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Dispersing oil from
the Deepwater Horizon oil spill creates a visible line in the Gulf of Mexico. Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Patrick Kelley. |
In response to the
Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf, Unified Area Command reported that more than 45,000 workers were present at the height of response. During the response, NIOSH established a systematic roster--prospectively rather than retrospectively (as was done at the World Trade Center in 2001) of workers participating in response cleanup. NIOSH obtained information at the time of training or from safety and on-site supervisory officials. The goals were to create a record of those who participated in the response; collect information on the nature of work performed and training received; and create a mechanism for contacting them about any work-related symptoms of illness or injury.
NIOSH has released its first summary report on that roster. Download it
here. Learn more about the federal government's efforts to protect response workers
here and
here.