Laboratory Information:
NIOSH - Pittsburgh Research Laboratory
626 Cochrans Mill Road
P.O. Box 18070
Pittsburgh, PA 15236-0070
Website: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/contact/im-prl.html
Agency/Department: Dept. of Health and Human Services
Region: Mid-Atlantic
FLC Laboratory Representative:
Ms. Kathleen Goedel
Phone: (513) 533-8686
Fax: (513) 533-8660
Email: kgoedel@cdc.gov
Background/History of the Laboratory:
The National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is the
federal agency responsible for conducting field and
laboratory research on the full scope of occupational disease
and injury. In addition to conducting research, NIOSH
investigates potentially hazardous working conditions when
requested by employers or employees; makes recommendations
and disseminates information on preventing workplace disease,
injury, and disability; and provides training to occupational
safety and health professions. NIOSH is an organization made
up of employees representing a wide range of disciplines
including industrial hygiene, nursing, epidemiology,
engineering, mining, medicine, and statistics. NIOSH's
technologies vary from discovery and early stage inventions
to commercially-ready products. There are hundreds of
partnering opportunities available to domestic and
international corporations through the CRADA process. The
Pittsburgh Research Laboratory (PRL) occupies 180 acres and
serves as one of two focal points for Federal mine safety and
health research. The research program is based on
surveillance data and stakeholder input and addresses most
mining sectors, with emphasis on the safety and health
hazards of mining and disaster prevention. Programmatic areas
include dust (coal and silica) monitoring and control, mine
ventilation, hearing loss prevention and engineering noise
controls, diesel particulate monitoring and control,
emergency response and rescue, firefighting and prevention,
training research, ergonomics and machine safety, mine ground
control, electrical safety, explosives safety, surveillance,
and technology transfer.
Facilities:
Technology Transfer Mechanisms:
- Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs)
- Facility Sharing
- Patents and Licensing
- Technical Assistance
Technology Areas of Expertise:
- Health Hazards
- Hearing loss in miners.
- Mine fire research
- Minimizing or preventing massive rock failures
- Prevention of excessive exposure to noise levels
- Safety Hazards
- Explosion and fire suppression strategies
- Fire and explosion prevention
