Tuesday, February 24, 2004

NIOSH Creates Worker Notification Page

I'm a dry cleaner, what kind of studies have been done about my working conditions? Check out the NIOSH Worker Notification Program page.

While OSHA is busy cutting back access to some of its most useful web pages, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Heatlh (NIOSH) has produced this nifty web page that notifies workers and other stakeholders about the findings of NIOSH research studies and notification materials. Sorted by Work Exposure or by Industry Group, the page provides an amazing amount of information and does a much better job than any web page I've ever seen in translating complicated information into plain, understandable English.

If you're a dry cleaner, you'll finding listings under percholorethylene and organic solvents. Information includes how the study was done, the findings, limitations of the study, what other studies have found, OSHA regulations, current conditions, how to protect yourself and where to go for more information, including information about related medical problems.

Check this out. It's a fairly major step in translating valuable scientific material into a form that workers can actually use.

Good work NIOSH!