Moderator: Valerie Valenzuela, MBA, The University of Texas Health Science Center

Speaker 2: James Grosch, PhD, MBA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Presentation Title: Changes in Job Characteristics, Health, and Well-Being Across the Working Life: Implications for the Future of Work

Abstract: A major societal trend affecting the future of work in developed countries is that people are living and working longer. Over the next decade, the growth rate for U.S. workers 55 years and older is estimated to be more than three times the rate for workers 25 to 54. This aging of the workforce has important implications for both work design and the effective management of safety and health risks. This presentation will describe findings from a study using the General Social Survey (GSS) which collects data on a wide range of topics, including work and health, and provides a representative cross-section sample of the U.S. adult population. In the 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018 waves of the GSS, a Quality of Work Life (QWL) module was added to further assess job characteristics (e.g., type of work, autonomy), health (e.g., workplace injury, back pain), and well-being (e.g., job satisfaction, burnout ). Descriptive and inferential analyses of the pooled QWL sample (N=7,243) examined age-related differences across these three categories. Findings indicated that older workers were more likely than younger workers to be in non-standard forms of employment (e.g., contingent work, part-time employment), report slightly higher levels of autonomy and social support, experience fewer workplace injuries but worse self-rated general health, and report higher levels of job satisfaction and positive mental health. Evidence was also found for an interaction between age and workplace exposure. For example, the risk of back pain increased with age, but only when workers reported that their job required heavy lifting or other types of physical demands. These findings will be discussed regarding their implications for work of the future, as well as methodological issues (e.g., healthy worker effect, difficulty determining cause-effect) inherent in data from a cross-sectional survey of aging, working conditions, and health.

Moderator: Valerie Valenzuela, MBA, The University of Texas Health Science Center

Speaker 3: Kim Olszewski, DNP, CRNP, COHN-S/CM, FAAN, Bloomsburg University

Presentation Title: Exploring e-cigarettes and vaping: Health Effects, Policies, and Preparing for the Future

Abstract: By December 2019, a cluster of 2506 patients were hospitalized due to e-cigarettes or vaping (Hartnett et al., 2019). Subsequently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2019) released its first analysis report of lung injuries related to vaping and e-cigarettes called EVALI (E-cigarette, or Vaping, product use Associated Lung Injury). Statistics from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS, 2016) indicated use of e-cigarettes, vaping, and other electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) were rapidly increasing although data on their safety is still scarce. Electronic cigarettes or electronic nicotine delivery systems, most often deliver nicotine as an aerosol for inhalation, without combustion of tobacco. This new mode of nicotine delivery raises concerns about the safety of the product, the effects of secondhand exposure, how the public use of these products should be handled within tobacco-free and smoke-free air policies, and how their use affects tobacco cessation programs, wellness incentives, and other initiatives to prevent and control tobacco use (Whitsel et al., 2015). However, data on smoke-free workplace policy coverage and cessation programs for newer modes of nicotine delivery is incomplete. Additionally, occupational health professional’s (OHPs) knowledge on effects of vaping and e-cigarette use on workers’ health, efficacy of tobacco policy change, and the impact on workplace safety and health is limited. The results of a study that explored: 1) occupational nurses’ current level of knowledge regarding e-cigarettes, vaping, and ENDS, 2) how many workplace organizations include e-cigarettes in tobacco-free policies, and 3) how factors related to policy change is perceived by the OHPs and the organization. The presentation will assist OHPs to better understand e-cigarette, ENDS products, and the known and unknown health effects. The role of OHPs regarding education and cessation programs, will be discussed. Organizational polices addressing e-cigarettes and vaping will also be discussed.

Moderator: Valerie Valenzuela, MBA, The University of Texas Health Science Center

Speaker 4: Monica Ubalde, PhD, Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal)

Presentation Title: The relationship between perceptions of indoor environmental quality (IEQ), productivity and quality of work among public primary school teachers during the Covid19 pandemic.

Abstract: Background: Previous studies have shown that improved IEQ conditions contribute positively to learning quality in children, but the influence of IEQ conditions on teaching quality is not known. We examined whether teachers' perceptions of IEQ influence their productivity and work quality. Methods: 229 female and 29 male teachers in eight primary public schools in Barcelona completed an adapted version of the MM040 questionnaire on indoor climate work environment in November 2020 and May 2021, respectively. A list of 11 worrisome indoor environmental conditions was used to evaluate teachers’ IEQ perceptions. Work quality was measured using a composite score of work amount, stimulation, job control and support; productivity was based on a symptom-limited tasks score and sickness absence episodes lasting more than 15 days. Regression models, adjusted for selected individual and organizational confounders, were applied to estimate the relationship between IEQ perceptions, work quality and productivity, separately for both survey waves. Results: Overall, no statistically significant associations were observed between IEQ perception and work quality in either of the two survey waves. Crude and adjusted models showed a significant association between increasingly worrisome IEQ perception scores, limiting symptoms and sickness absence periods lasting longer than 15 days in both survey waves (β:0.41, p-value:0.0008, and β:0.54, p-value:0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Among primary school teachers, lower productivity, reflected by limiting symptoms and prolonged sickness absence periods, may be associated with perceptions of poor IEQ quality, but not with their work quality.

