Weekly E-Newsbrief
July 28, 2023
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 |
Call for Worker Training Program (WTP) Grantee Resources
The WTP Clearinghouse aims to support grantees by promoting your training materials and your efforts to improve workers’ health and safety. Let us know when your organizations are featured in media or podcasts; have developed new resources, such as factsheets or reports; or have upcoming events featuring your work or staff. Email your resources to be considered for posting on the WTP Clearinghouse website or in the Weekly E-Newsbrief!
Denae King, Ph.D. – Joining Forces with Communities to Address Health Disparities
Denae King, Ph.D., is the associate director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice, a member of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Consortium, which provides training to unemployed and underemployed individuals. The HBCU Consortium has been funded by the NIEHS Worker Training Program for over two decades and provides training in Houston, New Orleans, Pensacola, and Detroit.
Agents Of Change in Environmental Justice: Dr. Beverly Wright on How to Keep Environmental Justice Momentum
Beverly Wright, Ph.D., joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast to discuss her journey as an environmental justice pioneer and how to maintain momentum in the movement as administrations change. Wright is the co-principal investigator for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Consortium funded by the NIEHS Worker Training Program.
The CDC is Preparing for A Winter With '3 Bugs Out There': Covid, Flu And RSV
The spread of all three respiratory viruses is currently low, but the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has begun to detect slight increases in positive Covid tests and Covid-related emergency department visits. This means that many Americans will be urged to get three different vaccinations this fall: Covid, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and the annual flu shot.
NBC News [Author: Erika Edwards]
Climate Change Role in July Heatwaves 'Overwhelming', Scientists Say
Human-induced climate change has played an "absolutely overwhelming" role in the extreme heatwaves that have swept across North America, Europe and China in July 2023, according to an assessment by World Weather Attribution, a global team of scientists that examines the role played by climate change in extreme weather. Without human-induced climate change, the events would have been "extremely rare".
Reuters [Author: David Stanway]
More States Want to Let Kids Work as Bartenders
Lowering the minimum age to serve alcohol will put teenagers at risk of sexual harassment, underage drinking and other harms, labor experts warn. The restaurant industry already has the highest number of child labor law violations, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
CNN [Author: Nathaniel Meyersohn]
| Calendar Features | Back to Top |
Ready Responders Roundtable
Join the federal emergency management administration and education partner organization for a roundtable discussion. Discussions will focus on ways to engage younger generations in disaster preparedness, response and recovery initiatives. The event will be held on August 3, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. EDT.
Participate in Safe + Sound Week 2023: August 7-13
Safe + Sound Week is a nationwide event held each August that recognizes the successes of workplace health and safety programs and offers information and ideas on how to keep America's workers safe. This year Safe + Sound Week will provide resources for businesses on mental health and well-being that will be posted before the start of Safe + Sound Week.
PEPH Webinar: Environmental Public Health Mobile Apps – Session One
Partnerships for Environmental Public Health (PEPH) presents a webinar discussing two projects improving environmental public health using mobile apps. The app discussed in this session will highlight wildfire smoke exposure and effective response processes for hazardous material situations. The webinar will be held on August 10, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. EDT.
Request for Information on Equitable Delivery of Climate Services
The U.S. Department of Commerce and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), requests additional input from interested parties on how to enhance NOAA's delivery of climate data, information, science, and tools (climate services). Building on the work that NOAA is already doing to prepare communities for increasing climate impacts, the input will be used to create an action plan that will inform more equitable and inclusive design, production, and delivery of climate services for users of all disciplines and backgrounds. Responses are due September 21, 2023.
| On The Web This Week | Back to Top |
Before, During & After Podcast: Supporting Employee Mental Health to Ensure a Strong and Resilient Workforce
"Before, During & After" is a podcast for emergency managers by the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA). This episode focuses on the many ways emergency managers are supporting their employees through the stresses of the work environment.
Opinion: Finding Climate Solutions in Communities Instead of Labs
In Miami, data from a community lead heat sensor project helped spur the appointment of the nation’s first chief heat officer, who is charged with developing and deploying a comprehensive action plan for extreme heat. Miami’s extreme heat plan includes measures to keep people cool in their homes – by retrofitting public housing with efficient air conditioning units, for example – as well as protections for outdoor workers and efforts to expand the tree canopy.
'Oppenheimer' and America’s Nuclear Workers
The summer blockbuster “Oppenheimer,” which tells the story of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project to design and build the world’s first atomic bombs, is generating a lot of interest in the history of how nuclear weapons were developed in the United States. But one important part of this history the viewer does not see in the film is the sacrifice made by tens of thousands of workers in the production of our country’s nuclear weapons arsenal.
U.S. Department of Labor Blog [Author: Christopher J. Godfrey]
The Dotted Line: How Contracts Can Protect Workers from Heat, Smoke
For this summer, typical jobsite hazards have been compounded by extreme heat and choking wildfire smoke over much of the U.S. Even though there aren’t specific federal rules about exposing workers to extreme heat or wildfire smoke, attorneys say there are consequences for contractors who push timelines over worker safety in these circumstances.
Construction Dive [Author: Joe Bousquin]
| Federal Agency Update | Back to Top |
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Up To $7 Million Through Investing in America Agenda to Improve Weather Predictions
The Department of Commerce and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced a $7 million funding opportunity through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to establish a new multi-university Data Assimilation Consortium that will improve weather predictions. As the climate crisis contributes to worsening extreme weather events affecting Americans nationwide, this investment will give Americans the information and tools they need to prepare and stay safe.
NIOSH Announces Phase 1 Winners of the Respirator Fit Evaluation Challenge
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has selected 20 winners for the first phase of the Respirator Fit Evaluation Challenge. The Challenge is a three-phase, $350,000 competition aimed at improving respirator fit evaluation. It seeks practical solutions that deliver real-time information on filtering facepiece respirator fit.
DOE Announces $33 Million to Advance Energy Research Across America
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $33 million to support 14 clean-energy research projects as part of a program to ensure the Department’s research funding is reaching pockets of the country that traditionally have received disproportionally low amounts of Federal scientific funding. The projects will cover a range of topics—including grid integration, renewable solar and wind energy, and advanced manufacturing.
| Awardee Highlights/Online Learning | Back to Top |
CPWR Resources: Heat Hazards
The resources provide information about heat hazards in construction and ways to prevent related illnesses. The resources include Daily and Overall Heat-Illness Prevention Checklists for Construction and were developed from The Center for Construction Research and Training, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (CPWR-OSHA) Alliance.
Engaging Community Partners to Support Equitable Crisis Response and Recovery
This resource from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Minority Health provides steps for disaster response leaders and responders seeking to implement a disaster response action plan that is community-specific and culturally and linguistically appropriate. From fostering relationships with community leaders, stakeholders, and trusted messengers, to engaging community members, this resource guides disaster response leaders through the planning process and includes other resources that may be helpful.
| Job Openings | Back to Top |
Early-Career Research Fellowship, Offshore Energy Safety track
The Gulf Research Program’s Early-Career Research Fellowship supports emerging scientific leaders as they take risks on research ideas not yet tested, pursue unique collaborations, and build a network of colleagues who share their interest in improving offshore energy system safety and the well-being of coastal communities and ecosystems.
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