Weekly E-Newsbrief
June 20, 2025
The E-Newsbrief of the National Clearinghouse is a free weekly newsletter focusing on new developments in the world of worker health and safety. Each issue provides summaries of the latest worker health and safety news from newspapers, magazines, journals, government reports, and the Web, along with links to the original documents. Also featured each week are updates from government agencies that handle hazmat and worker safety issues such as DOE, EPA, OSHA and others.
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- Top Stories
- Calendar Features
- Federal Agency Update
- Job Openings
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Top Stories | Back to Top |
Nuclear Worker Training Program: Accomplishments and Highlights Report Now Available on the WTP Website!
A report that summarizes the activities of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)/Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Worker Training Program and its award recipients in the 2023-2024 program year is now available online. The goal of the NIEHS/DOE Program is to provide high-quality training to DOE site workers to ensure they are prepared to work safely in hazardous environments. The NIEHS/DOE Program trains a variety of workers engaged in work activities at DOE nuclear weapons and legacy sites. Trainees include crane operators, carpenters, welders, laborers, chemical operators, firefighters, construction workers, electricians, environmental technicians, insulators, laboratory technicians, machinists, pipe fitters, and truck drivers.
Nuclear Worker Training Program Accomplishments and Highlights Report
East Palestine (Ohio) Train Derailment Research Opportunity
NIEHS has issued an Other Transactions Research Opportunity Announcement for organizations to participate in the East Palestine, Ohio Train Derailment Study. This research opportunity’s primary goal is to create a program that is co-developed by the community, academic researchers and other stakeholders to address the immediate and longer-term health concerns from exposures to chemicals released during the train derailment. Applications are due no later than July 21, 2025, by 5:00 p.m. ET.
Lessons are Learned as Program Helps the Coast Guard, First Responders Respond to a Biological Attack
If there ever is a biological attack in the United States, first responders are critical for minimizing the fallout. A project designed to help the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) better prepare for such an attack is sunsetting after seven years, with lessons learned and experiences that will be useful not just for USCG, but for other federal agencies and first responders as well. The Analysis for Coastal Operational Resiliency is a collaboration between USCG, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Science & Technology Directorate. Over its lifetime, teams from the three agencies worked together to develop and demonstrate capabilities and strategic guidelines to prepare for a wide-area release of a biological attack.
Calendar Features | Back to Top |
From Penalties to Prevention: A Compliance-First Approach to Reducing OSHA Risks
AMCS and Lancaster Safety Consultants are hosting a webinar on maintaining audit readiness year-round to help employers mitigate risks and avoid costly Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violations. They will cover best practices for documentation and recordkeeping to withstand audits, effective training programs that reduce incident rates and reinforce compliance, and how to leverage data and incident reporting to identify gaps before they escalate. The webinar will take place July 1, 2025, 1-2 p.m. ET.
NSC/AIHA Heat Stress Prevention Webinar Series: Understanding the Risks and Practical Strategies for Heat Stress Mitigation
The National Safety Council (NSC) and the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) are hosting a three-part heat stress prevention webinar series designed to help safety professionals protect workers in high-heat environments. This webinar will provide a foundational overview of heat stress, including key risk factors, the impacts of heat stress, and the importance of proactive mitigation for worker health and safety. It will take place July 10, 2025, at 1 p.m. ET.
TRB Webinar: Rethinking Public Transit in Emergency Evacuations – Lessons from Wildfires
The Transportation Research Board (TRB) is hosting a webinar that will explore how transit systems can support mass evacuations, reduce congestion, aid carless residents and visitors, and preserve emergency response capacity. Presenters will share insights from wildfire evacuations and examine research findings, case studies, and planning principles. Attendees will learn about coordination strategies, infrastructure considerations such as mobility hubs, and best practices for better integrating transit into emergency response efforts. The webinar will take place August 4, 2025, Noon-1:30 p.m. ET.
Federal Agency Update | Back to Top |
EPA Announces Funding for States to Reduce Lead in Drinking Water at Schools and Child Care Facilities
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a total of $26 million in funding for states and territories to address lead in drinking water at schools and child care facilities. Since 2018, EPA has provided over $200 million to help reduce exposure to lead in drinking water where children learn and play. The EPA will allocate grant funding to states and territories through the Voluntary School and Child Care Lead Testing and Reduction Grant Program. In addition to this grant program, EPA’s Training, Testing, and Taking Action program provides information and recommendations to help states and local authorities build voluntary programs to reduce lead in drinking water.
May 2025 Was Second-Warmest on Record for the Globe
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information calculates the global temperature anomaly every month based on preliminary data generated from authoritative datasets of temperature observations from around the globe. This year, May temperatures were much warmer than average across much of the globe, particularly across most ocean areas and parts of every continent. The May 2025 global surface temperature was 1.98°F higher than the 20th-century average. This was the second-warmest May since NOAA's records began in 1850. May 2025 also marked the 49th consecutive May with above-average global temperatures.
Job Openings | Back to Top |
Birmingham Water Works Seeking Chief Engineer-Manager
The Birmingham, Alabama, water authority is looking to hire a chief engineer and manager to supervise the operation of the engineering department. Responsibilities include supervising staff, managing the design of all major engineering projects, determining and disseminating construction standards and monitoring compliance by department engineers, and ensuring the administration of safe work practices and operations, among other tasks.
International Brotherhood of Teamsters Seeking Legislative Representative & Policy Advisor
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) represents over 1.4 million working Americans across the country in a diverse range of fields. IBT is seeking a legislative representative and policy advisor to serve as the lead on issues relating to energy, construction, and building trades issues. They will also assist current legislative staff on transportation and trade issues; research, prepare, and write testimony, regulatory comments, and letters of position on legislative and regulatory issues of interest to the union; and provide expert assistance to members of Congress and their staff in drafting legislation, committee reports, floor amendments, and other congressional documents.
Department of Defense Health Agency Seeking Industrial Hygienist
The Department of Defense’s Health Agency is looking to hire an industrial hygienist to work at the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant in Oklahoma. Responsibilities include responding to employee safety and occupational health concerns, serving as the technical expert on the installation hazard communication program, and evaluating the adequacy of controls for health hazards in initial and final plans and specifications for facility construction, alteration, and repair work.
We Want Your Feedback | Back to Top |
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