Weekly E-Newsbrief
November 4, 2022
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 |
Video Highlighting NIEHS Worker Training Program (WTP) Disaster Materials and Booklets Available in Spanish
The video is a simple and accessible way to increase awareness of WTP disaster preparedness and response materials and to share these resources during trainings and outreach with workers, trainers, and communities.
Recursos de limpieza de huracanes, inundaciones, moho y escombros
Hurricane Ian’s Deadly Impact on Florida Seniors Exposes Need for New Preparation Strategies
All kinds of natural disasters — hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, dangerous heat waves — pose substantial risks to older adults. Yet, not enough seniors prepare for these events in advance, and efforts to encourage them to do so have been largely unsuccessful. In an AARP survey of 1,005 Florida residents 45 and older, 67% reported having a natural disaster emergency plan, compared with 75% in 2019. The declines were most notable among people with low incomes (less than $50,000 a year) and those who owned their homes.
Starved of New Talent: Young People are Steering Clear of Oil Jobs
Well over half of millennials say they would avoid working in an industry with a negative image, according to a survey in 2020, with oil and gas topping the list as the most unappealing. With floods, fires, and smoke growing noticeably worse, young people have plenty of reasons to avoid working for the brands that brought you climate change. This poses a hiring challenge for oil companies, with much of their current workforce getting closer to retirement.
Grist [Author: Kate Yoder]
Floods Are Natural, but Human Decisions Make Disasters. We Need to Reflect on the Endless Cycles of Blame
After storms of rain come storms of blame. In the shock that follows disasters we often focus on those at hand - the emergency services and local government. While understandable, it is vital we recognize that many people and organizations contribute to disasters. To avoid future cycles of blame, we need to better understand and value the hard work involved in preparation.
Yahoo News [Author: Brian Robert Cook]
| Calendar Features | Back to Top |
Environmental Justice Index Webinars
Join the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Environmental Justice and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (CDC/ATSDR) for a zoom webinar that showcases the Environmental Justice Index (EJI). The EJI builds off existing environmental justice indexes to provide a single score for local communities across the United States. The event will be held on November 9, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. EDT.
NIEHS WTP Urban Flooding and the Health Risks to Recovery Workers Webinar
In urban areas where there are increasing impervious surfaces and storm water systems designed for less severe storms, heavy rainfall can quickly overwhelm such infrastructure, and result in rapid urban flooding. Projections show more severe storms, increasing the frequency of flooding in the urban environment resulting in a greater need for clean-up workers. The NIEHS National Clearinghouse for Worker Safety and Health Training is hosting a webinar that will explore the unique features of the urban environment and its potential to impact the health of workers, including residents, performing recovery activities following urban flooding. The event will be held on November 14, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. EDT.
OSHA announces Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health Will Meet Nov. 17
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced the agency will hold a meeting of the Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health (FACOSH). FACOSH advises the Secretary of Labor on all matters relating to the occupational safety and health of federal employees. This includes providing advice on how to reduce the number of injuries and illnesses in the federal workforce, and how to encourage federal executive branch departments and agencies to establish and maintain effective occupational safety and health programs. The event will be held on November 14, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. EDT.
| On The Web This Week | Back to Top |
A Stronger California Heat Stress Rule Could Guide Federal Efforts: Report
Enhancing California’s workplace heat standard could better protect workers in the state and guide current federal rulemaking on heat stress prevention, a new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council suggests. Among the key findings, heat-related illnesses and injuries affect agricultural workers most, but also hundreds of other industries. These include bus and delivery services, janitorial services, home health care, museums, and newspaper publishers.
The Greening of Coal Country
In West Virginia, mining has long been a source of money, identity and pride. Now something new is on the horizon. Big Wind is returning the embrace with hundreds of thousands, if not millions, in tax incentives, and lucrative careers to offer would-be miners and their kin. For West Virginia wind technicians who make $77,000 a year on average, the shift to wind has opened up a world of possibilities.
