Weekly E-Newsbrief
January 12, 2018
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 |
CPWR, NIOSH Create New FACE Report Database
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (NIOSH FACE) program investigates selected work-related fatalities, collecting information not captured in other data sources - including safety management and training programs, use of engineering controls and personal protective equipment on the jobsite, and recommendations for preventing similar incidents. Researchers took the 768 fatality cases in construction investigated and reported between 1982 and 2015, and coded the narratives into a searchable database. Working with NIOSH, CPWR – The Center for Construction of Research and Training recently published two papers describing the database and their analysis of fall fatalities.
Extreme Hurricanes and Wildfires Made 2017 the Most Costly U.S. Disaster Year on Record
Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria combined with devastating Western wildfires and other natural catastrophes to make 2017 the most expensive year on record for disasters in the United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported. The disasters caused $306 billion in total damage in 2017, with 16 events that caused more than $1 billion in damage each. The bulk of the damage, at $265 billion, came from hurricanes.
The Washington Post [Author: Chris Mooney and Brady Dennis]
Schumer Calls for OSHA Alerts System in Wake of Verla Plant Fire
Senator Chuck Schumer called on the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) to establish a system that would notify local officials when OSHA cites factories for serious violations involving flammable and combustible materials. Speaking at a press conference at New Windsor Town Hall, Schumer was flanked by the City of Newburgh firefighters hurt a half mile away during the Verla International, LLC cosmetic factory’s explosive, deadly Nov. 20 blaze. OSHA had cited Verla for safety violations 19 times, including 13 violations dubbed “serious,” between 2013 and 2016.
Times Herald-Record [Author: Daniel Axelrod]
Federal Report Details Cause of Chemical Cloud in Kansas
Small key rings that were missing from chemical storage tanks and a lack of attention to proper procedures were primary reasons a chemical cloud spread over a city in northeast Kansas in 2016, according to a federal report. The cloud caused more than 140 people to seek medical attention and others to either stay indoors or evacuate Atchison for several hours.
| Calendar Features | Back to Top |
Call for Abstracts: APHA Now Accepting Submissions for Annual Meeting and Expo
The American Public Health Association (APHA) is now accepting abstracts for the APHA's 2018 Annual Meeting & Expo taking place November 10 – 14 in San Diego, CA. The theme of the meeting is Creating the Healthiest Nation: Health Equity Now. Authors are encouraged to submit abstracts on the theme and current and emerging public health issues. Abstracts are due between Feb. 20-24. See the list of components via link below for specific deadlines.
Call for Abstracts and Session Proposals: National Occupational Injury Research Symposium
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and partners are hosting the 7th National Occupational Injury Research Symposium, known as NOIRS 2018. NOIRS is the only national forum focused on the presentation of occupational injury research. This year’s theme is Advancing Worker Safety in the 21st Century Through Research and Practice. Abstracts and session proposals are due March 2, 2018.
Registration for 2018 Preparedness Summit Now Open
The upcoming 2018 Preparedness Summit will take place at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta, Georgia, April 17-20, 2018. The theme is: “Strengthening National Health Security: Mastering Ordinary Responses, Building Resilience for Extraordinary Events.” Since its beginning in 2006, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) has taken a leadership role in convening a wide array of partners to participate in the Summit; presenting new research findings, sharing tools and resources, and providing a variety of opportunities for attendees to learn how to implement model practices that enhance the nation’s capabilities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and other emergencies.
Spring 2018 National Trainer’s 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 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’s 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 room block is now open, and registration will open in mid-January.
| On The Web This Week | Back to Top |
Workplace Fatalities: 25 Most Dangerous Jobs in America
It was not until 1970 that Congress, under President Richard Nixon, passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act. There were 14,000 workplace fatalities that year. As part of the act, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, was established to set and enforce safety standards in the workplace. Since then, standards have improved and workplace fatalities have declined to less than 5,200 in 2016. Still, some jobs remain far more dangerous than others.
USA Today [Authors: Samuel Stebbins, Evan Comen, and Charles Stockdale]
Elliott Masie’s Learning Trends
Almost 176,000 people attended the 2018 Consumer Electronics event - from all over world - exploring thousands of new and evolving technologies. In this blog, Elliott Masie explores the learning elements of emerging technologies and the implications of new tech on the workplace.
