This is a listing of frequently used street addresses and telephone numbers of safety and health related organizations and agencies.

Asbestos is an extremely hazardous fiber that was used as a building material and insulation product for many years. Exposure to asbestos may cause several types of cancer, including lung cancer, and a scarring of the lungs called asbestosis. Today, the more serious incidents of asbestos exposure are caused by improper handling. The following organizations and government agencies can help ensure that you and your co-workers are not suffering needless exposure to asbestos:

• White Lung Asbestos Information Center, 45 W. 10th St., #2G, New York NY 10011, 212-561-0793
• New York State Department of Labor, Asbestos Control Program, 345 Hudson Street, New York NY 10013, 212-352-6000.
• New York State Department of Health, Asbestos Workers Safety Training Program, 547 River Street, Room 230, Troy NY 12180, 518-458-6483.
• New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Asbestos Control Program, 59-17 Junction Boulevard, Corona NY 11368; public information 718-595-3682, certification center 718-595- 3693.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region II, Office of the Asbestos Coordinator, 2890 Woodbridge Avenue, Raritan Depot, bldg.5, Edison NJ 08837, 908-321-6668
  

NYCOSH is one of 23 Committees for Occupational Safety and Health across North America, listed below. Each COSH is dedicated to providing education and training to workers about safety and health on the job. The COSH network works together to fight for stronger legislation and better enforcement of existing regulations and laws.

The COSH groups in New York State are:

• NYCOSH (New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health) nycosh@nycosh.org 116 John Street, Suite 604, New York NY 10038 212-227-6440. Fax: 212-227-9854. Website: http://www.nycosh.org
  
  
• CNYCOSH (Central NY COSH) cnycosh@cnymail.com. 615 West Genesee Street, Syracuse NY 13204. 315-471-6187. Fax: 315-471-6193. TTY: 315-471-6187
  
• Midstate Central Labor Coalition chf6@cornell.edu. 123 South Cayuga Street, Ithaca NY 14850. 607-277-5670. Fax: 607-277-8344
  
• WNYCOSH (Western NY COSH). inquiry@wnycosh.org. 2495 Main Street, Suite 438, Buffalo NY 14214. 716-833-5416. Fax: 833-7507

COSH groups in other states are listed below alphabetically by state, followed by Canada. Following the COSH groups is a listing of similar organizations that are not part of the national COSH network.

• ALASKA
  Alaska Health Project.  218 East 4th Avenue, Anchorage AK 99501.  907-276-2864. Fax: 907-279-3089
  
  
• ARKANSAS
  Arkansas Coalition on Safety and Health.  tdkarson@ualr.edu  c/o Tom Karson, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 2801 South University Ave., Little Rock AR 72204. 501-569-8483. Fax: 501-569-8538
  
  
• CALIFORNIA
  SCCOSH (Santa Clara), sccosh@igc.org, 760 N. 1st Street, 2nd Fl., San Jose CA 95112, 408-998-4050, Fax: 408-998-4051
  
  SOCALCOSH (Southern California) socalcosh@ile.ucla.edu, 675 South Parkview Street, Los Angeles CA 90057, 310-206-0860, Fax: 310-794-1062
  
• CONNECTICUT
  ConnectiCOSH, connecticosh@snet.net, 683 North Mountain Road
  Newington, Connecticut 06111.  860-953-2674. Fax: 860-953-1038
  
  
• GEORGIA
  GCOSH, c/o Jim Chamberlin, 2170 Cook Rd., Decatur GA 30032, 404- 241-7947
  
  
• ILLINOIS
  CACOSH (Chicago Area), e-mail: SafeWorkChicago@aol.com, 1636 W. Van Buren, Chicago IL 60612 312-666-1611
  
  
• MAINE
  Maine Labor Group on Health, website (http://www.mlgh.org/); e-mail mlgh@gwi.net, P.O. Box 5197, Augusta ME 04332, 207-622-7823, Fax: 207-622-3483 or 207-623-4916
  
  
• MASSACHUSETTS
  MassCOSH, 12 Southern Ave., Dorchester MA 02124, website: http://www.masscosh.org; e-mail: info@masscosh.org. 617-825-7233, Fax: 617-929-0434.
  
