title: Assessing the protection of the nanomaterial workforce.
abstract: Responsible development of any technology, including nanotechnology, requires protecting workers, the first people to be exposed to the products of the technology. In the case of nanotechnology, this is difficult to achieve because in spite of early evidence raising health and safety concerns, there are uncertainties about hazards and risks. The global response to these concerns has been the issuance by authoritative agencies of precautionary guidance to strictly control exposures to engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). This commentary summarizes discussions at the "Symposium on the Health Protection of Nanomaterial Workers" held in Rome (25 and 26 February 2015). There scientists and practitioners from 11 countries took stock of what is known about hazards and risks resulting from exposure to ENMs, confirmed that uncertainties still exist, and deliberated on what it would take to conduct a global assessment of how well workers are being protected from potentially harmful exposures.
authors: a Education and Information Division , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) , Cincinnati , OH , USA .
authors: Paul A
authors: PA
authors: Schulte
authors: b Department of Public Health , University of Naples Federico II , Naples , Italy .
authors: Ivo
authors: I
authors: Iavicoli
authors: c International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) , Hyvinkää , Finland .
authors: Jorma H
authors: JH
authors: Rantanen
authors: d Institute for the Research on Hazardous Substances (IGF) , Bochum , Germany .
authors: Dirk
authors: D
authors: Dahmann
authors: e Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine , Epidemiology and Hygiene, Italian Workers' Compensation Authority (INAIL) , Rome , Italy .
authors: Sergio
authors: S
authors: Iavicoli
authors: f Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) , Dortmund , Germany .
authors: Rüdiger
authors: R
authors: Pipke
authors: g Department of Occupational Health , French Institute for Public Health Surveillance, Occupational Health Department , St. Maurice , France .
authors: Irina
authors: I
authors: Guseva Canu
authors: e Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine , Epidemiology and Hygiene, Italian Workers' Compensation Authority (INAIL) , Rome , Italy .
authors: Fabio
authors: F
authors: Boccuni
authors: h SHO-NANO , Campana , Argentina .
authors: Maximo
authors: M
authors: Ricci
authors: i Italian Ministry of Health , Rome , Italy .
authors: Maria Letizia
authors: ML
authors: Polci
authors: j Italian Society of Nanotoxicology , Rome , Italy .
authors: Enrico
authors: E
authors: Sabbioni
authors: k Department of Biomedicine and Prevention , University of Rome Tor Vergata , Rome , Italy , and.
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Pietroiusti
authors: l Italian Association for Industrial Research (AIRI) , Rome , Italy.
authors: Elvio
authors: E
authors: Mantovani
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012308:Risk Management / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D012449:Safety
keywords: Control procedures; occupational exposure limits; precautionary guidance; toxicity