A Spanish language version of this publication is available. See NTIS-PB95-261061). =" - NIOSHTIC-2 ; Shipping list no.: 95-0164-P. ; "January 1995"--P. [1]. ; NIOSH investigators: Aaron Sussell, Mitchell Singal. ; Also available via the World Wide Web. ; Includes bibliographical references (p. 26-28).
"In January 2009, NIOSH received an HHE request from the American Federation of Government Employees, Local 2718. The request concerned the potential for transmission of TB at the U.S. ICE BSSA facility in Broadview, Illinois. While no known cases of active TB had occurred among employees, the incidence of latent TB infection among employees was unknown. NIOSH investigators made an initial site visit to BSSA on April 8-9, 2009. We walked through the facility and observed work processes, practices, and conditions. We spoke with employees about health and workplace concerns about TB and collected environmental and ventilation measurements. We also held confidential interviews with all 29 employees present at the facility. Most employees reported having daily direct contact with detainees, and none of the employees reported receiving general TB training, respirator fit testing, or respirator training during their employment at BSSA. Many employees were unaware of the ICE recommendation that they undergo periodic TB screening. We also learned that the return air from the detainee areas, including the isolation room, was recirculated throughout BSSA. In addition, all of the detainee areas, including the isolation room, were positively pressurized relative to the adjacent hallway and employee areas. Both situations result in air that was shared between employees and detainees, which could lead to an increased risk of exposure if airborne infectious agents (including Mycobacterium tuberculosis) are present. On July 10, 2009, NIOSH received a second HHE request from the American Federation of Government Employees, Local 2718 concerning the potential for transmission of TB at the ICE CDO in Chicago, Illinois. We made a second site visit to BSSA and an initial site visit to the CDO on August 10-12, 2009. During that visit, we walked through both facilities and observed work processes, practices, and conditions. We spoke with employees about TB-related health and workplace concerns and collected environmental and ventilation measurements. We also screened employees at both facilities for TB with both the TST skin test and QFT GIT blood test methods. At the CDO, the HVAC system in the detainee area is a constant air volume system that exhausts air directly out of the building without recirculation, which is an optimal design. However, the calculated ACH in the holding cells, processing area, and courtrooms were below those recommended by CDC. We also noted that the air flow movement between many of the holding cells and the processing area and between Courtroom B and a secure hallway was bidirectional. These deficiencies can increase the risk of exposure if airborne infectious agents (including Mycobacterium tuberculosis) are present. Most ICE employees participate in job activities that place them at risk of acquiring TB infection, including transporting and interviewing detainees and supervising court visits. Despite this, few participants reported having annual TB screening. Even when we offered TB screening on-site, the number of employees who returned for the TST reading and second step placement was low. All employees who underwent blood collection for the QFT-GIT completed screening. Our evaluation demonstrates the feasibility and practicality of the QFT-GIT as the preferred TB screening method among ICE employees who often have unpredictable schedules. We recommend that the Field Office Director and other local ICE supervisors familiarize themselves with ICE's existing tuberculosis exposure control plan and then develop plans specific for both BSSA and the CDO. A separate constant air volume HVAC system should be designed for BSSA to provide single-pass exhaust ventilation in the detainee holding cells, isolation room, and processing area. Negative pressure should be maintained in these areas relative to all adjacent administrative areas at BSSA. The HVAC system in the detainee areas at the CDO should be rebalanced to provide the appropriate ACH and air flow patterns to minimize the potential for transmission of TB. General training on TB should be provided annually to all employees. All employees should be made aware that annual TB screening is recommended and that it is offered at no cost through FOH. FOH should consider conducting on-site TB screening on predetermined dates and hours at BSSA and CDO and using IGRA testing instead of TST testing to improve participation rates. A respiratory protection program should be implemented for all employees to minimize the potential for transmission of TB. All employees should receive training and medical clearance, and undergo fit testing as defined in the OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134)." - NIOSHTIC-2 ; Marie A. de Perio, R. Todd Niemeier. ; Cover title. ; "September 2010." ; Description based on content as of: March 23, 2011. ; Available via the World Wide Web as an Acrobat .pdf file (1.31 MB, 56 p.). ; Includes bibliographical references (p. 25-27). ; NIOSH [2010]. Health hazard evaluation report: evaluation of exposure to tuberculosis among immigration employees, Broadview and Chicago, IL. By de Perio MA, Niemeier RT. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH HETA No. 2009-0074; 2009-0193-3114.
