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OPA News Release: [12/03/2002] Contact Name: Bill
Wright Phone Number: (202) 693-1999
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao Names 15 to
National Advisory Committee on Ergonomics
WASHINGTONSecretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao announced today
the selection of 15 individuals from industry, academia, labor, legal and the
medical professions to form OSHAs 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. Im 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 OSHAs four-pronged approach to reducing
ergonomic-related injuries in the workplace - guidelines, research, outreach
and assistance, and enforcement.
I believe weve struck the right chord in assembling this
group of skilled experts, said OSHA Administrator John Henshaw. We
asked for nominees from varied backgrounds, and thats 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.
Were anxious to get the committees help.
Awaiting the committees inaugural meeting is a series of issues
based on OSHAs 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 agencys 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.
* * *
OSHAs 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
Universitys 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. FontanaPresident/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
firms 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, M.S., C.S.P.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 Companys 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. LaPorteErgonomics 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/NATLSCOs 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 McCabeProgram Manager, Operating Engineers
National Hazmat Program, Beaver, WV. 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 McCauslandConsultant, 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
1990s in the development of ergonomics guidelines for the meatpacking
industry.
(11) Audrey Nelson, Ph.D., R.N.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 RiveraPresident 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 SBAs 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 Association of Builders and Contractors for the state of
New Mexico.
(14) W. Corey ThompsonNational Safety and Health
Specialist, American Postal Workers Union, Washington, D.C. Provides health and
safety direction for the APWUs 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-CIOs Health and Safety
Committee, and as a member of OSHAs Federal Advisory Council on
Occupational Safety and Health. Before joining APWU, he founded Thompsons
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.
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