Heath Concerns About the Misuse of Pesticides for Bed Bug Control

Hotel workers as well as consumes are being cautioned cautioned about exposure to pesticides to control bed bugs.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are alerting the public to an emerging national concern regarding misuse of pesticides to treat infestations of bed bugs and other insects indoors. Some pesticides are being applied indoors even though they are approved only for outdoor use. Even pesticides that are approved for indoor use can cause harm if over applied or not used as instructed on the product label.
There has been a dramatic increase in the number of bed bug-related inquiries received by the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) over the past several years, with many involving incidents of pesticide exposure, spills, or misapplications. From January 2006-December 2010, NPIC reported 169 calls to their hotline where residents, homeowners, or pesticide applicators sprayed pesticides indoors to treat bedbugs. These cases involved pesticides that were misapplied, not intended for indoor use, or legally banned from use. Of those, 129 resulted in mild or serious health effects (including one death) for persons living in affected residences.
ATSDR warns that outdoor pesticides should not be used indoors under any circumstances. Homeowners and applicators should always carefully read the product label to make sure that:
it has an EPA registration number

• it is intended for indoor use
• it is effective against bed bugs (the label should say it is meant to be used to treat your home for bed bugs) and
• you know how to properly mix the product (if a concentrate) and where and how to apply it safely within the home.
• ....
  Jon L.Gelman of Wayne NJ, is the author NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson).  

More About Pesticides

Workers' Compensation: Aerial spraying pesticides to fight ...

Aug 22, 2012

Based on reports from the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) arial spraying of pesticides has been mandated in Texas because of the number of reported cases of West Nile Flu. Questions are now being raised ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers' Compensation: Monsanto guilty of chemical poisoning in ...

Feb 14, 2012

Consistent with an enforcement trend by the EU to reduce agricultural pesticides used by 50% between 2008-2018, a French court on Monday declared U.S. biotech giant Monsanto guilty of chemical poisoning of a French ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Intentional Tort Claim Against Employer Proceeds for Pesticide

Aug 11, 2010

A US District Court in NJ is allowing a claim of injured agricultural worker to proceed against an employer directly for an intentional tort flowing from a pesticide spraying. The workers, residents of Puerto Rico, were employed ...

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Mother's Occupational Exposure to Pesticide Increases Child's Risk

Jul 02, 2009

A recent study by the McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment of the University of Ottawa finds that an increased risk of childhood leukemia is associated with the mother's exposure at work to pesticides.

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/

Workers’ Comp will cover hijacked UPS driver with PTSD

Risks associated with employment are usually covered under Workers' Compensation claims. Assaults usually are traumatic in nature and having a component of psychological stress manifested in post traumatic stress disorders.Today's post is shared from wvrecord.com The state Supreme Court has ruled that a UPS driver’s post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from a hijacking is a compensable injury in the Workers’ Compensation system. The court made the decision Oct. 25 in UPS’ appeal of a Board of Review decision in Jay Hannah’s case. Justices of the state WVSupreme Court Justices of the state WVSupreme Court Hannah had his UPS truck hijacked by a man with a rifle on Aug. 11, 2010. The events of the hijacking are summarized by the court in the opinion as follows: “The gunman fired a shot in the air near Mr. Hannah’s driver side door. He then threatened Mr. Hannah’s life and forced Mr. Hannah to drive him towards the police station. On the way to the police station, the gunman saw a police cruiser parked at a gas station and forced Mr. Hannah to pull over. “The gunman then took the keys to the truck, stepped out of the passenger side door, and fired a shot at the ground. As the gunman was getting out of the truck, Mr. Hannah was able to escape and hide behind a nearby store. The gunman was subsequently fatally shot by law enforcement.” According to a 2012 report in the Parkersburg News and Sentinel, the hijacking occurred in Elizabeth by Joseph Dennis...

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Workers' Exposure to Low Dose Radiation Linked to Leukemia and Lymphoma

Workers exposed to low doses of radiation have been reported to experience an increased risk to Leukemia and Lymphoma.

A study published in The Lancet reports strong evidence of positive associations between protracted low-dose radiation exposure and leukemia.

Evidence before this study:
Ionising radiation causes leukaemia. The primary quantitative basis for radiation protection standards comes from studies of populations exposed to acute, high doses of ionising radiation. Although previous studies of nuclear workers addressed leukaemia radiogenicity, questions remain about the size of the risk from protracted radiation exposure in occupational settings.


