Workers may be at risk of experiencing injuries from fatigue and stress during responses to oil spills, hazardous materials cleanup activity, and other large-scale disaster response and recovery operations. This NRT Factsheet, developed by the NRT Worker Safety and Health Subcommittee in 2024, provides information on fatigue for virtual and hybrid emergency response workers.

The Oil Spill Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Matrix provides recommendations on protective equipment for workers who respond to oil spills. It includes examples of common scenarios for on-shore and off-shore oil spills but does not prescribe PPE for every worker exposure or scenario, nor does it identify all PPE options. The PPE recommendations in this document address general oil spill cleanup and response work, but not all potential risks or all scenarios involved in these activities. This Matrix can be used in conjunction with a comprehensive risk assessment (e.g., job hazard analysis (JHA) or an Incident Action Plan Safety Analysis (Incident Command System ICS-215A)) for oil spill response operations.

The purpose of this document is to encourage readers to explore Psychological Resiliency resources that are available on the internet. The resources listed in this document are provided as examples, meant for informational purposes only, and not a comprehensive list. The NRT nor its member agencies, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), etc. do not in any way endorse, promote or recommend these resources. Readers are reminded that the use of the resources do not replace your organization's requirements and does not supersede applicable laws, authorities, regulations, policy or guidance.

The ICS 215A-ORM Form is a resource to help Safety Officers (SOs) and Assistant Safety Officers (ASOs), working with the Operations Section, in completing and communicating an operational risk assessment and prioritize the most significant hazards and controls. SO/ASOs can use the form during initial operational periods when incident command is scoping the incident and response activities and developing a formal safety plan. In addition, SO/ASOs may use the form to gauge the effectiveness of the safety program and/or evaluate a new activity during a response. The ICS 215A-ORM Form differs from similar forms through the use of MS Excel's auto-populate feature to carry information (e.g., assignments, hazards) from page 1 to page 2. The two-page layout provides additional space to capture the hazards and controls across the top of the form.

In response to the continuing need for health monitoring and surveillance for emergency response workers, a consortium of federal agencies, state health departments, and volunteer responder groups was convened by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). This set of guidelines and recommendations is the product of those deliberations. It is intended to address all aspects of protecting emergency responders and should be applicable over the full range of emergency types and settings. It is intended to be of use to all those involved in the deployment and protection of emergency responders, including incident management leadership; leadership of response organizations; health, safety, and medical personnel; and the workers themselves. This document was approved by the NRT as a Technical Assistance Document on January 26, 2012 along with the companion document: Emergency Responder Health Monitoring and Surveillance: A Guide for Key Decision Makers.

For more information please reference the NIOSH ERHMS page.

Volume I of this Technical Assistance Document (TAD) addresses worker fatigue during large-scale disaster operations, such as those following the Oklahoma City bombing, the 9-11 attacks, anthrax contamination, the Columbia Space Shuttle Recovery, and Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. Volume I is intended to serve as a hands-on manual to assist organizations with the development of programs and plans to address fatigue issues among disaster workers. The second document, "Volume II: Guidance for Managing Worker Fatigue During Disaster Operations: Background Document," summarizes the essential information compiled and reviewed by the NRT while developing its recommended approach.

Work conditions change drastically after hurricanes and other natural disasters. In the wake of a hurricane, response and recovery workers will face additional challenges, such as downed power lines, downed trees, and high volumes of construction debris, while performing an otherwise familiar task/operation.

In this Hazard Exposure and Risk Assessment Matrix, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) provides information on many of the most common and significant additional hazards that response and recovery workers might encounter when working in an area recently devastated by a hurricane. This Matrix highlights a number of tasks and operations associated with disaster response and recovery. The Matrix is designed to help employers make decisions during their risk assessment that will protect their workers working in hurricane-impacted areas.

