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OSHA News Release
2002 - 12/03/2002 - LABOR SECRETARY NAMES 15 TO NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON ERGONOMICS |
OSHA News Release - Table of Contents |
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National News Release USDL 02-671 Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2002 Contact: Bill Wright Phone: (202) 693-1999 LABOR SECRETARY NAMES 15 TO NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON ERGONOMICS
WASHINGTON -- Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao announced today the selection of 15 individuals from industry, academia, labor, legal and the medical professions to form OSHA's National Advisory Committee on Ergonomics (NACE). "We are fortunate to have such a wide array of talented and experienced individuals to provide advice on our comprehensive approach to ergonomics," Chao said. "I'm confident that this committee of experts will help us reduce ergonomic-related injuries and illnesses suffered by thousands of workers each year." Among committee members are two professors of medicine, an attorney, consultants specializing in occupational health, management directors, a professor of industrial engineering, safety and health specialists, a construction firm CEO, an associate professor in public health, and a registered nurse with joint faculty appointments in colleges of nursing and public health. The NACE is chartered initially for two years and is expected to meet two to four times annually beginning in 2003. The committee will advise the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health on a number of issues related to OSHA's four-pronged approach to reducing ergonomic-related injuries in the workplace - guidelines, research, outreach and assistance, and enforcement. "I believe we've struck the right chord in assembling this group of skilled experts," said OSHA Administrator John Henshaw. "We asked for nominees from varied backgrounds, and that's just what we got. But, each selectee also brings skills and expertise that, collectively, will help the agency accelerate the decline of ergonomic-related injuries. We're anxious to get the committee's help." Awaiting the committee's inaugural meeting is a series of issues based on OSHA's four-pronged approach, including: information related to industry- or task-specific guidelines; identifying gaps in existing research on ergonomics in the workplace; research needs and efforts; outreach and assistance methods to communicate the value of ergonomics; and increasing communication among stakeholders. OSHA announced last April the agency's strategy to reduce ergonomic injuries. Since then, three industries-nursing homes, retail grocery stories, and poultry processing-have stepped forward to work with the agency to create the first sets of guidelines. The agency expects to publish the final nursing home guidelines, and draft guidelines for the others in the near future. # # #
(NOTE:) Following are brief biographical sketches of members of OSHA's National Advisory Committee on Ergonomics. Additionally, a Federal Register notice on the selections is forthcoming. OSHA's National Advisory Committee on Ergonomics (1) Edward J. Bernacki, M.D., M.P.H. - Dr. Bernacki is Associate Professor and Director, Occupational Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, and serves as Executive Director of Health, Safety and Environment and Chair of the Johns Hopkins Hospital and University's Safety Committee. Dr. Bernacki is also current president of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. (2) Lisa M. Brooks, C.I.E. - Ms. Brooks is Health and Safety Program Manager for International Paper Company, Memphis, TN. A certified industrial ergonomist, she holds advanced degrees in kinesiology (with an emphasis on human motor control and exercise physiology) and industrial and operations engineering (with an emphasis on ergonomics) from the University of Michigan. (3) Paul A. Fontana - President/CEO, Center for Work Rehabilitation, Inc. at the Fontana Center, Lafayette, LA. Mr. Fontana is a registered occupational therapist with 26 years of experience, the last 16 of which have been specialized in working with business and industry customers on injury prevention and return to work programs. (4) Willis J. Goldsmith, Esq. - Partner in the Washington, D.C. law firm Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue. Mr. Goldsmith chairs the firm's Labor & Employment Practice, and has practiced before state and federal trial and appellate courts in matters arising under the Occupational Safety & Health Act, among others. Goldsmith is a member of the advisory board of the Center for Labor and Employment Law, New York University School of Law, and was a former associate editor of the Bureau of National Affairs' Occupational Safety and Health Law. (5) Carter J. Kerk, Ph.D. - Associate Professor in the Industrial Engineering Program at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Dr. Kerk is also a licensed Professional Engineer, a Certified Safety Professional, and a Certified Professional Ergonomist. He has 21 peer-reviewed publications in journals and conference proceedings covering ergonomics, occupational medicine, and other industrial hygiene issues, and has participated in 60 invited seminars and lectures in the United States, Mexico and Canada. (6) James L. Koskan, MS, CSP - Corporate Director of Risk Control, SUPERVALU, Inc., Minneapolis, MN. Mr. Koskan holds