An Emergency Responder Health Monitoring and Surveillance (ERHMS) system is a critical component in protecting emergency workers from the safety and health risks inherent in emergency response work. An ERHMS system includes specific recommendations and tools for all phases of a response, including the pre-deployment, deployment, and post-deployment phase. Medical monitoring and surveillance can help identify worker exposures and symptoms early in the course of an emergency response that in turn can prevent or reduce adverse physical and psychological outcomes.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the U.S. National Response Team are offering a free ERHMS training course that provides the necessary tools for implementing health monitoring and surveillance of emergency response workers. Important procedures for pre-deployment, deployment, and post-deployment are outlined. The intended audience includes local, regional, state, tribal, and federal personnel who are responsible for the occupational safety and health of responders. For more information, click here.