NIOSH Adds Interim Guidance, Other New Resources to Deepwater Horizon Page

Contact: Fred Blosser, (202) 245-0645
July 1, 2010

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) added further resources to its web page on occupational safety and health issues associated with the Deepwater Horizon Response in the Gulf of Mexico. The new additions provide NIOSH’s updated, science-based interim findings and recommendations to help protect the safety and health of Deepwater Horizon Response workers:

• “Interim Guidance for Protecting Deepwater Horizon Response Workers and Volunteers.” www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/oilspillresponse/protecting/ This document recommends interim measures under a comprehensive approach for protecting the health and safety of the response workers in the Gulf. Recommendations will be updated as more information about exposures is collected and assessed in relationship to the incidence and prevalence of symptoms, illnesses and injuries. (Added June 25.)
• A table of respiratory protection recommendations for Deepwater Horizon Response workers – at a glance. (Added June 25.) www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/oilspillresponse/pperecsumm.html
• “Staying Safe and Healthy on the Job” – concise tips for Deepwater Horizon Response workers, in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. (Added June 29.) www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/oilspillresponse/dwhworkertips.html
• The first of a series of interim reports from the NIOSH health hazard evaluation of response workers. (Added June 25.) www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/oilspillresponse/gulfspillhhe.html
• A NIOSH report of BP injury and illness data, updated as of June 30. This report is designed to provide a basic overview of illnesses and injuries reported by responders involved in the Deepwater Horizon response. It will be updated on a regular basis as new data becomes available. The data utilized to produce the report was provided to NIOSH by BP safety officials. www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/oilspillresponse/data.html
• Also added on June 25 was a copy of a NIOSH presentation regarding the federal response to the Deepwater Horizon Response health issues, from a June 22-23 workshop by the Institute of Medicine. www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/oilspillresponse/pdfs/IOMNIOSHPresentation.pdf

NIOSH also updated statistics from its work in developing a voluntary roster of Deepwater Horizon Response workers. With the roster, NIOSH will have a record of those who have participated in cleanup activities, and a mechanism to contact them about possible work-related symptoms of illness or injury, as needed. As of June 30, 2010, NIOSH had rostered 26,289 response workers. www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/oilspillresponse/workerroster.html

Additional NIOSH information and resources about the Deepwater Horizon Response can be found at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/oilspillresponse/.