Notice2024-05403
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; Outdoor Workers Exposed to Wildland Fire Smoke; Request for Information
Primary source
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Published
March 14, 2024
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Abstract
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), in the Department of Health and Human Services, announces an opportunity for the public to provide information about approaches to assess and control the hazards of wildland fire smoke to outdoor workers. Wildland fire smoke is a complex mixture of potentially toxic gases and particles that can vary depending on factors in the wildland or wildland urban interface environment, such as weather, fire behavior, and the type of materials or vegetation burning. Because of this, outdoor workers may be exposed to varying types and amounts of compounds in wildland fire smoke throughout their work shift or during different fire events and job tasks. NIOSH is seeking information to develop a hazard review document that summarizes the scientific literature about the health effects from exposures to wildland fire smoke and provides recommendations to protect outdoor workers.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 51 (Thursday, March 14, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 51 (Thursday, March 14, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18638-18639]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-05403]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
[Docket No. CDC-2024-0019, NIOSH-352]
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; Outdoor
Workers Exposed to Wildland Fire Smoke; Request for Information
AGENCY: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Request for information.
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SUMMARY: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC)
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), in the
Department of Health and Human Services, announces an opportunity for
the public to provide information about approaches to assess and
control the hazards of wildland fire smoke to outdoor workers. Wildland
fire smoke is a complex mixture of potentially toxic gases and
particles that can vary depending on factors in the wildland or
wildland urban interface environment, such as weather, fire behavior,
and the type of materials or vegetation burning. Because of this,
outdoor workers may be exposed to varying types and amounts of
compounds in wildland fire smoke throughout their work shift or during
different fire events and job tasks. NIOSH is seeking information to
develop a hazard review document that summarizes the scientific
literature about the health effects from exposures to wildland fire
smoke and provides recommendations to protect outdoor workers.
DATES: Comments must be received by May 13, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted through either of the following
two methods:
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>
(follow the instructions for submitting comments), or
<bullet> By Mail: NIOSH Docket Office, Robert A. Taft Laboratories,
MS C-34, 1090 Tusculum Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226-1998.
Instructions: All written submissions received in response to this
notice must include the agency name (Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, HHS) and docket number (CDC-2024-0019, NIOSH-352) for this
action. All relevant comments, including any personal information
provided, will be posted without change to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: R. Todd Niemeier, 1090 Tusculum Ave.,
MS C-15, Cincinnati, OH 45226; Telephone (513) 533-8166 (this is not a
toll-free number); Email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a2ecebedf1ead0c7c5d1e2c1c6c18cc5cdd4"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="2c6265637f645e494b5f6c4f484f024b435a">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The hazard review development process will
involve review and assessment of the scientific literature about
exposures to wildland fire smoke, potential health effects, outdoor
worker populations at risk, and development or updating of
recommendations to protect outdoor workers. The purpose of the hazard
review document is to provide an overview of the relevant health
effects literature and develop evidence-based recommendations to
protect outdoor workers, including farm workers, construction workers,
oil and gas workers, park rangers, emergency responders, and others,
from the adverse health effects of occupational exposure to wildland
fire smoke. Scientific information related to wildland fire smoke is
requested on the following topics:
<bullet> Properties and characteristics of wildland fire smoke mixtures
<bullet> Potential for occupational exposures to outdoor workers
<bullet> Health effects of exposures
<bullet> Outdoor worker populations at risk
<bullet> Exposure monitoring
<bullet> Risk management and control
<bullet> Research needs
Wildland fire smoke is a complex mixture of gases and particles
from burning vegetation and other materials. In some cases, this can
include wildland urban interface environments, which are areas or zones
where structures and other human development meet or intermingle with
undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels. Wildland fires can include
wildfires and prescribed or controlled burns. As a wildland fire burns,
different compounds are released in the smoke, such as particulate
matter, carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde, acrolein, polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons, and other compounds. While exposure to wildland
fire smoke has been of interest to researchers and public health
professionals for decades, the hazards from wildland fire smoke are not
fully understood. This is primarily due to the complexity of wildland
fire smoke, as the smoke is made up of many different types and amounts
of potentially toxic compounds and can change very quickly depending on
factors in the environment, such as weather, fire behavior, and the
type of vegetation burning. Because of this, workers may be exposed to
varying types and amounts of compounds in wildland fire smoke, even in
areas where smoke has migrated, throughout their work shift or during
different fire events. Exposure also varies by the type of job task
being performed.
