Seminars: Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing

2016
Large-Scale Agricultural Industry, Women Workers, and the Implications for Child Development: The Case of the Ecuadorian Flower Industry
Alexis Handal, PhD, MPH, University of New Mexico
Industrial agriculture is an increasingly important component of the economies of developing countries and women of reproductive age have become an integral part of the labor force. The Ecuadorian cut‐flower industry is a key example and provides an opportunity to evaluate the occupational, environmental and social impacts of large‐scale agricultural production on nearby communities and workers.

2016
The Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Program at NIOSH – Solving Problems in the Workplace
Christine West, PhD, RN, MSN/MPH, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducts worksite evaluations through its Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Program to determine whether workers are exposed to hazardous materials or harmful conditions. This session will provide an overview of the HHE program, NIOSH emergency response activities, and discuss recent crisis events such as the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and the 2014 Ebola Outbreak.

2015
Gender Differences in Response to Occupational Pesticide Exposures
Jane Hoppin, ScD, North Carolina State University
Pesticides may have endocrine effects which may impact men and women differently. The Agricultural Health Study, a large cohort study of both farmers and their spouses, provides the opportunity to evaluate the potential health effects of occupational exposures to pesticides in both men and women. This seminar will focus on differences in pesticide use by men and women as well as health outcomes associated with personal pesticide use including reproductive cancers, thyroid disease, and diabetes.

2015
Occupational Health Should Focus More on Immigrants and Other Undeserved Workers
Marc Schenker, MD, MPH, University of California Davis
Studies have suggested that occupational injury and illness rates among immigrant populations demonstrates many countries with higher rates of fatal and non-fatal injuries among immigrants compared to native populations. Injured immigrant workers in the USA have greater disability from occupational injuries than do non-immigrant workers. Research is needed to identify the causes of increased risk among immigrants and to provide direction for effective public health interventions.​

2015

Working in the Vat: Occupational Hazards in the Swine Rearing Industry
Patrick O’Shaughnessy, PhD, CIH, University of Iowa
Swine rearing has transformed from an activity involving up to a hundred pigs on a family farm to an industry raising thousands in “confined animal feeding operations” (CAFOs) and employing hundreds of thousands of workers nationwide. This seminar will focus on these working conditions while presenting research conducted to understand airborne contaminant levels and the potential use of respirators to protect swine worker health.