"Fire fighters may be at risk for crash-related injuries while operating excess and other surplus vehicles that have been modified for fire service use. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has summarized recommendations to prevent injuries and deaths while operating these vehicles. Fire departments with limited financial resources often craft fire apparatus out of excess/surplus military and other vehicles as an affordable alternative to new or used apparatus designed for fire fighting. Some excess/surplus vehicles are loaned to fire departments by the Federal Excess Personal Property Program or acquired through the Department of Defense Fire Fighter Property Program, or from state agencies. Fire departments are responsible for any modifications, maintenance, and upkeep of these vehicles." -- NIOSHTIC-2 ; "December 2010." -- p. [4]. ; "CDC workplace safety and health." ; "The principal contributors to this publication were CDR Steve Berardinelli, Robert Koedam, Virginia Lutz, and Stacy C. Wertman. CDR Berardinelli and Mr. Koedam previously worked for NIOSH." -- p. [4]. ; Also available via the World Wide Web as an Acrobat .pdf file (330 KB, 4 p.). ; Includes bibliographical references (p. [3]).
"The Challenge: To protect the safety and health of emergency workers during responses to large-scale disasters, incident commanders and emergency managers must have access to sufficient information, assessment and decision making assets, safety resources, and implementation capability. Most major disaster responses involve multiple, diverse responders and response agencies; include unusual and intense hazard exposures; and occur over large areas and extended time periods. These characteristics complicate the gathering and assessment of information, decision making, safety resource management, and implementation and enforcement of safety and health programs. As a result, an incident manager's ability to manage the safety of responders may be seriously compromised. Approach: Researchers gathered input from workers and managers who responded to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City and Arlington, VA; the Anthrax incidents in Boca Raton, FL and New York City; the Northridge, CA earthquake; and Hurricane Andrew in Central FL. Additional information was obtained from the literature on disaster response, which included the safety and health implications of response to floods, transportation accidents, wildfires, civil disturbances, and chemical-biological threats/attacks. The information obtained enabled the study team to develop preliminary recommendations that could be used to spark discussion and prompt additional comments and feedback from the emergency response community. A workshop was conducted in Arlington, VA on February 7, 2003 to obtain expert comment and opinion on integrating safety management into incident command and incident management, preparing for disaster response through training and multi-organizational planning, assessing and monitoring hazards, providing responder health care, conducting surveillance, and related issues. Results: The principal finding of this research is that in preparation for, and during response to major disasters, the safety resources of the multiple participating organizations must be better integrated and coordinated than in the past. The report recommends that safety be viewed as a multi-agency function within the Incident Command System and makes five recommendations for implementing this approach. These recommendations include developing a group of highly trained safety managers who can lead coordination between agencies, incorporating responder safety and health issues more realistically in joint disaster exercises and training, and preparing in advance the types of expertise and other assets needed to protect responder safety so that safety-related reinforcements will be able to be used quickly and efficiently. Additionally, the study makes 26 specific recommendations regarding 1) gathering hazard information and the status of the workforce, 2) assessing hazards and choosing protective options, and 3) effectively implementing safety decisions. Impact: Study findings have informed the development of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the National Response Plan (NRP), and the development of the Worker Safety and Health Annex of the NRP. The NIOSH-RAND report has been widely distributed to managers and policymakers at all levels of government with emergency management, disaster response, and worker safety responsibilities. The recommendations have also been disseminated to academic institutions with emergency and disaster management degree programs, and associations and unions that represent emergency managers and responders. The report has received an overwhelmingly positive response, based on the return of approximately 200 reader response cards. Ninety-two percent plus of those responding indicated that they are using the information and recommendations to inform planning, change programs and curricula, and implement specific recommendations. Most of those who have returned the reader response cards are emergency management directors/administrators at local (county or municipal) levels." - NIOSHTIC-2 ; "Lead researchers: Brian A. Jackson, Ph.D., RAND Corporation; John C. Baker, M.S., RAND Corporation; Herb Linn, M.S., NIOSH." ; At head of title: "A Project from the first 10 years of NORA." ; "The findings and conclusions in this report have not been formally disseminated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health should not be construed to represent any agency determination or policy." ; "Created: 9/8/06/Modified: 11/2/10" - file properties ; Also available via the World Wide Web as an Acrobat .pdf file (123.47 KB, 2 p.).