  Western MassCOSH, website: www.westernmasscosh.org e-mail: awilson@westernmascosh.org. 640 Page Boulevard, #104, Springfield MA 01104. 413-731-0760. Fax: 413-731-6688
  
  
• MICHIGAN
  SEMCOSH (Southeast Michigan), website; e-mail: semcosh@ameritech.net  7752 West Verner Highway, Detroit MI 48209, 313-849-3345, Fax: 313-849-5124
  
  
• NEW HAMPSHIRE
  NHCOSH, nhcosh@totalnetnh.net, 57 School Street - 2nd Floor
  Concord, New Hampshire 03301. 603-226-0516.  Fax: 603-226-7168
  
  
• NEW JERSEY
  New Jersey Work Environment Council, website; e-mail: info@njwec.org. 142 W. State Street, 3rd. floor, Trenton NJ 08608. 609-695-7100, Fax: 609-695-4200
  
  
• NORTH CAROLINA
  NCOSH (North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Project), website. e-mail: ncosh@igc.org, P.O.Box 2514, Durham NC 27715
  919-286-9249, Fax: 919-286-4857
  
  
• PENNSYLVANIA
  PhilaPOSH (Philadelphia Area Project for Occupational Safety and Health), website: http://www.philaposh.org/, e-mail: philaposh@aol.com, 3001 Walnut St, 5th Floor,
  Philadelphia PA 19104, 215-386-7000, Fax: 215-386-3529
  
  
• RHODE ISLAND
  RICOSH, 741 Westminster Street, Providence RI 02903, jobhealth@juno.com, 401-751-2015, Fax: 401-751-7520
  
  
• TEXAS
  Houston Initiative for Worker Safety - Houston COSH
  1770 St. James Place, Suite 550, Houston, TX 77056
  Tel: 713-266-2456 Fax: 713-266-2456
  
  
• WISCONSIN
  WisCOSH, website: http://www.wiscosh.org/  e-mail: wiscoshm@execpc.com, 734 North 26th Street, Milwaukee WI 53230, 414-933-2338, Fax: 414-342-1998.
  
  South Central Wisconsin Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (SCWCOSH).  E-mail: scwcosh@yahoo.com  P.O.Box 2194, Madison WI 53701.  608-345-1111.
  

• CALIFORNIA
  Labor Occupational Health Program, website: http://ist-socrates.berkeley.edu/~lohp/ email: lstock@uclink4.berkeley.edu, 2223 Fulton St., 4th Floor. Berkeley CA 94720-5120, 510-642-5507, Fax: 510-643-5698
  
  UCLA-LOSH Program, website: http://www.losh.ucla.edu/ e-mail: mpbrown@ucla.edu, School of Public Policy & Social Research, Inst. of Industrial Relations, 6350 B Public Policy Bldg., Box 951478, Los Angeles CA 90095-1478, 310-794-5964, Fax: 310-794-6410
  
  WORKSAFE!, website; e-mail: worksafe@worksafe.org, c/o San Francisco Labor Council, 1188 Franklin St, #203, San Francisco CA 94109.  Telephone: Frances Schreiberg at 510-302-1071
  
  
• LOUISIANA
  Labor Studies Program/LA Watch, Institute of Human Relations, Loyola University, Box 12, New Orleans LA 70118, 504-861-5830, Fax: 504-861-5833
  
  
• MASSACHUSETTS
  Massachusetts Coalition on New Office Technology, cnot@rsiaction.org; 650 Beacon Street, 5th Fl., Boston MA 02215, 617-247-6827, Fax: 617-262-6414
  
  
• MICHIGAN
  Michigan Right-to-Act Campaign, local223@aol.com, Ecology Center of Ann Arbor, 417 Detroit Street, Ann Arbor MI 48104, 734-663-240, Fax:734-663 2414
  
