Program 2015
American Public Health Association
Annual Meeting and Exposition
McCormick Place Convention Center
November 1-4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Chicago Stockyard Workers. July, 1941
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Acknowledgements
Very special thanks and appreciation to the following individuals who
collaborated throughout the year with the planning committee.
Peter Dooley, Devan Hawkins, Dan O’Connell, Rick Rabin, Katie Sours,
and Miriam Weil.
Much appreciation to Mary Miller for coordinating the dedications
which appear in the program.
Printing of this program was generously donated by the
United Steelworkers. USW: United and Strength for Workers.
Page | 2
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements………………………………………………………
Page
2
Welcome to the OHS 2015 Program……………………………… 4
Note on roundtable sessions…………………………………………
5
OHS Leadership Roster 2015……………………………………..
6
List of Reviewers 2015…………………………………………………
9
Sunday, November 1 – Morning Sessions………………………
10
Sunday, November 1 – Afternoon Sessions……………………
11
Monday, November 2 – Morning Sessions……………………..
13
Monday, November 2 – Afternoon Sessions…………………..
17
Tuesday, November 3 – Morning Sessions……………………..
24
Tuesday, November 3 – Afternoon Sessions…………………..
28
Program at a glance ……………………………………………………..
36
Wednesday, November 4 – Morning Sessions………………..
40
Wednesday, November 4 – Afternoon Sessions……………..
45
Dedications ……………………...……………………………………………. 46
2015 Planning Committee………………………………………………. 68
Page | 3
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
Welcome
toPublic
the
American
Health2015
Association Program!
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
On behalf of the OHS Section leadership, we invite you to participate in the
2015 APHA Meeting and the OHS Section Program. We are very excited
about the events planned for this year’s meeting. We look forward to using
this meeting to advance our field so that we move to health and safety
rights for all workers.
We especially want to welcome those members who might be participating
in the meeting for the first time. We have local and international presenters
in this year’s Poster, Oral and Roundtable sessions. We urge you to review
the sessions outlined in this program and participate in as many as possible
to gain the most from your APHA annual meeting experience.
Please join us at our numerous events in addition to the technical sessions.
Our membership/business meetings [on Sunday morning, Monday and
Tuesday at 6:00 pm] provide a great opportunity to meet section members
and hear about the great work of the section. Everyone is invited to attend,
including those who are not OHS Section members. For newcomers, our
orientation meeting to learn about the APHA Processes and OHS section
Activities will be on Sunday 3:30-4:30 pm at the McCormick Place
Convention Center (MPCC) Room W186a. Other activities to note are the
OHS Social [Sunday 6pm – 7:30pm, MPCC W470b], the Awards luncheon
[Tuesday 12pm – 2pm, MPCC W190a] and the OHS Fundraising Social,
Party and Dance [Tuesday 8pm-midnight, Vice District Brewing
(http://www.vicedistrictbrewing.com/) 1454 W. Michigan Avenue (About
1.5 miles from McCormick Place Convention Center.)]
You’ll notice that many of the sessions are dedicated to an individual. The
deceased were spirited and dedicated OHS researchers, activists and
mentors. Many of them were also active members and leaders in the APHA
OHS Section. Brief bios about them appear at the end of the program.
Please feel free to ask any of the leadership for help and enjoy your meeting.
Homero Harari & Celeste Monforton
Co-Chairs, Program Planning
Page | 4
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
INSTRUCTIONS for ROUND TABLE SESSIONS:
*The meeting room will be set up with 10 round tables. Depending on
how many individuals are in the “audience,” the moderator may
suggest that individuals convene around a few selected tables.
*The session will commence with each presenter giving a 5-minute
synopsis of her/his work in the front of the room. The moderator will
be responsible for keeping time and ensuring no presenter goes over
that time limit. The key objective of the 5-minute synopsis is to interest
the audience (and the other speakers) to learn more about your project,
and to encourage them to spend time at your roundtable discussing it
with you.
*There will not be a computer, projector or screen set-up in the room.
We do not expect you to have a PowerPoint presentation for your 5minute synopsis. We encourage you, however, to bring another form(s)
of visual aid, such as a handout, photos, a small table-top, free-standing
poster, etc., for use at your table discussion. If you want to bring a
laptop or iPad to display information at your roundtables, that’s
allowed. Just make sure your equipment’s battery is fully charged or
bring your own extension cord.
*After each presenter gives her/his 5-minute synopsis to the entire
group, the moderator will assign each presenter to a different round
table. The “audience” participants will be given a minute or so to move
to the table of their choice. (Depending on the number of presenters
and the nature of their topics, the moderator may assign more than one
presenter to a table.)
*Each table will have at least 20 minutes for discussion. The moderator
will call “Time” and the audience members will have an opportunity to
move to another table to speak with a different presenter. Some
audience members may decide to stay seated at the table of their first
choosing to continue their discussion.
Page | 5
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Leadership Roster 2015
Name
Section Position
Email
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Amy Liebman, MA, MPA
Chair
aliebman@migrantclinician.org
Christina Morgan, MPH
Secretary
christina.e.morgan@gmail.com
Deborah Weinstock, MS
Treasurer
dweinstock@michaeldbaker.com
Karen B. Mulloy, DO, MSCH
Chair-Elect
kbmulloydo@gmail.com
Rebecca Reindel
Secretary-Elect
Rreindel@aflcio.org
Katherine Kirkland, Dr.PH
Immediate
Past-Chair
kkirkland@aoec.org
COUNCILS
Section Council
Benjamin Blagogee, M.D.,
MPH, PhD
Councilor, OHS
2013-2015
Benjamin.blagogee@yale.edu
Sarah Jacobs, MPH
Councilor, OHS
2013-2015
sjacobs@irle.ucla.edu
Nnamdi Maduabum, MBBS
Councilor, OHS
2014-2016
nnamdimaduabum@yahoo.com
Özlem Ersin, Ph.D., MBA
Councilor, OHS
2014-2016
ohersin@manchester.edu
Page | 6
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Leadership Roster 2015
Name
Section Position
Email
Governing Council
Robyn Robbins
Councilor,
2013-2014
rrobbins@ufcw.org
Nancy Simcox, MS
Councilor,
2013-2014
nsimcox@uw.edu
Rosemary Sokas, M.D., MOH
Councilor,
2014 - 2016
Sokas@georgetown.edu
COMMITTEES
Program Committee
Celeste Monforton, DrPH,
MPH
Co-Chair
cmonfort@gwu.edu
Homero Harari, Ph.D.
Co-Chair
homero.harari@yale.edu
Communications Committee
Angela Laramie, MPH
Newsletter Editor
angela.laramie@state.ma.us
Bradley King, Ph.D., MPH, CIH
Website Editor
bradley.king@cdc.hhs.gov
Membership Committee
Kevin Riley, Ph.D., MPH
Chair
kriley@ucla.edu
Awards Committee
Peter Dooley, MS,CIH, CSP
Co-Chair
peterfdooley@gmail.com
Chrissy Morgan, MPH
Co-Chair
Christina.e.morgan@gmail.com
Page | 7
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Leadership Roster 2015
Name
Section Position
Email
Scholarship Committee
Karen B. Mulloy, DO, MSCH
Co-Chair
kbmulloydo@gmail.com
Sarah Jacobs, MPH
Co-Chair
sjacobs@irle.ucla.edu
Industrial Hygiene Committee
Jenny Leigh Houlroyd, MSPH
Co-Chair
Jenny.Houlroyd@gtri.gatech.edu
Elise Pechter, MPH, CIH
Co-Chair
elise.pechter@state.ma.us
Policy and Advocacy Committee
Mary E. Miller, MN, RN
Co-Chair
marymill@uw.edu
mmar235@lni.wa.gov
Celeste Monforton, Dr.PH.,
MPH
Co-Chair
cmonfort@gwu.edu
Young Workers Committee
Mary E. Miller, MN, RN
Diane Bush, MPH
Co-Chair
marymill@uw.edu
mmar235@lni.wa.gov
Co-Chair
DBush@berkeley.edu
Liaisons from OHS SECTION
Ketki Patel, M.D. MPH Ph.D
candidate
Alex Montiel-Ishino, MPH,
Ph.D (c)
Student
Assembly
Student
Assembly
Page | 8
ketki.patel@unmc.edu
fam135@psu.edu
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Gratitude to our abstract reviewers
The following colleagues kindly served as reviewers of the many abstracts we
received this year. We are grateful for their service which helps us maintain the
quality standards of this program. Thank you very much!
Atin Adhikari, Muge Akpinar-Elci, Abul Alamgir, Walter Alarcon,
Thomas Arcury, Erika Baragan, Laura Blanar, Dara Burris, Alberto
Caban-Martinez, Mark Catlin, Fahmy Charl Fahmy, Judith Daltuva, Sue
Dong Xiuwen, Mazen El Ghaziri, Daniel Harrington, David Harrington,
Joseph “Chip” Hughes, Yukihiro Ikeda, Adrienne Katner, Benjamin
Keeney, Kathy Kirkland, Adam Knowlden, David Kotelchuck, Paul
Landsbergis, S. Mantravadi, Stella Marin Luz, Ephraim Massawe,
Elizabeth Masterson, Maryann Medeiros, Nancy Menzel, Nicholas Miceli,
Mary Miller, Karen Mulloy, Joseph Nip, Robert Park, Ketki Patel, Elayne
Kornblatt Phillips, Sara Quandt, Michael Quinn, Iris Reyes, Cora Roelofs,
Derek Shendell, Eduardo Carloa Siqueira, Craig Slatin, Maggie StedmanSmith, Phillip Summers, Rita Sumner, Antonio Tovar, Ugochukwu
Uzoeghelu, Miriam Weil, Dorothy Wigmore, Joseph Zanoni, Kristina
Zierold, and Jeanette Zoeckler.
The following individuals assisted with reviewing the sessions which
were selected for the program: Albert Caban-Martinez, Michelle
Fannuchi, Walter Jones, Kathy Kirkland, Mary Miller, Karen Mulloy,
Daniel O’Connell, Marcia Ousler, Iris Reyes, Natalie Schwatka, Nancy
Simcox, Marianne Sullivan, Miriam Weil, and Jeanette Zoeckler.
Page | 9
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Friday
– Saturday
October
28-29
Sunday
- November
1, 2015
Morning Session
7:30 AM - 11:30 AM
AOEC Get Acquainted Breakfast Meeting &
143.0 OHS Business Meeting
MPCC: W190a (McCormick Place Convention Center)
Moderator Amy Liebman, MA, MPA (OHS Section Chair)
Continental breakfast hosted by the Association of Occupational
and Environmental Clinics (AOEC).
ALL ARE WELCOME. You don't have to be an AOEC member to attend.
Hosted by AOEC Staff:
Kathy Kirkland, Dr.PH, MPH
Ingrid Denis, MA, MSW
Grace Barlet, MPH
11:30 A.M. -3:30 P.M.
Small group discussions and committee meetings. (On your own)
12:00 – 2:00 P.M.
APHA General Session
Page | 10
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Sunday - November 1, 2015
Afternoon Session
3:30 P.M. -4:30 P.M.
MPCC: W186a
266.0 OHS New Members Orientation - All welcome!
Sunday - November 1, 2015
Afternoon Session
3:30 P.M. – 6:00 P.M.
Public Hearings on New APHA Policies
Hyatt Regency McCormick Place,
Rooms CC10A, CC10B, CC10C and CC10D.
