Seminars: Services

2019

From Practice to Policy: California’s new standard to reduce MSDs among Hotel Room Cleaners
Carisa Harris, PhD, PT, CPE
Hotel room cleaners comprise of only 23.5% of the employees in their industry, yet have the greatest risk for developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) based on psychosocial and physical risk factors. The overall injury rate for this segment of workers is 1.5 times greater than that of all hotel workers studied. During this webinar, learners will explore the research behind the first ergonomic standard specific to hotel room cleaners, the Hotel Housekeeping Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention Standard (Title 8 Section 3345), which was enacted by the Cal/OSHA Standards Board on July 1, 2018.

2016
Hotel Houskeepers: A Low Wage Worker Group at Risk for Poor Health Outcomes
Marie-Anne S. Rosemberg, PhD, RN, University of Michigan
Hotel housekeepers are a group of low wagers who often work in substandard conditions and are exposed to physical, chemical, biological, and psychological hazards. This talk provides an overview of this worker group, and resituates the urgency of their welfare as a public concern and a priority for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Previous studies conducted among this worker group are presented and research gaps are discussed.

2016

NIEHS Support for Transformative Research for the Integration of Exposure and Response
David Balshaw, PhD, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
As the concepts of Exposure Biology and the Exposome enter their second decade, we are beginning to realize the potential for integrating exposure and biological response on a systems level. This presentation will discuss major programs and projects supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and some remaining challenges and potentially transformative directions for the next twenty years.

2016

The Effects of Systems and Design on Employee Health and Safety from the Office to the Construction Site: Identifying Causal Pathways Through Modern Ergonomics and Human Factors
Jack Dennerlein, PhD, Northeastern University
This research has utilized a systems approach that spans a wide range of business sectors. For long haul truck drivers we see reductions in low back pain and disability when we reduce their exposure to whole body vibration through the use of electro‐mechanic seat suspension systems. For commercial construction workers we see improved safety climate on sites with safety incentive programs. These projects demonstrate the many opportunities to improve employee health and safety.

2014
Hazard Identification, Mitigation, and Risk Assessment at the NIST Material Measurement Laboratory
Liz Mackey, PhD, NIST
Dr. Mackey, a nuclear chemist by training, has managed the Materials Measurement Laboratory’s safety program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Maryland. This laboratory has about 900 staff, the second largest of the three technical labs at NIST. Her lecture will cover a new system they have designed and implemented in the Materials Measurement Laboratory for hazard identification, mitigation and risk assessment.

2013
Managing EHA Services in a Highly Decentralized Research University
Terrance Alexander, PE, CIH, University of Michigan
Terrance G. Alexander is the Executive Director of Occupational Safety & Environmental Health for the University of Michigan. With over 42,000 students, 40,000 faculty and staff supporting operations, and thousands of visitors daily, the challenges of providing environmental health and safety programs to a decentralized organization are daunting. This talk will touch on the complex issues being faced and provide insight into the multiple programs offered by the Occupational Safety & Environmental Health department.

MIT EHS Office- Supporting Science and Engineering Research
Pam Greenley, MS, MIT
In 2001 under an EPA consent decree, MIT began to build and implement an EHS-MS suitable for a large academic organization. A unique system was built to match MIT’s unique hands-on culture using a highly collaborative approach with MIT faculty. The organization, training, and inspection systems will be described as well as lessons learned and future direction.