"About 5.5 million U.S. healthcare workers are potentially exposed to hazardous drugs, including pharmacy and nursing personnel, physicians, environmental services workers, workers in research laboratories, veterinary care workers, and shipping and receiving personnel. Published studies have shown that workplace exposures to hazardous drugs can cause both acute and chronic health effects such as skin rashes, adverse reproductive outcomes, and possibly leukemia and other cancers. Healthcare workers who prepare or administer hazardous drugs or who work in areas where these drugs are used may be exposed to these agents in the workplace. The NIOSH Hazardous Drug Working Group consisted of representatives from government, labor, pharmacy, nursing, academia, research, pharmaceutical and safety equipment manufacturing, and trade associations. This group charged themselves to develop a NIOSH policy document that made a clear statement about the presumed health effects associated with hazardous drugs. They also identified the need for better information on glove material selection and for informative resources on the selection and use of engineering controls for protection against hazardous drug exposures. The group developed the following goals: 1) to enhance awareness of the problem; 2) to provide protective recommendations based upon current knowledge and 3) to identify, research and address gaps."- NIOSHTIC-2 ; At head of title: "A 2006 NORA partnering award winner." ; On first page: Logo for the Research to Practice at NIOSH initiative (r2p). ; "Created: 9/8/06/Modified: 11/18/10" - file properties ; Also available via the World Wide Web as an Acrobat .pdf file (488.1.KB, 1 p.).
"The Challenge: Based on analysis of the Supplementary Data System (BLS), the compensable injury/incidence rate (27.5 cases per 100 workers for this group) for drywall installers was nearly three times the injury rate of 9.5 for all other construction occupations combined, in 1987. In 1994, falls (29.9%), overexertion (25.9%), and contact with objects (25.1%) were the leading events of injury and illness involving days away from work. As a result, sprains and strains (43.3%) constituted the most frequent nature of injuries and illnesses category in 1994. Approach: The project examined different approaches to estimating the population of at risk drywall installers, using occupational injury classification data from the BLS. In addition, three parallel efforts were undertaken to identify high-risk activities associated with the traumatic injuries and overexertion hazards of drywall installation work: 1) analysis of videotaped data; 2) analysis of biomechanical stresses associated with drywall lifting; and 3) completion of a drywall installation survey identifying high-risk tasks and activities. In the laboratory component, simulations were conducted to evaluate the biomechanical stresses associated with drywall handling techniques identified from the field investigation. Force platform and motion analysis techniques were used to determine forces, moments, postural instability, and postures during simulated drywall handling tasks. A simulated drywall lifting workstation was built and all subjects performed one of the four randomly assigned lifting methods. Both center of pressure (COP) and center of mass (COM) data were analyzed to assess postural stability of workers. Results: All the ratings of fall potential, perceived physical stress, and risk of being struck by or against objects while hanging drywall on the ceiling were greater than while performing the other two tasks. Activities involving lifting/carrying/holding drywall sheets were rated as most physically stressful. Workers perceived greater physical stress for the two drywall sanding tasks than the four taping tasks. Sanding skimmed drywall without the use of pole sanders, in particular sanding ceiling joints, nails, and corners was rated most stressful. Wrists/hands and shoulders were identified as the most affected body part subject to physical stress during drywall taping and sanding. Tasks performed with the use of stilts were rated as having greater fall potential than those without using stilts. Statistically significant results from the univariate analyses and PCA indicated that the three horizontal lifting methods created less perturbation than the vertical lifting method. Impact: The field study component has not only collected useful data from these worksites, but also established excellent collaborative opportunities and research partnerships for NIOSH. This study also represented the first large-scale, worker-based, and construction-related laboratory study, which was conducted to evaluate the biomechanical stresses associated with the lifting of large-sized manual materials. Drywall installers, carpenters, painters and construction laborers are responsible for almost 50% of fall-related injuries in the construction industry. All of these four construction workforces handle drywall at worksites. The recommendations of this project can be extrapolated to apply and benefit the previously-mentioned four construction workforces, which represent3.3 million construction workers. The study results were also referenced and used for wallboard-related legislative actions in Washington State in June, 2000. The study findings provided strategies for controlling physical stresses and fall hazards in drywall-installation work, thereby promoting the safety of this sector of the construction population." - NIOSHTIC-2 ; "Lead researcher: Christopher S. Pan, Ph.D., CDC/NIOSH/DSR." ; At head of title: "A Project from the first 10 years of NORA." ; On first page: Logo for the Research to Practice at NIOSH initiative (r2p). ; "The findings and conclusions in this report have not been formally disseminated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health should not be construed to represent any agency determination or policy." ; "Created: 9/8/06/Modified: 11/18/10" - file properties ; Also available via the World Wide Web as an Acrobat .pdf file (117.8 KB, 2 p.).
