NIOSH and Schools

John Howard

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Washington, D.C.

November 9, 2015

Healthy Schools: The Future of Children’s Health

Pew Charitable Trusts

Washington, D.C.

Mine Safety and Health

Administration (MSHA)

Department of Health and Human Services

(HHS)

Department of Labor (DOL)

Occupational Safety and Health

Administration (OSHA)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC)

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

Federal Occupational Safety and Health

Research Regulation/Enforcement

NIOSH Mission

• To generate new knowledge in the field of occupational safety and health, and

• To transfer that knowledge into practice

OSH Act of 1970

• Congressional Purpose:

– “to assure so far as possible every working man and woman in the Nation safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve our human resources—”

• Jurisdiction

– Act applies to “employment”

– Duties placed on employers

• Employer means a person engaged in a business affecting commerce who has employees

• Employee means an employee of an employer who is employed in a business

– Excludes “contractors”

Hybrid Workplaces

• Hospitals

– Patients

– Healthcare providers, staff and visitors

• Transportation (Air, Water, Ground)

– Passengers

– Crew

• Schools

– Students

– Teachers, administrators and staff

Health Hazard Evaluation How to Use OSH Act for Hybrid Workplaces

• Employees, employee representatives, or employers can ask NIOSH to help learn whether health hazards are present at their place of work

• Based on their findings, NIOSH will recommend ways to reduce

hazards and prevent work-related illness. – Assess exposures – Assess health effects – Is there an association between school exposure and health effects? – Point of confusion—health symptoms often attributed to school buildings – Inappropriate evaluation & testing may lead to misinformation, focusing

resources on the wrong problems, and missed opportunities to address other health problems.

• The evaluation is done at no cost to the employees, employee

representatives, or employers.

HHEs & Schools: History

• Last 10 years, 75 requests:

– 66% concerned indoor air quality

– 33% other issues

• Chemical exposures (wood shop)

• Noise (band rooms)

• Violence directed at teachers

• Common findings

– Poorly maintained buildings in general

– Ventilation systems in particular

Common Recommendations: Indoor Air Quality Issues

• Comfort parameters

– Temperature and relative humidity

• Effectiveness of the ventilation system

– Air turnovers per hour

• Remediating dampness and moisture problems

– Mold testing not productive, although often requested

IEQ Continuing Problems

• 16 requests from October 2014 to September 2015 – Elementary and secondary schools in 14 states

• Complaints: – Dampness and mold – Ventilation – Chemicals – Insect and rodents – Hydrogen sulfide – Asbestos

• NIOSH Response: – 2 Site visits – Telephone consultations, referrals and

recommendations

Philadelphia School Study: Ongoing

• Collaboration between school district and teachers’ union

• Study of 50 elementary schools in Philadelphia

• Site visits conducted

• Sample collections from 500 classrooms for microbial contaminants done

• Web-based health questionnaire provided to employees at 50 schools – Responses from 1000 teachers and staff

• Study not completed

"I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that"

NIOSH Center for Direct Reading and Sensor Technologies

Enabling a new era of worker safety, health & well-being

The Internet of Things (IoT)

PEW Research Center May 2014

Many experts say the rise of embedded and wearable computing will bring the next revolution in digital technology. Upsides are enhanced health, convenience, productivity, safety and vastly more useful information for people and organizations. Downsides are challenges to personal privacy, over-hyped expectations, and tech complexity that boggles us.

IoT and Sensors

• Sensors are at the heart of the Industrial Internet

– Deploying sensors, the entire workplace and everything and everyone in it can become a type of information system

• Sensors can become intelligent assets—devices equipped with sensors and connected to one another produce sensor-based analytics

Thank You!