Protecting our Protectors

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 SH 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 SH Annex

• Numerous Cooperating Federal Agencies
• EPA
• NIEHS
• DOD USACOE
• DHS
• NIOSH
• ATSDR

15
Worker SH 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/floo
  d/MedScreenWork.html

19
Questions/Comments