NIOSH eNews - February, 2017

NIOSH eNews - February, 2017

In This Issue Director’s Desk NIOSH Updates Seasonal Flu Webpage NIOSH Oil and Gas Meeting Materials Available Online NIOSH Participates in Science Symposia NIOSH Co-Sponsorship of 10th International Conference on Managing Fatigue NIOSH Offers Fentanyl Safety Resources for First Responders

Volume 14 Number 10 February 2017

From the Director’s Desk John Howard, M.D., Director, NIOSH Check, Check: NIOSH Launches New Sound Level Meter App Our world is getting louder. Excessive noise is a public health problem and can induce hearing impairment, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, sleep disturbance, and a host of other psychological and social behavior problems. The World Health Organization estimates that 360 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss. Occupational hearing loss is the most common work-related illness in the United States; NIOSH estimates that approximately 22 million U.S. workers are exposed to hazardous noise. Understanding and minimizing the risks associated with noise exposures are the keys to preventing noise-related hearing loss. Read More... NIOSH Updates Seasonal Flu Webpage NIOSH recently updated its seasonal flu webpage to showcase research initiatives, publications, and key findings from NIOSH flu-related work. Information is available on these specific topics: Health Hazard Evaluations, Surveillance, Respiratory Protection, Influenza Transmission, and Engineering Infection Control. NIOSH Oil and Gas Meeting Materials Available Online NIOSH oil and gas researchers Kyla Retzer and John Snawder participated in a joint United States–European Union (US-EU) oil and gas safety tour in September 2016. The purpose of this US-EU tour was to share occupational safety and health information related to oil and gas exploration and production. During this event, Kyla and John described NIOSH research activities, partnerships, and the impact that work has had on improving safety and health in the oil and gas extraction industry. Photos and information about this event, including the presentations, are available online. For more information about the NIOSH Oil and Gas Extraction Program, contact coordinator David Caruso. NIOSH Participates in Science Symposia NIOSH helped to coordinate and participated in the first CDC Office of the Associate Director for Laboratory Science and Safety (OADLSS) Science Symposia held January 18 and attended by over 300 CDC participants. NIOSH attendees included Patrick Dempsey, Clara Seaman, Jonathan Szalajda, Ed Fisher, Ken Brown, Sam Glover, and Margaret Kitt. In addition to oral and poster presentations by NIOSH, OADLSS coordinated tours of the National Center for Environmental Health laboratories and CDC campus labs for NIOSH personnel.. NIOSH Co-Sponsorship of 10th International Conference on Managing Fatigue NIOSH is pleased to be a co-sponsor for the 10th International Conference on Managing Fatigue, which will be held in San Diego, California, on March 20–23. Fatigue is an important contributor to work-related injuries. This conference will include presentations from internationally renowned authorities on fatigue from academic, government, industry, and research organizations. We anticipate approximately 350 attendees and look forward to the opportunity to learn state-of-the-art science and how it can be applied to improve fatigue management and worker safety. The conference is co-hosted by Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and the National Transportation Safety Board, with numerous co-sponsors including Department of Transportation agencies, the National Safety Council, and industry groups. Registration is currently open, with fees increasing on February 9. NIOSH Offers Fentanyl Safety Resources for First Responders Did you know that Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic drug that is similar to morphine and heroin but is 50 to 100 times more potent?  Visit NIOSH’s new topic page Fentanyl in the Workplace, Preventing exposure to emergency responders to find out more about the harmful health effects of Fentanyl and how law enforcement, public health workers, and first responders can protect themselves when exposed to this drug. Read More...