Group A: Access to Care, Reproductive and Sexual Health and
Substance Use
A1: Opposition to Requirements for Hospital Admitting Privileges and
Transfer Agreements for Abortion Providers
A2: Restricted Access to Abortions Violates Human Rights, Precludes
Reproductive Justice, and Demands Public Health Intervention
A3: Universal Access to Contraception
A5: Prevention and Intervention Strategies to Decrease Misuse of
Prescription Pain Medications
Group B: Environmental and Occupational Health
**B2: Cleanup of U.S. Military Burn Pits in Iraq and Afghanistan
**B3: Updating Codes for Foam Plastic Building Insulation to Protect
Public Health
B4: Public Health Opportunities to Address the Health Effects of
Climate Change
Page | 11
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
**B6: Preventing Occupational and Community Transmission of Ebola
and Globally Emerging Infectious Disease Threats
**B7: Lyme and other Tick-borne Disease Prevention to Protect
Workers’ and the Public’s Health
B8: Stopping Cancer before it Starts: Emphasizing Prevention
Group C: Public Health Law and Ethics
C1: The Use of Human Subjects in Dental Licensing Examinations
Violates Public Health Ethics
C3: Addressing human relevance in alcohol use disorders-related
research
C5: Preemption Policy Statement
C6: Ensuring Trade Agreements Promote Public Health
Group D: Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce
**D2: Improving Availability and Access to Individual Worker Fatality
Data
D3: Building Environments and a Public Health Workforce to Support
Physical Activity in Older Adults
D4: The Role of Health Education Specialists in a Post Health Reform
Environment
D5: Expand and Coordinate Human Trafficking Related Public Health
Research, Education, and Prevention and Intervention Evaluation
*Denotes draft policy statement drafted by OHS Section members
or in collaboration with OHS Section
Sunday - November 1, 2015
Afternoon Session
6:00 P.M. -7:30 P.M.
MPCC: W470b
308.0 OHS Social Hour-All Welcome! - Cash Bar!
Page | 12
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Monday - November 2, 2015
Morning Session
8:30 A.M. -10:00 A.M.
MPCC: W196b
3065.0 Occupational and environmental hygiene and exposure
assessment
Moderator: Bradley King, Ph.D. CIH
Dedication: In memory of Phillip Drinker (1894-1972)
8:30 A.M. — Worker Exposure to Silica during Countertop Manufacturing, Finishing and
Installation. C. Brown, MS, MPH, CPH, K. Yeoman, MD, MPH.
8:44 A.M. — Hourly variations and inhalable exposure levels of airborne fungal spores in
greenhouse work environment. A. Adhikari, Ph.D., Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public
Health, Georgia Southern University
8:58 A.M. — Occupational Exposures to New Drycleaning Solvents: High-flashpoint
Hydrocarbon or Butylal. D. Ceballos, PhD, MS, CIH, CDC NIOSH, S. Whittaker, PhD, Public
Health-Seattle
&
King
County,
E.
G.
Lee,
CDC
NIOSH
9:12 A.M. — Time course of heart rate variability response to PM2.5 exposure from
secondhand smoke. J. Garza, ScD, University of Connecticut, M. Mittleman, MDCM, MPH,
DrPH, , J. Zhang, Harvard School of Public Health, D. Christiani, MD, MPH, MS, Harvard
University, J. Cavallari, ScD, CIH, University of Connecticut Health Center
9:26 A.M. — Using Metabolomics, Exposure Biomarkers, and Health Outcomes to Assess
Environmental Toxin Exposure in Deployed Service Members. P. Rohrbeck, DrPH, MPH,
CPH, Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center, K. Haines, MS, Armed Forces Health
Surveillance Center, T. Mallon, MD, MPH, FACOEM, Uniformed Services University
Page | 13
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Monday - November 2, 2015
Morning Session
8:30 A.M. -10:00 A.M.
MPCC: S105a
3066 .0 - RT-SCI. Round Table: Thumbs up, thumbs down:
employer policies affecting workers' health
Moderator: John Morawetz, Sc.M.
Dedication: In memory of Joe Fortuna (1948-2015)
Table 2 — Characterizing scheduling demands for hourly, low-wage workers. D. Hurtado,
ScD
Table 3 — Assessing the health effects of rotating shift work among petroleum workers. K.
McNamara, CIH
Table 4 — Pressure to take shortcuts predicts injury-related absences among construction
workers . C. Okechukwu, ScD, MSN and S. S. Kim
Table 5 — From NAFTA to the TPP: Trade agreements and their impact on workers' health
and wellbeing in a globalized economy . M. Lara-Meloy
Table 6— Data analysis and the role of r2p partnership in reducing construction falls. J.
Bunting, MPH and C. Trahan, CIH
Table 7 - Reaching Small Residential Contractors and Influencing their Safety and Health
Practices . K. Scruggs, MPH, R. Baker, MPH, and E. Betit, BA
Table 8 - A novel approach to improving employee influenza vaccination rates in long-term
care facilities. C. Ofstead, MSPH, L. Tan, MS, PhD, M. Amelang, BA, E. Doyle, BS, O.
Heymann, BA, G. Mark, BS, CNA, and H. Wetzler, MD, MSPH
Page | 14
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Monday - November 17, 2014
Morning Session
10:30 A.M. -12:00 P.M.
MPCC: W184d
3172.0 RT –SCI. Round Table: OHS Interventions and Evaluation
Research
Moderator: Cora Roelofs, Sc.D.
Dedication: In memory of Donald Rasmussen (1928-2015)
Table 1 — Exploring the use of smart phones and mobile applications to document the
occupational hazards of immigrant construction workers in a post disaster setting .A. Tilles,
MS, A. Camacho, D. Palaguachi, G. Sembajwe, SCD, M. J. Brunette, PhD, S. Markowitz, MD,
DrPH, and S. Baron, MD, MPH
Table 2 — Examining barriers and facilitators to protecting the health and safety of Latino
construction workers post-Hurricane Sandy I. Cuervo, PhD, A. Tilles, MS, D. Palaguachi, S.
Markowitz, MD, DrPH, and S. Baron, MD, MPH
Table 3 — Evaluation of an intervention to reduce hospital worker injury from patient violence.
J. Arnetz, PhD, MPH, L. Hamblin, BA, J. Ager, PhD, M. Upfal, MD, MPH, M. Luborsky,
PhD, J. Russell, and L. Essenmacher, MPH
Table 4 — Disseminating an effective intervention from reserach into the real-world to reduce
adverse health effects of pesticide exposure among indigenous farmwokers . N. Shadbeh, JD
Table 5 — Educational Intervention to improve fire safety among garment workers in
Bangladesh. A. Alamgir, PhD, J. Wong, and A. Waynik
Table 6 — Comparing the impact on knowledge and awareness among young workers of
online and in-person means of delivering OSHA 10 General Industry training. D. G. Shendell,
DEnv, MPH, S. Kelly, Ed.D, A. Apostolico, BS, MPH (c), and S. A. Ahmed, BS, MPH (c)
Page | 15
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Monday - November 2, 2015
Morning Session
10:30 A.M. -12:00 P.M.
MPCC: W176b
3173.0 Protecting workers from biological threats: Ebola as a
driver for biosafety training in the US
Moderator: Joseph Hughes, MPH
Dedication: In memory of Irving Tabershaw (1908-2008)
10:30 A.M. — Building Capacity for Ebola and Infectious Disease Training in the US: The
NIEHS WTP Ebola Biosafety Worker Training Program. J. Hughes Jr., MPH and D. L.
Weinstock, MS
10:50 A.M. — Training for Ebola Exposures and Basic Infection Protection for Airline
Workers. M. Catlin, BS, BA
11:10 A.M. — PPE Training for New Jersey's Healthcare Providers . M. Rosen, PhD
11:30 A.M. — Meeting the Diverse Population and Training Needs of a Union Consortium. J.
Morawetz, ScM
11:50 A.M. — Protecting Health Care Workers from Infectious Disease: Experience with
Cal/OSHA's Aerosol Transmissible Disease Standard. D. Gold, MPH, CIH
Page | 16
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Monday - November 2, 2015
Afternoon Session
12:30P.M.- 2:00 P.M.
MPCC: W196a
3275. History of Occupational Health & Safety in U.S. and across
the Globe
Moderator: Nnamdi Maduabum, M.B.B.S., MPH, CPH
Dedication: In memory of John Andrews (1880-1943)
12:30 A.M. — Syrian Labor in Lebanon: Refugees and workers. R. R. Habib, PhD
12:50 A.M. — Adoption of occupational disease compensation in early workers'
compensation statutes. G. Shor, PhD, MPP
1:10 P.M. — OHS Activism – Grassroots Health and Safety in Action. P. Dooley, MS, CIH,
CSP, M. Vogel, BA Sociology/Social Work; Juris Doctorate, and J. E. Martinez, MPH
1:30 P.M. — COSH Movement in New York State: Origins, Adaptation and Sustainability. M.
B. Lax, MD MPH and J. M. Zoeckler, MPH
1:40 P.M. — Workplace Health and Safety History from US Bureau of Mines Educational
Films from 1912-1979. M. D. Catlin, BS BA
12:00 p.m.-12:30 p.m. The Global Public Health Film Festival will
feature four trailers on films about toxic exposures. One film, Toxic
Hot Seat, focuses on chemical flame retardants.
Page | 17
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Monday - November 2, 2015
Afternoon Session
2:30 P.M.-3:30 P.M.
MPCC: Exhibit Hall F
3310.0 - PS-SCI: Poster Session: OHS Topics - 1
Facilitator/Hosts: Miriam Weil, MPH, Sc.D and Ketki Patel, M.D, MPH
Board 1 — Occupational Heat-related Illness in Mississippi . S. Tippani, MHSA, L. Zhang,
PhD, MSc, MBA, M. Robinson, MPH, and R. Vargas, MS
Board 2 — Assessing the Occupational Health Risks and Health Behaviors for Men in
Correctional Nursing. M. El Ghaziri, PhD, MPH, BSN, RN, A. Dugan, PhD, Y. Zhang, Ph.D.,
and M. E. Castro, D.N.P., R.N.
Board 3 — Job Exposure Matrices for estimating workplace physical exposures. B. Evanoff,
MD, MPH, A. M. Dale, PhD, and B. Gardner, OTD
Board 4 — Personal health and organizational support as reported by different occupations in
small manufacturing businesses. M. K. Hunt, MPH, D. Hennrikus, PhD, L. Brosseau, ScD,
CIH, C. Egelhoff, MSPH, M. Katz, MPH, H. Lando, PhD, E. Pinsker, MPH, and P. Hannan,
MStat.
Board 5 — Worker Memorial Week Activities – The National Movement for Safe Jobs. M.
Vogel, BA; Juris Doctorate, P. Dooley, MS, CIH, CSP, and J. E. Martinez, MPH.
Board 6 — Respiratory Health Among Latino Thoroughbred Workers. J. Flunker, MS, J.
Swanberg, PhD, J. M. Clouser, MPH, D. Mannino, MD, and W. Gahn, MD, PhD
Board 7— Occupational Injuries and Illnesses among Oregon Seafood Product Preparation and
Packaging Workers: Analysis of Workers' Compensation Disabling Claims, 2007 – 2013. L.
Syron, MPH, D. Cain, L. Kincl, PhD, D. Dreher, and E. Smit, PhD.
Board 8 — An evaluation of firefighter sleep quality. M. A. Dyal, PhD, T. D. Smith, PhD,
CSP, and D. M. DeJoy, PhD
Board 9 — Chemical and Physical Exposures Among Green and Non-Green Collar Workers in
the United States. C. Chen, BS, K. J. Moore, BA, A. J. Caban-Martinez, PhD, DO, MPH, CPH,
W. G. LeBlanc, PhD, D. J. Lee, PhD, M. Cifuentes, MD, ScD, K. L. Arheart, EdD, C.
Fernandez, MSEd, L. A. McClure, MSPH, S. L. Christ, PhD, and L. Fleming, MD, PhD
Page | 18
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Monday - November 2, 2015
Afternoon Session
2:30 P.M.-3:30 P.M.
MPCC: Exhibit Hall F
3311.0 PS-SCI: Poster Session: OHS Topics and Student & New
Researchers Studying OHS – 2
Facilitator/Hosts: Janessa Graves, PhD, MPH and Karla R. Armenti, ScD
Board 1 — Short-term Metal Particulate Exposures Decrease Cardiac Acceleration and
Deceleration Capacities in Welders: A repeated-measures panel study. P. Umukoro, MD,
MPH, S. Fang, J. Cavallari, SD, et al.