Reasons to be Cheerful [Author: Mark Oprea]
Effectiveness and Efficiency of Defense Environmental Cleanup Activities of the Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management Report
At the request of Congress, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine formed a committee to provide advice on enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management’s (DOE-EM) cleanup activities, particularly with respect to project management, contracting, and oversight practices. These recommendations were provided in two reports, the previous report was released in 2021. This second report focuses on specific DOE-EM sites to assess how effective the management of the numerous projects at the sites is contributing to the wider programmatic objectives of DOE-EM.
| Federal Agency Update | Back to Top |
Fact Sheet: President Biden Celebrates New Commitments toward Equitable Workforce Development for Infrastructure Jobs
President Biden will recognize the commitments made by more than 350 organizations in 50 states and territories as part of the Infrastructure Talent Pipeline Challenge. The Challenge is a nationwide call to action for employers, unions, education and training providers, states, local governments, Tribes, territories, philanthropic organizations, and other stakeholders to make tangible commitments that support equitable workforce development focused on three critical sectors: broadband, construction, and electrification.
EPA Announces 2022 Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award Winners
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced 26 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners across 14 states and the District of Columbia, recognizing their achievements in the design, manufacture, selection, and use of products with safer chemicals. The Safer Choice program helps consumers and purchasers for facilities, such as schools and office buildings, find products containing chemical ingredients that are safer for human health and the environment.
CSB Releases Final Report into 2019 PES Fire and Explosion in Philadelphia
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released its final investigative report into a massive fire and explosions at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions (PES) Refinery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that occurred in June 2019. The incident occurred when a corroded pipe elbow ruptured, releasing process fluid into the refinery’s hydrofluoric acid (HF) alkylation unit. During the incident, over 5,000 pounds of highly toxic hydrofluoric acid (HF) were released, a 38,000-pound vessel fragment launched off-site and landed on the other side of the Schuylkill River, and an estimated property damage loss of $750 million resulted.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $53 Million for 132 Community Air Pollution Monitoring Projects Across the Nation
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that 132 air monitoring projects in 37 states will receive $53.4 million from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and American Rescue Plan to enhance air quality monitoring in communities across the United States. The projects are focused on communities that are underserved, historically marginalized, and overburdened by pollution, supporting President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative.
| Awardee Highlights/Online Learning | Back to Top |
Prevent Flu in the Workplace
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides information for preventing the spread of influenza (flu) in the workplace. The resource page provides education materials, tips for limiting spread of flu and flu vaccine finder.
Crowd Management Safety Guidelines for Retailers
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing their workers with safe and healthy workplaces. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) encourages employers to adopt effective safety and health programs to identify and eliminate work-related hazards, including those caused by large crowds at retail sales events.
Nursing Workforce Dashboard
The Nursing Workforce Dashboard is an interactive Tableau Dashboard that visualizes data from the 2018 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN) to facilitate understanding of the landscape and challenges of the nursing workforce. The dashboard visualizes select NSSRN data on the characteristics of the nursing workforce in the United States, including education, employment, earnings, and demographics.
| Job Openings | Back to Top |
IBT Seeks an Occupational Safety Professional/ Industrial Hygienist (Worker Training Program)
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) is seeking a highly motivated Industrial Hygienist in comprehensive practice to provide technical and regulatory health and safety support to Teamster members and affiliates. The position reports to the Program Manager of the IBT Worker Training Program. The position duties include developing and updating safety and health training curricula for hazardous waste worker training, transportation safety, and apprenticeship programs.
IBT Seeks an Occupational Safety Professional/Industrial Hygienist (Entry Level)
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) is seeking a highly motivated Industrial Hygienist in comprehensive practice to provide technical and regulatory health and safety support to Teamster members and affiliates. The position reports to the IBT Safety and Health Department Deputy Director. The position duties include conducting workshops, seminars, and meetings on occupational safety and health topics for Teamster membership.
AOEC Interim Executive Director - Remote Part-time Position
The Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC) is a non-profit organization seeking a part-time Interim Executive Director (ED) with the potential for permanent full-time status. AOEC has a rich history of advancing occupational health care for workers. The ideal candidate will have non-profit, public health, labor and/or government experience, be familiar with the AOEC mission and history and passionate about public health.
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