R. Todd Niemeier, Ph.D., CIH

Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health Document Development, United States — Led a team of health scientists to develop new and revised NIOSH immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH) values using quantitative risk assessment methodologies. These values characterize high-risk exposure concentrations and conditions to 1) ensure that workers can escape from a contaminated environment in the event of failure of respiratory protection and 2) indicate a maximum level above which only a highly reliable breathing apparatus is permitted. Authored six IDLH values since 2020 with several more in production.

Final Criteria for a Recommeded Standard: Diacetyl and 2,3-Pentanedione, Worldwide — Key participant on the development and finalization of the document including lead authorship of Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) classification for these flavoring chemicals.

Draft Hazard Review: Wildland Fire Smoke Exposure among Farmworkers and Other Outdoor Workers, United States — Led the overall project team of more than 80 NIOSH employees to develop a comprehensive draft document to provide guidance on health effects, exposure assessment methods, and recommendations to protect outdoor workers from wildland fire smoke exposure.

Working Draft Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Inorganic Lead, United States — Led the team to develop the hazard review section of occupational exposures to inorganic lead for the update of the NIOSH criteria document as well as the team responsible to develop a relationship between airborne lead exposures and blood lead exposures.

Working Draft Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Manganese, United States — Participated in the development of a draft criteria document for occupational exposure to manganese. This included overall strategic direction and review of the document including the hazard review and development of a proposed recommended exposure limit.

U.S. National Response Team, Chemical Working Group, United States — Authored several National Response Team Quick Reference guides as part of a committee. Primary focus was on occupational exposure issues related to chemical weapon agents.

Worker Safety and Health Team Lead, CDC COVID-19 Response, United States — Led team of more than 100 scientists, engineers, health communicators, and other staff assigned to the worker safety and health team, to develop high-profile, technical, science-related guidance and recommendations for workplaces for the COVID-19 pandemic. Communicated high-profile, technical science briefs with leadership-level staff at multiple federal agencies including CDC, the White House, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and National Institutes of Health.

Worker Safety and Health Team Lead, CDC Hurricane Ida Response, United States — Led team of three NIOSH personnel to develop and disseminate worker safety and health guidance for the hurricane response. Responsible for preparing and presenting task force information at the incident command biweekly meetings. Coordinated with state health departments’ contacts to provide hurricane-related information for workers.

Dermal Penetration Potential of Inorganic Lead, United States — Dissertation project (2015-2022) examining the potential for inorganic lead to penetrate though human skin with a focus on occupational settings. This work included a published scoping review on the topic as well as experimental data collection using Franz cells with human cadaver skin and a dissolution assay using synthetic sweat. Data collected were used to build a screening model to estimate the potential for the impact on blood lead levels.

NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Project Officer, United States — Evaluated complex, high hazard workplaces with responsibility for difficult and sensitive studies. Completed approximately 50 HHEs to assess physical, chemical, biological, and safety hazards, specializing in zoonotic diseases, tuberculosis, biosolids, and indoor environmental quality.

Industrial Hygiene Project Officer, United States — Conducted numerous field studies throughout the United States including exposure monitoring for a broad spectrum of chemicals, personal dosimetry and sound level meter noise sampling, indoor environmental quality, electromagnetic frequency surveys, and qualitative analysis of workplace hazards. Developed a global, laboratory chemical hygiene plan for a Fortune 500 company and developed sample plans for corporate and site environmental health and safety teams worldwide.

ACGIH BEI Committee, United States — Serve as a member candidate of the ACGIH BEI committee. This work includes evaluating scientific literature related to biomonitoring data to derive new and revised biomonitoring recommendations for occupational settings.

EU REACH Toxicology Summaries, Worldwide — Served as a project manager to manage a large multisite team (>50 people) to research primary literature and develop summaries of toxicological data for human health and environmental endpoints for European Union (EU) Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals in Europe (REACH) regulation.

Safety Data Sheet Preparation and Review, United States — Authored and peer-reviewed numerous (>50) material safety data sheets and EU safety data sheets for multiple clients.

General Product Stewardship Activities, Worldwide — Wrote occupational exposure scenarios for EPA Pre-Manufacturing Notices and interpreted regulations and standards for the United States (OSHA and EPA), Europe (REACH Regulation), and the GHS.