Friday, May 1, 2015

VA’s Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry

http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/burnpits/registry.asp

Registry for Veterans and Servicemembers

VA's Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry allows eligible Veterans and Servicemembers to document their exposures and report health concerns through an online questionnaire.
Eligible Veterans and Servicemembers include those who served in:
  • Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn
  • Djibouti, Africa on or after September 11, 2001
  • Operations Desert Shield or Desert Storm
  • Southwest Asia theater of operations on or after August 2, 1990
Check your eligibility and sign up. It takes about 40 minutes to complete the questionnaire. You can do it in one sitting or save it and come back later.
You can print and use your completed questionnaire to discuss concerns with your provider. VA providers can also access an online copy of your questionnaire.

Findings

Between April 25, 2014 and September 30, 2014, 19,082 Veterans and Active Duty Servicemembers filled out the registry survey. Review the report (1.48 MB, PDF) with the latest data.
  • Most (96%) said they were near a burn pit (close enough to see the smoke) at some point while deployed.
  • Sixty-two percent worked directly with burn pits as a part of their duties.
  • Registry participants who worked on burn pits were younger, mostly male (almost 92%), more likely to be in the Army (73%), mostly enlisted (91%), and deployed more often and for a longer length of time.
  • Many registry participants were exposed to other hazards on the job or in the environment, like weapons, blasts, pesticides, and dust storms.
If you have health concerns, talk to your health care provider or local VA Environmental Health Coordinator.

No comments:

Post a Comment