This web site, accessible to EPA employees only, is intended to support the Safety Officer (SO) in an Incident Management Team. It was developed based on SO positions and issues at a number of different responses to include: Hurricanes Katrina/Rita, Hurricane Irene/Tropical Storm Lee, Enbridge Oil Spill, Deepwater Horizon, & Hurricane Sandy. It is constantly being upgraded and expanded as new information, policies and procedures are developed. The purpose of the site is to create a tool box for SO, Deputy Safety Officer (DSO), and Assistant Safety Officers (ASO). This web site is intended to be updated as needed by field personnel who serve in the SO, DSO and ASO positions with current information and lessons learned as we continue to implement the National Incident Management System (NIMS).

The SO Toolbox contains resources pertaining to the following:

- Safety training and qualifications

- Safety briefings, factsheets and communications

- Incident Command System (ICS) forms

- Health and Safety Plans (HASP)

- Job Hazard Analysis (JHA)

- Other resources

The U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) provides leading edge medical capabilities to deter and defend against current and emerging biological threat agents and advances medical biological defense to protect our military and the nation.

USAMRIID Reference Materials, such as Medical Management of Biological Casualties Handbook or "Blue Book", can be found by clicking on Training, then Resources.

The mission of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is to research how the environment affects biological systems across the lifespan and to translate this knowledge to reduce disease and promote human health.

Often called “the voice of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),” the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) series is the agency’s primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations.

The mission of the Transportation Safety Institute is to improve the safety of the transportation system through the training of transportation safety professionals across federal, state, local and international governments, as well as private industry.

Established in 1978, Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Services (CCOHS) promotes the total well-being - physical, psychosocial and mental health - of working Canadians by providing information, training, education, management systems and solutions that support health, safety and wellness programs.

The Ionizing Radiation Safety and Health Topics page provides a starting point for technical and regulatory information regarding the recognition, evaluation, and control of occupational health hazards associated with ionizing radiation. The radiation protection guidance discussed here should be implemented within a framework of existing Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards, including, as applicable, those for ionizing radiation and personal protective equipment (PPE). Readers should familiarize themselves with the webpage's detailed discussions of OSHA standards, including how they apply to each sector in which OSHA maintains authority for worker safety and health.

The webpage focuses on ionizing radiation hazards workers may encounter routinely. Emergency response workers involved in a radiological emergency may receive radiation doses under significantly different circumstances than what other workers receive on a day-to-day basis. Visit OSHA’s Radiation Emergency Preparedness and Response page for information on protecting workers during radiological emergencies.

Emergency response and recovery workers are a common denominator at any disaster or novel emergency event. Protecting the health and safety of these workers by preventing diseases, injuries, and fatalities is a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Emergency Preparedness and Response Program priority. This can be accomplished by addressing responder and recovery worker safety and health during all phases (pre-, during-, and post-deployment) to make certain only qualified, trained, and properly equipped personnel are deployed.

The NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (NPG) informs workers, employers, and occupational health professionals about workplace chemicals and their hazards. The NPG gives general industrial hygiene information for hundreds of chemicals/classes.

In a disaster, it's essential that behavioral health responders have the resources they need—when and where they need them. The free Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) Disaster App offers first responders immediate access for any type of traumatic event at every phase of response, including pre-deployment preparation, on-the-ground assistance and post-deployment resources.

Learn more about signs of stress and stress management including additional resources and online trainings avaialble from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA). First responders face an increased risk of experiencing some mental health and substance use issues and conditions. Responders can build their resilience by increasing awareness about risk factors and warning signs, talking with each other, and using healthy coping strategies.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Heat Illness Prevention campaign educates employers and workers on heat hazards and provides resources to keep workers safe.

Provides information and resources on heat stress, its affect on workers, and ways to prevent heat-related illnesses (HRI) and injuries.

Assists readers with understanding the differences between various kinds of respirators and masks.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) offers resources and information for workers and employers from hazards and exposures associated with wildland fire smoke. The site also provide resources for residents and homeowners regarding hazards they may encounter.

The NIOSH Science Blog: Protecting Workers and the Public from Wildfire Smoke (2023) offers information and resources for protecting workers and the public from wildfire smoke.

Heat.gov is the webportal for the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS). NIHHIS builds societal understanding of heat risks, develops science-based solutions, improves capacity, communication, and decision-making to reduce heat-related illness and death.