Protecting Disaster Responder Health: Lessons (Not Yet?) Learned

Abstract

Recent developments at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) indicate that each of these agencies is wrestling with how to better protect the health of disaster workers. This article urges increased reliance on comprehensive exposure assessments, more protective exposure benchmarks, the precautionary principle, and the hierarchy of controls of hazards. Additional issues, such as methods and content of worker training, as well as enforcement of applicable standards, are also considered. Finally, an effort is made to clarify the goals of disaster response.