Workshop: Managing Health Risks to Wastewater Workers from Ebola and Other Emerging Pathogens: Science and Solutions

研讨会：管理埃博拉和其他新兴病原体对废水处理工人的健康风险：科学与解决方案

基本信息

批准号：
1619958
负责人：
Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson
金额：
$ 5万
依托单位：
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2016
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2016-03-01 至 2018-02-28
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1619958&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
Workshop Managing Health Risks Wastewater

项目摘要

1619958MacDonald GibsonThe 2014 Ebola epidemic highlighted a critical need to evaluate infectious disease risks to sewer repair crews and wastewater treatment plant operators who could come into contact with pathogen-containing sewage. Prior research indicates that domestic wastewater contains a wide range of pathogens, from noroviruses to hepatitis A. Wastewater workers are at increased risk of infectious illnesses compared to the general population. This proposed workshop would engage scientists, wastewater utility operators and managers, and government regulators in assessing available evidence to decide how to protect wastewater and sewer workers from occupational exposure to pathogens.Increased risk of infectious illnesses among sewer and wastewater workers is well established, but little scientific evidence exists on the effectiveness of alternative measures for reducing these risks. In order to develop evidence-based solutions, information on job tasks that may lead to infectious disease exposure, potential wastewater exposure volumes for each task, current occupational safety practices among this workforce, and the potential for alternative safety practices to reduce risks, is essential. This workshop will help fill these critical information needs. The workshop will lead to four products: 1. Workshop report describing potential tasks during which wastewater and sewer workers could be exposed to pathogens, estimated exposure volumes for each task, current practices for protecting these workers from pathogens, gaps between current practices and recommended practices, and research needed to fill knowledge gaps; 2. Bayesian belief network risk model for predicting infectious disease risks under alternative risk management scenarios and for diagnosing the likelihood that an infectious illness in a wastewater or sewer worker arose from occupational exposure; 3. Peer-reviewed journal article assessing the magnitude of infectious disease risks to wastewater and sewer workers, describing current infectious disease prevention practices among these workers, analyzing the gaps between current and best practices, and outlining research needed to improve the ability to protect this population; 4 Poster of job tasks illustrating recommended personal protective equipment for each wastewater and sewer job task in order to prevent exposure to pathogens. This project will strengthen the evidence available for protecting the health of the approximately 136,000 wastewater and sewer workers in the United States. In turn, because wastewater treatment plants are one of the main barriers to infectious disease transmission, protecting the health of the wastewater and sewer workforce will contribute to ensuring public health in U.S. communities.

1619958Macdonald Gibsonthe 2014埃博拉病毒的流行强调了评估可能与病原体污水接触的下水道维修人员和废水处理厂操作员评估传染病风险的迫切需求。先前的研究表明，与普通人群相比，家庭废水含有广泛的病原体，从北洛未病毒到乙型肝炎A。废水工人的感染性疾病风险增加。该提议的研讨会将吸引科学家，废水公用事业运营商和管理人员以及政府监管机构评估可用的证据，以决定如何保护废水和下水道工人免于职业暴露于病原体中。在下水道和废水工人之间存在感染性疾病的风险不佳，但对替代性衡量的科学迹象很少，而替代风险却很少。为了开发基于证据的解决方案，有关可能导致传染病暴露的工作任务的信息，每项任务的潜在废水暴露量，该劳动力中的当前职业安全实践以及降低风险的替代安全实践的潜力至关重要。该研讨会将有助于满足这些关键信息需求。研讨会将导致四种产品：1。描述潜在任务的研讨会报告，在此期间，废水和下水道工人可以暴露于病原体，每项任务的估计暴露量，当前的实践，以保护这些工人免受病原体的侵害，当前实践和推荐实践之间的差距以及需要填补知识差距的研究所需的研究； 2。贝叶斯信念网络风险模型，用于预测替代风险管理情景下的传染病风险，并诊断出废水或下水道工人在职业暴露中引起的传染病的可能性； 3。经过同行评审的期刊文章评估了对废水和下水道工人的传染病风险的大小，描述了这些工人中当前的传染病预防实践，分析了当前和最佳实践之间的差距，并概述了提高保护这一人群的能力所需的研究； 4个工作任务的海报说明了每个废水和下水道工作任务的建议个人防护设备，以防止暴露于病原体中。该项目将加强可用的证据，以保护美国大约136,000个废水和下水道工人的健康状况。反过来，由于废水处理厂是传染病传播的主要障碍之一，因此保护废水的健康，下水道劳动力将有助于确保美国社区的公共卫生。