The Advisor

Topics covered in this issue include; 1. NIOSH GETS LEAD OUT . . . NIOSH has sent to the Department of Labor the criteria for a recommended standard governing the exposure of workers to inorganic lead. 2. … AND ULTRA VIOLET RADIATION NIOSH has also sent to the Department of Labor the criteria for a recommended standard governing the exposure of workers to ultraviolet radiation. 3. WHAT’S NEW AT THE TCL? The Testing and Certification Laboratory, located at NIOSH’s Appalachian Center for Occupational Safety and Health in Morgantown, West Virginia, has tested and certified several respiratory protective devices for use in industry, including coal mines. 4. BRONCHOPULMONARY DISORDERS SUBJECT OF NIOSH SEMINAR NIOSH’s Office of Extramural Activities (OEA) recently sponsored a two-day meeting involving researchers from NIOSH’s Cincinnati and Morgantown laboratories and recipients of NIOSH research grants concerned with bronchopulmonary disorders. The grantees represented were the University of Cincinnati, Stanford University, West Virginia University, and the University of Rochester. Also present were attendees and panelists from relevant programs in medical educational institutions. 5. NIOSH’S BIG DIVISION-Like many other NIOSH divisions, DLCD renders supportive services to other NIOSH components and gathers data for determining safe levels of exposure to hazardous substances. Much of its effort is devoted to developing, updating, evaluating, and encouraging the acceptance of new industrial hygiene measuring devices and techniques. It also certifies new devices and calibrates instruments used by NIOSH and by OSHA compliance officers. example, NIOSH scientists are studying physiological consequences of insults to the body, such as, heat, vibration, and those impairing pulmonary function. Other Division scientists are studying the effects of noise and electromagnetic radiation (which includes radio and ” light” frequencies) on the worker, paying special attention to the effects of laser radiation. And a team of psychologists, toxicologists, and engineers is studying the psychological, behavioral, and motivational factors that affect employee health and on-the-job performance. One of the aims is to find if exposure to certain chemical and physical agents results in behavioral and neurological changes.

The Advisor