Added value of this study:
We report a positive dose–response relationship between cumulative, external, protracted, low-dose exposure to ionising radiation, and subsequent death caused by leukeamia (excluding chronic lymphocytic leukaemia). The risk coefficient per unit dose was consistent with those derived from analyses of other populations exposed to higher radiation doses and dose rates.

Implications of all the available evidence:
The present study provides strong evidence of a positive association between radiation exposure and leukaemia even for low-dose exposure. This finding shows the importance of adherence to the basic principles of radiation protection—to optimise protection to reduce exposures as much as reasonably achievable and—in the case of patient exposure—to justify that the exposure does more good than harm.

NJ COLA Bill - Legislative Hearing Scheduled

The NJ Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee will hold a public hearing on a pending COLA bill S613 to increase benefits on 12/5/2013 1:00:00 PM.

The Senate Labor Committee report

The Senate Labor Committee reports favorably and with

committee amendments Senate Bill No. 613.

As amended by the committee, this bill provides, from July 1, 2013

forward, an annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) in the weekly

workers' compensation benefit rate for any worker who has become

totally and permanently disabled from a workplace injury at any time

after December 31, 1979 and for the surviving dependents of any

worker who died from a workplace injury after December 31, 1979.

The COLA would be an amount such that, when added to the

workers' compensation weekly benefit rate initially awarded, the sum

will bear the same percentage relationship to the maximum benefit rate

at the time of the adjustment that the initial rate bore to the maximum

rate at the time of the initial award, except that:

1. The bill reduces the amount of the adjustment as much as

necessary to ensure that the sum of the adjustment and the amount

initially awarded does not exceed the amount which would cause any

reduction of disability benefits payable under the Federal Old Age,

Survivors and Disability Act; and

2. The bill reduces the supplemental workers’ compensation

benefits (but not regular workers’ compensation) for claimants injured

after 1979 by the amount of any Social Security benefits (other than

Social Security disability benefits and any increases in Social Security

benefits due to federal statutory changes after May 31, 1980), Black

Lung benefits, or the employer’s share of disability pension payments

received from or on account of an employer, except that if the worker's

original workers' compensation award was already reduced under

current law, there would be no further reduction of the supplemental

benefits under the bill.

These reductions parallel the reductions provided under current

law for claimants who were injured before 1980. The bill also

provides that no supplemental benefits would be paid in any case

where they are calculated to be less than $5 per week.

Current law requires such annual adjustments in the rate of

workers' compensation benefits for death and permanent total

disability to be paid from the Second Injury Fund (SIF), but only for

cases of injury or death occurring before January 1, 1980. The bill

extends the adjustments paid from the SIF to claims originating after

December 31, 1979, although the adjustments would apply only to

benefits paid on those claims after July 1, 2013, thus avoiding a

backlog of retroactive benefits.

The bill provides that supplemental payments will commence only

after SIF assessments are sufficient to pay them without using General

Fund money. The supplemental benefit payments would start on July

1, 2013 and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development is

required to take into account the supplemental benefits when

calculating the amount of the Second Injury Fund assessment which

starts on January 1, 2013, thus avoiding the need for any General Fund

appropriation.

To avoid an abrupt fiscal impact on the workers’ compensation

system, the bill provides that one third of the supplemental benefit rate

be paid during the first year, two thirds of the rate be paid during the

second year and the full amount be paid during the third and

subsequent years.

The bill sets time limits for workers’ compensation insurers and

self-insured employers to notify the SIF when supplemental workers’

compensation benefits are required under the bill. An insurer or selfinsured

employer is required to provide the notice not more than 60

days after the supplement is awarded or voluntary payment is to begin.

If a failure to notify results in the payment of an incorrect amount of

benefits, the liability for the payment of the supplemental benefits is

transferred from the SIF to the insurer or employer until the required

notice is provided.

The bill makes no change in the provisions of sections 1 and 9 of

P.L.1980, c.83 (C.34:15-95.4 and 34:15-95.5), which provide for the

reduction of certain portions of workers' compensation benefits by the

amount of Social Security disability benefits paid. In addition, the bill

expressly states that the supplemental benefits shall not be paid in a

manner which in any way changes or modifies the provisions of those

sections. The bill, therefore, will have no effect on existing provisions

of State and federal law regarding offsets between workers'

compensation and federal Social Security disability benefits.

