NORA Manufacturing Sector Strategic Goals
9277066 - NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods Cooperative ResearchStart Date: 10/1/1999
End Date: 9/30/2014
Principal Investigator (PI)Name: Paul Schlecht
Funded By: NIOSH
Primary Goal Addressed6.0
Secondary Goals Addressed5.0, 7.0, 8.0
Attributed to Manufacturing
The NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM) are used to determine worker exposures and engineering control effectiveness. The project fosters cooperation to develop, evaluate, and disseminate methods for the measurement of hazardous substances in the workplace among affected industry, interested laboratories, government agencies, and universities. NMAM methods are extensively reviewed and performance independently verified prior to publication. The research meets National Occupational Research Agenda priorities, and offers the occupational safety and health community the capacity to prevent occupational diseases through the development of sampling techniques and analytical methods and measurements guidelines that are reliable and accurate.
The project aims to 1) provide measurements with known quality and reliability; 2) ensure comparable results can be produced nationally; 3) supports government health policy and industry; and 4) avoid the risks to human health of producing workplace exposure data that are not sound. The project cultivates cooperation among private and public sector laboratories and interested industry stakeholders. Workers exposed to industrial hazards need to be protected. Limiting the presence of hazardous substances in air, and contaminated surfaces protects workers from harmful health effects. Accurate and reliable sampling and analytical methodologies are critical to be able to measure the concentrations of pollutants and control their presence in the workplace.
Interested industry stakeholders and laboratories are identified and included in method reviews. Proposed methodologies are evaluated using established evaluation protocols to ensure method reliability, accuracy and ruggidness. Draft methods undergo an independent evaluation by a laboratory that was not involved with the method's development and input is solicited from laboratories via laboratory accreditation organizations such as the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA). For many methods, CDC/NIOSH resources are combined with the resources of external partners. External partners may commit resources for: 1) the development of the method, 2) the production of test atmospheres or samples for method evaluation, 3) donated laboratory services for the independent verification of method performance by one or more laboratories, or 4) support the technical review of proposed methods prior to publication. External partners consist primarily of interested laboratories (public and private), their associated laboratory accreditation organizations, and stakeholders that have a vested interest in the quality and reliability of exposure data (government agencies and industry). In addition to independent evaluation, draft methods are subjected to a rigorous open and transparent review process to ensure high publication quality.
From 1999 through 2007, this project has supported the publication of:
NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM), 4th edition
(Available at no cost on: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nmam/default.html)
39 new sampling and analytical methods
18 revised sampling and analytical methods
7 chapters on sampling and analytical issues
NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM), 5th edition
(Available at no cost on: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/nmam/new.html)
2 new sampling and analytical methods
NIOSH 7704 NIOSH 9110
Development of sampling and analytical methods that are specific, accurate and reliable are essential to making correct decisions on worker exposures, performing risk assessments and determining if workplace controls are effective. The objectives the NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods are to:
1. Provide measurements with known quality and reliability,
2. Support government health policy and industry,
3. Avoid the risks to human health of producing workplace exposure data that are not sound.
The occupational health community relies upon accurate and reliable methodologies to determine worker exposures to hazards in the workplace. CDC/NIOSH resources are combined with the resources of other laboratories to meet the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) goal to promote safe and healthy workplaces through interventions, recommendations, and capacity building by: 1) developing hazard assessment measurement methods, 2) supporting NORA and U.S. Surgeon General Healthy People 2010 goals that require monitoring methods, and 3) fostering the development of partnerships with the private sector, other government agencies, and universities to prevent occupational diseases. This project provides for the development, evaluation, review and dissemination of measurement methods for the NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM). Measurement methods are developed to: 1) permit the measurement of hazards with known quality and reliability; 2) ensure that comparable results can be obtained nationally and internationally, 3) support occupational health policy and industry and 4) avoid the risks for human health of producing workplace hazard exposure data that are not sound.
This project contributes to the advancement of most if not all, NIOSH programs. The research addresses Other Cross-Sector Programs - Exposure Assessment strategic goals. The first strategic goal to develop or improve assessment strategies to understand and prevent work-related illnesses and injuries are addressed by publishing NMAM chapters on various exposure assessment strategies. The second strategic goal to develop or improve specific methods and tools to assess worker exposures to critical occupational agents and stressors are addressed by publishing sampling and analytical measurement methods. Project directly supports Cancer, Reproductivem and Cardiovascular Disease goa 09PPCRCAOG1.2.3 which is aimed at enhancing the relevance of CRC research in the NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods or similar collections.
Workers can be exposed to a variety of hazards by industrial processes and products. The presence of hazards needs to be limited. The development of sampling and analytical methods that are specific, accurate and reliable are essential to making correct decisions on worker exposures and to determining if workplace controls are effective.
- Page last reviewed: July 22, 2015
- Page last updated: July 6, 2015
- Content source:
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Office of the Director