National Trainers Exchange Draws Health, Safety Professionals Together

The NIEHS Worker Training Program (WTP), in collaboration with the Western Region Universities Consortium, hosted its seventh National Trainers’ Exchange May 10-11 in Phoenix, Arizona. The event welcomed more than 300 participants from WTP grantee organizations across the nation, as well as their affiliated trainers and health and safety professionals. Guided by the theme “Looking to the Future, Generational Transitions,” the event featured speakers who shared personal stories, historical perspectives, and the collective success of the WTP to inspire the next generation of trainers.

Environmental Factor [Author: Kenda Freeman]

With Ebola at a ‘Critical Point’ in Congo, Aid Groups Scramble to Limit the Outbreak

The recent Ebola outbreak has triggered a massive effort to contain it, led by the Congolese government and the World Health Organization (WHO), and aided by numerous aid groups. Dozens of health workers are bringing experience from the West African epidemic. They are also bringing an abundance of caution. The WHO, aid groups and West African governments underestimated the last big outbreak, which started in Guinea in 2014. By the time resources were mobilized, Ebola was already in or on its way to the capital cities of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

The Washington Post [Author: Max Bearak]

Black Lung Benefits Fund in Deepening Debt as Epidemic Surges

A new study from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) finds that the federal fund supporting coal miners with black lung disease could be in financial trouble without congressional action. As NPR has reported, the GAO found that the fund’s debt could rise dramatically at the same time that black lung disease is surging.

Western Kentucky University/NPR [Author: Benny Becker]

GAO Report

Homes Destroyed, New Land Created as Lava Buries Hawaii's Vacationland

A neighborhood called Vacationland on Hawaii’s Big Island had disappeared as lava poured into two oceanfront subdivisions, smothering hundreds of homes, and filling an ocean bay, turning it into new land that now juts into the sea. Molten rock entirely covered Vacationland and only a few buildings remained in the nearby Kapoho subdivision, officials with the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Time Magazine [Author: Caleb Jones]

Volcanic Ash Resources

Volcanic Ash can have direct and indirect impacts to human health. In the case of ashfall, particularly in fine particles, bronchial asthma and other chronic respiratory conditions can be aggravated in children as well as in adults. The following resources provide information on: 1) the health impacts of volcanic ash; 2) air pollutants emitted from the Kilauea Volcano, including sulfur dioxide gas; and 3) the Emergency Responder Health Monitoring and Surveillance (ERHMS) framework, which provides recommendations for protecting emergency responders.

WHO

USGS

USGS

NIOSH

Healthcare Challenges After Radiological Incidents

Many resources are available for healthcare, public health, and emergency management professionals planning for a potential large-scale radiological release or nuclear detonation incident, but planning is difficult and few jurisdictions have detailed plans. The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (TRACIE) is hosting a webinar with panelists to discuss the impact and potential solutions of different event types and provide guidance and lessons learned related to casualties of radiological and nuclear emergencies. The webinar will take place July 11, 2018 from 2:00-3:15 p.m. ET.

Webinar Information

Webinar Registration

Healthcare System Readiness for Highly Pathogenic Infectious Disease

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (TRACIE) continues to monitor the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Together with the National Ebola Training and Education Center (NETEC), they will host the Healthcare System Readiness for Highly Pathogenic Infectious Diseases webinar on Tuesday, June 12, from 1-2:15 p.m. ET. A link to the recording will be posted on July 13, 2018.

Webinar Information and Registration

PEPH Webinar: Translational Research Framework

NIEHS has published a Translational Research Framework. Join this NIEHS Partnerships for Environmental Public Health (PEPH) webinar with Kristi Pettibone, Ph.D., who will explain the framework, discuss the potential benefits to the research community, and describe some tools developed to tell a translational research story. The webinar will also include PEPH grantee Susan Pinney, Ph.D., from the University of Cincinnati. She will use the translational research framework to tell the story of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)-related work with the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program. The webinar will be held on June 13, 2018, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. ET.

Webinar Information and Registration

Webinar: Safe + Sound Week 2018: Are You Ready to Show Your Commitment to Safety?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is hosting an informational webinar on Safe + Sound Week, a nationwide event to raise awareness and understanding of the value of safety and health programs that include management leadership, worker participation, and a systematic approach to finding and fixing hazards in workplaces. This webinar will help viewers understand what Safe + Sound Week is, the tools and resources available, and how to participate. The webinar will be held on June 26, from 1:00 – 2:00 pm ET.

Webinar Registration

SBIR E-Learning for HAZMAT and Emergency Response

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant applications from small business concerns (SBCs) that propose to further the development of Advanced Technology Training (ATT) products for: the health and safety training of hazardous materials (HAZMAT) workers; waste treatment personnel; skilled support personnel associated with an emergency/disaster; emergency responders in biosafety response, infectious disease training and cleanup; emergency responders in disasters and resiliency training; and ATT tools to assist in research into the acute and long-term health effects of environmental disasters. Applications are due on July 31, 2018, by 5:00 pm ET.