"The Challenge: Highway and street construction workers (SIC 1611) and other workers on highway construction sites are at risk of death or serious injury when working near passing motorists, construction vehicles, and equipment. From 1992-2000, 910 worker fatalities occurred in work zones; 91% (n=826) were vehicle- or equipment-related. Of the 797 cases for which vehicle type was known, 490 (61%) were associated with a construction vehicle, 256 (32%) with a traffic vehicle, and 51 (6%) with both. Pedestrian workers were as likely to be struck by a construction vehicle (n=258) as by a passing traffic vehicle (n=250). Approach: Project staff planned and facilitated out a 3-day workshop in December 1998. The 60 attendees represented key stakeholders, including the Federal Highway Administration, National Safety Council, Deere & Company, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, 3M, Jefferson Group, OSHA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, International Union of Operating Engineers, Reflexite, Laborers = Health and Safety Fund of North America, and Industrial Safety Equipment Association. Workshop preparations included conceptualizing topic areas (safety of pedestrian workers, safety of equipment operators, planning for safe work, and night work), obtaining a contracted literature review, and developing "white papers" to serve as background for discussions at the workshop. Scientific and technical literature was synthesized with input received at the workshop to develop the 2001 NIOSH document Building Safer Highway Work Zones. Public comment was obtained through a Federal Register notice and direct requests to stakeholders. Results: The primary product of this research was a NIOSH document, Building Safer Highway Work Zones, which addresses a broad range of interventions to prevent worker deaths and injuries associated with vehicles and equipment. Some injury prevention approaches discussed in the document are directly related to construction operations (e.g., work zone layout, flagger safety, illumination of the work space, and use of temporary traffic control devices), while others focus on management practices that can affect worker safety (e.g., incorporating safety elements into the bidding process, pre-planning for traffic control inside the work space, and coordination between multiple contractors on the same site). The document also offers case studies suitable for worker training sessions or safety talks. Impact: A primary impact of this work is greater recognition, particularly among the government and construction industry groups that build and oversee the Nation's roads, that construction vehicles pose a substantial safety risk to pedestrian workers. At this project's inception, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), the federal guideline for temporary traffic control, required that only flaggers wear high-visibility clothing. A measure that all workers in work zones wear high-visibility clothing appeared in Building Safer Highway Work Zones and in later comments on proposed rulemakings. The 2003 MUTCD revision incorporated this NIOSH measure. Building Safer Highway Work Zones continues to be a resource for the highway construction industry and has been reprinted a number of times, with almost 19,000 copies distributed to date. A number of commercial insurers distribute it to clients engaged in highway construction, and it has been adapted into training modules geared to highway workers."- NIOSHTIC-2 ; "Lead researcher: Stephanie Pratt, CDC/NIOSH/DSR." ; At head of title: "A Project from the first 10 years of NORA." ; On first page: Logo for the Research to Practice at NIOSH initiative (r2p). ; "The findings and conclusions in this report have not been formally disseminated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health should not be construed to represent any agency determination or policy." ; "Created: 9/8/06/Modified: 11/2/10" - file properties ; Also available via the World Wide Web as an Acrobat .pdf file (118.1 KB, 2 p.).
"Challenge: Police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians face many hazards on the job, including chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats. Effective personal protective equipment and strict safety standards are critical to ensure the health and safety of emergency responders. Approach: Stakeholders from government, manufacturing and emergency response fields joined NIOSH to establish new respirator standards for CBRN hazards. They established performance requirements and identified concerns with the existing equipment development process, such as policy, manufacturing and personnel issues. This input allowed researchers to develop practical standards to protect workers from CBRN threats. Impact: This group effort resulted in the first CBRN standards for respirators. The u.s. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) adopted the new standards for all equipment purchased by DHS grant funds. The National Fire Protection Association also endorsed these standards. Approximately 7% of all on-duty career firefighters had CBRN respirators available or on order by December 2004. Additionally, six major equipment manufacturers have received approvals, and sixteen retrofit kits have also been approved." --NIOSHTIC-2 ; Title from title screen (viewed on Oct. 31, 2011).
