DEEPWATER HORIZON RESPONSE
Gulf of Mexico Oil Cleanup

NIOSH Efforts to Protect Oil Cleanup Workers

NIOSH protected oil cleanup workers with the following efforts:

• Partnered with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) to provide other federal and state partners, BP, and workers with guidance and educational materials for protecting response workers.
• Conducted health hazard evaluations and surveillance of reported illnesses among workers involved in the Gulf response.
• Developed a voluntary roster of workers to obtain a record of those who have participated and a mechanism to contact them about possible work-related symptoms of illness or injury, as needed.
• Analyzed injury and illness data provided to NIOSH by BP safety officials to increase awareness of the risks associated with Gulf oil response work.

NIOSH research scientists are currently conducting toxicology studies on the dispersant used in the Deepwater Horizon response (Nalco Corexit 9500A), crude oil, and dispersant and crude oil mixtures. These chemicals and chemical mixtures are being tested for possible adverse health effects of pulmonary and dermal exposure. The information from these studies will help NIOSH and others develop recommendations for protecting workers from the potential effects of these chemicals and chemical mixtures. When completed, the results of these studies will be made available to the scientific community and the general public.