One of the promises of the Oregon Healthy WorkForce Center is to use several of the same measures in all projects as we apply our interventions to change the workplace – in home care, construction, corrections, parks and recreation.

The interventions are aimed at increasing safety and health and improving personal wellness in these workplaces around Oregon. Examples of measures that can be used in all interventions are injury reports, workplace stress, and nutrition and diet.

Pictured are the Oregon Center PIs and staff selecting the measures to be used. Dr. Diane Rohlman (center) is coordinating the selection process and the individual PIs recommend the best measures based on their experience and the research literature.

These common measures are being placed in a data repository which we can use to compare the effectiveness of similar types of interventions across different industry sectors, thus multiplying the benefits of the research.

OR Healthy WorkForce Center common measures meeting

Dr. Dan Dan Dorsa with CROET's Dr. Kent Anger and Janice Stewart

Congratulations to CROET employees recognized by OHSU at a Research Employee Appreciation Event.

Dr. Dan Dorsa, Vice President of Research, presented a special award to Janice Stewart, Kent Anger and Stephen Lloyd. This threesome were recognized for their outstanding lead of CROET during the Center’s search for a new Director.

CROET researcher, Harini Sampath, was the first winner of the outstanding Postdoctoral Fellow award – for a post doc trainee or post doc researcher in the Research Mission that demonstrated outstanding performance, achievement or initiative.

CROET's Kent Anger and Harini Sampath

Harini is a third year postdoc fellow in the Lloyd & McCullough lab. During the last year, Harini has been awarded 2 grants, the first from the American Heart Association, and an OCTRI pilot project related to her investigations in the fundamental mechanisms underlying metabolic syndrome. She has also recently authored a paper and was first author on three review articles. Congratulations to Dr. Sampath!

Late last year we told you that it was the end of our discussion of hair smoothing products and formaldehyde. After 18 or so months following this issue, we had decided that enough is enough. Even last week, after California announced its settlement with the manufacturer of Brazilian Blowout we refrained from discussion on this blog.

Well it’s tough to turn down an opportunity to guest blog for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Science Blog. You won’t read the details here on our Oregon and the Workplace Blog. But, you might want to jump over to the NIOSH Science Blog and read Hair, Formaldehyde and Industrial Hygiene.

Thanks to our partners at NIOSH for giving us the opportunity to share our story.

CROET 2011 Summer Students

It’s time for college students to be thinking about summer plans. CROET’s online application is now live for our 2012 Summer Intern Program. This is a terrific opportunity for college students to get direct research experience working with CROET Faculty.

CROET Summer Intern Program consists of three-month paid internships designed to introduce college students to various fields of basic and applied biomedical research. Interns will potentially be able to work with over twenty scientists working on cutting-edge research at CROET. Visit the Summer Intern Program webpage to learn more and access the online application. Applications must be received by April 15.

The Oregon Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (OR-FACE) program exhibited, as a part of CROET Outreach, at the 11th Annual Mid-Oregon Construction Safety Summit on January 24.  The conference was hosted by Oregon OSHA and several hundred residential and commercial construction workers attended. Construction safety is a principal area of concern for OR-FACE because, over a 5-year period (2003-2007), falls in the construction industry accounted for 42% of all fatal occupational-related falls. While at the event, OR-FACE connected with industry leaders and administered a survey to construction supervisors and safety professionals about safety practices at their worksites. Data from the survey, in addition to data from OR-FACE worksite investigations, will be used to develop an intervention to reduce occupational fatalities associated with falls, particularly involving ladders and construction.

OR‑FACE is supported by a cooperative agreement with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Division of Safety Research (2U60OH008472-06) through the Oregon Health Authority. Email orface@ohsu.edu, or call 503.494.2281 for information about OR-FACE.

Initially educated in his home country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Desire has worked in international circles since the beginning of his career, receiving his education in Zaire (MD) and Sweden (PhD).  A key research focus is the neurological diseases in sub-Saharan Africa.  Working through organizations such as the International Brain Research Organization, supported by his enthusiasm and personal charisma, Desire has recruited scientists, professionals from many specialties and students from around the world to join him in studying the diseases in Africa.  His interest in his area of work is infectious and he has built a strong research team to study various issues, particularly diet-toxic exposure-gene interactions. Desire has a very highly-regarded international reputation.  He is a frequent member of the Brain Disorders in the Developing World: Research Across the Lifespan study section of the Fogarty International Center at NIH.

In 2010, Desire was one of the two organizers of the 22nd Advanced IBRO School: Diet, Toxins and Neurodegeneration held in the Congo. In 2009, Desire was an invited speaker in a major symposium at the American Society For Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), addressing brain disorders in the developing world (2009).

Dr. Tshala-Katumbay’s “environmental model” of choice is konzo, an upper motor neuron disease associated with food cyanogens found in cassava (tapioca), low dietary intake in sulfur amino acids cystein and/or methionine. His “occupational model” explores mechanisms by which industrial solvents (such as n-hexane and diethylbenzene derivatives) induce diseases of the nerve axon. In these models, he uses active metabolites to track molecular and cellular events associated with neurological diseases.

Learn more about Dr. Tshala-Katumbay.

Evaluating MSDS information at 2011 Ag Fair Safety Zone.

