| Posted: December 14,
2007 |
| NIOSH issues guidance on nanotechnology
exposure of medical workers |
| (Nanowerk News) NIOSH issued an
interim nanotechnology guidance today that deals with the issue of
possibly screening medical workers that are potentially exposed to
engineered nanoparticles in the manufacture and industrial use of
nanomaterials. |
| This document for public review and comment is
titled "Interim Guidance on Medical Screening of Workers Potentially
Exposed to Engineered Nanoparticles Docket" (pdf
download, 111 KB). |
| The National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (NIOSH, CDC) is
conducting a public review of the NIOSH document entitled Current
Intelligence Bulletin (CIB): Interim Guidance on Medical Screening of
Workers Potentially Exposed to Engineered Nanoparticles. This document has
been determined by NIOSH to be a Significant Guidance document in
accordance with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidelines under
the Federal Data Quality Act 2000 (Public Law 106-554, Section
1(a)(3)[515]).This guidance document does not have the force and effect of
law. The overall goal of the review is to enhance the quality and
credibility of Agency recommendations by ensuring that the scientific and
technical work underlying these recommendations receives appropriate
review by independent scientific and technical experts. |
| The draft CIB was developed to address concerns
about whether workers exposed to engineered nanoparticles will be at
increased risk of adverse health effects and whether medical screening or
some other type of occupational health surveillance is appropriate for
these workers. Although increasing evidence indicates that exposure to
some engineered nanoparticles can cause adverse health effects in
laboratory animals, insufficient medical evidence exists at this time to
recommend the specific medical screening of workers potentially exposed to
engineered nanoparticles. |
| Charge to Peer Reviewers
|
| The peer review charge was developed in
accordance with OMB guidelines, is consistent with NIOSH peer review
practice, and is meant to ensure that credible and appropriate science is
used in the development of its recommendations on the medical screening
for workers exposed to nanoparticles. |
| The objectives of this document are to describe
(1) the scientific evidence relevant to exposure to engineered
nanoparticles, (2) the elements of an occupational medical screening
program, and (3) the overall aspects of a good health surveillance program
in identifying and preventing exposure to potential hazards. The charge to
the Peer Reviewers is to review the document to determine whether
|
|
the hazard identification is a
reasonable reflection of the available scientific studies,
the discussion of occupational
health surveillance including medical screening is consistent with sound
occupational health practice, and
the conclusions that form the
basis of the recommendations are appropriate. |
| To facilitate review of this Current
Intelligence Bulletin, the five questions below should be considered:
|
| 1. Do the data cited support the conclusions of
the document? |
| 2. Are the conclusions appropriate in light of
the current understanding of the toxicological data? |
| 3. Is medical surveillance appropriate at this
time for workers with potential exposure to engineered nanoparticles; if
so, what form(s) of medical surveillance are specific for such workers?
|
| 4. What are the potential benefits, adverse
impacts, and limitations of medical screening of workers potentially
exposed to engineered nanoparticles? |
| 5. What are the potential benefits, adverse
impacts, and limitations of establishing an exposure registry for workers
exposed to engineered nanoparticles? |
| The Peer Reviewers will be provided all
substantive public comments received in the NIOSH Docket Office by
February 15, 2008. |
| Public Meeting |
| A public meeting will be held on January 30,
2008, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Robert A. Taft Laboratory in
Cincinnati, Ohio, as a forum for scientists and representatives of
government agencies, industry, labor, and other stakeholders to discuss
the document. The meeting will be open to the public, limited only by
space available. Due to limited space and security clearance requirements,
notification of intent to attend the meeting must be made to the NIOSH
Docket Office no later than Friday, January 18, 2008. Persons wanting to
provide oral comments at the meeting are requested to notify the NIOSH
Docket Office no later than January 11, 2008 at 513/533-8611 or by email
at nioshdocket@cdc.gov. Priority for attendance will be given to those
providing oral comments. Other requests to attend the meeting will then be
accommodated on a first-come basis. Unreserved walk-in attendees will not
be admitted due to security clearance requirements. |
| Time Frame for Review
|
| Written comments on the document will be
accepted from December 14, 2007 through February 15, 2008. Written
comments can be submitted at the Public Meeting or sent to the NIOSH
Docket Office, Robert A. Taft Laboratories, 4676 Columbia Parkway, MS
C-34, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226. All material submitted to the Agency should
reference docket number NIOSH-115. All electronic comments should be
formatted as Microsoft Word and make reference to docket number NIOSH-115.
|
| Comments will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. ET on
February 15, 2008 |
| To submit comments regarding this draft
publication, please use one of these options: |
|
Send NIOSH comments using this
online form
Send comments by email
(nioshdocket@cdc.gov).
Fax comments to the NIOSH
Docket Office: 513-533-8285
Send by Mail to: NIOSH
Mailstop: C-34, Robert A. Taft Lab, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati,
Ohio 45226 |