The committee amendments provide that the application of the cost

of living adjustment commence on July 1, 2013, instead of July 1,

2011.

This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 2012-2013 session

pending technical review. As reported, the bill includes the changes

required by technical review, which has been performed.

….

Jon L. Gelman of Wayne NJ is the author NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson). For over 4 decades the Law Offices of Jon L Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com  have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.

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Lead Paint Makers Could Face The Same Fate As Big Tobacco

Today's post was shared by WCBlog and comes from www.huffingtonpost.com

A lawsuit in California that seeks some $1 billion from former lead paint manufacturers is far from the first attempt to hold the industry liable for decades of poisoning children and leaving lingering contamination. But experts such as Richard Rabin -- who directed a lead poisoning registry at the Massachusetts Department of Labor for over 20 years -- think the case just might be the first to finally succeed, marking the end of a long losing streak. "My ideal hope is something along the lines of what happened with tobacco," said Rabin, who initiated the inaugural trial against the lead paint industry more than 25 years ago. "It's gone on and on and on," he said of lead litigation, even as research uncovering lead's dangers, "keeps coming and coming." After fending off lawsuits since the 1950s, the tables eventually turned on big tobacco, forcing the industry to pay out hundreds of billions of dollars in the late 1990s. At that point, it had become common knowledge that the industry was well aware of the addictive qualities and the health hazards of their products. In 1987, with nearly a century of documented dangers accumulated on childhood lead poisoning, a lawsuit -- spurred by Rabin -- was filed on behalf of a Boston girl exposed to lead paint as a toddler. "I want to be a lawyer, but I don't think I can do the studying,'' Monica Santiago told The New York Times in 1988, then 15 years old. ''In school they teach me, but I forget. The kids call me dumb. Sometimes when I do...

[Click here to see the rest of this post]

….

Jon L. Gelman of Wayne NJ is the author NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson). For over 4 decades the Law Offices of Jon L Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com  have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.

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EPA Declares Asbestos in Libby Montana is a Public Health Emergency

An historic first occurred today with the announcement by the US EPA that the asbestos in Libby, Montana constituted a Public Health Emergency. The EPA stated, "Over the past years, hundreds of asbestos-related disease cases have been documented in this small community, which covers the towns of Libby and Troy. "

"This is the first time EPA has made a determination under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) that conditions at a site constitute a public health emergency. This determination recognizes the serious impact to the public health from the contamination at Libby and underscores the need for further action and health care for area residents who have been or may be exposed to asbestos. Investigations performed by the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry have found the incidence of occurrence of asbestosis, a lung condition, in the Libby area staggeringly higher than the national average for the period from 1979-1998. EPA is working closely with the Department of Health and Human Services, which is making available a short-term grant to provide needed asbestos-related medical care to Libby and Troy residents. "

As Hospital Prices Soar, a Single Stitch Tops $500

Medical delivery costs continue to soar and workers' compensation claims costs are running out of ontrol. Cost for emergency medicare are not usually regulated by workers' compensation prorams, eve where balance cillig is removed from the equation. Todays post is shared from the NYTimes.org With blood oozing from deep lacerations, the two patients arrived at California Pacific Medical Center’s tidy emergency room. Deepika Singh, 26, had gashed her knee at a backyard barbecue. Orla Roche, a rambunctious toddler on vacation with her family, had tumbled from a couch, splitting open her forehead on a table. On a quiet Saturday in May, nurses in blue scrubs quickly ushered the two patients into treatment rooms. The wounds were cleaned, numbed and mended in under an hour. “It was great — they had good DVDs, the staff couldn’t have been nicer,” said Emer Duffy, Orla’s mother. Then the bills arrived. Ms. Singh’s three stitches cost $2,229.11. Orla’s forehead was sealed with a dab of skin glue for $1,696. “When I first saw the charge, I said, ‘What could possibly have cost that much?’ ” recalled Ms. Singh. “They billed for everything, every pill.” In a medical system notorious for opaque finances and inflated bills, nothing is more convoluted than hospital pricing, economists say. Hospital charges represent about a third of the $2.7 trillion annual United States health care...

