NEHA, NIOSH and Purdue University will present a webinar entitled, Public Health Implications and Occupational Exposures during Water Pipe Repair Activities on October 5 at 3 pm EDT. This webinar is designed to help local, state, and county health professionals better understand public health and occupational exposures with the cured-in-place-pipe (CIPP). Results of a July 2017 Purdue University CIPP safety study (http://CIPPSafety.org) will be presented as well as lessons learned from a NIOSH workplace Health Hazard Evaluation, and options for health officials, agencies, companies, and workers to gain technical assistance (https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/hhe/).
The CIPP installation procedure is being used to repair about 50% of the water pipes in the U.S. While primarily used for buried sanitary sewer and storm sewer pipe repairs, it is also increasingly being used for drinking water pipes and building plumbing. Because raw chemicals are used and the plastic pipe is manufactured in the field, the CIPP installation process releases chemicals within the pipes being repaired as well as into the surrounding air. Health officials have responded to building contamination incidents because CIPP chemicals have traveled through sewer pipes and air intake systems into nearby buildings. Some incidents prompted the evacuation of homes, office buildings, day care centers and schools, and required some persons to seek medical care. Health officials will benefit from better understanding the installation processes and materials emitted.