Occhealth Bulletin
11 March 2010
News Review - March 2010
Category: Reviews
OSHA extends deadline for FACOSH membership nominations
The Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health (FACOSH), established in 1971, advises the Secretary of Labor on occupational safety and health matters related to the federal workforce. The organization is a source of policies and programs with respect to federal workforce health and safety. FACOSH, in recent times, advised OSHA on various issues including H1N1/pandemic preparedness in federal agencies and federal civilians working overseas. OSHA’s Assistant Secretary of Labor chairs FACOSH meetings that are held 2-4 times a year. Due to weather-related federal office closures in early February, the deadline for nominations relating to 10 vacancies (five labor and five management vacancies) to FACOSH is extended until March 31, 2010. For more information on how to submit a nomination read OSHA’s Federal Register notice.
Mark your calendar
April, 14-15: National Action Summit for Latino Worker Health and Safety. This conference, hosted by OSHA, NIOSH and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences aims to provide presentations, workshops and exhibitions that address topics in relation to “reducing injuries and illnesses among Latino workers by enhancing knowledge of their workplace rights and improving their ability to exercise those rights”. The summit, to be held in Houston, Texas, will focus on the construction and other high-risk sectors that employ large numbers of Latino Workers. The keynote address will be given by Hilda L. Solis, US Secretary of Labor. For more information click here.
May, 2-8: North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) week. NAOSH was established in 1997 and marks an agreement between Canada, the United States and Mexico to “focus employers, employees, partners and the public on the importance of preventing injury and illness in the workplace, at home and in the community”. Take a look at the NAOSH website for resources and events happening in your area during NAOSH week. Look out for official launches in Canada and the US on May, 3.
NIOSH requests comment on asbestos Current Intelligence Bulletin (CIB)
There is a plethora of information regarding asbestos in the scientific literature and it is well known that asbestos presents significant issues in public health. NIOSH has formed a workgroup to address issues surrounding the inconsistencies and inconclusive evidence in the scientific literature regarding asbestos and its complex mineralogy impacting on the application of the term ‘asbestos’ for health and regulatory purposes. NIOSH is considering the research needs to reduce the uncertainties in the science used to “develop worker protection policies for asbestos fibers and other elongate mineral particles (EMPs)”. One part of this process is the CIB entitled “Asbestos fibers and other elongate mineral particles: state of the science and roadmap for research version 4”. NIOSH is seeking comment on this document on the “scope and presentation of scientific information used to support the development of a research framework for asbestos and other EMPs”. Click here for more information.
For more news and information from the world of occupational safety and health take a look at the Examinetics, Inc. website.