NIOSH eNews - May, 2017

NIOSH eNews - May, 2017

In This Issue

Director’s Desk NIOSH Recognizes Worker’s Memorial Day NIOSH Appoints New Director of Western States Division New Web Page Highlights Healthcare Worker Survey Free Webinar and Live Facebook Chat on Roofing and Construction Safety to Be Held as Part of National Safety Stand-Down OHSN Updates System Occupational Exposure Banding on Wikipedia Nominations Open Safe-in-Sound Awards 2017 USE 2017 – Health and Safety for Small Enterprises Conference

Volume 15 Number 1 May 2017

From the Director’s Desk John Howard, M.D., Director, NIOSH NIOSH Presents 2017 Awards for Significant Scientific Contributions Each April, we recognize NIOSH researchers and partners for their significant contributions in the past year to the field of occupational safety and health. This year’s annual awards ceremony honored researchers for their work in 2016 that demonstrated excellence in science that informs and supports the prevention of work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths. The awards include the following: Read More... NIOSH Recognizes Worker’s Memorial Day April 28 was Worker’s Memorial Day. This day provides us with the opportunity to pause and reflect on what is important for the health and safety of our workers and their families. In recognition, NIOSH released its annual Workers Memorial Day statement by NIOSH Director, John Howard, M.D. NIOSH Appoints New Director of Western States Division NIOSH has appointed Ryan Hill, MPH (CDR, USPHS), as director of its Western States Division. CDR Hill began his role as the Division’s first full-time director on May 1. In his new role, CDR Hill will lead a diverse group of scientists who conduct research to reduce a wide variety of occupational safety and health hazards in high-risk industries predominant in the West, such as oil and gas extraction, maritime, commercial fishing, wildland firefighting, and aviation. Learn more. New Web Page Highlights Healthcare Worker Survey A new NIOSH topic page, Health and Safety Practices Survey of Healthcare Workers, addresses hazardous drugs and other chemical hazards typically found in healthcare settings. NIOSH conducted the online survey to better understand the circumstances surrounding healthcare workers’ exposures, to examine adherence to safe handling guidelines and best practices, and to assess impediments to using personal protective equipment and other exposure controls. The survey targeted several classes of hazardous chemicals including antineoplastic drugs, aerosolized medications, anesthetic gases, chemical sterilants, high-level disinfectants, and surgical smoke. The topic page provides concise information on why and how the survey was done, findings and recommendations, and access to published articles and other information. Free Webinar and Live Facebook Chat on Roofing and Construction Safety to Be Held as Part of National Safety Stand-Down To raise awareness of fall hazards, NIOSH, OSHA and the Center for Construction Research and Training will hold the fourth annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction from May 8-12. The weeklong event encourages employers to pause during their workday for topic discussions, safety demonstrations, and trainings in hazard recognition and fall prevention. As part of the Stand-Down, the National Roofing Contractors Association will host a free webinar on May 8 to discuss the hazards present after a worker has fallen from a roof and his or her personal fall-arrest system has deployed or activated. NRCA will also host a live Facebook chat on May 10 to discuss trending roofing and construction safety topics. For more events being held across the country, see OSHA’s Stand-Down events page. OHSN Updates System The Occupational Health Safety Network (OHSN) released two new modules in March. The systems now allow healthcare facilities to track injuries and illnesses related to sharps injuries and blood and body fluid exposures, as well as traumatic injuries. Occupational Exposure Banding on Wikipedia The occupational exposure banding Wikipedia page is now available. Occupational exposure banding, also known as hazard banding, is a process intended to quickly and accurately assign chemicals to specific categories (bands), each corresponding to a range of exposure concentrations designed to protect worker health. Nominations Open Safe-in-Sound Awards 2017 The call for nominations is open for the Safe-in-Sound Award Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Award™ (www.safeinsound.us) and the deadline is July 15. Since 2009, the awards are given annually by NIOSH in partnership with the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA). The 2018 Awards will be presented at the NHCA Annual Conference, on February 16, 2018 in Orlando, FL.  The awards honor excellence and innovation in hearing loss prevention practices in the work environment. USE 2017 – Health and Safety for Small Enterprises Conference NIOSH and the Center for Health, Work & Environment at the Colorado School of Public Health are hosting the fourth international Understanding Small Enterprise (USE) Conference in Denver, Colorado on October 25–27. The conference brings together small businesses, health and safety researchers, and industry experts from around the globe. Early bird registration is available until June. Read More...