NIOSH

NIOSH is extending the public comment period on the draft document, “Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione" to Friday, November 18, 2011.  Written comments were to be received by October 14, 2011. NIOSH received requests to extend the comment period to permit the public more time to gather and submit information.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has announced its intent to review its approach to classifying carcinogens and establishing recommended exposure limits (RELs) for occupational exposures to hazards associated with cancer.  In its August 23 Federal Register notice, NIOSH requested information from stakeholders and the public on issues associated with revision of the Carcinogen and REL Policies.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has changed the name of its WorkLife Program to Total Worker Health™. The Institute explains the name change is the result of a growing recognition among NIOSH and its partners that a multitude of work and non-work related factors influence employees’ safety, health, ability to work and well-being in every aspect of their lives.

A final rule that, according to OSHA, streamlines standards while reducing employer burdens, was published in the June 8, 2011 Federal Register. The rule stems from President Obama’s Jan. 18 Executive Order, “Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review.”

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Personal Protective Technology (PPT) Program and National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) will hold a stakeholder meeting on March 29, 2011, at the Hyatt Regency Pittsburgh Airport.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has requested public comment on its draft Current Intelligence Bulletin, Occupational Exposure to Carbon Nano tubes and Nano fibers, by February 18, 2011. In addition, the Agency has scheduled a public meeting for February 3, 2011 in Cincinnati, Ohio, to discuss and obtain comments on the draft document.  

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC), has announced that it will conduct a public meeting to discuss current respirator standards development projects for Supplied Air Respirators (SAR); Air Fed Ensembles; and Total Inward Leakage (TIL) for respirators other than filtering facepieces and halfmasks. There will be an opportunity for discussion following NIOSH's presentations and an accompanying poster session. The meeting will take place from 8:30 a.m.

On March 24, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health released its first WorkLife Newsletter.  Included in the first issue (NIOSH plans to publish the newsletter twice per year) are the following topics:

President Obama signed a $410 omnibus spending bill that includes more than $513 million for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Language in the bill states that the extra money for OSHA should be used to strengthen enforcement and increase the pace at which the agency sets new standards.

The first international conference focusing on the occupational aspects of road safety took place in Washington DC in February. The International Conference on Road Safety at Work brought together 220 delegates from 44 countries to discuss strategies to prevent road traffic injuries in the workplace. The meeting was organized by NIOSH and co-sponsored by the World Health Organization, International Labour Organization, National Safety Council, World Bank, and U.S. Department of State.