Register Now for Spring 2018 National Trainers’ Exchange and WTP Awardee Meeting

The 7th National Trainers’ Exchange is hosted by the Western Region Universities Consortium (WRUC) in conjunction with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Worker Training Program (WTP). The Exchange will bring together safety and health trainers and training stakeholders from the Department of Energy (DOE) and the NIEHS WTP to exchange ideas about how to make training for hazardous materials and emergency response workers more effective and empowering. The Awardee Meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 9, 2018; the National Trainers’ Exchange will be held on Thursday and Friday, May 10-11, 2018. The meeting will be held at the Sheraton Grand Phoenix hotel. The hotel block closes Friday, April 20, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. MT. Registration closes Friday, April 27, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. ET.

Meeting & Registration Information

Accommodation and Transportation

Workers’ Memorial Day Is April 28

Workers' Memorial Day is observed every year on April 28. It is a day to honor those workers who have died on the job, to acknowledge the grievous suffering experienced by families and communities, and to recommit ourselves to the fight for safe and healthful workplaces for all workers. It is also the day the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was established in 1971. Every year, events are held across the country to remember workers who have died on the job and honor them by continuing to fight for improved worker safety.

OSHA Worker’s Memorial Day List Events

AFL-CIO's Workers’ Memorial Day Materials

FEMA’s Plan Underestimated Puerto Rican Hurricane

The federal government significantly underestimated the potential damage to Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria and relied too heavily on local officials and private-sector entities to handle the cleanup, according to a POLITICO review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s plan for the disaster. The plan prepared for a Category 4 hurricane and projected that the island would shift from response to recovery mode after roughly 30 days.

Politico [Author: Danny Vinik]

Puerto Rico Back in Darkness after Island-wide Blackout

An island-wide blackout struck Puerto Rico, plunging the U.S. territory of more than 3 million citizens back into darkness, more than seven months after Hurricane Maria demolished its fragile power grid. The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority said the blackout, which began at about 11:30 a.m., could last from 24 to 36 hours.

The Washington Post [Author: Arelis R. Hernandez]

Webinar: Working with Communities to Strengthen the Public Health Fight for Environmental Justice

This webinar hosted by the Collaborative on the Health and the Environment (CHE) will discuss groundbreaking approaches to environmental justice that center on community knowledge and collaboration. Ana Mascareñas, MPH, assistant director for Environmental Justice at the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), will discuss efforts to promote environmental justice within regulatory agencies and in collaboration with communities. Vanessa Galaviz, Ph.D, director of Community Engagement and Education at the University of Washington School of Public Health’s Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center, will discuss the integration of science, public health, and environmental justice. The webinar will be held on April 24, 2018, 2:00 pm ET.

Webinar Information and Registration

2018 National Environmental Justice Conference and Training Program

Leaders from various sectors will engage in three days of free exchange of ideas and approaches to achieving environmental justice. These interactive training sessions will feature voices of experience, research, discussions, and thought-provoking dialogue. The program format will feature the needs and challenges of communities, governments, municipalities, tribes, faith-based organizations, and others with an interest in environmental justice. Program speakers will feature representatives from Federal and state agencies, local governments, tribes, community groups, business and industry, public interest groups, academia, and other entities. The Conference will be held at the Washington Marriott Metro Center in Washington, D.C. from April 25-27, 2018.

Information and Registration

Fifth Annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction

The National Safety Stand-Down was created five years ago as a combined effort by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and CPWR—The Center for Construction Research and Training, and other partners. For the past four years, the Stand-Down Campaign has had an impact on fall prevention and on the awareness and education of millions of workers in construction. Now in its fifth year, every participant can build on their strengths and welcome millions more to safety on the job. The National Safety Stand-Down will be held on May 7-9, 2018.

NIOSH eNews

Registration Now Open for EPA Safer Choice Partner & Stakeholder Summit

EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) is announcing its third Safer Choice Partner & Stakeholder Summit. The Summit provides an opportunity for partners, purchasers, retailers, NGOs, trade associations, chemical manufacturers, and other interested stakeholders to collaborate on exploring topical questions and developing solutions that can advance Safer Choice. This year’s discussion will focus on the value of the Safer Chemical Ingredients List as a starting point in identifying Low Priority Substances under the Toxic Substances Control Act, as well as priorities for the Safer Choice program. The Summit will be held on May 14, 2018, from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

Summit Information and Registration

Tribal Environmental Health Summit

Registration for the 3rd Tribal Environmental Health Summit is now open. The Summit is sponsored by Oregon State University College of Public Health and Human Sciences, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), and the Native Environmental Health Research Network. The theme for this year is “Sustaining Long-Term Partnerships and Projects with Native American Communities.” The Summit will be held on June 25-26, 2018, in Corvallis, Oregon. Abstract submissions are due May 31, 2018.