an advanced degree in Risk Control Management from the University of Wisconsin. He is an Associate in Loss Control Management, and a member of ergonomic advisory committees for both the Food Distributors International and Food Marketing Institute. A Certified Safety Professional, Mr. Koskan is a founding member of the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company's Loss Prevention Advisory Group. (7) Morton L. Kasdan, M.D., F.A.C.S. - Clinical Professor of Surgery (Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery) at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY. A leading expert on ergonomic-related injuries, Dr. Kasdan has conducted research, written articles and studies, participated in numerous exhibits and presented seminars and academic lectures on cumulative trauma disorders and musculoskeletal symptoms in the workplace. Dr. Kasdan has served since 1991 as a member of the American National Standards Institute, Medical Management Subcommittee, Control of Cumulative Trauma Disorders. (8) George P. LaPorte - Ergonomics Manager for NATLSCO, the loss control division of Kemper Insurance Companies, Lake Zurich, IL. Mr. LaPorte has spent more than 23 years in the areas of ergonomics, safety and industrial engineering and currently supervises Kemper/NATLSCO's Health and Ergonomics technical staff. A certified industrial ergonomist, Mr. LaPorte has provided ergonomics consulting in the meatpacking, textile, bakery and health care industries. (9) Barbara McCabe - Program Manager, Operating Engineers National Hazmat Program, Beaver, WVA. Ms. McCabe holds graduate degrees in occupational health and safety engineering and audiology. She has also served as an industrial hygienist since 1991. In addition to her certification as a licensed audiologist, Ms. McCabe has been certified as a trainer for 10- and 30-hour OSHA general industry outreach programs, as well as a "train-the-trainer" for hazardous waste operations and emergency response. (10) J. Dan McCausland - Consultant, and Director, Worker Safety and Human Resources, American Meat Institute. Mr. McCausland served in various functions with Oscar Mayer Food Corporation, Madison, WI, for more than 30 years, culminating with his appointment as Regional Director of Safety & Risk Management for Kraft Foods, Inc. He also worked with OSHA in the early 1990's in the development of ergonomics guidelines for the meatpacking industry. (11) Audrey Nelson, Ph.D., RN - Center Director for: VHA Patient Safety Center of Inquiry, VHA Health Services Research Program on Patient Safety Outcomes; and Suncoast Development Research Evaluation Research Center on Safe Patient Transitions. With more than 29 years of nursing experience, Dr. Nelson has joint faculty appointments at the University of South Florida in the Colleges of Nursing and Public Health, and is the Associate Director for Clinical Research in the College of Nursing. She chaired a national VHA task force on Patient Care Ergonomics - that program was implemented nationally. (12) Lida Orta-Anes, Ph.D. - Associate Professor, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Puerto Rico. Dr. Orta-Anes is currently developing a minor concentration in ergonomics within the Industrial Hygiene Program and serves as the principal investigator in several proposed ergonomics research projects. Prior to her current position, she served as the Senior Ergonomist Consultant for the United Auto Workers in Detroit. During her tenure in Michigan, she served in policy setting committees for the MIOSHA Ergonomics Guidelines. (13) Roxanne Rivera - President and CEO, PMR Construction Services, Inc., Albuquerque, NM. Ms. Rivera founded PMR in 1981, a company that provides general construction services to the local and federal government and commercial customers. Her firm received the SBA's Award of Excellence in 1994 and 1997; it has been listed in the top 500 Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States for the past five years. Ms. Rivera is a member of the Board of Directors for the Associated Builders and Contractors for the state of New Mexico. (14) W. Corey Thompson - National Safety and Health Specialist, American Postal Workers Union, Washington, D.C. Provides health and safety direction for the APWU's 368,000 members in more than 35,000 USPS facilities. Mr. Thompson has worked in the industrial hygiene field since 1980. He has served as a union representative on AFL-CIO's Health and Safety Committee, and as a member of OSHA's Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health. Before joining APWU, he founded Thompson's Training Institute and Consulting Services, providing training and technical assistance to business, government agencies and non-profit organizations on safety, occupational health, ergonomics, and OSHA regulatory requirements. (15) Richard Wyatt, Ph.D. - Associate Director, Aon Ergonomic Services, Huntsville, AL. An industrial and systems engineering expert, Dr. Wyatt conducts ergonomic seminars across the country and develops ergonomic plans and programs. A certified quality engineer, registered professional engineer, and certified professional ergonomist, Dr. Wyatt has served for more than 20 years in the industrial engineering field in varying capacities in Alabama, Kentucky and Indiana. ###
This news release text is on the Internet at http://www.osha.gov. Information on this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 693-1999. |
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