"Roadway crashes are the leading cause of occupational fatalities in the U.S. Background and Trends: 1. From 1992 through 2001, roadway crashes were the leading cause of occupational fatalities in the U.S., accounting for 13,337 civilian worker deaths (22% of all injury-related deaths). 2. The annual numbers of work-related roadway deaths increased over the decade, despite overall declines in the number and rate of occupational fatalities from all causes. Fatality rates showed little change, hovering around 1 fatality per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers. Worker Characteristics: 1. 89% of the victims were male; the fatality rate for males (1.7 deaths per 100,000 FTE) was almost six times higher than the rate for females (0.3). 2. The age group with the largest number of roadway crash fatalities was 35-44 year olds (3,275, 25% of crash fatalities) followed closely by 45-54 year olds (2,904, 22%) and 25-34 year olds (2,899, 22%). 3. After age 64, crash-related fatality rates increased substantially. Workers 75 years and older had the highest fatality rate of all age groups (6.4 deaths per 100,000 FTE), followed by workers 65-74 years old (3.8). Industry and Occupation Characteristics: 1. The industry divisions with the highest number of fatalities were transportation/Communications/Public Utilities (TCPU) (4,358, 33% of the total), Services (1,884, 14%), Construction (1,403, 11%), and Manufacturing (1,093, 8%). 2. The highest fatality rates by industry were in TCPU (4.6 deaths per 100,000 FTE), Mining (3.4), and Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing (2.6). 3. The occupation divisions with the greatest proportion of fatalities were Transportation/Material Movers (6,212, 47%), Precision Production/Craft/Repairers (1,178, 9%), Sales (975, 7%), and Service (961, 7%). 4. The highest fatality rates by occupation were among Transportation/Material Movers (11.1 deaths per 100,000 FTE), Farmers/Foresters/Fishers (2.5), and Laborers (1.4). 5. Truck drivers, who are included among Transportation/Material Mover occupations, had a rate of 17.6 deaths per 100,000 FTE, a rate considerably higher than that for this occupation group as a whole. Crash Characteristics: 1. Work-related crash fatalities most often resulted from collisions between vehicles (49%). Other prominent crash types were single-vehicle incidents that did not involve a collision with another vehicle or with a pedestrian (non-collisions) (26%), and collisions between a vehicle and a stationary object on the roadside (18%). 2. 62% of fatalities occurred between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.; 38% occurred on U.S. or State-designated highways, 26% on interstate highways, and 24% on a local road or street. Vehicles: 1. Vehicles occupied by fatally injured workers were most often semi-trucks (3,780, 28%), cars (3,140, 24%), other and unspecified trucks (2,359, 18%), and pickup trucks (1,607, 12%). 2. Between 1992 and 2001, truck occupant deaths increased, as car occupant deaths decreased. 3. 62% of vehicles occupied by a fatally injured worker were registered to a business or government, 17% were registered to the driver, and 12% to an individual other than the driver. 4. Crashes involving large trucks (more than 10,000 lb. gross vehicle weight rating) were 7 times as likely to be fatal to other motorists as to truck occupants. An average of 4,425 motorists involved in collisions with large trucks died each year from 1992 through 2001, compared to 681 large-truck occupants. Vehicle Occupants and Drivers: 1. Between 1997 and 2002, 28% of fatally injured workers were wearing a seat belt; 56% were unbelted or had no seat belt available. Belt use was unknown for the remaining 16%. 2. Factors associated with the worker's vehicle that contributed to the crash included: running off the road or failing to stay in the proper lane (46%); driving over the speed limit or too fast for conditions (23%); driver inattention (11%); and the driver being drowsy or asleep (7%). NOTE: Up to four factors may be reported for each vehicle. 3. In 8% of crashes fatal to a worker, the driver of the worker's vehicle was determined to have been drinking." - NIOSHTIC-2 ; Caption title. ; "March 2004." ; "CDC workplace safety and health." ; Available also via the World Wide Web as an Acrobat .pdf file (78 KB, 2 p.). ; Includes bibliographical references (p. [2]).
"Information was gathered from Federal and State health, labor, and environmental agencies, as well as from groups with special concerns regarding the incidences of impaired health and safety to family members resulting from exposure to hazardous substances found at the workplace of another family member. Workers have been found to inadvertently carry home hazardous materials on their clothes, skin, hair, tools, and in their vehicles. Some of the resulting health effects reviewed in this report include chronic beryllium (7440417) disease, asbestosis and mesothelioma, lead (7439921) poisoning, neurological effects and mental retardation caused by lead exposure, deaths and neurological effects from pesticide exposure, chemical burns from caustic substances, chloracne and other effects from chlorinated hydrocarbon exposure, neurological effects from mercury (7439976), abnormal development from estrogenic substances, asthmatic and allergic reactions from dusts, liver angiosarcoma from arsenic (7440382), dermatitis from fibrous glass, status epilepticus from chemical exposure, and diseases from infectious agents. Preventive measures which were found to be effective when used in the workplace or at home were noted. Also discussed were procedures for decontaminating home and clothing, applicable Federal and State laws, responses to incidents of workers' home contamination, and recommendations for future research and education." - NIOSHTIC-2 ; 1. Health effects of workers' home contamination -- 2. Sources of workers' home contamination -- 3. Levels of contamination in homes and cars -- 4. Preventive measures -- 5. Decontamination procedures -- 6. Review of existing federal and states laws -- 7. Responses to incidents of home contamination -- 8. Recommendations and conclusions -- Appendix 1. The Workers' Family Protection Act -- Appendix 2. Federal Register Notice 58 FR 60202 - 60204 -- Appendix 3. Letters Requesting Information -- Appendix 4. Acknowledgments -- Appendix 5. Glossary ; "September 1995." ; Numbered retroactively as: DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 95-123 ; Includes bibliographical references (p. 99-142).
