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Workers in the construction industry have a high risk for injuries,
illnesses, and fatalities. Effective tailgate trainings (brief jobsite safety meetings) can
be a powerful tool to promote hazard awareness and safe work practices. OHB’s BuildSafe
California project conducted training-of-trainers for over 1,500 construction contractors
and supervisors to improve their ability to provide effective tailgate trainings. This
article in the journal Health Promotion Practice describes the intervention and evaluation
findings.
View journal article, Conducting Effective Tailgate Trainings
For more information on our work in this area, see:
California Safe Cosmetics Program releases
Chemical
List to assist cosmetics companies with reporting
The California Safe Cosmetics Act of 2005 requires cosmetics companies
to report products that contain chemicals known or suspected to cause cancer, birth defects, or
reproductive harm. This information will be reported to the California Department of Public
Health. To assist companies with reporting, the California Safe Cosmetics Program in the
California Department of Public Health has compiled a list of these chemicals using reports and
lists from authoritative bodies. The list is now available online.
View Chemical List (29 page PDF):
English
Spanish
Vietnamese
For more information, visit the California Safe Cosmetics Program home page.
Report Supports Improved Standard
Setting for Cancer and Reproductive Hazards
Many California environmental regulations are based on
scientific “risk assessments” performed by the Cal/EPA Office of Environmental
Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA). OHB commissioned OEHHA to assess the feasibility
of using the same scientific methods to develop recommendations for health-protective
exposure limits in the workplace. The project focused on evaluating chemicals known
to cause cancer or reproductive harm (i.e., chemicals on California’s “Proposition 65”
list). The report shows that health-protective exposure limits for workers can
be calculated based on existing OEHHA risk assessments. This information will assist
OHB in recommending priorities for Cal/OSHA rulemaking and promoting an improved
methodology for health-based PELs.
Occupational Health Hazard Risk Assessment Project for California
Complete OEHHA technical report (161 pages)
Executive Summary
For more information on OHB’s work in this area, see:
Recommending Workplace Standards
Guidelines on Medical Surveillance for Flavorings-Related
Lung Disease
In recent years, several workers in California food flavor manufacturing plants
have been found to have bronchiolitis obliterans, a serious, life-threatening lung disease linked to use of
the chemical diacetyl. OHB convened a group of medical experts to assist in developing guidelines for physicians
who monitor the respiratory health of workers exposed to diacetyl or other hazardous chemicals used
in the industry. The guidelines are primarily for physicians hired by flavor companies to conduct
their medical surveillance programs, but will be helpful for other health care providers evaluating
individual patients. Sample respiratory health questionnaires are included.
Medical Surveillance for Flavorings-Related Lung Disease Among Flavor Manufacturing Workers in
California [view guidelines]
Sample respiratory health questionnaires health care providers can use for evaluating flavoring
workers:
Initial questionnaire: [
English |
Spanish ]
Follow-up questionnaire: [
English |
Spanish ]
Diacetyl Hazard Alert: [ English |
Spanish ]
For more on OHB’s work in this area, see: Flavorings-related Lung Disease
OHB Welcomes New Chief of HESIS
OHB is pleased to announce that on November 1, 2007, Dr. Dennis Shusterman
became the new Chief of OHB’s Hazard Evaluation System and Information Service (HESIS). Dr.
Shusterman has 22 years of experience practicing occupational and environmental medicine in
both public health and academic settings. HESIS prevents worker illness and injury by evaluating
new or unappreciated hazards; providing information and technical assistance to employers, workers,
and others; and recommending new or revised workplace standards.
A 16-page illustrated booklet designed for workers who are experiencing
persistent symptoms that seem to be related to work tasks. The guide helps workers recognize the
symptoms of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, select appropriate health care providers, and
work effectively with their employer and health care provider during the treatment and recovery
period. It explains how certain workers’ compensation rules may affect injured workers and
presents information on the Cal/OSHA Repetitive Motion Injuries Regulation. This new edition of
the 2001 guide has been updated to reflect changes in workers’ compensation rules governing the
choice of treating physician.
OHB Moves into new California
Department of Public Health
As of July 1, 2007, a new California Department
of Public Health (CDPH) has been created. It contains the public
health prevention programs, including the Occupational Health Branch,
that had been in the California Department of Health Services (CDHS).
CDHS, with its remaining programs related to delivery of health care
services, has been renamed as the Department of Health Care Services.
This reorganization offers the opportunity for a new statewide emphasis
on public health and prevention activities for healthy Californians.
OHB’s address and phone numbers will not change. Our email and
Website addresses will be changing, but the old ones will continue to
work as well.
For more information about CDPH:
www.cdph.ca.gov
For more information about the CDHS reorganization:
www.dhs.ca.gov/home/organization/reorganization
New issue of OHB’s newsletter,
Occupational Health Watch
The
Spring 2007 issue of Occupational
Health Watch, the Occupational Health Branch’s newsletter, is
now available at the link below. This issue contains articles on
several emerging occupational health issues (lung disease in flavor
manufacturing, avian flu, nanotechnology), as well as occupational
health internships, high-risk jobs for silica exposure, asthma related
to glutaraldehyde, lead poisoning in bridge work, new focus areas in our
fatalities investigations, and solutions to prevent ergonomic injuries
in garment manufacture. Our “True Stories” from investigations of lead
poisoning and electrocutions can be useful as training topics.
Occupational Health Watch will be replaced by a more frequent electronic
publication; if you are interested in subscribing, send us an email at
OHW@cdph.ca.gov.
Occupational Health Watch, Spring 2007
OHB home page
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