Peer Review Plan for Wildland Fire Smoke Exposure Document

Overview

Title

Draft Hazard Review: Wildland Fire Smoke Exposure Among Farmworkers and Other Outdoor Workers

Subject

Scientific information about protecting outdoor workers from the adverse health effects of wildland fire smoke. The document includes literature review results and recommendations.

Purpose

To provide scientific information about outdoor worker exposure to wildland fire smoke including:

• Epidemiology
• Industrial hygiene
• Exposure assessment
• Control strategies to protect outdoor workers
• Research needs

Review Information

Charge to peer reviewers

1. How could the outdoor worker populations who may be exposed to wildland fire smoke be more completely characterized in Chapter 2?
   1. Please provide supporting reference.
2. How could this document better identify and characterize the health hazards of exposures to wildland fire smoke based on the available scientific literature in Chapter 3?
   1. Is there additional scientific information to be considered regarding the adverse health endpoints associated with exposure to wildland fire smoke?
   2. Please provide scientific references to support your response as necessary.
3. What additional information should NIOSH consider adding or how should NIOSH modify the discussion of exposure assessment methods for wildland fire smoke (based on PM2.5 airborne concentration, and when desired, other airborne exposures) to measure outdoor worker exposures in Chapter 4?
   1. What are the barriers to employers to implement these recommended methods?
   2. Please provide scientific evidence to support your response as necessary.
4. How can the recommendation in Chapter 4 to use the air quality index (AQI) for PM2.5 to define exposure control categories be better explained and supported from both a scientific and health communications standpoint?
   1. Please provide scientific evidence to support your response as necessary.
5. What additional information should NIOSH consider to improve the strategies identified in Chapter 5 for controlling exposure to wildland fire smoke (e.g., engineering controls, work practices, personal protective equipment) to make them more effective and reduce barriers to implementation?
   1. What additional controls could be considered to protect outdoor workers from wildland fire smoke?
   2. Please provide scientific evidence to support your response as necessary.
6. Do the recommendations in Chapter 5 adequately address the protection of potentially disadvantaged or at-risk outdoor workers, such as persons with pre-existing health conditions (e.g., asthma, cardiovascular disease), migrant workers, persons of lower socioeconomic status, and elderly or minor workers?
   1. If not, how could the recommendations be changed to better protect these populations?
   2. Are there additional recommendations to consider to protect these at-risk workers?
7. How could the recommendations in Chapter 5 better address accessibility and feasibility for outdoor workers and employers?
8. What are the potential barriers to the understandability of the recommendations in Chapter 5 for outdoor workers and employers?
   1. When developing supplementary educational materials to support the implementation of these recommendations, how can NIOSH best address those barriers?
9. What other research needs should be considered in addition to those included in Chapter 6, Research Needs?
   1. Please provide a scientific justification for additional research needs.