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Court Holds a Misstatement Does Not Bar Compensability

Despite the fact that eight injured worker made a misstatement at the time of his testimony, tan Appellate Court affirmed an award for compensability. The court held that the employee's testimony was indeed credible, and supported a claim for Worker's Compensation benefits. The trial court found that the injured worker was easily confused, and was just a poor witness because he was a very unsophisticated, uneducated individual and he had difficulty with questions being presented to him for trial counsel for the employer.

Hernandez v Ebby's Landscapping
2013 WL 6096529 (N.J.Super.A.D.)
Decided November 21, 2013
An unpublished opinion
Rustine Tilton, Esq., attorney for the Appellant-Employer
Richard J. Riordan, Esq (John J. Jasienieck, Esq. on the brief) , attorney for the Respondent-Employee

….

Jon L. Gelman of Wayne NJ is the author NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson). For over 4 decades the Law Offices of Jon L Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com  have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.

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Discovery Permitted Without Motion in Medical Provider Claims

Medical Provider Claims (MPC) are now subject to authorized discovery by way of Interrogatories in NJ workers’ compensation claims. The Director and Chief Judge of the NJ Division of Workers’ Compensation, Peter J. Calderone, in a Memorandum issued last week, authorized the procedure.


The interrogatories may not be overbroad and should be specific to the pending matter. Judicial intervention can be requested to resolve any discovery disputes that might arise. Additionally, responses are due 45 days after service.

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Governor Cuomo Announces Significant new Protections for World Trade Center Workers

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced World Trade Center workers who performed rescue, recovery and clean-up in the year after 9/11 now have significant new protections for workers’ compensation benefits. The World Trade Center Registry was reopened and the deadline for joining extended to September 11, 2014; certain previously time-barred World Trade Center claims are being reopened and considered timely; and qualifying health conditions were added to the law.

“New York State is committed to caring for those who stood up in the face of danger to assist in the rescue and recovery efforts during and after the horrific attacks at the World Trade Center,” Governor Cuomo said. “That is why we are providing new protections for the workers, including first responders, clean-up crews and volunteers, who answered the call for help and ensuring they have access to workers’ compensation benefits for the future. I urge those who worked at Ground Zero and other recovery sites to file a WTC-12 form today to apply for the benefits they deserve.”

Filing a WTC-12 form with the Workers’ Compensation Board preserves the workers’ compensation rights for those who performed rescue, recovery and clean-up after the World Trade Center attacks. The State again urges those who worked at Ground Zero, the Fresh Kills Landfill, on the barges, the piers and the morgues to file a WTC-12 form, no matter if they were injured or not and whether they were employed or volunteered.

The last national Tell Us You Were There campaign ended with 41,094 filings received by the previous Sept. 13, 2010, deadline. As part of a new law signed by Governor Cuomo, any WTC-12 filings received after that date are now consider timely.

The Board will also review its files to locate any World Trade Center claims previously disallowed as “untimely” under Workers’ Compensation Law Secs. 18 and/or 28 or from failure to file a timely WTC-12 form. The Board will, under its own initiative, now reconsider those particular World Trade Center claims “timely.”

A detailed list of qualifying health conditions resulting from hazardous exposure for World Trade Center workers who participated in rescue, recovery and clean-up operations was also added. The categories are diseases of the:

• Upper respiratory tract and mucosae;
• Lower respiratory tract;
• Gastroesophageal tract;
• Psychological axis; and
• New onset diseases that develop in the future resulting from exposure.

“When New Yorkers needed their help, 9/11 rescue, recovery, and cleanup workers selflessly answered the call,” President of the New York State AFL-CIO Mario Cilento said. “It's incumbent upon us, as a state, to be there for them now and in the future as we continue to learn more about the growing impact of their exposure. We commend Governor Cuomo and the Legislature for ensuring that critical treatment and benefits will be available for the heroes who served in the aftermath of 9/11.”

“The enactment of this legislation is a major victory for those who worked in rescue, recovery and cleanup operations following the attack on the World Trade Center,” Executive Director Joel Shufro of the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health said. “By extending the deadline to register to file a claim for another year and reinstating those whose registrations were previously time barred, many workers who develop WTC related illnesses with long latency periods will be eligible to file for benefits under New York State’s Workers’ Compensation Law. The enactment of this legislation is an act of justice and equity and the legislature should be congratulated for passing the legislation and the governor for signing it.”