NIEHS Grants

National Coalition of Black Lung and Respiratory Disease Clinics National Conference

The annual meeting of Black Lung Clinics Providers, sponsored by the Northwestern University Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, the University of Illinois-Chicago School of Public Health, and hosted with National Coalition of Black Lung and Respiratory Disease Clinics will be held September 26-28, 2018 in Chicago. Medical sessions will cover the latest information regarding diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of patients with mineral dust associated lung disease.

Conference Information and Registration

Select ASPR Presentations from the 2018 Preparedness Summit

Did you miss a session? Were you unable to make it to the Summit this year? You can now access select presentations on the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Preparedness Summit Presentations web page.

ASPR Preparedness Summit Presentations

Dust from Mine Waste in Navajo Nation May Harm Lungs and Heart

Particles in dust from abandoned uranium mines may be damaging to the lungs and heart, according to new research from the University of New Mexico Superfund Research Program (UNM SRP) Center. The researchers showed that exposure to particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter (PM10) from an old uranium mine, compared to PM10 from an area not impacted by a mine, led to increased pulmonary and cardiac toxicity in mice, as well as higher levels of inflammation and oxidative stress in cells.

NIH Superfund Research Program

How NASA Tech Is Helping Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano Response

Seven scientific instruments aboard five NASA and partner satellites helped answer questions about the eruption of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano and have provided a wealth of other important data — the composition and size of newly emitted volcanic plumes, for example, and how, exactly, the movement of molten rock underground is deforming the ground on the Big Island. "We're providing actionable scientific products to teams on the ground to support response activities and fill any gaps they may have in their information as the disaster is evolving," said J. Carver Struve, NASA emergency management co-lead at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., said in a statement.

Space.com

NASA Earth Science Disasters Program

EPA Seeking Comment on Actions to Ensure Chemical Safety

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing the following for public comment: (1) the first ten problem formulation documents, (2) EPA’s systemic review approach document, and (3) a significant new use rule (SNUR) proposal enabling the Agency to prevent new uses of asbestos – the first such action on asbestos ever proposed. Upon publication in the Federal Register, you can comment in each of the chemical’s respective dockets.

EPA News Release

Highlights from the 2nd International Symposium to Advance Total Worker Health

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 2nd International Symposium to Advance Total Worker Health, took place May 8-11, 2018. Total Worker Health (TWH) is the NIOSH approach to worker safety, health, and well-being that emphasizes ways to not only protect workers from traditional workplace hazards, but also advance their health and well-being. The 2018 symposium focused on “Work & Well-Being: How Safer, Healthier Work Can Advance Well-Being.”

NIOSH eNews [Author: John Howard]

Make One Change for Safety This National Safety Month

June is National Safety Month, an opportunity to help prevent unnecessary injuries and deaths at work, on the roads, and in our homes and communities. With this year’s theme, “No 1 Gets Hurt,” the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is encouraging readers to think of at least one change individuals can make to improve safety.

NIOSH Science Blog [Authors: Dawn Castillo and Kim Shambrook]

Melissa Gonzales, Ph.D. – Integrating Native Culture in Research and Translation

Melissa Gonzales, Ph.D., is an associate professor at the University of New Mexico (UNM), where she leads many community engagement and research efforts to address exposures and health disparities experienced by Native American communities in the western United States. Gonzales co-directs the Center for Native American Environmental Health Equity Research, a Center jointly funded by NIEHS and the National Institute for Minority Health and Health Disparities. She also conducts research as part of the UNM Superfund Research Program (SRP) Center, where she is working to understand how different metals from mining waste in soil can become airborne and pose health risks to nearby tribal communities.

NIEHS PEPH Grantee Highlight

Disaster Healthcare Resources Available in Spanish

In response to several technical assistance requests, The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (TRACIE) developed a list of healthcare resources available in Spanish. Topics include chronic illnesses, disaster behavioral and mental health, and emergency preparedness. This page also includes a link to the presentation and recording of the recent ASPR & American Academy of Pediatrics webinar, held mostly in Spanish, where speakers highlighted disaster-related resources on small business restoration, preparedness, and mental health services in Puerto Rico.

ASPR TRACIE

UCLA Seeks a Public Administration Analyst, Principal Analyst, Supervisor

Under the Director of the Southern California NIOSH Education and Research Center (SCERC), the incumbent will serve as Program Director of Continuing Education (CE) and Outreach Programs of the ERC and as public relations resource and visible link between the SCERC and the occupational and environmental health community. Other key job tasks include: Develop strategic relationships/alliances to offer programs directly or through other Universities, educational institutions, or agencies in Region IX, including cooperative efforts with other affiliated disciplines.

Job Description

New Jersey Work Environment Council (WEC) Seeks Executive Director

The New Jersey Work Environment Council (WEC) is seeking an Executive Director. This is an opportunity for someone with the skills, experience, and commitment needed to help build a powerful movement for social change that unites labor, environmental, and community constituencies. The Executive Director (ED) is WEC’s chief executive officer, reports to the Board of Directors, and is responsible for the achievement of the organization's mission and programmatic and financial objectives.

Job Description

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