  
  
• OHIO
  Greater Cincinnati Occupational Health Center, 311 Howell Avenue, Lower Level, Cincinnati OH 45220, 513-569-0561
  
  
• WEST VIRGINIA
  Institute of Labor Studies, 710 Knapp Hall, West Virginia University, Morgantown WV 26506
  304-293-3323, Fax: 304-293-7163
  
  
• CANADA
  WOHIS (Windsor Occupational Health Information Service), website: www.wohis.org 3129 Marentette Avenue, Windsor, Ontario N8X 4G1 519-254-5157 Fax: 519-254-4192 kwall@wohis.org
  
  
• ENGLAND
  London Hazards Centre, website;
  e-mail: mail@Lhc.org.uk, 213 Haverstock Hill, London NW3 4QP, England, Phone: +44-(0)20-7794-5999; Fax +44-(0)20-7794-4702
  
  
  Workers Health International Newsletter and HAZARDS Magazine, website; e-mail: editor@hazards.org PO Box 199, Sheffield, S1 4YL, England, Phone: +44 114 267-8936

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• New York State Department of Labor, Division of Safety and Health, State Office Building Campus, Building 12, Room 457, Albany NY 11240, 518-457-3518.
  
• Public Employee Safety and Health (PESH) Bureau District Offices:
• 345 Hudson Street, NY NY 10014, 212-352-6000.
• 175 Fulton Avenue, Hempstead NY 11550, 516-485-4408.
• 30 Glenn Street, White Plains NY, 914-997-5214

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U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Region II office - 201 Varick Street, NY NY 10014, 212-337-2378 (jurisdiction covers New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands)

OSHA local offices with jurisdiction in New York City

• Manhattan and Brooklyn
  201 Varick Street, Room 908, New York NY 10014
  212-620-3200. FAX: 212-620-4121
• Queens
  4240 Bell Blvd., Bayside NY 11361
  718-279-9060. FAX: 718-279-9057
• Bronx, Westchester and Rockland
  660 White Plains Rd, 4th floor, Tarrytown NY10591
  914-524-7510. FAX: 914-524-7515
• Staten Island and Warren, Union, Middlesex, Somerset, and Hunterdon Counties NJ
  1030 St. Georges Ave., Avenel NJ 07001
  732-750-3270. FAX: 732-750-4737

OSHA local offices with jurisdiction outside New York City

• Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk)
  990 Westbury Rd., Westbury NY 11590
  516-334-3344; FAX: 516-334-3326
• Albany
  401 New Karner Road, Suite 300, Albany NY 12205
  518-464-4338; FAX: 518 464-4337
• Buffalo
  5360 Genesee St., Bowmansville NY 14026 716-684-3891; FAX: 716-684-3896
• Syracuse
  3300 Vickery Rd, North Syracuse NY 13212 315-451-0808; FAX: 315-451-1351

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New York State Center for Environmental Health
547 River Street, Troy, NY 12180

Center Director: Howard A. Freed, M.D.
Senior Executive: Nancy K. Kim, Ph.D.
Health Program Administrator: Marion LaPoint

Division of Environmental Health Assessment
Director: Edward Horn, Ph.D.
Assistant Director: Tony Grey, Ph.D.
Associate Director: John Wilson
Phone: 518-402-7511

Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology:
Director, Syni-An Hwang, Ph.D.: 518-402-7950

Bureau of Occupational Health:
Director, Eileen Franko, Dr.P.H., M.P.H.: 518-402-7900

Bureau of Toxic Substance Assessment:
Director, Daniel Luttinger, Ph.D.: 518-402-7800

Division Of Environmental Health Protection
Director: Richard Svenson, P.E.: 518-402-7510
Associate Director: Richard Bills: 518-402-7510

Bureau of Community Environmental Health and Food Protection:
Director, Michael Cambridge: 518-402-7600

