Weekly E-Newsbrief
July 24, 2020
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 |
Chemical Safety Details Withheld From Public, EPA Concedes
Details were removed from some chemical manufacturers’ safety data sheets before they were handed over to a coalition of environmental health groups suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the agency conceded in a recent court filing. Safety data in some premanufacture notices, or PMNs, “were redacted or partially redacted” the agency told the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on July 20 in its reply to a complaint that was amended in June.
Bloomberg Law [Author: Pat Rizzuto]
Anti-Terrorism Chemical Safety Bill Heads for White House Under Cloud
A bipartisan bill extending the Chemical Facility Anti-terrorism Standards program cleared the U.S. House and now heads to the White House. Created in 2007, the program is intended to heighten security practices at chemical plants subject to U.S. Department of Homeland Security oversight, with the objective of keeping more than 300 substances out of the hands of terrorists.
Bloomberg Law [Author: Fatima Hussein]
New Report Recommends National Framework to Strengthen Evidence on Effective Responses to Public Health Emergencies, Says Current Evidence Base Is Deficient
Research and funding priorities tend to shift from one disaster to the next, which has resulted in a sparse evidence base and hampers the nation’s ability to respond to public health emergencies in the most effective way, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. It recommends the creation of a National Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (PHEPR) Science Framework.
Coronavirus Shut Down Water Monitoring At A Radioactive Waste Site For Months
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provided a list of sites across the country that suspended normally required monitoring and reporting of what they discharge into local watersheds under the Clean Water Act. Facilities with discharge permits were allowed to pause their water pollution reporting under a temporary policy that halted enforcement of the country’s major environmental laws due to the coronavirus pandemic. Among them was Technical Area 54, part of Los Alamos National Labs in New Mexico.
Forbes [Author: Eric Mack]
Historically Black Colleges and Universities Take Center Stage as the Nation Responds to COVID-19 and Systemic Racism
Most U.S. colleges and universities are struggling to adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Historically Black Colleges and Universities, known as HBCUs, are facing their own unique challenges. HBCUs primarily serve communities that are being hit especially hard by the pandemic, as Black Americans are far more likely to be infected and to die from COVID-19, and are also more likely to suffer unemployment or economic consequences from shutdowns and mass layoffs.
Virginia Poultry Workers See Victory In New COVID-19 Protection Rules
Virginia became the first state in the nation last week to require businesses to protect workers from the coronavirus. The state's new emergency temporary standards obligate businesses to give out personal protective equipment, mandate social distancing guidelines and put in place response plans and training for workers, among other measures.
NPR [Authors: Lulu Garcia-Navarro and Christianna Silva]
| Calendar Features | Back to Top |
Contact Tracing and Testing: Intersection Between Occupational and Public Health
Register now for the next webinar in the NIEHS WTP COVID-19 Summer Webinar Series. This webinar, being held Aug. 5 at 2:00 p.m. ET is co-sponsored by the American Industrial Hygiene Association. It will explore considerations for performing COVID-19 outbreak investigations, SARS-CoV-2 contact tracing, serum testing, and infection screening. The panelists will provide unique perspectives on the opportunities and challenges with conducting these important public health functions and how they apply today in the workplace. Hear from leaders that are doing it and the experiences, frustrations, and successes they have had.
COVID-19 in Pediatrics
The Alabama Fire College Workplace Safety Training Program and the Deep South Biosafety Worker Training Program is hosting a webinar on July 28 at 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET. The webinar will discuss COVID-19 in pediatric patients specifically focusing on their pre-hospital management with a target audience of first responders.