“As an injured worker as of the result of working at Ground Zero, I know firsthand what this important piece of legislation means to those who are sick or injured from their heroic actions. This will bill not only provides those sick or injured the opportunity to apply for benefits, but more importantly it gives them hope that our Governor still cares about yesterday's heroes,” John Feal, founder of the FealGood Foundation, said.

Governor Cuomo is committed to ensuring all World Trade Center workers receive the benefits and protections they are accorded under the law. To achieve this, at his direction the Board has:
Contacted previously untimely filers;

Translated the WTC-12 form into seven languages other than English;

Reopened a dedicated phone line for World Trade Center workers, 1 855 WTC-2014 (1 855 982-2014);

Relaunched the web page www.wcb.ny.gov/WTC12 for World Trade Center workers; and
Planned outreach to workers and groups representing World Trade Center workers.

All these worker protections were added to Workers’ Compensation Law Article 8-A.

The Board’s dedicated World Trade Center work groups and hearing parts have functioned continuously since September 2001.
….

Jon L. Gelman of Wayne NJ is the author NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson). For over 4 decades the Law Offices of Jon L Gelman  1.973.696.7900  jon@gelmans.com  have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.

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Public Health Campaign of the Month: ‘Don’t Mess With Mercury’ Campaign

Mercury is a very toxic chemical in the occupational exposure to mercury produces serious disability.Today's post was shared by RWJF PublicHealth and comes from www.rwjf.org

Glass thermometers. Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. Medical equipment. Gauges and other science equipment. Thermostats, switches and other electrical devices. Mercury lives in all of these devices—and all can be found in schools. While it may be common, mercury is also incredibly dangerous. Mercury poisoning can negatively impact the nervous system, lungs and kidneys. It can even lead to brain damage or death. Often mercury poisoning is the result of a kid thinking it’s “cool”— taking it, playing with, passing it around to friends. Metallic mercury easily vaporizes into a colorless, odorless, hazardous gas. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has released a new website that brings together a suite of tools to educate kids, teachers, school administrators and parents about the dangers of mercury poisoning. They include an interactive human body illustration and facts sheets, as well as a 30-second “Don’t Mess With Mercury” animated video to raise awareness about the dangers of mercury.

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FDA approves device that helps people with certain spinal cord injuries to walk

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today allowed marketing of the first motorized device intended to act as an exoskeleton for people with lower body paralysis (paraplegia) due to a spinal cord injury. ReWalk is a motorized device worn over the legs and part of the upper body that helps an individual sit, stand, and walk with assistance from a trained companion, such as a spouse or home health aide.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention there are about 200,000 people in the United States living with a spinal cord injury, many of whom have complete or partial paraplegia.

“Innovative devices such as ReWalk go a long way towards helping individuals with spinal cord injuries gain some mobility,” said Christy Foreman, director of the Office of Device Evaluation, at the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “Along with physical therapy, training and assistance from a caregiver, these individuals may be able to use these devices to walk again in their homes and in their communities.”

ReWalk consists of a fitted, metal brace that supports the legs and part of the upper body; motors that supply movement at the hips, knees, and ankles; a tilt sensor; and a backpack that contains the computer and power supply. Crutches provide the user with additional stability when walking, standing, and rising up from a chair. Using a wireless remote control worn on the wrist, the user commands ReWalk to stand up, sit down or walk.

ReWalk is for people with paraplegia due to spinal cord injuries at levels T7 (seventh thoracic vertebra) to L5 (fifth lumbar vertebra) when accompanied by a specially trained caregiver. It is also for people with spinal cord injuries at levels T4 (fourth thoracic vertebra) to T6 (sixth thoracic vertebra) where the device is limited to use in rehabilitation institutions. The device is not intended for sports or climbing stairs.

Prior to being trained to use ReWalk, patients should be able to stand using an assistive standing device (e.g., standing frame), and their hands and shoulders should be able to support crutches or a walker. Patients should not use the device if they have a history of severe neurological injuries other than spinal cord injury, or have severe spasticity, significant contractures, unstable spine, unhealed limb fractures or pelvic fractures. Patients should also not use the device if they have severe concurrent medical diseases such as infection, circulatory conditions, heart or lung conditions, or pressure sores.

Patients and their caregivers must undergo training developed by the manufacturer to learn and demonstrate proper use of the device.

