Weekly E-Newsbrief
April 5, 2024
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.
Subscribing to the National Clearinghouse Newsbrief is the best way to stay on top of the worker health and safety news.
- Top Stories
- Calendar Features
- On The Web This Week
- Federal Agency Update
- Awardee Highlights/Online Learning
- Job Openings
- We Want Your Feedback
- Newsbriefs Past Issues
| Top Stories | Back to Top |
WTP Spring Grantee Meeting and Workshop Registration Closes Soon! Hotel Block Closes Monday!
Registration for the Worker Training Program (WTP) Grantee Meeting and Workshop, titled “Closing the Gaps: Designing Training with Occupational Health Disparities in Mind,” closes next week! Registration will close on April 12, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. The hotel block closes on Thursday, April 11, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. EDT. The grantee meeting will be held on April 30, 2024, from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. EDT. The workshop will take place on May 1, 2024, from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. EDT, and May 2, 2024, from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. EDT.
Washington State Profile Now Available on the WTP Webpage
The NIEHS Worker Training Program (WTP) annually funds training for more than 8,800 workers through about 570 health and safety courses in Washington. Read more about WTP’s hazardous materials and emergency response training efforts in Washington in a new state profile.
Baltimore Bridge Collapse Calls Attention to The Growing Latino Labor Force and The Risks They Face
Most of the workers killed or presumed dead following the Baltimore bridge collapse are originally from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Mexico, illustrating the dangers Hispanic workers face as they continue to be overrepresented in the construction industry. Eight construction workers were fixing potholes on the Francis Scott Key Bridge's roadway early on March 26 when a cargo ship lost power and accidentally crashed into the bridge, causing it to collapse into the Patapsco River. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration considers construction as a high hazard industry in which workers are exposed to serious risks, and Latinos are more exposed to these dangers since they make up about a third of the nation's construction workers.
NBC News [Author: Nicole Acevedo]
National Minority Health Month
April is National Minority Health Month. This is an inclusive initiative that addresses the health needs of people of color. The goal is to strengthen the capacity of local communities to eliminate the disproportionate burden of premature death and preventable illness in minority populations through prevention, early detection, and control of disease complications. This year’s initiatives focus on equitable access to data, artificial intelligence, and driving equity in clinical trials, among others. The month will conclude with the 2024 National Minority Quality Forum Leadership Summit on April 29 and 30, 2024, at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Working With the Strategy Master—Michael Silverstein M.D., M.P.H. [1945–2024]
New Solutions offers a short memorial statement noting the January 2, 2024, death of Michael Silverstein, M.D., M.P.H., an internationally known leader in the field of occupational health and safety. Silverstein spent 53 years specializing in occupational medicine, public health, and general preventive medicine. He was the assistant director for Occupational Health and Safety with the United Automobile Workers Union for 15 years.
NEW SOLUTIONS: A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy [Author: Peter Dooley]
20th Annual Global Asbestos Awareness Week
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), an independent non-profit dedicated to preventing asbestos exposure and eliminating all asbestos-caused diseases, announced April 1-7, 2024, will be recognized as the 20th Annual Global Asbestos Awareness Week. During this week, ADAO and its partner organizations will work together to educate and inform the public about the ongoing threats from asbestos, including asbestos mining, importation, use, and legacy asbestos. A variety of educational resources and videos on how to prevent asbestos exposure and stay safe from this carcinogen are available and feature leading organizations and experts, as well as stories from asbestos-disease victims.
| Calendar Features | Back to Top |
Vector-Borne Diseases and Their Impact in Farmworker Communities
Many vector-borne diseases are on the rise and farmworkers may face an increased risk because of their work and housing conditions. The National Center for Farmworker Health is hosting a webinar to discuss the anticipated vector-associated infections that might threaten farmworker communities throughout the U.S., and how healthcare workers can help farmworkers prevent and treat these diseases. This discussion will include risk factors for farmworkers, typical clinical presentations, testing and treatment strategies, and barriers to healthcare experienced by people living and working in farmworker communities. The webinar will take place on April 10, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. EDT.
Safety at Work: Addressing Gender-Based Violence and Harassment in the Healthcare Industry
The Department of Labor’s Women's Bureau and Occupational Safety and Health Administration are hosting this webinar on the importance of addressing gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) in the healthcare industry and how GBVH impacts worker health and safety. Speakers will include workers and stakeholders in the healthcare industry. The webinar will take place on May 7, 2024, from 2 – 3 p.m. EDT.
Essential Health Care Services Addressing Intimate Partner Violence: Caring for Women on Blue Sky Days and During Public Health Emergencies
This webinar will feature moderated discussions of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine consensus study report, Essential Health Care Services Addressing Intimate Partner Violence. The report discusses the essential health care services for women experiencing intimate partner violence and strategies for ensuring delivery of that care in the context of disasters and public health emergencies. The webinar will take place on May 21, 2024, from 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. EDT.
Essential Health Care Services Addressing Intimate Partner Violence Report
| On The Web This Week | Back to Top |
Phoenix Ordinance “Will Change My Life,” says Airport Worker Exposed to Extreme Heat
A new city ordinance is a critical first step to protect workers for the city of Phoenix contractors from the dangers of extreme heat. Phoenix experienced a record-breaking 31 straight days with temperatures over 110 degrees in 2023, and extreme heat is extremely dangerous. The new ordinance was passed unanimously by the Phoenix City Council. Contractors and subcontractors will be required to provide easy access to rest, shade, and potable water for workers in outdoor environments; access to air conditioning in vehicles with enclosed cabs; and training for outdoor workers on how to recognize and prevent heat injury and illness.