COVID19 Webinar Series: School Reopenings
As pressure mounts for schools to reopen this fall, awareness is growing of the need for specific plans on how schools will not just open, but stay open, by protecting the health of children and their families, teachers, administrators and school staff. In this webinar, Founder and Executive Director of the Healthy Schools Network, Claire Barnett, will discuss the recently released National Call to Action for state public health agencies to provide all schools an authoritative School Infection Prevention and Control Plan to adopt. The webinar will be held on July 29 at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Addressing Health Disparities: What Health Practitioners and Adult Educators Can Do Together Webinar
The Open Door Collective (ODC) is hosting a webinar with presenters Marcia Hohn, Greg Smith, and Paul Jurmo that will draw on ODC health-related publications to discuss why and how health educators, healthcare providers, and other supporters of community health can collaborate in various ways with adult basic skills programs, especially now in the time of COVID-19. The webinar will be held on Aug. 4 at 2:00 p.m. ET.
Special Issue Call for Papers on Disaster, Infrastructure, and Participatory Knowledge
Citizen Science: Theory and Practice seeks papers for a special issue. The issue encourages a broad array of researchers, practitioners and disciplines beyond both science and technology studies on the topics of disaster research and critical disaster studies, public health, and research on humanitarian relief and refugees. The deadline to submit papers is Aug. 16.
National Environmental Justice Public Teleconference Meeting
The National Environmental Justice Advisory Committee will convene a public teleconference meeting on Aug. 19 and Aug. 20 starting each day at 3:00 p.m. ET. The meeting discussion will focus on several topics including, but not limited to, action items from the Feb. 25-27 public meeting in Jacksonville, Florida, and discussion and deliberation of a charge related to the reuse and revitalization of Superfund and other contaminated sites.
Brownfields 2021: Call for Ideas Now Open!
The Brownfields 2021 Call for Ideas is now open. Please submit ideas for dynamic educational sessions in Oklahoma City that will motivate brownfields stakeholders to engage, learn, and share their experiences and knowledge of community revitalization challenges and solutions. Submissions must be received by Aug. 24 for consideration.
New Solutions: A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the Workplace – Risk Factors and Solutions
New Solutions seeks manuscripts on the subject of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis and its occupational and environmental health policy impacts from the local to international levels. The journal is accepting a variety of topics and article types. The extended deadline to submit manuscripts is now Aug. 31.
New Request for Applications to Support Equitable Development & Environmental Justice in Brownfields Communities
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces the availability of funds and solicits applications from eligible entities, including nonprofit organizations, to provide direct technical assistance to communities nationwide on the integration of environmental justice and equitable development when developing solutions to brownfields cleanup and revitalization challenges. The application submission deadline is Sept. 21. An information webinar will be held on Aug. 3.
Call for Papers JOEH Special Issue May 2021
The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (JOEH) is proposing a special issue for next May 2021. AIHA will host a special topic issue in May 2021, the anniversary of George Floyd’s death, focusing on a myriad of issues and solutions associated with health equity in the workplace. The deadline to submit is Oct. 30.
| On The Web This Week | Back to Top |
How the Military Could End Up Following State-Proposed PFAS Limits
Michigan is close to enacting new, tougher standards for Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. Meanwhile, a provision in the U.S. House version of the Pentagon budget could force the military to abide by the new state standards when the military agrees to clean up PFAS contamination near former military sites in the state. Some military facilities in Michigan are sources of PFAS contamination, including the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base near Oscoda, and the Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County.
Michigan Radio [Author: Tyler Scott]
Green Jobs Can Be Just as Good as Fossil Fuel Jobs
Conversations about jobs and the environment tend to play out along predictable lines: Fossil fuel jobs are havens of well-paid, unionized employment, so the story goes. Any move away from them will place an undue burden on workers in those sectors—leading many to advocate for a longer decarbonization timeline than climate scientists say the world needs.
New Republic [Author: Kate Aronoff]
NIEHS Grantees Construct New Database to Facilitate Nanomaterial Research
The July 2020 issue of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Environmental Factor includes an item on a new database that facilitates nanomaterial research. According to the article, NIEHS grantees constructed PubVINAS, “a large database of structure, chemical property, and activity information on 705 nanomaterials, covering 11 material types.”
