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Protecting our Protectors

Protecting our Protectors. Forum on Catastrophe Preparedness: Partnering to Protect Workplaces Max Kiefer Associate Director, Emergency Preparedness and Response National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health April 7, 2006.

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Protecting our Protectors

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  1. Protecting our Protectors Forum on Catastrophe Preparedness: Partnering to Protect Workplaces Max Kiefer Associate Director, Emergency Preparedness and Response National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health April 7, 2006 The findings and conclusions in this presentation have not been formally disseminated by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and should not be construed to represent any agency determination or policy.

  2. Agenda • NIOSH and Emergency Response • NRP Worker Safety and Health Annex • Responder Health and Safety

  3. NIOSH Overview 1970 Occupational Safety and Health Act NIOSH OSHA (HEW) (DOL)

  4. NIOSH NIOSH Staff: 1227 Proposed Budget for FY06: $257 million

  5. NIOSH Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response • Coordination of projects and monitoring of readiness status • Technical assistance to state/local agencies on EPR and terrorist matters (environmental sampling, worker health and safety, decontamination)

  6. Personal Protective Equipment Occupational Health Specialist Roles and Responsibilities • Provide guidance on personal protective equipment for potentially exposed workers: public works,health care, mortuary, CDC team • Example: SARS, WTC respirators; anthrax mailroom workers and decontamination workers, tsunami, hurricane response, pandemic and avian influenza

  7. Assist with Workplace Controls • Ensure adequacy of engineering, environmental, and administrative controls • e.g. conducting ventilation assessment on negative-pressure isolation rooms (SARS) • Development of expedient control measures

  8. Exposure Assessment • Advise on developing and implementing environmental sampling strategies • Analyze and interpret environmental and workplace data for risk characterization • Use exposure assessment data to develop health risk assessment for various workers

  9. BioWatch Response

  10. PA-NY Inhalation Anthrax Case

  11. BDS System

  12. NRP Worker Safety and Health Annex • The National Response Plan establishes a comprehensive all-hazards approach for managing domestic incidents. • The Worker Safety and Health Support Annex provides guidelines for implementing worker safety and health support functions during Incidents of National Significance.

  13. Worker S&H Annex • The annex is intended to ensure responders are properly protected. • DOL/OSHA coordinates Federal safety and health assets • Private-sector and Federal employers are responsible for the safety and health of their own employees

  14. Worker S&H Annex • Numerous Cooperating Federal Agencies: EPA NIEHS DOD USACOE DHS NIOSH ATSDR

  15. Worker S&H Annex • NIOSH Responsibilities • technical support and expertise in the characterization of complex, unknown, and multiple-contaminant worker exposures • collaborate in all areas so collective safety and industrial hygiene assets produce consistent, vetted advice to the incident command structure

  16. Responder Safety and Health • Pre-Deployment Medical Screening of Workers • Document baseline health parameters • Identify individuals with health concerns • Identify individuals with specific susceptibilities • Identify individuals not suitable because of health reasons • Identify medications that may be affected by deployment • Identify immunization needs • Identify training needs

  17. Responder Safety and Health • Post Deployment Medical Screening of Workers Detect adverse mental or physical health effects related to work or exposure Identify those who need further medical evaluation and treatment Monitor developing trends and patterns of illness

  18. Responder Safety and Health • Medical Screening Guidance for Workers Deploying to a Disaster Site • Pre-exposure http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/flood/preexposure.html • Post-exposure http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/flood/MedScreenWork.html

  19. Questions/Comments

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