Washington — NIOSH has revealed a draft of a hazard review doc on wildfire smoke publicity amongst outside staff – and is asking for remark.
NIOSH developed the draft after assessing responses to a Request for Information issued in March.
“Farmworkers and other outdoor workers are likely to be exposed to wildland fire smoke,” the draft states. “They often spend long hours in the fields or on jobsites when wildland fire smoke is present, increasing their risk of adverse health effects from exposure to harmful particulate matter and chemicals.”
In the draft, NIOSH cites research exhibiting that publicity to particulate matter can set off coronary heart and lung issues and probably demise.
The company wants feedback on a number of questions, together with:
- How might the outside employee populations who could also be uncovered to wildfire smoke be extra utterly characterised?
- How might this doc higher determine and characterize the well being hazards of exposures to wildfire smoke primarily based on accessible scientific literature?
- What extra data ought to NIOSH take into account including or how ought to NIOSH modify the dialogue of publicity evaluation strategies?
- What extra data ought to NIOSH take into account to enhance methods for controlling publicity to wildfire smoke?
“This hazard review will close the gap in our knowledge about how exposure to wildfire smoke impacts outdoor workers,” NIOSH Director John Howard mentioned in a press launch. “With wildfires increasing in frequency and size, it is imperative that we have the knowledge and tools to protect the health of farmworkers and other outdoor workers who must perform their jobs even if the air quality is unhealthy or hazardous.”
Comments are due Nov. 12.
