FW: NIOSH SEEKS INSIGHTS FROM HEALTHCARE WORKERS ON CHEMICAL HEALTH, SAFETY PRACTICES (fwd)

[Guest guest]

________________________________________________________________________________________________

From: Mead, R. (CDC/NIOSH/DART) [mailto:kcm3@...]

Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2011 9:41 AM

Subject: NIOSH SEEKS INSIGHTS FROM HEALTHCARE WORKERS ON CHEMICAL HEALTH, SAFETY PRACTICES

We kindly ask for your assistance in forwarding this announcement to your colleagues in

healthcare and encouraging them to forward to their colleagues. If you work with/for a

healthcare provider with healthcare personnel who are potentially exposed to hazardous chemical

agents (see below) posting the announcement on your employer’s web site is encouraged as well.

Should you have any questions, please contact me or .

NIOSH SEEKS INSIGHTS FROM HEALTHCARE WORKERS ON CHEMICAL HEALTH, SAFETY PRACTICES

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) invites healthcare personnel

to participate voluntarily in an online survey about health and safety practices in working with

hazardous chemicals on the job. The survey is open until March 26, 2011.

The voluntary survey can be accessed at

www.niosh-healthcare-survey.org.

You will be asked for an organization key which is: HCWS

Individual responses will be kept confidential, and no personal identifiers will be recorded.

The survey will take about 30 minutes to complete.

Results of the survey will help NIOSH better understand the extent to which healthcare personnel

may be exposed to chemical agents such as antineoplastic agents, anesthetic gases, surgical

smoke, high level disinfectants, chemical sterilants, and aerosolized medications, and the

circumstances of potential exposures. Results will also help NIOSH to better learn and

understand current practices for reducing potential exposures, to identify gaps in current

knowledge about those practices, and to design further research in collaboration with our

partners for addressing those gaps.

“Safeguarding healthcare workers from potential occupational hazards is an essential part of

providing good jobs for these dedicated men and women, and for furthering high-quality patient

care,” said NIOSH Director , M.D. “We look forward to a robust voluntary response to

this survey. The results will help NIOSH and its partners design next steps in the research

essential for addressing the workplace health and safety needs of this important and growing

U.S. workforce.”

Information to help access the voluntary survey, if needed, is available from a toll-free Help

Desk, 1-888-219-5667. For further information about the survey, contact the NIOSH Project Staff:

Jim Boiano at jboiano@..., tel. (513) 841-4246, or Steege, asteege@..., tel.

(513) 841-4538.

NIOSH is the federal agency that conducts research and makes recommendations for preventing

work-related injuries, illnesses, and death. NIOSH has a strategic program of research to

better identify, understand, and address potential safety and health hazards for the healthcare

industry. NIOSH also works with diverse partners to stimulate, design, and carry out research

for the healthcare and social assistance sector under the National Occupational Research Agenda,

NORA.