Moderator: Susan Wu, MPH, The University of Texas Health Science Center

Speaker 2: Susan Peters, PhD, BOccThy, Harvard Center for Work, Health, and Well-being

Presentation Title: Thriving from Work Questionnaire: Conceptualization and Development

Abstract: “Thriving from work” is the state of positive mental, physical, and social functioning in which workers’ experiences of their work and working conditions enable them to thrive in their overall lives, contributing to their ability to achieve their full potential in their work, home, and community. Thriving from Work consists of six domains: experience of work, work-life, basic needs, psychological/emotional, social, and health-related well-being. The Thriving from Work Questionnaire was developed using a phased iterative approach, including a systematic scoping review, external review with 17 multidisciplinary experts, and 4 rounds of cognitive testing across a diverse sample of workers. Three waves of U.S. workers were surveyed in a national online panel (n=1,550; n=500; n=100) to conduct item reduction and evaluate the psychometric properties of the instrument. Using a clinometric approach to ensure content validity, we first fit a bifactor confirmatory factor analysis model to (a) identify a final set of 30 items (from an original set of 87 candidate items) that measures specific factors for each of our domains as well as thriving overall, and (b) derive an 8-item short-form. The final 30-item set had good model fit and excellent reliability for the general “thriving” factor. The short-form included at least one item from each specific factor, captured 94% of the variance of general thriving from the long form, and had a similarly good model fit. This factor structure was confirmed through our second sample. We assessed validity using a variety of measures including criterion validity through general thriving’s association with Cantril’s Ladder for a person’s perception of their overall well-being – a 1 SD increase in long- and short-form scores was associated with a 0.6 and 0.57 point increase in Cantril scores (p< 0.0001). Thriving from Work Questionnaire appears to be a robust measure of work-related well-being.

Moderator: Susan Wu, MPH, The University of Texas Health Science Center

Speaker 3: Jie Zhu, PhD candidate, The University of Texas Health Science Center

Presentation Title: Scholarly Recommender System in the domain of Total Worker’s Health

Abstract: Recommendation systems are information-filtering systems that employ data mining and analytics to predict user interests or preferences in information, products or services. These systems are widely utilized in commercial applications. Given their usefulness, extending the applications to aid scholars in finding relevant information and resources will significantly enhance research productivity. Furthermore, such scholarly systems will ultimately promote data and resource reusability. The overall goal is to develop a recommendation system (Virtual Research Assistant, VRA), to aid scholars in identifying related online data-resources including datasets, publications, grant announcements, and collaborators, saving scholars time and enhancing data-resources reusability. Different data representation techniques are explored for the development of the system using state-of-the-art natural language processing and deep-learning models. In addition to application areas in genomics http://genestudy.org/ and immunology and infectious diseases http://iidata.org/, in this collaboration between the UTHealth Biostatistics & Data Science department and the Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, we are expanding the scope of our system to include Total Worker Health, addressing the need for an expanded focus for occupational safety and health and well-being. The exponential growth of online data resources in the era of Big Data demands new solutions for making these resources easily findable and reusable. Therefore, the VRA will be necessary for the scientific research community. It will aid scholars effectively, efficiently allocate academic resources, and enhance the resources’ accessibility and reusability; an idea consistent with the FAIR principle (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) adopted by the NIH strategic plan for data science.

