NIOSH eNews - February, 2015

NIOSH eNews The Monthly Newsletter of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Volume 12 Number 10 February 2015 From the Director’s Desk John Howard, M.D., Director, NIOSH 2014 Accomplishments and 2015 Priorities While 2014 is quickly becoming a distant memory, I want to take this opportunity to highlight some of NIOSH’s achievements in 2014 and to thank NIOSH’s staff, partners, and supporters for your commitment and dedication to preventing worker injury and illness. While the Institute’s list of recent accomplishments is vast, I want to share with you a few from 2014 that I am particularly proud of: Improving the protection of our nation’s coal miners. NIOSH published an Interim Final Rule that expands NIOSH’s Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program to include not just underground miners, but also surface miners and adds spirometry, an important lung function test, to the tests already provided by the surveillance program. Helping create ambulance crash standards. NIOSH research was used in four new consensus-based standards issued by the Society of Automotive Engineers to improve the safety of ambulance patient compartments. The project officer, James Green, was a 2014 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals (Sammies) finalist for the impact of this work. Bestowed by the Partnership for Public Service, the award honors dedicated federal employees who have made significant contributions to our country. Read More... First Responder Protective Clothing and Equipment Lessons Learned from Ebola Patient Response The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) journal recently interviewed Bill Haskell of NIOSH regarding the planned revisions to NFPA 1999, Protective Clothing for Emergency Medical Operations. Read more http://www.nfpa.org/newsandpublications/nfpa-journal/2015/january-february-2015/features/ppe. New NIOSH Funded Study on Surgery for Spinal Stenosis Publishes Results A new study funded partly by NIOSH found that, 8 years after the operation, patients who had surgery for spinal stenosis didn't show differences in pain, function, or level of disability from those who didn't have the surgery. The authors of this study said this work has important implications for doctors who discuss the expected outcome of spinal surgery with their patients.http://journals.lww.com/spinejournal/pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=2015&issue=01150&article=00002&type=Fulltext CNN Links to NIOSH Total Worker Health Information A NIOSH Total Worker Health (TWH) link was included in Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s January CNN web article. This was his New Year’s take “on the nine big health stories to watch for, and the questions they will likely raise, in 2015.” Under his Work Life Balance entry, while not overtly mentioned, a link to the TWH site (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/twh/totalhealth.html) was given as the only resource for more info. http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/02/opinion/gupta-health-challenges-2015/index.html Are Flight Attendants at Higher Risk for Miscarriage? A new study looks at possible health hazards and link to miscarriage for flight attendants. Working during normal sleep hours, high physical job demands and exposure to cosmic radiation may put pregnant flight attendants at higher risk for miscarriage, according to research published January 5 online ahead of print in the journal Epidemiology. The study is the first to date that looked at potential workplace reproductive hazards on individual flights flown by flight attendants. Read more http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/updates/upd-1-8-15.html. MMWR Looks at Worker Illness Related to Newly Marketed Pesticides A new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report article authored by NIOSH looks at worker illness related to newly marketed pesticides. This report highlights at least three potential occupational hazards in agriculture: off-target pesticide drift, toxicity of some recently marketed pesticides, and a gap in worker notification requirements. Read the full report at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6402a2.htm?s_cid=mm6402a2_e. New NIOSH Web Page on Engineering Controls Engineering controls protect workers by removing hazardous conditions or by placing a barrier between the worker and the hazard. This new directory page links to NIOSH webpages, projects, programs, tools, and resources related to engineering controls created to improve workplace health and safety.http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/engcontrols/ New Ebola Information for U.S. Law Enforcement Professionals A new NIOSH factsheet is now available to help law enforcement professionals who may be exposed to Ebola. The fact sheet explains the risk of exposure and ways they can protect themselves from exposure. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ebola/pdfs/ebolafactsheetlawenforcement.pdf In Memoriam: Edward J. Baier, First NIOSH Deputy Director NIOSH was saddened to learn of the passing of Edward J. Baier, the first deputy director of NIOSH, on December 13, 2014. Mr. Baier dedicated his career to the field of industrial hygiene in the public sector. His leadership and visions contributed significantly to the advancement of worker health and safety. A pioneer in the field, he worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Health from 1946–1956 and from 1956–1972 as chief, then director, of the Division of Occupational Health and Bureau of Mine and Health Safety. In 1972, he joined the federal government serving as NIOSH’s first deputy director where he remained until 1978. Read more at http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/washingtonpost/obituary.aspx?pid=173920090.   In This Issue Director’s Desk First Responder Protective Clothing and Equipment Lessons Learned from Ebola Patient Response NIOSH Funded Study on Surgery for Spinal Stenosis Publishes Results CNN Links to NIOSH Total Worker Health Information Are Flight Attendants at Higher Risk for Miscarriage? MMWR Looks at Worker Illness Related to Newly Marketed Pesticides New NIOSH Web Page on Engineering Controls New Ebola Information for U.S. Law Enforcement Professionals In Memoriam: Edward J. Baier, First NIOSH Deputy Director Monthly Features NIOSH Congratulates NORA News From our Partners FACE Reports Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program Reports r2p Corner Health Hazard Evaluations (HHE) New on the NIOSH Science Blog New NIOSH Communication Products Federal Register Notices Presentations and Abstracts Conferences & Workshops Did you know? Did you know well-designed engineering controls can be highly effective in protecting workers and provide a cost savings over the long term? Learn more athttp://www.cdc.gov/ niosh/engcontrols/. NIOSH Web Sites NIOSH Home Page Facebook Flickr Pinterest Twitter YouTube NIOSH eNews is Brought to You By: John Howard, M.D., Director Fred Blosser, Editor in Chief Tanya Headley, Story Editor Jenise Brassell, Monthly Features Editor Cathy Rotunda, Copy Editor Glenn Doyle, Technical Lead Mary Micciche, Technical Support Please send your comments and suggestions to us by visiting http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/contact/. This newsletter is published monthly via email by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to inform members of the public health community as well as interested members of the general public of Institute-related news, new publications, and updates on existing programs and initiatives.

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