Summit Registration

Submit Your Abstract

Save the Date: Safe + Sound Week

The second annual Safe + Sound Week will be held Aug. 13-19, 2018. The event is a nationwide effort to raise awareness of the value of workplace safety and health programs. These programs can help employers and workers identify and manage workplace hazards before they cause injury or illness, improving a company’s financial bottom line. Throughout this week, organizations are encouraged to host events and activities that showcase the core elements of an effective safety and health program, including: management leadership, worker participation, and finding and fixing workplace hazards. For more information and to sign-up for email updates, visit the Safe + Sound Week webpage.

Safe & Sound Week

CPWR: Safe Workplace + Sound Business

A Workshop: Integrating Infectious Disease Considerations with Response to the Opioid Epidemic

The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS) held a one-and-a-half-day public workshop on the infectious disease consequences of the opioid epidemic. Participants discussed the scope of the problem, giving attention to viral hepatitis, HIV, and endocarditis. Attention was given to reducing the infectious disease co-morbidities of injection drug use, especially strategies that emphasize empathy, respectful treatment, and patient satisfaction. Speakers at the workshop presented on how the opioid epidemic has changed the epidemiology of infectious disease.

National Academies

The World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program Seeks Potential Peer Reviewers of Proposed Additions of Conditions to the List of WTC-Related Health Conditions

The World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program is soliciting nominations, including self-nominations, for scientific peer reviewers of proposed additions of conditions to the List of WTC-Related Health Conditions. The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 the Administrator of the WTC Health Program to provide for an independent peer review of the scientific and technical evidence that would be the basis for issuing a final rule to add a health condition to the List prior to issuing the final rule. Submit nominations to: nioshdocket@cdc.gov or NIOSH Docket 294, c/o Kiana Harper, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Patriots Plaza 1, 395 E Street, S.W. Suite 9200, Washington, DC 20201.

NIOSH eNews Flash

May Edition of New Solutions Is Now Available

The latest issue of New Solutions includes controversial discussions regarding worker health protections, as well as research of the changing nature of work and vulnerable workers. Included are two articles written by researchers at Breast Cancer Prevention Partners; a state of the evidence review of research regarding work and breast cancer, and a set of recommendations addressing research needs.

New Solutions

The Public Health Preparedness and Response (PHPR) 2018 National Snapshot

The Snapshot highlights preparedness activities and investments at the federal, state, and local levels, and features stories that demonstrate the impact of these activities. There are two sections to this report: the Narrative and PHEP Program Fact Sheets. The Narrative describes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) preparedness and response activities in 2016 and 2017 and demonstrates how investments in preparedness enhance the nation’s ability to respond to public health threats and emergencies. The PHEP Program Fact Sheets provide information on PHEP funding from 2015 to 2017 and trends and progress related to the 15 public health preparedness capabilities defined in the PHEP Cooperative Agreement.

CDC

Economic Development Administration (EDA) 2018 Disaster Supplemental Relief Funding

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) announces general policies and application procedures for the Disaster Supplemental Notice of Funding Opportunity. This investment assistance will help communities and regions devise and implement long-term economic recovery strategies through a variety of non-construction and construction projects, as appropriate, to address economic challenges in areas where a Presidential declaration of a major disaster was issued under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act as a result of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and of wildfires and other natural disasters occurring in calendar year 2017. There are no application deadlines and the agency will accept proposals on a rolling basis.

View Grant Opportunity

National Occupational Research Agenda for Musculoskeletal Health

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announces the availability of a draft NORA Agenda entitled National Occupational Research Agenda for Musculoskeletal Health for public comment. The agenda incorporates knowledge about injuries and illnesses, the state of the science, and the likelihood that new information and approaches will make a difference in preventing musculoskeletal disorders. The deadline to submit comments is May 21, 2018.

Safety + Health

Federal Register Notice

Webinar: Opportunities from the New Federal "BUILD Act" Brownfields Law

The BUILD Act (Brownfields Utilization, Investment and Local Development) is the first major legislative change to Brownfields since passage of the original statute in 2002. During this webinar, you’ll hear from experts regarding increased eligibility for funding, additional liability protections, and changes to grant programs. The webinar will feature officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a local community, national brownfield experts, and the coordinator of the National Brownfields Coalition. This webinar is made possible with funding provided by EPA.

Webinar Information and Registration

Featured Safety Jobs with the American Society of Safety Engineers

Featured Jobs

Featured Safety Jobs with the American Industrial Hygiene Association

Featured Jobs

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