Board 2 — Assessment of workplace conditions and hazards in a recycling sorting cooperative
plant in São Paulo, Brazil. A. M. Maniero Moreira, Ana Maria, W. M. Risso Günther, Wanda,
and C. E. Siqueira, MD, ScD
Board 3 — Occupational Skin Conditions Among Green and Non-Green Collar Workers in
the United States. K. Moore, BA, D. Lee, PhD, L. Fleming, MD, PhD, et al.
Board 4 — "The Association Of Long Term Martial Arts/Karate Practice And The
Development Of Overuse Injuries Among US Karate Instructors”. A. Sternberg, DrPH, MPH,
ScD, MSc, M. A. Joseph, PhD, MPH, M. GriceSheff, PhD, MS, and J. LaRosa, PhD, RN.
Board 5 — Demographic, health-related, and work-related factors associated with body mass
index among manufacturing workers in different age groups. J. Board 6: Garza, ScD, A.
Dugan, PhD, P. Faghri, M.D., Ph.D., et al.
Board 7 — Recruiting small businesses to an integrated workplace safety and smoking
cessation intervention study. L. Brosseau, ScD, CIH, D. Hennrikus, PhD, C. Egelhoff, MSPH,
and M. Katz, MPH
Board 8 — Healthy Hospital Initiative at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of
Chicago. S. Pelligra, MPH and D. Camp
Board 9 — Sharps Injury Prevention in the Pediatric Perioperative Setting. J. Boyer, ScD, E.
Torrey, BA, and L. Arsenault, RN, MSN, CNOR, NE-BC
Board 10 — Relationship between nonstandard work schedule and substance use, new
evidence from the NLSY 97. M. K. Sameni, PhD.
Page | 19
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Monday - November 2, 2015
Afternoon Session
2:30 P.M.-4:00 P.M.
MPCC: Exhibit Hall F
3312. 0 PS-SCI: Poster Session: Student and New Researchers
Studying OHS-1
Moderator: Homero Harari, Sc.D., MSc
Board 1 — Effect of Performing WARM-up and Cool-DOWN Exercises on the Flexibility
of the Calf and Hamstring PRIOR to a 50 Minute WorkoutL. Anidi, DHsc, MBA, D. Curtis,
DDS, MPH, DHSc
Board 2 — Resident doctors' experience of patient violene: An evaluation of the level of
violence and associated factors at a university hospital in Turkey. M. B. JAiteh, M.D.
Board 3 — Interactive toolbox talk influences knowledge and use of N95 respirator
mask among commercial construction workers: Evidence from the Building Occupational
Lessons in Toxic crystalline Silica (BOLTS) Pilot Study. H. A. Olano, B.A., J. Sznol, BS, H.
Kling, B.S., K.L. Arheart, Ed D, J. Chalmers, MPH, L Haruar-Morano, P. Cavicchia, Ph.D, S.
Watkins, Ph.D., D.J. Lee, Ph.D, A. J. Caban-Martinez, Ph.D, DO, MPH, CPH.
Board 4 — Improving eye safety training and education for frontline healthcare workers.
B. Ferreira, MPH, C.E. Cummings, M.D., MPH, E Bararash, M.S.
Board 5 — Assessment of NIOSH's Online Workplace Violence Prevention Best Practices
Course with University Nursing Students. M. Brann, Ph.D., MPH
Board 6 — Association of Healthy Work Culture and Worksite Health Culture with
Presenteeism. Y.T. Chang, MPH
Board 7 — Risk of visual impairment in individuals with a history of a farming, forestry,
or fishing occupation. M. Siegel, MPH
Board 8 — Gender disparities in musculoskeletal symptoms and tasks performed among
custodiansM. Ahuja, Ph.D. Candidate in Public Health, J. Garza, Sc.D, J. Cavallari, Sc.D,
CIH.
Board 9 — An Examination of Musculoskeletal Disorders, Psychosocial Factors, and
Ergonomic Factors in a Sample of Home Health Aides. L. Murphy, Ph.D, A.J. CabanMartinez, PhD, DO, MPH, CPH, D. Brannan, Ph.D., R. Goldman M.D., MPH
Board 10 – Acute joint pain among adults employed in U.S. green collar jobs: Evidence
from the National Health Interview Survey. S.R. Huntley, BS, C. Chen, BS, W.G. LeBlanc,
Ph.D., D. Lee, Ph.D., M. Cifuentes, M.D. Sc.D, K. Arheart, Ed.D, C. Fernandez, MS ED,
L.A. McClure, MSPH, S. Christ, Ph.D, L. Fleming, M.D., Ph.D., A. J. Caban-Martinez,
Ph.D, DO, MPH, CPH.
Page | 20
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Monday - November 2, 2015
Afternoon Session
2:30 P.M.-4:00 P.M.
MPCC: W176b
3381.0 Protecting disaster response workers: Turning lessons
learned into actions
Moderator: Aubrey Miller, M.D., MPH
Dedication: In memory of Susan Harwood (1945-1996)
2:30 P.M. — Integrating Disaster Mental Health and Resiliency Training into Existing
Occupational Health and Safety Programs . J. Hughes Jr., MPH and B. Eagin, MPH
2: 50 P.M. — Supervisors' role in balancing personal, work demands, and team needs in
addressing disaster worker mental health . J. Rosen, MS, CIH
3:10 P.M — Lessons learned from Disaster Research Exercises in California and Texas . K.
Yeskey, MD, B. Eagin, MPH, J. Lee Pearson, MA, A. Miller, MD, MPH, and A. Bennett, B.S.
3:30 P.M — Resources and Apps for Emergency Responders: Information is key for effective
disaster preparedness, response, and recovery . S. J. Arnesen, MS, C. B. Love, MLS, and A.
Bennett, B.S.
Page | 21
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Monday - November 2, 2015
Afternoon Session
2:30 P.M.-4:00 P.M.
MPCC: W185a
3382.0 - RT-SCI: Vulnerable workers: obstacles and opportunities
for OHS
Moderator: Sharon D. Beard, MS, IH
Dedication: In memory of Charley Richardson (1953-2013)
Table 1 — A Personal Protective Equipment Improvement Project for Laboratory Personnel at
a Research Hospital. M. Weil, MPH, ScD, W. Lorenzen, and Y. Zhang
Table 2 — Beauty and Its Beast: Unmasking the Impacts of Toxic Chemicals on Salon
Workers. A. Scranton, MS
Table 3 — Doing more with less: Austerity driven policies and occupational health disparities
among New York City human service workers. J. Zelnick, MSW, ScD and M. Abramovitz,
MSW, DSW
Table 4 — Promoting low-wage and immigrant worker health via community-based workforce
development organizations: A qualitative study. E. Tsui, PhD MPH, I. Cuervo, PhD, N. Islam,
PhD, G. Sembajwe, SCD, and S. Baron, MD, MPH
Table 5 — Redesigning the Electronics Supply Chain to Prioritize the Health and Safety of
Workers and Communities. T. Jailer
Table 6 — Employee perceptions of the work environment in a hog slaughter and processing
plant. J. Rinsky, J. Lebov, R. Castillo Neyra, C. Resnick, R. Robbins, and E. Silbergeld, Ph.D.
Table 7 — Mapping Safety and Health Conditions in Low-Wage Work: Conversations with
Workers in Central New York. J. M. Zoeckler, MPH, M. B. Lax, MD MPH, J. Zanoni, PhD,
MILR, and G. Gonos, PhD
Table 8 — Filipinos Working in Fish Processing in Dutch Harbor, AK: A Qualitative Study. G.
J. Garcia, PhD, MA, MPH and B. de Castro, PhD, MSN/MPH, RN
Page | 22
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Monday - November 2, 2015
Evening Session
6:00 P.M.-7:30 P.M.
MPCC: W176b
343 OHS Membership/Section meeting - All invited
Page | 23
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Tuesday - November 3, 2015
Morning Session
8:30 A.M.-10:00 P.M.
MPCC: W179a
4058.0 Climate Change and Public Health
*Collaborative Session with ENV Section*
Moderator: Barry Levy, M.D., MA
Dedication: In memory of Barry Commoner (1917-2012)
[WITHDRAWN] 8:30 A.M. — Worker health, climate change and policy: An example from
Costa Rica. J. Crowe, MPH, PhD, C. Wesseling, MD, PhD, T. Kjellstrom, MD, PhD, and M.
Nilsson, PhD.
8:45 A.M. — Heat stress intervention to prevent Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in El
Salvador. D. Wegman, MD, MSOH, T. Bodin, MD, PhD, I. Weiss, MA, MPH, R. García
Trabanino, MD, J. Glaser, BA, E. Jarquin, MD, and C. Wesseling, MD, PhD.
9:00 A.M. — Advancing Communication of Climate Change as an Important Public Health
and Equity Issue: California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and San Luis Obispo
County Public Health Department Pilot Campaign. B. Sommerfeldt, MPH, K. Karle, MEd,
MCHES, and K. Dervin, MPH.
9:15 A.M. — Climate change and health 101: Educating public health professionals in
Illinois. E. Grossman, MPH and S. Dorevitch, MD, MPH.
9:30 A.M. — Development of a Climate Change Research Agenda for the National Institute
for Occupational Safety and Health. M. Kiefer, MS, CIH and J. Watson, MSc, DPhil
Page | 24
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Tuesday - November 3, 2015
Morning Session
8:30 A.M.-10:00 P.M.
MPCC: W176b
4059.0 SCI: How “politics as usual” has Weakened Health and
Safety Protections for Workers
Moderator: Marianne Sullivan, DrPH
Dedication: In memory of:
George Taylor (1911-2007)
8:30 A.M. — Assault on worker safety protections: Dangerous bedfellows in Congress, the
White House and trade associations. C. Monforton, DrPH, MPH.
9:00 A.M. — How Corporate Democrats Undermined Workers' Health and Safety in
California. G. D. Brown, MPH, CIH.
9:30 A.M. — Hey, What Happened to the Right to Know? The Impact of the OSHA Adoption
of the Globally Harmonized System. D. Gold, MPH, CIH.
10:00 A.M. — Problems In Protecting Healthcare Workers From Exposure to H1N1 And
Ebola. Why Is The Infection Control Community In Charge Instead Of OSHA And NIOSH
And What Can Be Done About It. B. Kojola, MS.
Page | 25
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Tuesday - November 3, 2015
Morning Session
10:30 A.M.- 12:00 P.M.
MPCC: W176b
ROOM: _____
4138.0 SCI: Occupational Injuries (in Collaboration with ICEHS
and OHS)
Moderator: Morteza Asgarzadeh, PhD
10:30 A.M. Economic consequences of workplace injuries in the United
States: Findings from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth
Xiuwen Sue Dong, DrPH, Xuanwen Wang, PhD, Julie Largay, MPH and
Rosemary Sokas, MD, MOH, MSc
10:45 A.M. Firearm Prevalence and Homicides of Law Enforcement
Officers in the United States, David Swedler, PhD, MPH
11:00 A.M. Emergency Responder Injuries Resulting from Acute
Chemical Releases, 2002 to 2012, Alice Yang
11:15 A.M. Individual-level factors associated with work-related injuries
among Washington adolescents, Janessa Graves, PhD, MPH
11:30 A.M. Relationships among work schedules, sleep quality, and
functional disability of nursing home employees, Yuan Zhang, Ph.D. and
Laura Punnett, ScD
Page | 26
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Tuesday - November 3, 2015
Noon Session
12:00 P.M.-2:00 P.M.
MPCC: W190a
4174.0 - SCI: OHS 2015 Awards Lunch
This event is a highlight of the OHS Section’s program. It gives us an opportunity to recognize
and celebrate the noteworthy accomplishments and contributions of our colleagues in the US
and abroad.
Alice Hamilton Award: Peter Orris, M.D., MPH, FACP, FACOEM
Lorin Kerr Award: Homero Harari, Sc.D, M.Sc
Tony Mazzocchi Award: Eric Frumin
International Award: Sarath Gunatilake, M.D., MPH, Dr.PH
You do not need a ticket to attend this event. Everyone is welcome. Bring
your lunch and celebrate with us. Tickets for a $30 box lunch were available
for purchase with your conference registration. Tickets for the box lunch are
typically still available for sale at the APHA registration desk through 5:00 pm
on Sunday.
