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From the Director’s Desk
John Howard, M.D., Director, NIOSH
Looking Ahead at 2014
Happy 2014! As we get settled into this New Year I wanted to take this opportunity to preview some of the issues and initiatives that NIOSH will pursue in 2014.
As the new year opens, you still have the opportunity to comment on the recently released draft document, Update of NIOSH Carcinogen Classification and Target Risk Level Policy for Chemical Hazards in the Workplace. This significant update to NIOSH’s carcinogen policy, which was first issued in 1978, reflects advancements in cancer science and stakeholder concerns regarding the relevance, process, and scientific bases of the information for characterizing workplace exposures to chemical carcinogens, which will help the occupational safety and health community achieve healthy and safe workplaces. The draft NIOSH document is currently available (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docket/review/
docket240A/pdf/EID-CIB-11052013.pdf) for public comment until February 13. A public meeting was also held on December 16, 2013, in Washington, DC, to allow the public to provide comments and ask questions about the draft document. We anticipate completing the final document in 2014.
docket240A/pdf/EID-CIB-11052013.pdf) for public comment until February 13. A public meeting was also held on December 16, 2013, in Washington, DC, to allow the public to provide comments and ask questions about the draft document. We anticipate completing the final document in 2014.
Total Worker HealthTMWebinar
Join us on February 25, 3:30 to 5:00pm ET, as the Total Worker HealthTMProgram and the Center for Promotion of Health in the New England Workplace hosts an inaugural webinar with Dr. Laura Punnett and Dr. Ron Goetzel. This free webinar is the first of a series offering continuing education credits to health protection and health promotion professionals. For more details, sign up for the quarterly eNewsletter, TWHTM in Action!
A recent NIOSH study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajim.22273/full) showed that more than 7.6% of working Americans reported that they were mistreated at their workplace in 2010, and this mistreatment was associated with a 42% increase in the number of missed work days, controlling for covariates. At the national level, workplace mistreatment was associated with $4.1 billion, or 5.5%, of sickness absenteeism costs in 2010. These results demonstrated the importance of developing prevention strategies for workplace mistreatment in the United States. While the issue of workplace bullying/mistreatment has been studied extensively in Europe, it has not received much attention in the United States, partly because of insufficient empirical evidence on its magnitude and associated costs.
Broad Agency Announcement for Development and Demonstration of Mine Safety and Health Technology
The NIOSH Office of Mine Safety and Health Research is soliciting concept papers to conduct research, explore development, undertake rigorous testing, or evaluate or adapt technologies to improve mine safety in the following six areas: post-event hazardous conditions detection, battery safety, float dust reduction, through-the-earth communication, NO2 and CO personal monitors, and rock dusting. The estimated amount of awards is $200,000–$300,000, with a ceiling of $650,000. The deadline for conceptpapers is January 22. For more information and to apply go to:https://www.fbo.gov/spg/HHS/CDCP/CMBP/2014-N-15776/listing.html.
On Monday, December 9, experts from NIOSH and Federal Occupational Health (FOH) will host a Twitter chat on stress to explore the topic and offer stress management and prevention strategies. During the #stresslesschat, we'll discuss what stress is, what workplace factors can lead to stress, how work stress can impact our lives, and what we can do to manage and prevent this stress. We hope you will join us from 1:00–2:00 pm EST! #stresslesschat
Just Released Workers’ Compensation Insurance Primer for Public Health
NIOSH announces a new resource, prepared with stakeholder input, to serve as a primer on the elements of U.S. workers’ compensation insurance programs and the potential to utilize workers’ compensation data for public health purposes. This new document, available athttp://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2014-110/, comes from the recently launched NIOSH Center for Workers’ Compensation Studies (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/workerComp/CWCS/ ), which aims to further encourage worker’s compensation prevention research among public and private sector partners.
Ladder Safety App Available in Spanish
The NIOSH Ladder Safety App is now available in Spanish on both the iPhone and the Android marketplaces.
Total Worker Health Symposium Highlighted in Journal Supplement
A supplemental December 2013 issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine is available on the Total Worker Health Symposium hosted by the University of Iowa. The issue features keynotes, presentations, an opening by Dr. Howard, and several articles by NIOSH authors.http://journals.lww.com/joem/toc/publishahead
NIOSH Stress Experts Participate in Twitter Chat on Stress
On December 9, 2013, ten NIOSH stress experts joined representatives from Federal Occupational Health’s FedStrive program in a Twitter chat on stress. NIOSH’s stress experts from the Work Organization and Stress-Related Disorders Cross-Sector Research Program (Toni Alterman, Kaori Fujishiro, Tara Hartley, Diane B. Miller, Jessica Streit, Douglas Wiegand) and the Work Organization and Stress Research Team (Paula Grubb, Rashaun Roberts, Angela Sarver, Ted Scharf) addressed questions related to the definition of stress; causes of and contributors to stress; biological, psychological and sociological consequences of stress; and stress management/prevention strategies. To review the messages, you can directly access Twitter’s archive of the chat or log on to Twitter and search #stresslesschat.
Prevention Through Design Seeks Coordinator
NIOSH announces recruitment of an industrial hygienist or safety engineer to coordinate the agency’s Prevention through Design (PtD) program. This position offers the opportunity to serve a national initiative that promotes the prevention and reduction of occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities through the design and re-design of workplace environments. The open position is rated as a GS-14 and is located in Cincinnati. It is posted athttps://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/357705700 and is open until January 9. The position job title is Interdisciplinary Industrial Hygienist/Safety Engineer.
NIOSH Issues Nanotechnology Research and Guidance Strategic Plan
NIOSH recently issued the “Protecting the Nanotechnology Workforce: NIOSH Nanotechnology Research and Guidance Strategic Plan, 2013–2016,”http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2014-106/. This plan updates the November 2009 NIOSH strategic plan with knowledge gained from results of ongoing research, as described in the 2012 report, “Filling the Knowledge Gaps for Safe Nanotechnology in the Workplace: A Progress Report from the NIOSH Nanotechnology Research Center,” 2004–2011 .http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2013-101/. Read more athttp://www.cdc.gov/niosh/updates/upd-12-20-13.html
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