"Understanding and preventing occupational injuries and illnesses require focused efforts to identify, quantify, and track both health and their associated workplace conditions. Occupational safety and health surveillance activities provide the ongoing and systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of data needed for prevention. Current occupational safety and health surveillance data reveal the staggering human and economic losses associated with occupational injuries and illnesses. Much work remains to be done to reduce those losses, despite overall decreases in occupational injuries and illnesses in recent years. Our ability to survey and assess the state of occupational safety and health has improved over time. However, occupational safety and health surveillance data remain fragmented--collected for different purposes by different organizations using different definitions. We continue to have substantial gaps in surveillance information. Each surveillance system has limitations, particularly those that attempt to quantify occupational illness. Nonetheless, the data provide useful information for targeting and evaluating prevention efforts. To make these data more accessible, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has assembled this chartbook, which provides occupational safety and health surveillance information from different sources in a single volume. This initial work focuses on injury and illness outcomes rather on exposures and hazards. Included are contributions from several Federal agencies. Little information is included on public-sector employees or from State-bases surveillance systems. Future editions of the chartbook will target additional data sources to provide a more comprehensive picture of occupational injury and illness for the U.S. workforce. The data provided in this chartbook indicate encouraging decreases in the frequency of some occupational fatalities, injuries, and illnesses. Surveillance has helped to identify new and emerging problems and trends such as musculoskeletal disorders and asthma. Although our ability to monitor these outcomes has improved over time, this chartbook illustrates the continued fragmentation of occupational health surveillance systems as well as the paucity (or even total absence) of data for certain occupational disorders and groups. The data suggests a compelling need to improve, expand, and coordinate occupational safety and health surveillance activities to develop and augment the data needed to guide illness and injury prevention efforts. Working with government and non-government partners, NIOSH will continue efforts to enhance occupational health surveillance in the coming years." - NIOSHTIC-2 ; "September 2000"--T.p. verso. ; Includes bibliographical references (p. 183-187).
"At the request of the U.S. Congress, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a report in 1995 entitled Report to Congress on Workers' Home Contamination Study Conducted Under the Workers' Family Protection Act. This report was prepared in response to the 1992 Workers' Family Protection Act (Public Law 102-522) [29 USC* 671], which included a request to NIOSH to conduct a study to "evaluate the potential for, prevalence of, and issues related to the contamination of workers' homes with hazardous chemicals and substances . . . transported from the workplaces of such workers."* United States Code The 1995 NIOSH report chronicled the history of "take-home" exposures (i.e., exposures to substances transported from the workplace) and their associated health risks worldwide, primarily during the 20th century. The approach of this report was to describe health hazards associated with readily identifiable agents that have clear routes of exposure such as intentional transport of workplace materials, contamination of workers' clothing or external body surfaces (skin, hair), visitors or family members at the workplace, improper storage of hazardous agents, or cottage industry production. The Workers' Family Protection Task Force was chartered in 1994 to review the NIOSH report and to recommend to Congress a research strategy for Federal agencies to investigate (1) the nature and magnitude of take-home exposures, (2) their potential adverse consequences to workers' families, and (3) the effectiveness of prevention and remediation strategies. This document represents the Task Force's commentary on the NIOSH report, identifies gaps in the current knowledge about take-home exposures and related health effects, and provides a prioritized agenda for federally sponsored research. The agenda is intentionally broad in scope, leaving the details of study design and methods to be specified by research sponsors and investigators. The NIOSH report on take-home exposures covered the available literature in a thorough manner, with information largely describing conditions that occurred from the 1930s to the 1960s. Prominent examples of take-home exposures include lead, beryllium, and asbestos. Many reports represent anecdotal accounts of hazardous take-home exposures and subsequent illness among workers' family members. Systematic research on the extent of the problem is conspicuously absent, and thus the burden of disease caused by these exposures is unlikely to be quantified now or in the future. In addition, no comprehensive studies have documented the effectiveness of current workplace control programs for preventing the transport of toxic substances into homes. The Task Force also noted that the published literature contains only limited citations of two categories of take-home exposure-infectious agents and radioactive substances. From its review of the NIOSH report, the Task Force identified important gaps in knowledge that hinder a clear understanding of the magnitude of take-home exposures and their potential health consequences. Information is lacking about the types and concentrations of take-home exposures that are currently occurring in the United States, the size and demographic