Page | 27
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Tuesday - November 3, 2015
Morning Session
10:30 A.M.-12:00 PM
MPCC: W176b
4155.0 Obstacles to Health for Workers along the Food Chain
*Collaborative Session with Food & Nutrition and ENV Sections*)
Moderator: Judith Daltuva, MA, MSW
Dedication: In memory of Helen Powell (1929-2015)
10:30 A.M. — Identification and characterization of state wage and hour laws for farmworkers.
S. Rodman, MPH, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
10:45 A.M. — Policy exclusions and unequal protection for vulnerable workers. Is regulatory
change on the way? A. K. Liebman, MPA, MA, Migrant Clinicians Network
11:00 A.M. — Offshore Fish Farming in the US: Who will regulate occupational safety? J.
Fry, PhD MPH, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, D. Love, PhD, MSPH,
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, A. Shukla, MPP, Johns Hopkins
Bloomberg School of Public Health, R. Lee, MHS, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public
Health
11:15 A.M. — Non-policy routes to equality: Coalition of Immokalee Workers and targeting
corporate buyers. J. Oliva, Food Chain Alliance
11:30 A.M. — Organizing for equality: Policy-oriented action to raise the tipped minimum
wage. R. J. Clack, Restaurant Opportunities Center of Chicago
Page | 28
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Tuesday - November 3, 2015
Afternoon Session
2:30 PM-4:00 PM
MPCC: W187c
4344.0 - Topics in OHS injury Records, Workers' Comp, and Costs
Moderator: Alfreda Holloway-Beth, Ph.D., CHES
Dedication: In memory of Crystal Eastman (1881-1928)
2:30 P.M. — Relationship between employee health risk factors and workers' compensation:
Evidence from a cohort of small and medium sized enterprises. N. Schwatka, PhD, A. J.
Atherly, PhD, H. Fang, PhD, R. Goetzel, PhD, K. Jinnett, PhD, C. Brockbank, MS, and L. S.
Newman, MD, MA.
2:50 P.M. — Medical management of occupational injuries and illnesses: Ethics,
underreporting and workers' health. K. Fagan, MD.
3:10 P.M. — Long-run impacts of carpal tunnel syndrome on workers' social, physical and
financial well-being. M. Foley, MA and B. A. Silverstein, PhD, MPH.
3:30 P.M. — Use of National and State Compensation and Surveillance Compliance Data Sets
to Better Understand Miners' Health. R. Cohen, MD, C. Rose, MD, MPH, J. Graber, PhD, E.
Petsonk, MD, N. Ibrahim, MA, LGSW, K. Almberg, MS, M. Robinson, BS, and L. Go, MD.
Page | 29
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Tuesday - November 3, 2015
Afternoon Session
2:30 PM-4:00 PM
ROOM: ____
4317.0 SCI: If's Offal Policy: Looking Upstream at Food Safety (in
Collaboration with OHS and ENV)
Moderators: C. Monforton, DrPH, MPH & R. Fisher, MS MPH RD
2:30 P.M. Farm, factory, and the fate of our food, Ted Genoways
2:50 P.M. Taking a toll: A meatpacking worker's perspective on hazards
and food safety, Jose Gaytan (from Nebraska)
3:10 P.M. A qualitative investigation of the role of food workers in US food
safety, Megan Clayton, PhD, MPH
3:30 P.M. Combating resistance: Protect workers while preserving
antibiotics through upstream changes in FDA policy, D.Wallinga, MD, MPA
Page | 30
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Tuesday - November 3, 2015
Afternoon Session
4:30 P.M.-5:30 P.M.
MPCC: Exhibit Hall F
4389. Poster Session: Health Hazards and Health interventions for
Farm Workers
Facilitator/Host: Judith Daltuva, MA, MSW
Board 1 — Using collaborative action planning methods to implement a national agricultural
tractor safety initiative. P. Tinc, MPH, CHES.
Board 2 — Protéjase! mHealth and PPE Intervention Promotes Pesticide Safety for Mexican
Immigrant Farmworkers. S. A. Snipes, PhD, J. Smyth, PhD, D. Murphy, PhD, L. Davis, MHA,
P. Y. Miranda, MPH, PhD, and A. Montiel-Ishino, MPH.
Board 3 — Did the OSHA LEP miss the bull's eye on dairy farms? A score sheet of hazards
identified by a safety consultation program in comparison to the OSHA LEPI. A. Reyes, MPH,
Y. Ninco Sanchez, RN, and M. Keifer, MD, MPH.
Board 4 — Agricultural injury surveillance in the Central States region: Survey respondents'
perspectives. K. Patel, MD MPH, S. Watanabe-Galloway, PhD, and R. Rautiainen, PhD.
Board 5 — Using Policy Briefs to Disseminate Occupational and Environmental Research with
Farmworkers to Policy Makers. P. Summers, MPH, S. A. Quandt, PhD, M. Wiggins, and T. A.
Arcury, PhD.
Board 6 — Findings from a Pilot Study of Children's Agricultural Safety and Health among
Local Agricultural Market Producers (LAMPs) in Illinois and North Carolina. C. Spears
Johnson, Ph.D., P. Summers, MPH, S. A. Quandt, PhD, and T. A. Arcury, PhD.
Board 7 — Interventions and Prevention of Occupational Contact Dermatitis as a Result of
Organophosphate Pesticide Exposure in US Agricultural Workers. K. Moore, BA.
Board 8 — Assessment of dust exposure and lung function in agricultural workers. C.
Holsinger, MPH, CPH.
Board 9 — Association of skin rashes with work environment and personal behaviors in
female farmworkers. K. L. Campbell, BSN, RN, V. Mac, BSN, RN, A. Tovar, PhD, E.
Economos, B. Baker, PhD, RN, and L. A. McCauley, PhD.
Board 10 - Heat-related illness symptoms and prevention practices in central Florida. A. Mutic,
MSN, CNM, V. Mac, BSN, RN, E. Economos, A. Tovar, PhD, and L. A. McCauley, PhD.
Page | 31
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Tuesday – November 3 , 2015
Afternoon Session
4:30 P.M.-5:30 P.M.
MPCC: Exhibit Hall F
4390.0 Poster Session: International Experiences and Efforts in
OHS
Facilitator/Host: Kathy Kirkland, Dr.PH, MPH
Board 1 — Psychosocial factors related to intention to stay as a nurse in urban and rural areas
in Japan. M. Satoh, Ph.D, RN, PHN, K. Asakura, PhD, RN, PHN, and I. Watanabe, PhD, RN.
Board 2 — Assessment of facilities, safety conditions and prevalence of accident in selected
public secondary schools in Ibadan, Southwest Nigeria. O. Okareh, PhD, MPH and A.
Nwaeburu, BSc., PGD, MPH.
Board 3 — Occupational health and safety assessment of funeral homes in Grenada. M. Forde,
Professor and D. Rassier.
Board 4 — Blood borne pathogen assessment survey among healthcare workers in Haiti. R.
Feldman, Ph.D., FAAHB, J. Lipscomb, PhD, RN, and B. Barrows, MS, RN.
Board 5 — Quality improvement programs of workers' health examination in South Korea. K.
S. Shin and Y. K. Chung.
Board 6 — Appropriate infection control for workers who reside in the developing counties. M.
Ogawa.
Board 7 — Silicosis burdening the lives of mineworkers in India. P. Tyagi, MD.
Board 8 — Elemental mercury exposure in men, women, and children from a Bolivian
community engaged in artisanal gold mining. J. Grassman, MS PHD CPH, J. Caravanos,
PhD, G. Johnson, PhD, Z. Cheng, PhD, L. Hernandez, MPH, Y. Diaz, BS, D. Wagner, BS, and
G. Condarco, MD.
Board 9 — Effects of employment pattern and generosity of the safety net for workers on selfrated health across the EU: A multilevel, longitudinal analysis. K. Shankardass, PhD, C.
Muntaner, PhD, MHS, E. Ng, PhD, P. O'Campo, PhD, M. Julia, V. Kaufman Shriqui, PhD
MSc RD, and K. E. McIsaac, PhD.
Board 10 — Influence of Occupational Social Class on Health in Korean and European Union
(EU) Employees. E. Choi, PhD, MPH, RN and H. Park, PhD, MPH, MSN, ANP, RN.
Page | 32
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Tuesday – November 3, 2015
Afternoon Session
4:30 P.M.-5:30 P.M
MPCC: Exhibit Hall F
4391.0 Poster Session OHS Topics – 2
Facilitator/Host: Robin Dewey, MPH
Board 1— Influence of a 120-minute Nap on the Amount of Physical Activity and Subsequent
Sleep Quality: S. Oriyama, Ph.D. RN, Y Miyokshi, Ph.D., PHN, RN, T. Kobayashi, Ph.D.,
M.D.
Board 2 — Culture of Safety and Other Useful Myths: Anthropological Work in Occupational
Safety, Historically and Potentially. C. Bendixsen, PhD.
Board 3 — A Healthy Workplace: Engaging businesses to support promising practices for
health and safety. L. Tenney, MPH, M. Haan, MPH, C. Brown, PhD, and M. Dally.
Board 5 — Creating a Culture of Safety Across Multiple Institutions in a DOE Funded
Research Hub. S. Rupkey, CIH.
Board 6 — Public Policy Implications for Law Enforcement Officers. S. L. Ramey, PhD, RN.
Board 8 — An Exploratory Study of Workplace Victimization in Nursing. S. Lamar, DrPH,
LM, CNM, D. Viola, PhD, and K. Knapp, PhD.
Board 9 — Smoking Status Influences Reporting of Multisite Musculoskeletal Chronic Pain
Among Construction Workers. P. Pradeep, MPH, J. Sznol, MPH, S. R. Huntley, BS, K. L.
Arheart, EdD, and A. Caban-Martinez, PhD, DO, MPH, CPH.
Board 10 — The Greater the At-Risk Occupational Environment Among Law Enforcement
Practitioners, The Less Likely Those Officers Provide Quality Public Safety Practices. D. J.
Stevens, Ph.D.
Page | 33
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Tuesday - November 3, 2015
Afternoon Session
4:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
MPCC: W176a
4442.0 - SCI: Occupational Health Internship Program (OHIP):
Twelve Years On - Still Shaping the Future of OHS
Moderator: Ingrid Denis, MA
Dedication: In memory of:
Tony Mazzochi (1926-2002)
Andrea Kidd Taylor (1955-2014)
4:30 P.M. — Labor and Workplace Conditions of Domestic Live-in Caregivers in Southern
California . Citadel Cabasag, MS, PhD candidate.
4:45 P.M. — Latino Immigrant workers’ condition in SE Louisiana shipyards. Dawn
Surratt, RN, MSN, OEH NP Candidate.
5:00 P.M. — Hazards of Temporary Work in Manufacturing and Warehouse Settings.
Tessa Bonney, MPH candidate.
5:15 P.M. — Seguridad en Las Lecherías: Immigrant Dairy Worker Health and Safety.
Katherine Zielke, RN, MPH.
5:30 P.M. — Heat Illness Prevention Project. Mara Ortenburger, MPH/MURP
Candidate
5:45 P.M. — Paid Sick Leave, Job Safety and Health for Oakland Workers. Anika Larson,
MPH Candidate and Ornella Leukou Nzoutchoum, MPH Candidate.
Page | 34
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Tuesday - November 3, 2015
Afternoon Session
4:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
MPCC: W176b
4443.0 - SCI: Protecting healthcare workers from H&S hazards
Moderator: Dorothy Wigmore, MS
Dedication: In memory of:
Tom Waters (1952-2014)
Bill Charney (1946-2012)
4:30 P.M. — Safe cleaning and disinfecting for home care aide and client health. M. M.
Quinn, ScD, CIH, P. Markkanen, ScD, C. Galligan, MSc, S. Sama, ScD, N. Goodyear, Ph.D.,
MT(ASCP), CLS(NCA), D. Kriebel, ScD, R. Gore, PhD, N. Brouillette, MSc, D. Okyere, BSc,
MSc, RN, C. Sun, MSc, L. Davis, ScD.
