Weekly E-Newsbrief
October 19, 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 |
Hurricane Michael's Fury Will Have Longstanding Environmental Effects
While the human toll of Hurricane Michael is still being tallied, the environmental effects from the monster storm is likely to ripple across the Florida Panhandle, experts are predicting, and the entire state might see fallout from the storm for years to come. Reports of tens of thousands of gallons of raw sewage spilled – some into local waters – trickled into the Florida Department of Environmental Protection late last week and there are fears that those could fuel more toxic algae.
USA Today [Author: Jim Waymer]
Workers Allege Fraud in Kingston Coal Ash Cleanup Trial
Breathing problems, hypertension, cancer risk, and more health concerns are at the center of a federal court case about worker safety that occurred as a result of the Kingston coal ash cleanup. A former field safety coordinator at the TVA Kingston Fossil Plant Fly Ash Superfund site testified that managers intentionally botched air monitor readings. These readings were supposed to be part of safety protocol for cleaning up more than five million tons of coal ash spilled in Roane County in 2008.
WVLT News [Author: Anne Brock]
Disaster Expert: Inside Hurricane Michael's Dangerous, Unreal World for First Responders
First responders from across the nation have rushed into a devastated landscape, in a desperate bid to reach stranded survivors in Panhandle, Florida. Kelly R. McKinney, former deputy commissioner at the New York City Office of Emergency Management, discusses the aftermath of Hurricane Michael, the role of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and the emergency managers on the line.
USA Today [Author: Kelly R. McKinney]
How FEMA’s Tough 2017 Lessons Are Informing Disaster Response
In the summer and fall of 2017, Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria ravaged parts of the United States, while California wildfires scorched more than 1 million acres of land. One year later, the hurricanes are more spread out, but officials agree the agency still needs to plan better for more extreme natural disaster seasons. According to the Government Accountability Office report, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) took the lessons and challenges from the 2017 hurricane season and applied them to its approach for the 2018 season.
Federal Times [Author: Jessie Bur]
Los Alamos National Laboratory Restarts Regular Shipments To WIPP
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has resumed regular shipments to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in southeast New Mexico for the first time in over four years. WIPP began accepting shipments again in January 2017, nearly three years after an underground fire and unrelated radiological release prompted the halting of disposal activities. The radiological release was found to be caused by an improperly packaged drum from LANL that ruptured in the underground.
Journal North [Author: Maddy Hayden]
| Calendar Features | Back to Top |
National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week Webinar Series
As part of 2018 National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (NLPPW), collaborators are hosting a three part webinar series. NLPPW is a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other NLPPW partners. The three key themes this year include, 1) Get the Facts: Find out about the hazards of lead; 2) Get Your Child Tested and 3) Get Your Home Tested: Find out how to minimize risks of lead exposure by hiring a certified professional to test older homes for lead. The three webinars will be held from October 23 through October 25, 2018 from 2:00 to 3:00 pm ET.
Webinar: Get the Facts on Lead Poisoning
CPWR Webinar: Using Foundations For Safety Leadership (FSL) to Enhance Jobsite Safety
The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), an OSHA Alliance program participant, will host a webinar to provide an overview of Foundations for Safety Leadership (FSL). Dr. Stefanie Johnson will provide a brief overview of the interactive training module (also available in Spanish) that teaches leadership skills and practices to construction foremen and team leaders. She will also briefly present the results of the evaluation study showing FSL effectiveness. A Spanish-language recording of this webinar will also be provided following the event. The webinar will be held on October 25, 2018 at 2:00 pm ET.
WADEM Webinar: Older Adults in the Eye of the Storm: Research & Practice to Improve Health of Seniors after a Disaster
The repercussions of disasters for older adults can be severe, as the aging population is particularly vulnerable to the effects of a disaster. While the risks to older adults are clear, the diverse mechanisms by which older adults are harmed—or are resilient and recover—remain understudied. Hosted by the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM), in this webinar, Sue Ann Bell, Ph.D., will discuss her research on long-term health effects of disasters on older adults, where a fundamental premise of her work is to use novel methods to understand how disasters affect health with the aim of building a better disaster response. The webinar will be held on October 25, 2018 from 12:00 to 1:00 pm ET.
NIOSH Webinar: Overlapping Vulnerabilities in the Aging Workforce
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Total Worker Health Webinar Series, in conjunction with the National Center for Productive Aging and Work, is hosting the next installment in the Productive Aging and Work annual webinar series: Overlapping Vulnerabilities in the Aging Workforce. The objective of this webinar is to explore from three complementing views how the social and economic context can influence the occupational safety and health experience of aging workers. The webinar will be held on October 30, 2018, from 12:00 to 1:30 pm ET.
NIOSH Webinar: New Insights into the Opioid Crisis and Work: Important Information for Workers and Employers
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Total Worker Health Webinar Series is hosting a webinar focused on new research at the important intersection of work and the nation’s opioid crisis. In this webinar, presenters will share their latest insights related to the risks of opioid use, misuse, and overdose in worker populations. This webinar presentation will explore critical insights into potential work-related antecedents and risks factors for opioid misuse, the latest data on opioid overdose by industry and occupation, and primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention methods and interventions. The webinar will be held on November 6, 2018, from 2:00 to 3:30 pm ET.