composition of the populations at risk for exposure, the types of illnesses associated with take-home exposures, and the adequacy of exposure control methods in the workplace and home. Among States that have reporting systems for recognized take-home exposures such as lead, reporting suffers from incompleteness and lack of standardization. With these knowledge gaps, it is not possible to estimate the magnitude of the public health threat created by take-home exposures, nor is it possible to predict the future risks that will occur from transported toxic agents. Difficulties in determining hazards will likely persist in the future as new materials are introduced into the workplace. To address deficiencies in knowledge about take-home exposures, the Task Force recommends the following prioritized research agenda, which could be funded by Federal and other government sources as well as by the private sector: Characterize the extent of home contamination with toxic workplace substances such as metals (e.g., lead and beryllium), pesticides, and dusts (e.g., asbestos). Identify populations at greatest risk of known and suspected take-home exposures. Assess the adverse health effects from take-home exposures, including both established and less well studied effects-such as the consequences of transmitting infectious agents and radioactive substances into the home. Identify previously unrecognized toxic exposures that place the health of workers' families at risk. For recognized hazards, assess the effectiveness of take-home exposure prevention and remediation methods (including decontamination procedures) and evaluate worker notification and training programs to reduce exposure. The Task Force recommends that this proposed research agenda be given full consideration by NIOSH under the Institute's National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). The Task Force also noted that existing Federal statutes permit aggressive action but have been narrowly applied to take-home contamination. Moreover, the Workers' Family Protection Act did not anticipate revisions to the existing statutory authority of the Federal agencies that may be involved in take-home exposure issues. No revision would be needed if Federal and State agencies took advantage of their existing statutory authority to promulgate and enforce standards and regulations that are responsive to the hazardous conditions identified by the research agenda and developed by this Task Force. Revision of these statutes to authorize the prevention and remediation of take-home contamination (especially through revision of the prioritization schemes used by government agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]) should be considered by Congress only if the agencies find it difficult to respond effectively to the research agenda." - NIOSHTIC-2 ; Report of the Worker's Family Protection Task Force "chartered in 1994 to review the NIOSH" Report to Congress on workers' home contamination study conducted under the Worker's Family Protection Act (29 U.S.C. 671a) "and to recommend to Congress a research strategy for Federal agencies to investigate." - p. 1. ; "May 2002." ; Also available on the World Wide Web. ; Includes bibliographical references (p. 99-142).
"This document provides previously unavailable youth demographic, injury and asthma estimates at the national level for youth on Hispanic-operated farms in the U.S. A Hispanic is defined as any person of Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino origin. These data represent the initial step in developing research and prevention programs to reduce the burden of injury and asthma on Hispanic farms in the U.S. What are the hazards? According to data from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there were 366 estimated youth less than 20 years of age injured on Hispanic farm operations in the U.S. in 2000. Major causes of these injuries included contact with objects and falls. In addition, there were an estimated 1,299 youth with asthma living on these farms. The injury and asthma estimates reported here should be considered conservative because of the potential for recall bias and other biases in the survey. How are youth exposed or put at risk? Exposures to farm hazards are not limited to youth who work on farms. In addition to injuries sustained during work activities, youth may be injured while living on farms, while visiting farms, or when they accompany their working parents or adults into the fields. The farm environment also contains many known triggers for asthma. The injury and asthma hazards these youth encounter may be work or non-work in nature, and make the farm a unique environment for developing prevention strategies. What recommendations have the federal government made to protect the health of farm youth? The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) and its amendments set standards for child labor in agriculture. However, the FLSA covers only employees whose work involves production of agricultural goods, which will leave the state through interstate commerce. In addition, FLSA regulations do not apply to youth working for their parents or guardian(s) on the family's farm. Youth who work on farms are often not protected by workplace safety and health regulations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) because these youth frequently work for small operations that are not inspected by OSHA, or because OSHA regulations do not apply to the farm household members. For all youth on farms, there are no protections for injuries from hazards associated with non-work activities, which often expose them to the same hazards as work activities. Given the limited protections for youth on farms, there is a need for states and communities to develop and implement programs to reduce childhood agricultural injuries." - NIOSHTIC-2 ; John R. Myers, Kitty J. Hendricks, Larry A. Layne, and E. Michael Goldcamp. ; "October 2005." ; Includes bibliographical references: p. (12-13).