4:46 P.M. — Evaluating the connection between home care aide and patient safety using
the care bond. D. Okyere, BSc, MSc, RN, M. M. Quinn, ScD, CIH, D. Kriebel, ScD, M.
Cifuentes, MD, ScD, P. Markkanen, ScD, C. Galligan, MSc, S. Sama, ScD, R. Gore, PhD, N.
Brouillette, MSc, C. Sun, MSc.
5:02 P.M. — Surgical Smoke and Healthcare Worker Health and Safety. A. L. Steege, PhD,
MPH, J. Boiano, MS, CIH, M. H. Sweeney, PhD.
5:18 P.M. — Burden of occupationally-acquired infections among healthcare workers. R.
Jones, PhD, MPH.
5:34 P.M. — Protecting workers from occupational exposure to Ebola virus: OSHA's
preparedness and response activities during the 2014 Ebola outbreak.C. Brown, MS,
MPH, CPH.
Page | 35
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Tuesday - November 3, 2015
Evening Session
6:00 P.M.-8:00 P.M.
MPCC: W176b
423.0 OHS Section Membership Meeting. Planning for 2016
Annual Meeting in Denver, CO – All Invited
Page | 36
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Tuesday - November 3, 2015
Party time!
8:00 P.M – 12:00 A.M.
Fund Raising Social, Party, and Dance –All
welcome!!!
The DJ will be playing all the favorites.
Join the party and let off some steam!
Vice District Brewing
1454 W. Michigan Avenue
(About 1.5 miles from McCormick Place)
8:30PM to midnight
Featuring DJ Kimani
Buy your ticket here:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2405467
or at the
OHS Section Booth in the Exhibit Hall
or from an OHS Section member.
Tickets will also be available at the door.
Ticket price: $25 and $10 low income/students.
Page | 37
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
PROGRAM AT A GLANCE
Time
7:30 AM
11:30 AM
SUNDAY
November 1, 2015
McCormick Place Convention Center (MPCC)
133.0 - BM: OHS Membership/Business Meeting - All Invited
AOEC Continental Breakfast
MPCC, W190a
3:30 PM
4:30 PM
OHS New Members Orientation - All welcome!
3:30 PM
6:00 PM
APHA Public Hearings on Proposed Policy Statements
Hyatt Regency McCormick Place,
Rooms CC10A, CC10B, CC10C and CC10D.
6:00 PM
7:30 PM
234.1 OHS Social Hour
MPCC, W470b
All Welcome! – Cash Bar
MPCC, W186a
Page | 38
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
PROGRAM AT A GLANCE
Time
MONDAY
November 2, 2015
McCormick Place Convention Center (MPCC)
8:30 AM
10:00 AM
3065. Occupational and environmental hygiene and exposure assessment.
MPCC, W196b
3066.0 Thumbs up, thumbs down: employer policies affecting workers' health
MPCC, S105a
10:30 AM
12:00 PM
3172.0 OHS interventions and evaluation research. MPCC, W184d
12:30 PM
2:00 PM
2:30 PM 3:30 PM
2:30 PM
4:00 PM
4:30 PM
6:00 PM
6:00 PM
7:30 PM
3173.0 Protecting workers from biological threats: Ebola as a driver for
biosafety training in the US. MPCC,W176b
12:00 p.m.-12:30 p.m. 3190.1 APHA Film Festival – Toxic Hot Seat
3270.0 Industrial hygiene & exposure assessment. MCC, 341
3275.0 Remember history: Worker health & safety in the U.S. and across the
globe. MCC, 196a
Poster Sessions MPCC Exhibit
3310. 0 OHS Topics – 1
3311. 0 Student & new researchers studying OHS – 2
3312.0 Student & new researchers studying OHS – 1
3381.0 Protecting disaster response workers: Turning lessons learned into
actions. MPCC, W176b
3382.0 Vulnerable workers: obstacles and opportunities for OHS. MPCC,
W185a
APHA Plenary Session
or
OHS Policy Discussion (MPCC 176b)
4174.0 OHS Section meeting: All welcome! MPCC, W190a
Page | 39
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
PROGRAM AT A GLANCE
Time
8:30 AM 10:00 AM
TUESDAY
November 3, 2015
McCormick Place Convention Center (MPCC)
4058.0 Climate change and public health (Collaborative session with ENV
Section). MPCC, W179a
4059.0 How “politics as usual” has weakened health and safety protections
for workers. MPCC, W176b
10:30 AM
12:00 PM
4155.0 Obstacles to health for workers along the food chain (Collaborative
session with F&N and ENV Sections) MPCC W176b
4138.0 Occupational Injuries (in Collaboration with ICEHS and OHS)
12:00 PM
2:00 PM
4174.0 OHS awards luncheon: 100 years of research and action
MPCC, W190a
2:30 PM
4:00 PM
4344.0 Topics in OHS injury records, workers' comp, and costs MPCC,
W187c
4317.0 If's Offal Policy: Looking Upstream at Food Safety (in Collaboration
with OHS and ENV)
4:30 PM
5:30 PM
Poster session – MPCC – Exhibit Hall F
4389. Health hazards and health interventions for farmworkers
4390. International experiences and efforts in OHS
4391. OHS Topics – 2
4:30 PM
6:00 PM
4442.0 OHIP. MPCC, W176a
4443.0 Protecting healthcare workers from H&S hazards MPCC, W176b
6:00 PM
7:30 PM
321.0 OHS Section meeting: All welcome (Planning for 2016 Annual
Meeting, Denver)
MPCC, W176b
8:00 PM
12:00 PM
Fund Raising Social, Party, and Dance –All welcome!!!
Vice District Brewing
1454 W. Michigan Avenue (About 1.5 miles from McCormick Place)
8:30PM to midnight
Page | 40
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
PROGRAM AT A GLANCE
Time
8:30 AM
9:30 AM
8:30 AM
10:00 AM
10:30 AM
12:00 PM
WEDNESDAY
November 4, 2015
McCormick Place Convention Center (MPCC)
5016.0 Posters: Interesting OHS Topics 3. MPCC, Exhibit Hall F
5017.0 Posters: Interesting OHS Topics 4. MPCC, Exhibit Hall F
5067.0 NIOSH's oil and gas extraction H&S program. MPCC,W 176b
5121.0 H&S alliances and new OHS challenges. MPCC, W184d
5122.0 New approaches to identifying and addressing health hazards
MPCC, W176b
12:30 PM
2:00 PM
5170.0 Worksite wellness programs: the right or the wrong track?
MPCC, W176b
2:00 PM
APHA Closing Plenary Session
Page | 41
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Wednesday - November 4, 2015
Morning Session
8:30 A.M.-9:30 A.M.
MPCC: Exhibit Hall F
5022.0 Poster Session. OHS Topics – 3
Moderator: Jeanette M. Zoeckler, MPH
Board 1 — Physical and Psychological Effects of Drowsiness and Fatigue on Nurses Working
16-Hour Night Shifts without Naps. S. Oriyama, Ph.D., RN, Y. Miyakoshi, Ph.D.,PHN,RN, T.
Kobayashi, Ph.D.,M.D., and M. Kayahara, MS, RN.
Board 2 — Nuance to Numbers: Transforming Unstructured Physical Therapist Field Data to
Structured Farm Task Data for an Injured/Ill Return to Work Software Application. B.
Weichelt, MS, MBA, PMP, I. A. Reyes, MPH, W. Ray, BS, A. Mahnke, MS, L. Verhagen,
BS, H. Shaun, BS, and M. Keifer, M.D., MPH.
Board 3 —Worker Training Needs in Preparation for Impacts of Climate Change. J. Hughes,
Jr., MPH, J.L. Pearson, MA
Board 4 –Does an intervention to reduce workplace violence impact hospital worker
perceptions of safety culture and work satisfaction? J. Arnetz, PhD, MPH, M. Upfal, M.D.,
MPH, M Luborsky, Ph.D., J. Russell, L. Essenmacher, MPH.
Board 5 - Green Collar Workers: Epidemiology of An Emerging Workforce. L. A. McClure,
MSPH, D. J. Lee, Ph.D., L. Fleming, M.D., Ph.D., K. L. Arheart, Ed.D., W. G. LeBlanc, Ph.D.,
C. Chen, BS, K. J. Moore, BA, S. Christ, Ph.D., C. Fernandez, MSEd, M. Cifuentes, M.D.,
Sc.D., and A. J. Caban-Martinez, Ph.D., DO, MPH, CPH.
Board 6 — Work and Quality of Life among Adolescents in Washington State, 2010. J.
Graves, Ph.D., MPH, M. E. Miller, MN, RN, and A. Li.
Board 7 — Depression and alcohol among workers: Gender differences on the relationship of
depression and alcohol use among employees based on a multi-year workplace wellness
program. N. K. Wehbi, M.D., MPH, MBA, J. Kim, Ph.D., and J. Canedy, M.D..
Board 8 — Occupational Health and American Indian/Alaska Native Populations: Report on a
Workshop. A. L. Steege, Ph.D., MPH, E. Dalsey, MPH, and K. Retzer, MPH.
Board 9 — Recommendations to Improve Employee Thermal Comfort When Working in 40°F
Refrigerated Cold Rooms. D. Ceballos, Ph.D., MS, CIH, J. Ramsey, MS, CPE, and K. Mead,
MS, PE.
Board 10 — Motivators and barriers to the use of personal protective equipment among
custodians. J. Garza, Sc.D., S. Wakai, Ph.D., and J. Cavallari, Sc.D., CIH.
Page | 42
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Wednesday - November 4, 2015
Morning Session
8:30 A.M.-9:30 A.M.
MPCC: Exhibit Hall F
5022.0 Poster Session. OHS Topics – 4.
Facilitator/Moderator: Karen Mulloy, DO, MSCH
Board 1— Health Promoting Certification Program for Office Buildings: Results from the
FITWEL Pilot Test. M. Walker, MBA, I. Lucas, Ph.D., J. Kimmons, Ph.D. L. Altman, LEED
AP, J. Langham, B Alkan, AICP, LEED, AP, K. Goodman, MA, D. Funkhouser.
Board 2 - Lessons learned from implementing a Spanish-speaking promoter program in the
workplace. Y. Ninco Sanchez, RN, A. K. Liebman, MPA, MA, P. M. Juárez-Carrillo, Ph.D.,
MPH, I. A. Reyes, MPH, and M. Keifer, M.D., MPH.
Board 3 — Former smokers employed at commercial construction sites are less likely to use
respiratory protection. J. Sznol, H. A. Olano, B.A., C. Chen, BS, H. Kling, B.S., K. L. Arheart,
EdD, J. Chalmers, MPH, P. Cavicchia, Ph.D., L. Harduar-Morano, and A. J. Caban-Martinez,
Ph.D., DO, MPH, CPH.
Board 4 — Designing Safety Culture from the Ground Up. J. Gibson, MPH, Ph.D.
Board 5 - A multijurisdictional, collaborative approach to preventing perchloroethylene
exposures in the dry cleaning industry. S. Whittaker, Ph.D..
Board 4 — Assessing Long-Term Impacts of Young Worker Safety and Health Training. R.
Ariganjoye and J. L. Houlroyd, MSPH, CIH.
Board 5 — A multijurisdictional, collaborative approach to preventing perchloroethylene
exposures in the dry cleaning industry Stephen Whittaker, PhD
Board 6 — Assessing Long-Term Impacts of Young Worker Safety and Health Training.
Rukayat Ariganjoye and Jenny Leigh Houlroyd, MSPH, CIH
Board 7 — Zebras, Roosters and Unicorns - Oh My! Finding Causation in the 21st Century. T.
Hanf, J.D., M.P.H
Board 8 — Sun protection behaviour among a lifeguard population. G. Baron, M.D., MSc,
FRCPc, M. Tibout, S. Ines Abbas, V. Sauve, M. C. Gervais, A. Lavoie, and M. FavreauPerreault.
Board 9 — Reducing health disparities: Implementing worker health education with ethnic
community agencies. J. H. C. Tsai, Ph.D., ARNP, PMHCNS-BC, E. A. Thompson, Ph.D.,
RN, and J. R. Herting, Ph.D..