PROTECT Webinar: Chemical Exposures and Our Health
The PROTECT (Puerto Rico Testsite for Exploring Contamination Threats) Superfund Research Program (SRP) has scheduled an upcoming webinar, titled Without Consent: Chemical Exposures and Our Health, which will be presented by Dr. Tracey Woodruff, Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and Philip R Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies at the University of California, San Francisco and the Director of the Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment. The webinar will be held on Monday, November 26, 2018, from 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. EST (2:00 – 3:00 p.m. AST).
| On The Web This Week | Back to Top |
New Solutions: Special Issue Part 1: BP Oil Spill and Community Sustainability
The new issue of New Solution: A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy, contains a special issue on BP Oil Spill and Community Sustainability, addressing the aftermath of the disaster in fishing and environmental justice communities across the Gulf Coast. Articles in the Special Section include: Scientific Solutions: Building and Maintaining a Citizen Science Network with Fishermen and Fishing Communities Post Deepwater Horizon Oil Disaster Using a CBPR Approach, and Environmentally Overburdened Gulf State Residents Lack Access to Environmental Specialty Care.
Using Naloxone to Reverse Opioid Overdose in the Workplace: Information for Employers and Workers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new factsheet to help employers and workers understand the risk of opioid overdose and help them decide if they should establish a workplace naloxone availability and use program. The factsheet also provides information on how to establish a program and how to purchase, store, and use naloxone.
NPR Poll: Rural Americans Are Worried About Addiction And Jobs, But Remain Optimistic
Rural Americans are preoccupied with the problems of opioid and drug addiction in their communities, citing it as a worry on par with concerns about local jobs and the economy, according to a new poll from NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The poll however also finds strong strains of optimism about the future in rural America.
NPR [Authors: Joel Neel & Alison Kodjak]
Hurricanes Florence and Michael Raise the Issue of Public Health During Disaster
Flooded hog farms, dead livestock and toxic rivers are among the issues raised after hurricanes Florence and Michael hit the southern United States. Nicolette Louissaint, executive director of Healthcare Ready, says not enough attention is paid to public health concerns during and after disasters. There is a connection between public health and environmental health, and concerns should be integrated into urban planning and infrastructure development. “Making sure you’re thinking about the threats that might impact the community and building infrastructure in a way that makes the community more resilient is an important part of mitigation and preparedness,” Louissaint said.
Emergency Management [Author: Jim McKay]
| Federal Agency Update | Back to Top |
EM Appoints New Members to Environmental Management Advisory Board
The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM) recently announced the appointment of seven new members to DOE’s Environmental Management Advisory Board (EMAB), joining 11 returning board members. EMAB is chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act to provide independent advice, information, and recommendations to EM on corporate management issues and large project planning. The board's membership reflects a diversity of views, demographics, expertise, and professional and academic experience.
U.S. Department of Labor Announces Actions to Assist Americans Impacted by Hurricane Michael
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced it is engaged in administration-wide efforts to help those in the path of Hurricane Michael. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will cease programmed enforcement actions in the affected areas and provide compliance assistance during the recovery effort. Seven other DOL agencies are assisting those impacted by the storm. “As Americans come together to help each other, the Department of Labor is committed to supporting recovery efforts”, said Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta.
EPA Releases Short Survey to Help Improve Its Toxics Release Inventory Website
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program wants to make sure it is easy to find the information needed on the TRI website, and that the content of the website is complete and understandable. To improve their website, EPA released a short survey for readers to inform on what they like about the TRI website and how they can improve it. The survey will be available until November 5, 2018.
| Awardee Highlights/Online Learning | Back to Top |
Recording Available for Webinar: Integrating Opioid Use Disorder Treatment into Health Workforce Training
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Workforce Grand Rounds Webinar Series: Integrating Opioid Use Disorder Treatment into Health Workforce Training recording is now available online. This webinar highlights innovative resources, guidelines, and trainings for health professionals to combat the opioid epidemic.
NIOSH: Expanding Research Partnerships: State of the Science
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) scientists and grantees discuss their work on camera highlighting their research. These new videos, entitled State of the Science Research Highlights, are now available online. These short vignettes feature NIOSH scientists and extramural researchers discussing the relevance and outcomes of their studies.
| Job Openings | Back to Top |
CA EPA Seeks Environmental Program Manager
Under the general direction of the Assistant Secretary for Local Program Coordination and Emergency Response, the incumbent serves as California Environmental Protection Agency's (CalEPA) refinery safety information officer and emergency management coordinator. The incumbent reviews, researches and develops policy recommendations in all areas concerning refinery safety and hazardous material releases, including prevention, notification response and recovery. The incumbent will be responsible for coordinating Agency responsibilities assigned by the State Emergency Plan. This position is located in Sacramento County, CA.
CDPH Seeks Assistant Deputy Director
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Center for Healthy Communities is recruiting for a leadership position to guide programs, policy, and research on environmental and occupational health. The Assistant Deputy Director serves as the medical/public health administrator overseeing Center programs in environmental and occupational health, including Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention, Environmental Health Investigations, Environmental Health Laboratory, and Occupational Health – and a cross-branch Emergency Preparedness Team. The position is permanent, full-time and located in Richmond, CA.
Recruiting Cal/OSHA Safety and Health Inspectors
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) is hiring safety and health inspectors throughout the state. These are field positions that conduct compliance inspections in many different settings and consult with employers on a wide range of health and safety issues. The upcoming application deadline is October 31, 2018.
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