American Public Health Association Launches New Spanish-Language Resource Hub at COVIDGuia.org for Public, Policymakers
COVIDGuia.org is a Spanish-language resource that shares up-to-date, science-based information and tools from credible sources. Topics include guidance on reopening, personal and community prevention tips, workplace safety guidance, and recommendations for safe voting and returning to school. It is the sister site to COVIDGuidance.org, an English-language site that was launched last month.
COVID-19 Posing Difficult Choices for Wisconsin’s Immigrant Workers
As COVID-19 uproots businesses and lives across the country, Wisconsin’s essential front-line workers, including thousands of immigrants, remain among the most vulnerable. Many immigrant workers must decide: Stay at home and risk losing a paycheck or go to work but risk the coronavirus. That decision is further complicated because many lack health care coverage.
Madison.com [Authors: Shirin Ali and Anabel Mendoza]
Amazon Warehouse Worker Alleges Retaliation for Safety Activism
An Amazon.com Inc. warehouse worker in Shakopee, Minnesota, has accused the company of retaliating against her for protesting what she says are unsafe working conditions during the pandemic. In a letter to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, Hibaq Mohamed said managers were demanding that she account for time away from her workstation -- including increments of less than three minutes.
Bloomberg Quint [Author: Spencer Soper]
| Federal Agency Update | Back to Top |
EPA Announces Grant to Support Safe Pesticide Use Outreach
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a grant opportunity for projects that promote safe pesticide use. The recipient will receive an estimated $1.2 million to conduct public engagement outreach through a 5-year cooperative agreement. Nonprofits, universities and tribal and state governments are eligible to apply until Sept. 16.
Do You Have Work-Related Asthma?
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) created a new fact sheet on work-related asthma. The guide helps workers figure out if they have work-related asthma and what they can do about it. If you have a cough, wheezing, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath or chest tightness, you might have work-related asthma.
| Awardee Highlights/Online Learning | Back to Top |
CPWR Addressing COVID-19’s Health Disparities Webinar Series
COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on minorities who have an increased risk of getting COVID-19 and experiencing severe illness. In 2019, 30.4% of construction workers were Hispanic, compared to 17.7% of workers in all industries. The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) will host this webinar on how to address minority and ethnic groups at risk for COVID-19 with effective health and safety messaging. The webinar will be held on July 30 at 2:00 p.m. ET.
Worker's Mental Health Training Series
The Southern California Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (SoCalCOSH) and the Northeast New York Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (NENYCOSH) is hosting a series of webinars on worker mental health during the pandemic. The first, “Mental Health during COVID-19: How Do We Cope?”, will be held on July 29 at 2:00 p.m. ET.
Minimizing Workplace Exposures through Design and Engineering Controls Webinar Recording
The NIEHS Worker Training Program hosted a webinar on July 1, which featured a panel of speakers discussing how occupational exposures to SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 can be prevented through building, workplace, and job design using engineering controls such as architectural features, physical barriers, local and general dilution ventilation, directional airflow, ultraviolet radiation, and filtration. The webinar recording and presentations are now available.
| Job Openings | Back to Top |
CSB Seeks Chemical Incident Investigator
The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is hiring a chemical incident investigator. The position serves as an expert in industrial chemical safety and nationwide incident investigation and analysis of major incidents involving the accidental release of hazardous materials and, developing and presenting reports with safety recommendations for adopting by the Board. The deadline to apply is July 27.
Position Available at National Education Association to Address Pandemic
The National Education Association (NEA) seeks a occupational health and safety consultant. The position will support NEA and its affiliates’ pandemic response by designing and implementing a pandemic occupational safety and health program for the largest union in America. Programmatic functions will include identifying and alerting NEA and its affiliates to developments in the fast moving research on COVID-19, the transmission of the novel coronavirus, and the effectiveness of various mitigation strategies. The deadline to apply is July 30.
| We Want Your Feedback | Back to Top |
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