Board 10 — Relative concern for work safety and personal health risks among union
carpenters. B. Evanoff, M.D., MPH, J. Strickland, M.A., and A. M. Dale, Ph.D..
Page | 43
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Wednesday - November 4, 2015
Morning Session
8:30 A.M.-10:00 A.M
MPCC: W176b
5067.0 - SCI: NIOSH's Oil and Gas Extraction H&S program
Moderator: Lizmar Rodríguez Rodríguez, MS
Dedication: In memory of John Talty (1937-2011)
8:30 A.M. — How Partnerships Drive Quality Research. M. Alexander-Scott, DVM, MS,
MPH, J. Snawder, PhD, E. Esswein, MSPH CIH, R. Hill, MPH, M. Breitenstein, BS, and K.
Retzer, MPH.
9:00 A.M. — NIOSH Exposure Assessments in the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry: Exposures
during Flowback and Production Testing Operations. B. King, PhD CIH, E. Esswein, MSPH
CIH, J. Snawder, PhD, M. Breitenstein, BS, and M. Alexander-Scott, DVM, MS, MPH.
9:30 A.M. — Control of Worker Exposure to Silica in Oil and Gas Extraction. B. Alexander,
PhD, PE, E. Esswein, MSPH CIH, M. Gressel, J. Kratzer, H. A. Feng, MS, B. King, PhD CIH,
A. Miller, and E. Cauda.
10:00 A.M. — Development of an Oil and Gas Worker Fatality Surveillance System. S. Ridl,
BS, K. Retzer, MPH, and R. Hill, MPH.
Page | 44
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Wednesday - November 4, 2015
Morning Session
10:30 A.M.-12:00 P.M
MPCC: W184d
5121.0 Round Table: H&S Alliances and New OHS Challenges
Moderator: Robin Dewey, MPH
Dedication: In memory of:
Bill Worthington (1920-DOD unknown)
Jock Yablonski (1910-1969)
Table 1— Role of Labor Union Contracts in Protecting Public Health. J. Hagedorn, MPH, A.
Hagopian, PhD, and N. Vallestero Keenan, MSW.
Table 2 — Labor Unions as Public Health Institutions: Implication for Public Health
Partnership and Worker Health. B. Malinowski, MPH, M. Minkler, DrPH, and L. Stock, MPH.
Table 3 — National COSH Movement for Worker Health & Safety Advancement. M. Vogel,
BA Sociology/Social Work; Juris Doctorate and P. Dooley, MS, CIH, CSP.
Table 4 — CDC-NIOSH study of respiratory disease association with observed building
dampness, moisture and mold in 50 elementary schools: A partnership between union, SD &
CDC to inspect, collect samples and administer health/illness questionnaires to 5000
occupants. J. Roseman, M.Sc.
Table 5 — A Collaborative Effort to Improve Occupational Health Surveillance and Outreach,
part 1. G. Bateson, MS.
Table 6 — Developing strategies for informed substitution of toxic chemicals in cleaning
products. D. Wigmore, M.S., L. Stoffman, and B. Thorpe
Table 7— A Collaborative Effort to Improve Occupational Health Surveillance and Outreach Part 2. F. Schreiberg, JD.
Table 8— Campaign for a Comprehensive Workplace Violence Prevention Standard for
Healthcare Workers in California. M. D. Catlin, BS BA, R. Negri, BA, K. Hughes, RN, G.
Batiste, RN, CNOR, S. Weinstein, RN, I. Dahlgren, RN, and S. Springer, BA
Page | 45
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Wednesday - November 4, 2015
Morning Session
10:30 A.M.-12:00 P.M.
MPCC: W176b
5122.0 - SCI: New Approaches to Identifying and Addressing
Health Hazards
Moderator: Michelle Fanucchi, PhD
Dedication: In memory of Isidore Buff (1908-1974)
10:30 A.M. — Self-Rated Health and Depression among Green Collar Workers: Job DemandControl Pathways to Health. S. Christ, PhD, A. J. Caban-Martinez, PhD, DO, MPH, CPH, M.
Cifuentes, MD, ScD, W. G. LeBlanc, PhD, K. L. Arheart, EdD, C. Fernandez, MS Ed, C. Chen,
BS, L. Fleming, MD, PhD, and D. Lee, PhD.
10:45 A.M. — Young worker fatalities Involving violations of the US child labor laws, 2001 2012: National study using data from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injury. K. Rauscher,
MA, ScD.
11:00 A.M. — Developing Occupational Health and Safety Curriculum for Educational
Enhancement for Family Medicine Residents. P. Pratap, PhD, S. N. Buchanan, MD, MPH, L.
Stevak, and M. Gecht
11:15 A.M. — An underestimated extra-pulmonary effect of silica dust exposure: Renal
affection. F. Charl Fahmy, Professor of Occupational Medicine and R. El Gazzar, Professor
of Occupational Biology.
11:45 A.M. — Asbestos Public Health Campaigns in the 21st Century: A Look at National and
International Awareness and Disease Prevention Movements. L. Reinstein.
Page | 46
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Wednesday - November 4, 2015
Afternoon Session
12:30 P.M.-2:00 P.M.
MPCC: W176b
5170.0 - SCI: Worksite wellness programs: the right or the wrong
track?
Moderator: Jeanette M. Zoeckler, MPH
Dedication: In memory of John M. Peters, MD, DSc, MPH
12:30 P.M. — NIOSH's Total Worker Health Agenda: An agenda outside of NIOSH's statutory
authority. R. Reindel, MS, MPH.
12:45 P.M. — Chronic disease: NIOSH's focus must be on occupational exposures that cause
and contribute to chronic disease and ill health. J. Frederick, MS.
1:00 P.M. — Worksite Wellness in State Health Agencies: Policies and Practices to Improve
Health Statewide. K. Wan, MS, PAPHS and E. Walker Romero, MS.
1:15 P.M. — Implementing the Healthy Workplace Participatory Program in a retail work
setting. J. Strickland, M.A., A. Kinghorn, MS, B. Evanoff, MD, MPH, and A. M. Dale, PhD.
1:30 P.M. — Workplace wellness programs - a wrong path to promoting workers' health and
well-being. N. Lessin, MS.
Page | 47
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
DEDICATIONS
John B. Andrews (1880-1943)
John Bertram Andrews and John R. Commons
founded the American Association for Labor
Legislation (AALL) in 1908. Its mission was to lobby
for a broad range of social welfare legislation. Along
with Frederick Ludwig Hoffman, a German-born
statistician who, after immigrating to the United
States in 1884, became director of the American
Public Health Association, and under Hoffman's and
Andrews' direction, the AALL worked to enact
legislation to provide for compensation for industrial accidents, promote
industrial safety, and institute unemployment, old age, and health insurance.
John Andrews, as lobbyist, lecturer, author and editor of the publication The
American Labor Legislation Review, became the motivating force of the
Association. Broadly speaking, the AALL set the following goals in the early
Progressive era: the alleviation of adverse working conditions; the creation of
laws to protect safety and health on the job; and the provision of compensation
after job-related injury.AALLstudy groups investigated labor conditions, and
AALL lobbied in support of protective labor legislation in state and federal
legislatures, and critiques were published concerning pending bills. The
lifetime of the Association roughly corresponded to Andrews' lifetime; its
activities ceased after his death in 1943. Andrews participated in the founding,
including papers on health insurance, and other aspects of social policy in
several meetings of APHA’s Occupational Health and Safety section, when it was
begun as the Industrial Hygiene Committee in 1914. [Contributed by Glenn Shor]
Page | 48
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
George Becker (1928-2007)
George Becker, the former
president
of
the
United
Steelworkers, is a hero of the labor
movement, but his contributions
to public health are not as well
known. Born in Madison, Ill.,
George found work at National
Steel’s Granite City, Illinois mill
before joining the U.S. Marines and
serving in the Korean War.
Returning to his home state after
the military, began work at Dow Chemical Company where he became a
member of USWA Local Union 4808, rising to the position of Local Union
President before joining the staff of the International Union. One of his early
assignments was work with local unions in secondary lead smelters. “It seemed
like everyone in the plant was sick, and prematurely aged,” he said. So he began
researching the hazards of lead. He attended medical conferences, sometimes
as the only non-physician in the room, and spoke of what he was witnessing. At
one such conference he was accused of lying about the widespread industry
practice of prophylactic chelation because, “no ethical physician would do such
a thing.”
In the 1960’s George and others in the USW began a concerted push for
stronger safety and health language in union contracts. He testified before
Congress on the hazards of lead and arsenic, in the hearings that led to the OSH
Act. In 1975 he moved to Pittsburgh as a member of the union’s health and
safety department. There he worked with local unions across the U.S. and
Canada, and represented the USWA in the struggle for the OSHA coke oven,
arsenic and lead standards.
George left the department in 1977, rising through the union leadership to
become International President in 1993. But he always retained a strong
interest in occupational safety and health. He led the union through a bitter
two-year lockout at Ravenswood Aluminum, where safety and health were
important issues, ultimately winning by mobilizing worldwide support. He also
led the union’s environmental task force, whose 1990 report made the case that
“the choice is not jobs or environment; it’s both, or neither.” The report also
called global warming “the greatest threat to our children’s future.” The report
was adopted as policy by a near-unanimous vote of the more than 2000
delegates to the USWA’s 1990 convention. [Contributed by Jim Frederick]
Page | 49
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Isidore Buff (1908 - 1974)
A cardiologist, Dr. Isidore Buff was the first physician to complain that the
death certificates of coal miners frequently listed the cause of death as a heart
attack when he contended that pneumoconiosis— black lung disease—placed
such a burden on the heart that it was the precipitating cause. Long before
others spoke out, Buff was thundering that half of the state’s 40,000 coal miners
had black lung and were being denied workers’ compensation. Early on, the
Charleston Gazette chastised him editorially. Then he took on the United Mine
Workers for failing to include any coverage of lung disease in their contract.
In the late 1960s, Buff was joined by Drs. Donald Rasmussen and Hawey A.
Wells Jr. in organizing a series of coalfield rallies to highlight the impact of black
lung on miners and their families and to argue for preventative legislation and
compensation. These physicians, worked largely outside the institutional
settings and the United States Public Health Service to defy the prevailing
consensus on black lung. They formed the Committee of Physicians on Mine
Health and Safety. Buff was one of the key forces behind liberalizing the state
workers’ compensation law to cover pneumoconiosis and the Federal Coal
Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, which put a ceiling on the amount of coal
dust allowed in the mines and provided compensation for black lung victims.
In January 1969, the Committee played an instrumental role in the formation
of the West Virginia Black Lung Association. The organization’s campaign
quickly gained momentum, with meetings, rallies, and protest marches across
West Virginia. On January 26, over 3,000 miners attended the BLA’s first
statewide meeting at the Charleston Civic Center. Buff died in Charleston in
1974. [Contributed by David Harrington]
At a rally in Charleston on February 26, 1969, about 3,000 striking miners and
their families, along with Black Lung Association representatives, marched to
the West Virginia state Capitol. (Photo credit: Unknown)
Page | 50
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Bill Charney (1946-2012)
Bill Charney worked tirelessly in the fight
to protect healthcare workers and
advocated for asbestos abate in the US and
Canada. Working at San Francisco General
Hospital in the 1980's, he was a pioneer in
working with the union and management
to promote perhaps the nation's first
patient lift teams as better safe patient lifting devices were just entering the
market to stem the epidemic of neck, back and shoulder injuries to nurses and
other healthcare workers caused by manual patient handling. He published a
number of books on health and safety. He was also a talented musician and
sailor. [Contributed by Bill Borwegan]
Page | 51
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Barry Commoner (1917-2012)
A botanist and biologist, Barry Commoner was a
founder of the environmental movement, along with
peers such as Rachel Carson (The Silent Spring, 1962)
and Margaret Meade. He believed that scientists have
an obligation to share scientific information with the
general public to enable them to participate in public
debate on scientific issues. His work on the effects of
nuclear fallout, documented through the collection of
baby teeth and reinforced by a petition signed by 11,201 scientists worldwide,
provided the scientific foundation for the adoption of the Nuclear Test Ban
Treaty of 1963.