This Town Is So Toxic, They Want It Wiped Off the Map
Annetta Coffman can name 35 people in her neighborhood who have recently died from cancer—and that includes her own family. Coffman’s mother died of cancer in 2007, and three years ago her 18-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer. “Every single neighbor I’ve had has died of cancer,” said Coffman. She lives in Minden, West Virginia, an impossibly small town of roughly 250 people in the heart of Appalachia, where coal mining once made it a thriving community. Now, all that remains are dilapidated homes and toxic waste that residents say is making them sick.
Mother Jones [Author: Nathalie Baptiste]
| Federal Agency Update | Back to Top |
Up to $3 M in Funding Now Available for Locally-Focused Environmental Education Grants
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to announce that up to $3 million in funding for locally-focused environmental education grants will be available under the 2018 EE Local Grant Program. EPA will award three to four grants in each of EPA’s ten Regions, for no less than $50,000 and no more than $100,000 each, for a total of 30-35 grants nationwide. Proposals are due March 15, 2018. The Requests for Proposals will be posted on www.grants.gov later this week.
National Occupational Research Agenda for Traumatic Injury Prevention
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH's) National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) for Traumatic Injury Prevention is posted for public comment. The public comment period runs through February 5, 2018. After the comment period ends, NIOSH will respond to each comment, revise the agenda as necessary, and then post it. The document number is 2017-26359.
Securing Mobile Applications for First Responders
The Securing Mobile Applications for First Responders report describes a mobile application (app) pilot testing program designed to serve a public safety purpose. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Cyber Security Division (CSD), the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International, and Kryptowire LLC, a CSD performer, collaborated to identify security vulnerabilities and privacy issues important for public safety users and to recruit app developers to participate in testing and evaluation. This report describes findings from the testing, feedback from developers, and recommended next steps.
| Awardee Highlights/Online Learning | Back to Top |
NFPA Resources Address Confined Space Safety for First Responders
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released a new fact sheet and free online training to help first responders identify the hazards of confined spaces. The fact sheet provides information regarding the potential hazards of confined spaces, relevant regulations, and best practices. NFPA has also developed the free online training for fire service professionals and other responders to help them better understand the challenges of responding to both emergencies and non-emergencies in confined spaces.
Webinar: Review of Safety Management in the Construction Industry 2017 Report
The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) is hosting a webinar to review the key findings from Dodge Data & Analytics’ new report, Safety Management in the Construction Industry 2017. This study is the third in an ongoing series that examines the positive impacts of a wide variety of safety-related practices. The webinar will take place on January 23, 2018 at 2:00 pm ET.
| Job Openings | Back to Top |
Fe y Justicia Worker Center Seeking a Director for Worker Empowerment Clinic
Fe y Justicia Worker Center's mission is to provide a safe space for low-wage workers to gather and learn about their rights in the workplace, network for various social services, file complaints with government agencies, meet with attorneys and connect with community allies. The Worker Empowerment Clinic Director will lead client education and consultation, direct casework, and referral services through a network of volunteers sustained jointly with the Worker Justice Organizer. This position develops and sustains relationships with Law and Social Work Schools, local attorneys, and government agencies to maximize justice for workers in Houston.
National Nurses United Seeks Nursing Practice Representative, Background in Occupational Health and Safety Desirable
The Nursing Practice Representative position in the National Nurses United’s Nursing Practice Department is open for appointment. The Nursing Practice Department conducts research, literature reviews, synthesis and analysis on issues within its area of concern; drafts practice and policy position statements; collaborates with the legal, government relations, communications and collective bargaining department; and serves in other related roles. The Nursing Practice Representative will plan, organize, coordinate, and present at a grassroots and leadership level.
Occupational Health Internship Program (OHIP) Offers Paid Summer Internships
The Occupational Health Internship Program (OHIP) online application is now open for summer 2018! The Occupational Health Internship Program (OHIP) is a national summer program dedicated to help students learn about the field of occupational safety and health (OSH) from those most at stake: working people. Please help spread the word about this nine-week, paid summer internship opportunity open to undergraduate and graduate students interested in occupational safety and health, and in working with worker organizations like unions and worker centers. The application deadline is February 16, at 11:59pm PST.
| We Want Your Feedback | Back to Top |
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