To assess safety and effectiveness of ReWalk, the FDA reviewed testing done to assess ReWalk’s durability, its hardware, software and battery systems, and other safety systems that help minimize risk of injury should the device lose balance or power.

The FDA also reviewed clinical data based on 30 study participants. The clinical tests assessed the participants’ ability to walk various distances, the amount of time needed to walk various distances, performance on various walking surfaces and slight slopes, and performance walking in areas where jostling might occur. Studies also assessed the risk of certain physical effects on the user. Additionally, observational data from 16 patients were also provided to support use of the device on various walking surfaces in the home and community with various levels of assistance from a trained companion. Risks associated with ReWalk include pressure sores, bruising or abrasions, falls and associated injuries, and diastolic hypertension during use.

The FDA reviewed the ReWalk through its de novo classification process, a regulatory pathway for novel, first-of-its-kind medical devices that are generally low-to moderate-risk. The FDA is requiring Argo Medical Technologies, Inc., the manufacturer of ReWalk, to complete a post-market clinical study that will consist of a registry to collect data on adverse events related to the use of the ReWalk device and prospectively and systematically assess the adequacy of its training program.

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Hurricane Sandy Relief: US Resources

Get Help

• Register for Assistance: Survivors in declared counties in New York, New Jersey, andConnecticut can register for assistance. Learn more information and FAQs before you apply for assistance.
• Business Loans – Your business may be eligible for disaster assistance from the Small Business Administration.
• Government Contracting – The General Services Administration helps federal, state, and local governments get supplies, equipment, and services needed to support disaster relief.

Health and Safety

Safety is a primary issue when you're recovering from a disaster. Follow these tips to help ensure your safety and cope with the disaster. If you aren't able to return home, states, tribes, localities, and the Red Cross continue to operate emergency shelters along the East Coast. Here's how to find shelter:

• Stay informed about the federal public health response and recovery effort, food and water safety, preventing disease and injury, safe clean-up, sanitation, and mental health resources.
• Monitor conditions in your area; find shelter; and let others know you are safe, with the Red Cross Hurricane App.
• Download the FEMA app to find a map with open shelters and open FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers.
• Call the Red Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
• Search for shelters via text message: text: SHELTER and your ZIP code to 43362 (4FEMA). For example: Shelter 01234 (standard rates apply).
• Check local news media outlets.

Responders: People working on clean-up and helping disaster survivors also need to be concerned about their health and safety. The Department of Labor offers technical assistance and resources to help protect the occupational safety and health of workers in disaster areas.

Cancer patients can have can have weakened immune systems and may be at higher risk for infections, bleeding, fatigue, and injury. Call 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) to learn where to receive care if a disaster event disrupts care or displaces patients.

Find Family and Friends

• Red Cross Safe and Well List  – During a disaster, register yourself as "safe and well" so that family and friends know of your well-being. You can also use the database to search for missing loved ones.
• Next of Kin National Registry  – Register with, or search, this emergency contact system if you or your family member is missing, injured, or deceased.
• International Evacuees and Foreign Nationals  – If you are a tourist or other foreign national and cannot reach family members directly, contact your consulate.

Donate and Volunteer

Donate Blood – Hurricane Sandy caused the cancellation of hundreds of Red Cross blood drives, resulting in a shortage of blood and platelets.

Cash donations are very useful in situations where supplies must be acquired quickly. This is the most efficient way to make an impact with your donations. If you need help in determining who to give to, the National Voluntary Organization Active in Disaster website has a list of major nonprofits that are active in disaster work or you can make your offer through the National Donations Management Network.

Volunteer - Affiliate with existing non-profit organizations before going to the disaster area. Immediately following a disaster, a community can become easily overwhelmed by the amount of generous people who want to help. Contacting and affiliating with an established organization will help to ensure that you are appropriately trained to respond in the most effective way. Be patient: Recovery lasts a lot longer than the media attention. There will be volunteer needs for many months.

Find Volunteer Opportunities

Additional Federal Government Resources

• U.S. Federal Agency Web Pages on Hurricane Sandy
• State Agency Web Pages with Hurricane Sandy Information
• Cleanup and Recovery
• Specific Populations
• Mental Health & Disasters
• Health Resources for the Public
• Multi-language Resources
• Social Media
• Maps
• Apps and Widgets
• Animal Handling in Disasters

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