Commoner also helped establish the roots of today’s BlueGreen Alliance of
labor and environmentalists. He first began working with Tony Mazzocchi, a
longtime leader of the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers in the 1950s..
Commoner’s work showed the connections between the environmental crisis
and social and economic issues such as “poverty, injustice, public health,
national security and war,” and that the roots of the environmental crisis lay in
excessive corporate power and flawed systems of production. He argued that
only by changing those systems—for example, by replacing nuclear power, coal
and oil with renewable energy—could the root causes of our environmental
problems be eliminated. Not coincidentally, these same policies would create
millions of new domestic jobs, reducing pollution, inequality and our trade
deficit simultaneously. As Commoner established in The Closing Circle (1971),
the first of his “four laws of ecology” was, “Everything is connected to
everything else.” Barry Commoner ran for US president in 1980 as the
candidate of the Citizens Party. ~ written by Robert E. Scott of the Economic
Policy Institute.[Contributed by Craig Slatin]
Page | 52
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Phillip A Drinker (1894-1972)
Philip Drinker was a professor at the Harvard School
of Public Health who is known for inventing a
respirator for polio victims that became known as the
“Iron Lung.” He was a trained chemical engineer who
became an industrial hygienist, and contributed to
the early work of the profession. Drinker was hired to
teach industrial illumination and ventilation at
Harvard Medical School and soon joined his brother
Cecil Kent Drinker and colleagues Alice Hamilton and
David L. Edsall on the faculty of the nascent Harvard
School of Public Health in 1921 or 1923. He studied,
taught and wrote textbooks and scholarly works on a variety of topics in
industrial hygiene. Drinker created a room with climate control to increase
survival rates of premature babies at the same time that he worked on the iron
lung. He tracked dust levels in factories and mines in order to chart safe levels.
The iron lung was originally designed in response to an industrial hygiene
problem—coal gas poisoning. The device underwent its first clinical trial at
Boston Children’s Hospital on October 12, 1928 on an eight-year-old girl.
Suffering from respiratory paralysis, she began to breathe normally within
seconds of being placed in the machine. Drinker—the younger brother of HSPH
Dean Cecil Kent Drinker was a trained chemical engineer who became an
industrial hygienist—and when a polio epidemic swept the northeastern
United States several years later, demand for the device skyrocketed.
[Contributed by Glenn Shor]
Page | 53
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Crystal Eastman (1881-1928)
Born in Glenora, New York to two Congregationalist
ministers, Crystal held a Master's in sociology and
law degree. After graduation in 1907, she helped with
the first major survey on workplace deaths – The
Pittsburgh Survey. Eastman’s powerful survey team
investigated worker injuries and workplace
conditions and examined several industries,
including railroads, steel and coal mining.
Her published work addressed work accidents, their
economic costs and significant flaws in the legal
system. In her call for reform, she cited appalling tales of workers killed and
families impoverished from workplace injury and death. The Pittsburgh Survey
inspired more than 2,500 other surveys performed nationwide over the next
two decades. It was used by lawmakers to promote social reforms, and inspired
the New York State legislature to commission study on work accidents and
recommend new legislation. As secretary, Crystal drafted legislation that would
become the first workers’ compensation law in the nation. She later served as
investigating attorney for President Wilson’s Commission on Industrial
Relations.
A brilliant orator and effective writer, Crystal campaigned throughout her life
for peace, equal rights, and civil liberties. She was a labor lawyer, suffragist,
socialist and anti-militarist who helped create political organizations that
survived early 20th century turmoil. She was co-editor and cofounder of the
radical arts and politics magazine The Liberator; and cofounder of both the
precursor to the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and the
precursor to the ACLU. She had two children. In 2000, she was inducted into
the National Women's Hall of Fame. [Contributed by Becky Reindel]
Page | 54
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Joseph A. Fortuna (1948-2015)
Dr. Joseph A. Fortuna, a pioneer in the field
of emergency medicine, staunch advocate
for healthcare in underserved populations,
and an authority on the application of
process management and quality control in
medicine, died from complications of cancer
on Wednesday, June 17, 2015 in New
Orleans, LA.
A native of Washington, DC, Joe was an
active participant in student organizations at
Georgetown University and in national
politics, working as a volunteer in the 1968 presidential campaign for Hubert
Humphrey. Later, as a legislative assistant in the Department of Health,
Education and Welfare (HEW), he helped draft the Emergency Medical Services
Development Act of 1972 and went on to join the U.S. Public Health Service as
assistant director of the emerging field of emergency health services at the
Graduate Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. After a nearly twenty-year
career in emergency medicine Fortuna joined Johns Hopkins as a senior
associate in occupational medicine and was recruited to join General Motors’
3,500-employee assembly plant in Baltimore, MD.
In 2004, Fortuna founded and served as co-chair of the Health Steering
Committee of the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG), a 1,500 -member
association of companies dedicated to address “root causes” of waste and
inefficiency in health care. He was a member of the American College of
Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) for more than 25 years,
founding its special interest section on migrant workers and other underserved
populations, and serving on its Board of Directors. He was honored by ACOEM
in 2014 with its Meritorious Service Award and, earlier this year, he was
elevated to ACOEM Fellowship status. He also was the immediate past-chair of
the Health Care Division of the American Society for Quality, and a member of
the Michigan Primary Care Consortium. [Contributed by Marjorie McCullagh]
Page | 55
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Susan E. Harwood (1945-1996)
Born on October 3, 1945 in Tennessee, the daughter
of a Baptist minister, which likely began her lifelong
interest in religion. Susan held a PhD in microbiology
and immunology and was a dedicated teacher at
Stephen F. Austin State University, and later at OSHA.
Her work significantly reduced occupational diseases
in the workplace. In her 17 years at OSHA, she helped develop guidelines on
tuberculosis and standards to protect workers exposed to benzene,
formaldehyde, asbestos and lead in construction. She was the project officer
and a primary author for the cotton dust standard, which virtually eliminated
byssinosis among textile workers in the U.S; and a primary author on the field
sanitation standard that brought basic hygiene protections to farm workers.
She was the driving force behind the highly controversial bloodborne
pathogens standard, testifying to Congress, "I stay awake thinking of the people
who are dying." She directed the Office of Risk Assessment in the Health
Standards Directorate for eight years and mentored young scientists.
She was a cat lover, genealogy hound, a Star Trekkie and jazz lover. She passed
away April 15, 1996. In 1997, OSHA's program that funds non-profit
organizations for safety and health training to the underserved, low-literacy
workers in high-hazard industries, was renamed the Susan Harwood Training
Grant Program in her honor. [Contributed by Becky Reindel]
Page | 56
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Tony Mazzocchi (1926-2002)
Tony Mazzochi was a high school drop-out who
became one of the greatest labor leaders in American
history; and an important figure in the “right to know”
movement. Born into poverty, he left school to serve
in World War II, where he fought in the Battle of the
Bulge and helped liberate Buchenwald. After the war
he worked as a steelworker, an autoworker and
eventually president of the United Gas, Coke, and
Chemical Worker’s Union (UGCCWU). He helped form
the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union (OCAW), for which
he was Vice President. His campaign won a stricter asbestos standard; drew
attention to industry efforts to force factory women to undergo sterilization;
and negotiated dental coverage for his workers, and equal pay for women. As
mentor to Karen Silkwood, he arranged for her to testify before the Atomic
Energy Commission (AEC), and later fought to have those involved in her death
implicated. He co-founded the Labor Party to force issues like nationalized
health care, onto center stage. His tactics of exposing workplace conditions
through public testimonials, and building alliances with the civil rights,
environmental, student, antinuclear, and antiwar movements, made it
impossible for politicians to look the other way. President Nixon credited him
as being the primary force behind the Occupational Safety and Health Act of
1970. He believed his most important contribution was bringing the scientific
and worker communities together. “There is a dawn approaching that is
indicating and shouting to us that it's our moment. But we've got to seize that
moment and use what we know so well—how to organize and, fundamentally,
how to fight!” –Tony Mazzocchi [contributed by Adrienne Katner]
Page | 57
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Arnold Miller (1923 – 1985)
Arnold Miller was a miner and labor
activist who after 24 years in the coal
mines of West Virginia was diagnosed with
Black Lung disease. He became active in
the black lung movement and was involved
in the fight for the Black Lung Law in WV
in 1968-1969. He continued with his
advocacy work on behalf of coal miners and in 1970 was elected president of
the West Virginia Black Lung Association. As a labor activist he became
involved with the Miners for Democracy movement after the death of Jock
Yablonski, his wife and daughter who were murdered by hit men paid for by
Tony Boyle, President of the UMWA. Arnold Miller won the election against
Boyle and served as president of the UMWA from 1972 to 1979.
[Contributed by Karen Mulloy and David Harrington]. Photo: WV Encyclopedia
Page | 58
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
John M. Peters (1953-2010)
John M. Peters was born in Utah. He planned to
become a surgeon, but became interested in worker
health during his service in the U.S. Army and
pursued a career in occupational medicine. He
received an MPH and D.Sc, and was a faculty
member at the Harvard School of Public Health. As
a pioneer of occupational medicine, he published
groundbreaking studies on the health effects of silica, asbestos, vinyl chloride
and other chemicals. His work produced results proving that current dust
standards in Vermont allowed chronic lung damage in granite workers,
wearing respiratory protection prevented lung damage in firefighters, and vinyl
chloride exposure caused a rare liver cancer in rubber workers. After leaving
Harvard University in 1980, he founded and directed the division of
environmental health at the University of Southern California. His work on the
Children’s Health Study at USC produced results on the chronic effects of air
pollution which influenced the creation of national ambient air quality
standards. John passed away on May 6, 2010 from pancreatic cancer. In
addition to his contributions to health, he was known as a competitive golfer,
crossword puzzle master, and devoted fan of the Boston Red Sox and Celtics.
[Contributed by Mary Fletcher]
Page | 59
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Helen Powell (1929-2015)
Helen Powell was born in Glen Jean, West Virginia.
Losing her mother when she was an infant, she was
raised by her coal miner father and grandparents who
shaped her sense of civil service. When she was 15,
her father was disabled in a coal mine and she helped
him win compensation and retirement pension. With
this experience, she aided other local mining families
receive benefits. Helen served as president of the
State and National Black Lung Association and helped
organize the Breath of Life, an association for black,
brown, and white lung victims; and the Disabled
Miner’s and Widow’s Association. She drafted
portions of the 1972 Amendments to the Federal Black Lung Bill and lobbied
for its adoption. Her dedication made it possible for thousands of victims with
black lung and families to receive benefits and compensation. She served as a
board member of many organizations including the Appalachian Research and
Defense Fund (Legal Aid). In 1998, West Virginia University Institute of
Technology honored her with an Honorary Doctorate. She is remembered as a
fighter for civil justice, committed Christian leader, cherished family member,
and amazing cook. [Contributed by Mary Fletcher]
Page | 60
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Donald L. Rasmussen (1928-2015)
Donald Rasmussen was born in Manassa, Colorado.
He ultimately came to work at the Miners Memorial
Hospital in Beckley, West Virginia in 1952. Up until a
few months before his death was still evaluating coal
miners for black lung disease, reporting his research,
working tirelessly to create and improve the black
lung benefits system and advocating for prevention of
occupational illness and injury for the nations coal
miners. In the 1960s at a time that most in the medical
community denied the harmful effects of coal dust Dr.
Rasmussen was one of the key players in the group called Physicians for the
Miners' Health and Safety (along with Drs. I. E. Buff and Hawey A. Wells) that
provided medical support and advocacy for miners with black lung through
speaking at union halls and in communities, working with the UMWA rank and
file and the Black Lung Association. His testimony before the WV legislature
and US Congress helped to pass both the WV and US Black Lung Laws. He
received the APHA Presidential Citation Award in 1969, along with Isidore E.
Buff, Hawey A. Wells, Jr. and Lorin E. Kerr for his work in support of
occupational health and safety. Dr. Rasmussen was an inspiration to many to
follow his lead and commit their lives in support of workers' rights.
