The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001

exposed rescue and recovery workers to

unprecedented levels of risk for job-related injury, illness, and death. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a part of the U.S.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),

responded swiftly to address workers' needs in the

aftermath of the attacks.

NIOSH quickly sent to Ground Zero dozens of staff

who applied their technical expertise to help meet

immediate worker protection needs. Also, by helping

workers and supervisors build their own safety and

health capacity, NIOSH was able to enhance safety at

the sprawling site. In the aftermath, NIOSH is working with its partners to address concerns about potential long-term effects on workers' health and to help

protect workers in the event of future emergencies. A

summary of NIOSH's assistance follows.

NIOSH Responded to Workers' Immediate Needs:

ï Assessed individual jobs and work locations to

identify potential hazards, including risk of eye

injuries from blowing debris and potential exposures

to silica dust, asbestos, and other hazardous materials.

ï Helped site managers select appropriate equipment

for sampling, use it properly, and institute procedures

for analyzing samples quickly.

ï Helped managers and workers select appropriate

personal protective equipment and coordinated the

deployment of respirators to rescue and recovery

workers.

ï Developed cost-effective procedures for cleaning

and sanitizing respirators on-site.

ï Worked with medical assistance teams to ensure

they were prepared to meet specific emergencies onsite and to help them develop procedures for followup evaluations of worker injuries.

NIOSH Helped Build Safety and Health Capacity:

ï Developed and disseminated

written guidelines to help supervisors integrate worker safety

and health into site operations.

ï Distributed written documents

with information that workers

and supervisors were most likely

to need on-site to address specific concerns, including:

! Fact Sheet for Workers in 

Secondary Response and Other 

Supporting Roles: Frequently 

Asked Questions About Exposure to Dusts and Gases

www.cdc.gov/niosh/erfaqs.html 

Protecting Workers at the World Trade Center Site

Response from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Fact Sheet

TM

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is the federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related disease and injury. NIOSH is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
! Eye Safety: Emergency Response and Disaster Recovery

www.cdc.gov/niosh/eyesafe.html 

! Traumatic Incident Stress: Information for Emergency 

Response Workers

www.cdc.gov/niosh/unp-trinstrs.html 

ï Provided electronic access on the NIOSH Web

page to critically needed health and safety information, which is an ongoing resource for workers, supervisors, and others in the event of future emergencies.

NIOSH Is Following Up on Long-Term Needs:

ï Conducting health hazard evaluations to assess

potential health effects from workers' exposure to

dust in buildings near the recovery site.

ï Providing technical assistance to the New York

City Department of Health regarding the development of a voluntary registry of individuals who

worked at, lived near, or responded to the World

Trade Center attack.

ï Working with local partners to develop a medical

screening and monitoring program for workers

involved in rescue and recovery operations at

Ground Zero.

NIOSH Is Helping Strengthen Preparedness:

ï Issued new interim rules in December 2001 for

approving self-contained breathing apparatus

(SCBA) for use by fire fighters and other first

responders at scenes of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats.

ï Convened a national workshop in December

2001 to gather information and recommendations

on the performance, availability, and appropriateness of personal protective equipment. A report

from the workshop is available at

www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl.

ï Developing recommendations for management

processes and worker training to prevent injury and

illness to first responders and recovery workers at

the local, state, and federal levels.

ï Assessing research to develop and evaluate technologies for better protecting emergency responders and other workers in terrorist attacks.

ï Developing guidelines for emergency responders

on the selection, use, and maintenance of respirators and other personal protective equipment in

disaster situations.

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 highlighted the importance of worker safety and health

as an essential component of public health.

NIOSH's efforts with partners from industry, labor,

government, and public health will help integrate

occupational safety and health into ongoing planning for emergency preparedness and homeland

security at the local, state, and national levels.

SaferïHealthierïPeople TM

For additional information, contact

NIOSH at

1-800-35-NIOSH

(1-800-356-4674)

Fax: 513-533-8573

or visit the NIOSH Web site at

www.cdc.gov/niosh

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2002-143