NEWS

Occupational safety and health center celebrates 25^th anniversary with seminar, photography exhibit

CHAPEL HILL -- The N.C. Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center, based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health, is celebrating its 25^th anniversary with a seminar and photography exhibit that focus on safe work conditions in America.

The free seminar, "Working Safe in America: How Far Have We Come?", will be held Tuesday (Nov. 5) from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. Accompanying the seminar will be an exhibit of 40 photographs on the "Quiet Sickness: A Photographic Chronicle of Hazardous Work in America" by Earl Dotter, which will be displayed that day through Jan. 5 on the first floor of Rosenau Hall.

Tuesday’s seminar, to be held in the auditorium of the Tate-Turner-Kuralt Building, will begin with opening remarks from Dr. Bonnie Rogers, director of the N.C. Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center, and Dr. Bill Roper, dean of the UNC School of Public Health.

"In celebration of 25 years of excellence, we are pleased to present a seminar that discusses issues of health and safety in the workplace and also a photography exhibit that captures some of the dangerous working conditions Americans face," said Susan Randolph, a clinical instructor in the School of Public Health’s Occupational Health Nursing Program.

"Viewing the photographs after attending the seminar will make this problem more of a reality, and, hopefully, the exhibit will catch the attention of someone who wants to make an effort in alleviating this problem."

Dr. Kathleen Rest, deputy director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, will deliver the keynote address, titled "Research Challenges and Priorities for Improving Workplace Health and Safety in the 21^st Century," at 1:30 p.m.

The day’s program also will feature presentations from three School of Public Health doctoral students including Julie Seibert of the department of health policy and administration, who will speak on "The Impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act on Labor Force Participation of Disabled People."

Karlene Lavelle of the department of epidemiology will discuss "Cancer Mortality Among Nuclear Materials Productions Workers," and Chris Trent, who is in the industrial hygiene program in the department of environmental sciences and engineering, will present "The Dermal Exposure to Hexamethylene Diisocyanate During Spray Painting."

Dotter will then discuss his photographs depicting the hazards of work in America. The seminar will conclude with remarks from Tom O’Connor, coordinator for the National Network of Committees on Occupational Safety and Health.

A special opening reception and sneak-peek at the main Dotter exhibit will be held Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Chapel Hill Museum, 523 East Franklin St. Those interested in attending should RSVP to Randolph at (919) 966-0979. The main exhibit will open to the public on Thursday (Nov. 7) and run through Jan. 5.

The events are sponsored by the N.C. Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center, the UNC School of Public Health, the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, the N.C. Tarheel Association of Occupational Health Nurses, the N.C. Association of Occupational Health Nurses, American Industrial Hygiene Association’s Carolinas Section, the N.C. Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers and the Carolinas Occupational Medicine Association.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health established the N.C. Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center in 1976. In the mid-1970s, the United States experienced a shortage of qualified occupational health and safety specialists. In response to federal goals and to help alleviate manpower shortages, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health established eight centers of learning and research at selected universities across the country.

"The goal of the N.C. learning center, housed at UNC’s School of Public Health, is to provide educational opportunities for those people responsible for ensuring safety and health in the workplace," said Rogers. "The center provides training programs in occupational health nursing, industrial hygiene, occupational epidemiology, health services research in occupational safety and health, and continuing education and outreach."

Public parking for the seminar is available at the Dogwood Parking Deck off Manning Drive, across from UNC Hospitals. For more information on the events, visit http://www.sph.unc.edu/osherc/ce/courses/workingsafe.htm.

- 30 -

Note: Randolph may be reached at (919) 966-0979 or susan.randolph@unc.edu.

School of Public Health contact: Lisa Katz, (919) 966-7467 or lisa_katz@unc.edu
News Services contact: Deb Saine, (919) 962-8415