New York, NY
United Federation of Teachers
Organized by the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH), this conference will discuss how responders were harmed, what steps have been taken to prevent such occupational and environmental health consequences in future catastrophes, and what still needs to be done to ensure harm can be minimized in future disaster responses. Top officials from OSHA, NIOSH, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response are scheduled to speak, as are Linda Birnbaum, director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; Dr. David Prezant, chief medical officer at the Office of Medical Affairs for the New York City Fire Department; Dr. Joan Reibman, director of the Health and Hospitals Corporation WTC Environmental Health Center; Dr. Laura Crowley, assistant professor, Preventive Medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine; U.S. Reps. Carolyn Maloney and Jerrold Nadler; and Dr. Linda Rae Murray, president of the American Public Health Association.
Policy issues to be discussed at the conference include:
* The adequacy of the regulatory framework that is supposed to protect the health of disaster responders, residents, workers, students, and volunteers
* Exposure assessment, risk communication, sampling, and data collection and sharing
* Access to medical care and workers' compensation
* Appropriateness and extent of worker emergency preparedness training
The New York AFL-CIO and numerous union locals are among the event's sponsors, which will be held at the United Federation of Teachers, 52 Broadway in Lower Manhattan. The $25 cost covers morning coffee, lunch, and handouts.