Medical screening of disaster workers

Since employees working in physically demanding, unclean work environments such as hurricane recovery areas may experience adverse health effects, NIOSH advocates
post exposure medical screening to determine the medical care they may need.

The screening is necessary because the workers encountered “mixed chemical exposures, hazardous substances, microbial agents [and] heat extremes,” NIOSH says. The screening detects adverse mental or physical health effects, identifies those who need treatment and monitors developing trends and patterns of illness among workers.

The NIOSH report also analyzes who should be screened, the type of screening to be done and when to screen.

Workers who report repeated or prolonged hazardous exposures, injuries or symptoms “should receive more comprehensive screening, directed at the risk factors, exposures or adverse health effects encountered,” the report concludes.