The Northwest Ag Show runs next week at the Portland Expo Center. CROET is proud to again be part of the Safety Zone at the event. We appreciate the commitment of the show to sponsor the Safety Zone, made up of interactive displays all relating to safety and health in agriculture.

We know that agriculture ranks among the most hazardous industries. Not only are farmers at risk for fatal and non-fatal injuries and illnesses, but farming is among few industries in which family members are also at risk for injuries and illnesses (see NIOSH Workplace Safety & Health Topics: Agriculture).

In the Safety Zone, representatives of SAIF, Dangerous Decibels, Oregon OSHA, CROET, O[yes], Oregon Park & Recreation and Washington Department of Labor will all share safety and health messages interactively with fair visitors. Join us January 24 – 26 at the Northwest Ag Show to see the latest and greatest in agriculture and renew your commitment to being safe and healthy. See photos from the event on our Facebook page.

Other Resources:
CROETweb: Agriculture
Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (PNASH)

It’s time now to get entries ready for the 2012 O[yes] workplace safety video contest! Entries are due no later than February 1.

This year is the 4th year that O[yes], the Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition, has sponsored this contest. O[yes] is “looking for video entries that will inspire teens to do at least one thing differently to stay safe on the job. The video should be creative and targeted for a youth audience. Create a video that you would be proud to show your friends.” Interested teens should make sure and read all of the contest rules, view previous years’ videos and other resources shared on the video contest website.

Last year’s 1st place winning video, created by Piers Dennis, Derek Sturman, Owen Madin and Devin White, was recognized by Federal OSHA and highlighted on OSHA’s Distracted Driving webpage.

So encourage any Oregon high school students that you know to get rolling – we can’t wait to see this year’s entries!

CROET teaches how to surf the web - GOSH 1999

Oh my, how the Internet has changed our lives. When CROET first designed CROETweb in 1996, most of us were just beginning to learn to search and find useful resources on the web. Can you believe that we even taught a class at the Oregon Governor’s Safety Conference on searching the web? Nowadays our kids and grandkids can’t believe our stories about how we had to actually go to the library to research a project. I still remember the first day I discovered the internet. I was putting together materials for a safety class and I was astounded that I could actually download materials from OSHA without requesting them by mail!

Anyway, we realize that the look and feel of CROETweb has been dated, particularly as much cooler, interactive resources have been developed. We also realize that the site can be difficult to navigate, especially for those newer to the world of health and safety. The bottom line is that the content of CROETweb will continue to be links to the best of health and safety resources elsewhere on the internet. Yet we wanted it to be nicer to look at and easier to find what you are looking for. You’ll also notice direct access to our blog, Oregon and the Workplace. We are still working out a few kinks, but visit our updated site today, and let us know what you think.

The Discovery Channel’s show, Deadliest Catch, depicts the often harrowing job of Alaskan king crab fishing in the Bering Sea. Dungeness crab fishing along the West Coast is no less deadly.  The West Coast Dungeness crab fishery represents one of the most dangerous work environments in the US; the fatality rate in this fishery is higher than the Bering Sea crab fishery. From 2003-2009, 14 fishing-related deaths were recorded in Oregon.  None of the 14 victims was wearing a Personal Flotation Device (PFD), and most of the fatalities (79%) resulted from capsized vessels while crossing river bars or working near shore.  Fishermen are exposed to hazardous working environments where they work on small vessels, often for 16-20 hours a day. Weather and ocean conditions are precarious, and swells across the treacherous river bar—where the river meets the open ocean—can capsize the 30- to- 80-foot boats before the captain and crew have time to pull on a life vest.

To better understand the specific hazards faced by those fishing for Dungeness crab in Oregon, Erika Zoller and Gary Rischitelli from the  OR-FACE program at CROET, and Gerry Croteau, Janice Camp, and Marty Cohen from the University of Washington, surveyed Oregon crab fishermen about their safety perceptions and work experience, and field-tested five different PFDs. The project team also included members from NIOSH Alaska Pacific Regional Office, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety & Health Center.

Study participant wearing safety gear.

The study team surveyed a total of 83 fishermen, including 24 vessel captains, and 33 fishermen completed the 30-day PFD field-test. Overall, PFD use was found to be infrequent, with the majority of respondents indicating a PFD was never routinely worn. The survey results also show that almost 70 percent of the participants do not regularly practice onboard safety drills, nearly half of crew members have not received safety training, and over half of captains do not have a stability report for their vessel. Respondents’ perspectives regarding key safety issues were also insightful. Weather and tide, and to a lesser degree, economic factors affected vessel captains’ decisions of when they choose to fish.  The majority of respondents also indicated favorable opinions about the U.S. Coast Guard Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Exam program.  Results from the PFD field-test indicate that an inflatable vest type PFD is the most favorable PFD based on its comfort and ability to work in. However, each PFD assessed was found to have distinct advantages and disadvantages, an indication that personal preference is an important factor in an individual’s selection and subsequent use of a PFD. Based on the results, the study team recommends that a future safety intervention encourages PFD use, expands safety training and onboard safety drills, and improves understanding of vessel stability.  Access an online version of the full report for additional study results and recommendations.  For more information on commercial fishing safety, visit the NIOSH topic page.

The project was sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety & Health Center (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Award #2 U50 OH07544), whose researchers work to reduce work-related injury, illness, and death in the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing (AgFF) sector.

Submitted by: Erika Zoller and Elizabeth Sharpe from the University of Washington.