"The Challenge: Each year nearly 4.5 million injuries occur that are associated with workplace events. Individuals affected often become unable to work, their ability to work is limited by physical impairment, or more tragically they die. On a typical day, 9,000 U.S. workers sustain disabling injuries and 15 workers die from an injury. Understanding the total human and economic impacts of occupational injuries is crucial to setting priorities and shaping other components of the occupational safety and health research agenda. Studying the economic consequences of occupational injury can improve program planning, intervention evaluation, and policy analysis. Approach: This project includes a variety of economic research efforts, including enhancing existing research projects to add economic components and developing new projects related to developing or improving new economic analytic tools. The research addresses the economic consequences borne by society, the employer, and the worker and their family. Methods vary depending on the particular work involved, and may include economic modeling, econometric evaluations and projections, and financial modeling. Results: Intermediate results are varied, as the project contains a number of different individual efforts. For example, this project has provided projections of the numbers and types of occupational injuries attributable to changing workforce patterns. During the course of this project, a computerized cost calculator was developed, which determines the impact on the U.S. Gross Domestic Product for occupational fatal injuries. The calculator can be applied using NTOF or CFOI fatality data and is currently being revised to include MSHA fatal and non-fatal incidents. Impact: The model and cost estimates have been requested by occupational safety and health organizations and researchers, cited in other research findings and publications, and used as a decision criterion in allocating government resources. Examples include: invited presentations at national and international meetings such as the 2004 Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration Annual Meeting and Exhibit (premier conference for the 13,000 members), the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions annual meeting, and the 4th Annual International Measuring the Burden of Injury Conference; invited presentation at academic institutions, such as University of Utah, University of Pittsburgh, and West Virginia University; incorporation of the cost model into new cost estimates being developed by J. Paul Leigh, a preeminent economist; news coverage by the BNA Occupational Safety and Health Reporter; and as the cost model being provided to the Bolivian government for targeting occupational injury and illness prevention resources." - NIOSHTIC-2 ; "Lead researcher: Elyce Biddle." ; At head of title: "A Project from the first 10 years of NORA." ; On first page: Logo for the Research to Practice at NIOSH initiative (r2p). ; "The findings and conclusions in this report have not been formally disseminated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health should not be construed to represent any agency determination or policy." ; "Created: 9/8/06/Modified: 11/18/10" - file properties ; Also available via the World Wide Web as an Acrobat .pdf file (91.63 KB, 2 p.).
The explosion on the Deepwater Horizon disaster oil rig on April 20, 2010 resulted in the death of 11 workers and injury to another 17 workers. In the weeks and months after, as large amounts of crude oil released from the Macondo Well, tens of thousands of workers engaged in on- and off-shore containment and clean-up activities. Addressing concerns about the potential effects of the spill on human and environmental health in the Gulf, including potential risk to response workers, prompted an unprecedented response from agencies all across the Federal government. On May 3, 2010, experts from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) arrived on site at the Gulf of Mexico. The role NIOSH had in this interagency effort was to anticipate and address the occupational safety and health needs of the containment and cleanup response workers in close collaboration with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). As part of these activities, NIOSH led efforts in rostering workers, conducting health hazard evaluations, providing technical guidance by means of a joint OSHA/NIOSH publication, conducting health surveillance activities, and performing toxicity testing. The Deepwater Horizon Response (DWHR) effort presented unique challenges in protecting response workers spread across the Gulf region, who performed a wide range of activities in physically and emotionally demanding circumstances. The DWHR presented opportunities to further expand our knowledge and understanding of protecting workers in complex, large-scale emergency responses. With the publication of "Lessons Learned from the Deepwater Horizon Response," NIOSH hopes to share the knowledge gained during this response (including the application of knowledge gained from past large-scale emergency responses), report how we can improve our response to similar events in the future, and facilitate a dialogue between NIOSH and partners in the government, industry, labor and academia on ways to improve the overall response to both natural and man-made disasters. As we build our knowledge of what happens during the response to disasters, so too will we increase our understanding of how to protect response workers. ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. ; Acknowledgements: Bruce Bernard, Vincent Castranova, Gayle DeBord, John Decker, Lisa Delaney, Renee Funk, John Gibbins, Bradley King, Margaret Kitt, Dori Reissman, Teresa Seitz, James Spahr, Marie Haring Sweeney, Allison Tepper. ; "December 2011." ; Also available via the World Wide Web as an Acrobat .pdf file (821.71 KB, 24). ; Includes bibliographical references.