There is very limited published information about how exposure to
wildland fire smoke impacts outdoor workers. However, taken together
with research studies examining exposure to smoke from wildland fires
among the public, along with assessments of the health effects of
exposures to specific components of wildland fire smoke, there is clear
potential for such exposures to result in adverse health outcomes. The
risk of experiencing symptoms and adverse health effects due to smoke
exposure varies from person to person. The variability of health
effects and symptoms can also be impacted by variability in exposure
based on distance from the fire, wind speed and direction, and local
environmental factors. Workers can have different individual risk
factors such as age and health conditions (e.g., pre-existing heart or
lung disease) that make them more likely to be affected by wildland
fire smoke. Some health effects known or suspected to be caused
[[Page 18639]]
by wildland fire smoke include [NIOSH 2023]:
<bullet> Symptoms such as eye irritation, sore throat, wheeze, and
cough
<bullet> Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
exacerbations
<bullet> Bronchitis and pneumonia
<bullet> Adverse birth outcomes
<bullet> Cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) outcomes
Long work shifts and physical demands of the work performed
(resulting in higher breathing rates) may impact a worker's exposures
and health response to wildland fire smoke. Still, the scientific
community does not fully understand how long-term, repeated exposures,
or other exposures to wildland fire smoke may affect a worker's health.
Additionally, very little is known about how exposure to many different
compounds at the same time, including compounds released from the
burning of man-made materials (such as those found in the wildland-
urban interface), may affect a worker's health.
NIOSH plans to review and assess the available scientific evidence
to support the development of recommendations to protect outdoor
workers from wildland fire smoke. NIOSH currently recommends that
employers be aware that exposure to wildland fire smoke may adversely
affect the health of their workforce and be prepared to take action to
limit their workers' exposures when a wildfire has emitted smoke in and
around their work environment [NIOSH 2023].
It is also currently recommended that employers and workers prepare
for and plan to implement procedures to reduce exposures to smoke when
necessary [NIOSH 2023]. As NIOSH continues to review and assess the
scientific literature, recommendations will be developed and updated as
necessary. Additional information and recommendations are available on
the NIOSH Safety and Health Topic Page on Outdoor Workers Exposed to
Wildfire Smoke (<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/firefighting/wffsmoke.html">https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/firefighting/wffsmoke.html</a>). NIOSH will update this Topic Page and recommendations
as necessary to be consistent with the assessment of the information
obtained from this RFI and the development of the hazard review.
To reiterate, this RFI is intended to announce the opportunity for
the public to provide NIOSH with information about approaches to assess
and control the hazards of wildland fire smoke to outdoor workers to
inform the development of a hazard review document. Scientific
information related to wildland fire smoke is requested on the
following topics:
<bullet> Properties and characteristics of wildland fire smoke mixtures
<bullet> Potential for occupational exposures to outdoor workers
<bullet> Health effects of exposures
<bullet> Outdoor worker populations at risk
<bullet> Exposure monitoring
<bullet> Risk management and control
<bullet> Research needs.
Reference
NIOSH [2023]. Outdoor workers exposed to wildfire smoke. Cincinnati,
OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/firefighting/wffsmoke.html">https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/firefighting/wffsmoke.html</a>.
John J. Howard,
Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and
Human Services.
[FR Doc. 2024-05403 Filed 3-13-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4163-18-P
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