Bureau of Water Supply Protection:
Director, Victor E. Pisani: 518-402-7650

Field Coordination Unit Contact:
Claudine Jones Rafferty: 518-402-7739

Division of Environmental Health Investigations
Director: G. Anders Carlson., Ph.D.
Assistant Director: Adela Salamie-Alfie, Ph.D.
Division Administrator: Gail Amento
Phone: 518-402-7501

Bureau of Environmental Exposure Investigation:
Director, Gary Litwin: 518-402-7850

Bureau of Environmental Radiation Protection:
Acting Director, Stephen Gavitt, CHP: 518-402-7550

Education and Outreach Unit:
Director, Faith L. Schottenfeld: 518-402-7530

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides an easily accessible, central source of information on indoor air quality (IAQ) through its IAQ INFO service. IAQ INFO provides information on: indoor air pollutants and their sources; health effects of indoor air pollution; testing, measuring, and controlling indoor air pollutants; building construction and maintenance methods which minimize IAQ problems; existing standards and guidelines; general information on federal and state legislation. Write or call toll-free:

• IAQ INFO, P.O. Box 37133, Washington D.C. 20013-7133, 1-800-438-4318, fax 301-588-3408

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Although lead poisoning is one of the oldest known occupational diseases, lead exposure continues to affect workers. More than 100 occupations may involve exposure to lead fumes, mist, or dust. Construction workers, in particular, have a high risk of developing elevated blood lead levels.

Excess exposure to lead can cause permanent damage to the nervous system, blood-forming system, digestive system, kidneys, and reproductive system. Employers are required to use control methods to reduce exposures to the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL). These include appropriate ventilation, respirators, and protective clothing.

Family members can be exposed to lead when workers wear work clothes home or wash them with the family laundry. Furthermore, because children are particularly susceptible to lead's toxic effects, it is important to get them tested if there are concerns about exposure. The following organizations and government agencies can help:

• Mount Sinai-Irving J. Selikoff Occupational Health Clinical Center, Lead in Construction Program, P.O. Box 1058, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, NY NY 10029, 212-241-2930.
• New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Occupational Health, 547 River Street, Room 230, Troy, NY 12180-2216, 518 402-7900
• New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), 9 Murray Street, NY NY 10007, 212-349-6460.
• New York Healthy Schools Network, c/o Citizens' Environmental Coalition, 33 Central Avenue, Albany NY 11210, 518-462-5527.
• National Lead Information Center Hotline, 1-800-Lead-FYI.
• New York City Department of Health, Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology Unit, 125 Worth Street, NY NY 10013, 212-788-4290.
• Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, Box 500, 5 Worth Street, NY NY 10013, 212-334-7709; for children.
• Department of Environmental Protection, 718-699-9811; for water testing

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The Occupational Health Clinic Network of New York State was established in 1987. The network provides medical screenings and evaluation for workers exposed to hazards on the job and documents trends in occupational illness.

For information about the clinic network, click here or contact:

New York State Department of Health
Occupational Health Clinic Network
Bureau of Occupational Health
547 River Street
Troy NY 12180
518-402-7900

For information on the locations of these clinics, click here.

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Pesticides, poisons designed to kill a variety of plants and animals, include insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides and are widely used at home and at work. Exposure to pesticides can cause headaches, dizziness, stomach ache, vomiting, muscle pain, and cramps, as well as skin rashes. Over time, many pesticides are suspected or known to cause cancer, birth defects, damage to the nervous system, or other health problems. The following government agencies and organizations can help you with workplace pesticide exposure problems:

• National Pesticides Telecommunications Network, 1-800-858-PEST; 24-hour information.
• New York State Pesticide Poisoning Registry, 1-800-322-6850; all human pesticide poisonings must be reported to this registry by a physician..
• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Pesticide Management Bureau, 50 Wolf Road, Albany NY 12233, 518- 457-7842.
• National Coalition Against Misuse of Pesticides, 701 E Street, Washington DC 20003, 202-543-5450.
• New York Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, 33 Central Avenue, Albany NY 12210, 518-426-8246