OSHA Extends Comment Period on Proposed Rule for Emergency Responders
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has extended until June 21, 2024, the comment period on proposed updates to its emergency response standard. The agency says in the notice of proposed rulemaking that it’s seeking to address the full range of hazards currently facing emergency responders. OSHA wants to address major changes in performance specifications for protective clothing/equipment and safety and health practice. The proposal also would require employers to obtain baseline medical screenings for first responders and ensure continued medical surveillance.
New Warning System Could Save Lives During Wildfires
After a devastating sequence of fires in Texas over 2005-06, the Texas A&M Forest Service launched a major research program on fire behavior and prediction. Fighting physical fire with intellectual fire, researchers have been applying lessons learned through 75 years of severe weather forecasting to better anticipate and track firestorms. The new Integrated Team Fire Warning Paradigm Process uses satellite technology to detect wildfires quickly. If a wildfire is detected, the National Weather Service can choose to push alerts to cellphones of residents in the relevant areas to notify them of the conditions.
Yale Climate Connections [Author: Bob Henson]
Indoor Airborne Risk Assessment in The Context of SARS-CoV-2
A new report from the World Health Organization shares what has been discovered so far about the indoor transmission risk of SARS-CoV-2. This manual leverages on longstanding and new evidence based on the expertise of scientists from many disciplines. The aim of the manual is to provide a robust tool to inform mitigation measures for business owners, households, healthcare centers and others, to not only reduce the unacceptable and unnecessary health burden resulting from the airborne transmission of respiratory pathogens, like SARS-CoV-2, and enable a more agile and effective response.
| Federal Agency Update | Back to Top |
National Environmental Museum and Education Center Is Opening on April 9, 2024
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is having a soft opening of its National Environmental Museum and Education Center located at the EPA Headquarters in Washington D.C. on April 9. The museum will be free and open to the public and will highlight significant environmental history events and agency milestones dating back to the EPA’s founding in 1970. The museum includes historical and scientific artifacts, interactive displays, and video screens containing numerous stories and videos for individualized viewing.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $4 Billion in Tax Credits to Build Clean Energy Supply Chain, Drive Investments, and Lower Costs in Energy Communities
The Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of Treasury, and the Internal Revenue Service announced $4 billion in tax credits for over 100 projects across 35 states to accelerate domestic clean energy manufacturing and reduce greenhouse gas emissions at industrial facilities. Of the $4 billion tax credits, $1.5 billion supports projects in historic energy communities. These projects will create good-paying jobs, lower energy costs, and support the climate, supply chain, and energy security.
U.S. Department of Labor Issues Final Rule to Clarify Rights to Employee Representation During OSHA Inspections
The Department of Labor (DOL) today announced a final rule clarifying the rights of employees to authorize a representative to accompany an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance officer during an inspection of their workplace will be published in the Federal Register. The Occupational Safety and Health Act gives the employer and employees the right to authorize a representative to accompany OSHA officials during a workplace inspection. Consistent with OSHA’s historic practice, the rule clarifies that a non-employee representative may be reasonably necessary based upon skills, knowledge, or experience.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus Infection Reported in a Person in the U.S.
A person in the United States has tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus, as reported by Texas, and confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This person had exposure to dairy cattle in Texas presumed to be infected with H5N1 viruses. This infection does not change the H5N1 bird flu human health risk assessment for the U.S. public, which CDC considers to be low. However, people with close or prolonged, unprotected exposures to infected birds or other animals (including livestock), or to environments contaminated by infected birds or other animals, are at greater risk of infection.
EPA Launches New Website to Improve Transparency in Permitting
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the launch of a new centralized web-based platform for information about federal environmental permitting. It highlights EPA’s permitting and environmental review programs and shares information on related statutes and environmental justice initiatives. The new website provides public-facing reports and resources and information about all EPA permitting programs.
| Awardee Highlights/Online Learning | Back to Top |
Study: Kids With COVID But No Symptoms Play Key Role in Household Spread
A study conducted across 12 tertiary care pediatric hospitals in Canada and the United States shows that asymptomatic children with COVID-19, especially preschoolers, contribute significantly to household transmission. The researchers discovered that 10.6% of exposed household contacts developed symptomatic illness within 14 days of exposure to asymptomatic test-positive children, a rate higher than expected. The finding is noteworthy, as likely more than 30% of all COVID-19 infections are asymptomatic, and asymptomatic infections are presumed to be benign, especially those in children.
University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy [Author: Stephanie Soucheray]
| Job Openings | Back to Top |
United Auto Workers Seeking Bilingual Health and Safety Representative
The United Auto Workers (UAW) International Union is seeking a bilingual health and safety representative to join their Health and Safety Department. This role will work closely with the administrative assistant and assistant director in executing department priorities and supporting the needs of the UAW membership. Key responsibilities of this position include responding to requests from local unions related to health and safety audit, risk assessments, training, and incident investigations, and developing curriculum and delivering health and safety training, among others. The position is full-time and based in Detroit, Michigan. This position is the first listing under the UAW International Union listings on Indeed.
National Education Association Seeking Senior Program Policy Analyst
Based in the Health and Safety Program within the National Education Association (NEA)’s Education Policy and Implementation Center, the candidate will serve as the NEA lead on programs, policies, and partnerships that promote safe and healthy PreK-12 schools, colleges, and universities. Relevant topics for the health and safety program include infectious disease, vaccination policy, mental health supports and initiatives, and others. The successful candidate will work as part of a staff team that also addresses environmental and occupational health and safety and preventing and responding to violence against students and educators.
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