[Contributed by Karen Mulloy]
Page | 61
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Charley Richardson (1953-2013)
During his decades working in the labor movement,
Charley Richardson always strived to improve the
health and lives of working people and the strength of
their unions.In t he face of employers’ continuous
workplace restructuring and technological changes,
Charley developed education to help unions develop
“continuous bargaining” approaches to counter
harmful changes and hone strategies to involve
members and build union solidarity and power. He
reminded unions that if they were not “at the table”
(figuratively or literally), they will be “on the menu.”
Charley focused on building power inside the
workplace – in hospitals, subway systems, mines and factories; warning unions
that “surrendering the shop floor means surrendering the future.”
Charley began his labor activism as a shipfitter and union activist in shipyards
in Philadelphia and then Massachusetts. He was active in Philaposh and
MassCOSH, helping lead early Right-To-Know campaigns. After a career-ending
job injury, he founded and directed the Technology and Work Program at the
University of Massachusetts-Lowell, and served as director of their Labor
Extension Program. Charley also worked for many years with the United
Steelworkers International Union (USW) and helped develop their
Leadership/Scholarship Program for educating new leaders.
Charley, often with his life partner Nancy Lessin, presented education programs
for unions across the United States and Canada, and in Europe, South America
and Australia. In 2002 the couple co-founded Military Families Speak Out, an
organization that grew to include 4,000 military families speaking out to
prevent (and then end) the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Charley’s
son/Nancy’s stepson served in the Marines and was deployed in Iraq in 2003.
After a six-year battle with cancer, Charley Richardson passed away in May,
2013. Charley is deeply missed by his family, friends and coworkers; and by the
many union leaders and members world-wide whose lives he impacted.
[Contributed by Jim Frederick]
Page | 62
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Irving Tabershaw (1908-2008)
Dr. Tabershaw was a leader in the evolution and
development of occupational medicine. He pursued
a long and successful career in academia,
government, business, and consulting. Following his
MD degree and residencies in pathology and surgery,
he entered the U.S. Public Health Service and was
assigned to the Massachusetts Department of Labor
and Industries, Division of Industrial Hygiene. While
serving in that capacity, Dr. Tabershaw became
affiliated with Harvard, where he worked on
berylliosis with Harriet Hardy. He subsequently became Alabama's Director of
Industrial Hygiene, researching silicosis. Corporate and academic positions
followed, including National Casualty Insurance Co., Columbia University, and
the University of California, from which he retired in 1972. His research
interests were wide ranging, and he published dozens of pieces on everything
from pesticide exposure to asbestosis. He also served as an editor of JOM for a
decade and was President of the American Academic of Occupational Medicine
and the American College of Preventive Medicine. He was one of the first
physicians to receive board certification in Occupational Medicine (1955) and
won numerous awards and designations for his service and research both in
the United States and around the world (Fellow, WHO, 1965). Most importantly,
he left behind generations of students and colleagues who remember his
messages of professionalism and ethics. In a lecture at the 1974 American
Academy of Occupational Medicine meeting, Dr. Irving Tabershaw reminded
those present (and those not yet present): "The physician is not bound to the
mission and purpose of the organization that pays him. The physician is a
professional with an ethical and moral doctrine ...The physician is the agent of
the profession and of his art, no matter who pays him." DeHart, RL. A
Remembrance: Dr. Irving Tabershaw. JOEM 50(7): 729, (2008). [Contributed by
Sherry I. Brandt-Rauf]
Page | 63
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
John Talty, PhD (1937 - 2011)
John Talty was a leader in the field of occupational
health and safety for many decades and served in
the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corp
from 1960 to 1900. During this time he received
the Accommodation Medal (1985), Outstanding
Service Medal (1987) and the Meritorious Service
Medal (1991). After retiring from the U.S. Public
Health Service, John served at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) for two decades. During his time at NIOSH, he was a supervisor
general engineer in the Education and Information Division and the Scientific
Program Officer in the Office of Extramural Programs. John was instrumental
in the success of the NIOSH Education and Research Centers. He leaves behind
a legacy of students that have benefited and will benefit from training in
industrial hygiene, occupational medicine, occupational health nursing,
occupational
safety
and
occupational
health
psychology.
[Contributed by Natalie Schwatka]
Page | 64
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Andrea Kidd-Taylor, DrPH, MSPH
(1955 – 2014)
Andrea earned her BS from Howard University, her
MSPH in industrial hygiene from the University of
Alabama at Birmingham and her DrPH in occupational
health from Johns Hopkins University School of Public
Health. A passionate and talented leader, she insisted
on giving voice to the marginalized and vulnerable
populations throughout her career, initially as an
occupational health specialist for the UAW, then as a
presidential appointee to the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (1998 – 2003).
Ultimately she became a mentor and faculty member encouraging new
generations in occupational health practice through academic appointments at
Morgan State University School of Public Health and Policy, Howard University,
and the George Meany Center National Labor College. She helped establish the
formal study of occupational health disparities, but always with a focus on
prevention. An active OHS section leader, she served as an Executive Board
Member for APHA. She also served as a member of National Advisory
Committee on Occupational Safety and Health, as a board member for Beyond
Pesticides, on the Presidential Advisory Committee for Gulf War Illness, and on
Institute of Medicine committees addressing occupational safety and health.
Throughout her life, Andrea raised her voice in joyful song and in powerful
protest, changing the world through generosity, strength and spirit.
[Contributed by Rosemary Sokas, MD, MOH]
Page | 65
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
George Taylor (1911 – 2007)
George Taylor was born in Twin Falls, Idaho. He
was a WWII veteran, avid reader, colorful
speaker, and fierce advocate for worker’s rights.
An economist by training, he was a dyed-in-the
wool socialist and staunch trade unionist. After
years working in natural resources and politics,
George started work in organized labor in 1959
at the AFL-CIO, where he became director of
safety and health. George was one of the
“parents” of the Occupational Safety and Health
Act. He lobbied for its passage and used his
manual typewriter to author many of its provisions, particularly those dealing
with worker and union rights. However, he never felt that the OSHAct lived up
to its promises and he pushed for regulations, strong enforcement, and
defended it against political efforts to sabotage and weaken the law. He
detested efforts to use cost-benefit analysis in health and safety measures
believing it was an “arid” exercise that was immoral. He was honored in the
1980s by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists with
the William Steiger Memorial Award and the National Institute for Occupational
Health and Safety (NIOSH) with the Alice Hamilton Award. He passed away in
2007 in Maryland, remembered as a worker safety advocate. [Contributed by
Peg Seminario]
Page | 66
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Thomas R. Waters, PhD, CPE
(1952-2014)
Tom Waters passed away suddenly on
October 29, 2014 at the age of 62.
Waters was a friend and colleague to
many throughout his remarkable and
distinguished 24-year career at NIOSH
as a research physiologist and safety
engineer in the field of occupational
safety and health. His status as one of
the most preeminent scientists in the field of ergonomics was achieved through
his dedicated work with domestic and international collaborators, both in
academia and industry, to plan, conduct and report on state-of-the-art advances
in the fields of risk analysis and intervention development. Waters was
recognized internationally in his field, yet he remained humble and generous
with his time, energy, resources, and love to all. Waters’ many seminal
contributions to research on work-related musculoskeletal disorders have had
a significant impact in the manufacturing, retail trade, warehousing and
healthcare sectors, and youth working in agriculture, enabling the protection of
workers for generations to come. Waters began his career at NIOSH Health in
1988 and retired in 2012. Waters’ early research focused on methods for
assessing the biomechanical demands of manual material handling, and this
work culminated in 1991 with one of his most notable scientific contributions
in the field of ergonomics―the widely used Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation
(RNLE). Through numerous laboratory-based, field and epidemiological
studies, Waters validated the RNLE, documenting 1) the increased risk for back
injuries when lifting above the RNLE recommended limits and 2) the reduction
in lifting-related injuries when the recommended weight limits of the RNLE
were fully implemented in the workplace. Even as Waters was so dedicated
and productive in his professional life, he was equally devoted to his family and
community. He is survived by his wife, Rebecca, three daughters and sons-inlaw, seven grandchildren and three siblings. He was an active outdoorsman and
a leader in his church throughout his life. [Contributed by Andrea Steege]
Page | 67
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Bill Worthington
(1920 – DOD unknown)
Born in in East Pineville, KY, William “Bill”
Worthington was an African-American coal
miner with 34 years of underground mining
experience in Harlan County, KY. After retiring
from the mines with black lung disease he
worked with the Mine Health and Safety
Program for the Council of the Southern
Mountains and with the Black Lung Association
in KY and was a founder of the National Black
Lung Association.
He spoke at countless
conventions, rallies, conferences, in and workshops around Appalachia and in
Congress concerning black lung, welfare, anti-strip mining and other
Appalachian issues concerning the health and welfare of miners and other
vulnerable populations. He and others played critical roles in the 1972 and
1978 amendments to the Black Lung law making it permanent and created
clinics for diagnosis and treatment. As a national black lung leader in the 1980’s,
Bill brought together others involved in the Brown Lung (textile workers) and
White Lung (asbestos workers) Associations (both inspired by the black lung
movement) and created a Breath of Live Organizing Campaign which lead
actions against Reagan’s attacks on Social Security Disability and developed a
proposal for a comprehensive federal compensation program.
“For years while I was working we were all told that when you see a miner
walking around, wheezing, trying to get his breath, he had “miner’s asthma.”
We were also told that inhaling coal dust was really good for us; it was healthy.”
Bill Worthington. [Contributed by David Harrington and Karen Mulloy]
Page | 68
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
Jock
Yablonski
(1910-1969)
Joseph “Jock” Yablonski was born to Polish
immigrants in Pittsburgh, PA. He began
working in mines as a child. After his
father was killed in a mine explosion, Jock
became active in the United Mine Workers.
He was elected to his first union office in
1934, the international executive board in
1940, and appointed UMWA District 5
president in 1958. Jock was known as a
voice for “rank-and-file” union members
during a tremulous time in UMWA history.
He was an advocate for the prevention of black lung disease and spoke out for
compensation for workers sick from the coal dust. Jock ran for UMWA
president in 1969 in challenge to the incumbent Tony Boyle. He lost the
election under suspicious circumstances; yet, he continued as a voice for his
fellow union brothers and sisters. On December 31, 1969 Jock, his wife, and his
daughter were murdered in their home. Boyle was eventually found guilty of
ordering the murders, as well as convicted of embezzlement and misuse of
union funds. The loss of Jock and the Yablonski family was heart-breaking
within the labor movement; however, the tragedy led to a change in UMWA
leadership and a stronger voice for mine workers and black lung disease
legislation. [Contributed by Mary Fletcher]
Page | 69
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
THE PLANNING COMMITTEE 2015
Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH – cmonfort@gwu.edu
Celeste has been a member of APHA since 1997. She served as
the OHS Section Chair (2009) and on the APHA Governing
Council, and currently as Policy Committee Co-Chair. Celeste
enjoys serving on the Program Planning Committee (PCC)
because it is a great way to get to know many members of the
OHS Section.
Homero Harari, ScD, MSc – homero.harari@mssm.edu
Homero is an Industrial Hygienist at the Selikoff Center for
Occupational Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai. His work focuses on research in occupational and
environmental exposures to chemicals. His interests include
developing International collaborations in Occupational and
Environmental Health Research and Action. He has served on the
Planning Committee since 2009.
The OHS Section needs volunteers to serve on the planning
committee for next year’s annual meeting If you would like to
participate please contact:
Natalie Schwatka: nvschwatka@gmail.com
Amber Mitchell: amber@thepublicshealth.org
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Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
NOTES
Page | 71
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
NOTES
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Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
NOTES
Page | 73
Occupational Health and Safety Section - Program 2015
American Public Health Association
November 1 – 4, 2015
Chicago, IL
https://www.facebook.com/HistoricOSHFilms
http://www.youtube.com/user/markdcatlin
** ** ** **
Thanks again to the United Steelworkers (USW)
for generously donating the
printing of this program.
USW: United and Strength for Workers.
Page | 74