Moderator: Susan Wu, MPH, The University of Texas Health Science Center

Speaker 4: Rebecca Guerin, PhD, CHES, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

Presentation Title: Dissemination and Implementation Science Approaches for Addressing Complex, Future of Work Challenges

Abstract: Complex occupational safety and health (OSH) challenges—including the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of automation, demographic shifts, increased psychosocial hazards and the interaction of work and nonwork factors—require wider and faster adoption of research that benefits workers, employers, and society. To increase the impact (including representative reach to diverse worker populations) effectiveness, and integration (including the adoption, implementation, and maintenance) of OSH activities, systematic approaches are needed to investigate the complex processes involved in moving promising OSH interventions into sustained practice. Dissemination and implementation (D&I) science is the study of methods and strategies for bridging the gap between research and practice. Although a relatively new and transdisciplinary field of study, D&I has a strong historical foundation. Aligned with the field of public health, D&I is concerned with changing systems by understanding multilevel context, leveraging an established evidence base, documenting outcomes, and characterizing the underlying mechanisms of change so that positive results can be replicated in other community-based and especially low-resource settings. Despite the promise of D&I, the uptake of D&I methods is still relatively limited in the OSH field. This presentation will: 1) provide a “plain language” overview of D&I science theories, models, frameworks, designs, methods and pragmatic measures, 2) give examples of and resources for integrating D&I into OSH research, 3) and identify considerations for researchers on the future of work. D&I approaches, with their influence on dynamic context and adaptations, can help researchers and policymakers to understand and address some of the complex, non-linear systems issues that impact worker safety, health and well-being.

Moderator: Padmaja Naik, MBBS, MPH candidate, The University of Texas Health Science Center

Speaker 2: Maija Leff, MPH, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Presentation Title: Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on small- and medium-sized businesses: The Carolina PROSPER Worksite Impact Survey

Abstract: Background and Objectives: The pandemic disrupted small/medium-sized businesses, many of which employ vulnerable workers. An interdisciplinary team from UNC-Chapel Hill launched Carolina PROSPER, a 2-phase study employing a Total Worker Health® (TWH) approach to protect and promote workers’ health in these businesses. This abstract reports on PROSPER’s phase 1, a survey of worksites’ COVID-19-related needs, interests, impacts and practices. Results informed development of services for phase 2’s TWH technical assistance program. Methods: The online survey was adapted from concurrent work carried out by other NIOSH Education Research Centers and the Workplace Health in America survey. A convenience sample of worksites with ≥1 employee in a 10-county region in North Carolina were recruited via email, social media, and professional networks. Simple descriptive statistics and stratified analyses were calculated. Results: 192 worksites responded. The majority (54.2%) had 2-24 workers. The economic impact of the pandemic differed by worksite size; smaller worksites were more likely to report a reduction in operating hours while larger worksites reported hiring new employees. Larger worksites indicated a higher degree of preparedness for the pandemic, with more preparedness practices (e.g. plans for operations continuity) in place prior. The most common infection control practices were supplying hand sanitizer/cleaning wipes (89.4%) and worker behavior modification (e.g. encouraging sick workers to stay home (87.3%)). To develop services for phase 2, we asked about concerns and interests. Priority concerns were resumption of public health closures (76.2%), employee availability (73.9%), and scared/uncomfortable workers (72.5%). Top technical assistance interests were testing employees for COVID-19 (50.4%); developing disinfection protocols (37%); and supporting employee mental health (34.5%). Stratified analyses, e.g. by worksite size and essential business status, will be presented. Conclusions: PROSPER highlighted needs/interests of small/medium-size worksites during a pandemic. Public health practitioners must continue to address these with special attention to smaller, more vulnerable businesses.

Moderator: Padmaja Naik, MBBS, MPH candidate, The University of Texas Health Science Center

Speaker 3: L. Casey Chosewood, MD, MPH, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

Presentation Title: Achieving Worker Well-being through Healthy Work Design: A Research Roadmap Unfolds

Abstract: Each decade starting in 1996, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) inspires and co-leads the creation of a National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) to guide the nation’s research efforts to protect and promote worker safety and health. In this decade, NIOSH added a new NORA cross-sector program, Healthy Work Design and Well-Being (HWD), focused on advancing worker well-being by improving the design of work, management practices, and the physical and psychosocial work environment. In 2020, NIOSH and an external Council of researchers, practitioners, and policy experts published an HWD specific research agenda focused on seven critical areas of work-related burden and disparity, and opportunities to explore the interactions of occupational and non-occupational risk factors.

The following seven HWD objectives for the nation included broad gaps that need to be addressed:

1. Identify and examine the impact of worker demographics on employer or organizational practices and worker safety, health, and well-being
2. Improve the safety, health, and well-being of workers with non-standard work arrangements
3. Address the safety and health implications of advancing technology
4. Reduce work organization-related chronic health conditions among workers
5. Decrease the burden of shift work, long hours of work, and sleep deficiency
6. Improve the safety, health, and well-being of workers through healthier work design and better organizational practices
7. Promote a sustainable work-nonwork interface

This presentation provides the HWD cross-sector’s high-level implementation roadmap for the nation to address the identified gaps and advance worker well-being in these seven domains. The roadmap helps organize, prioritize, and inspire actions leading to sustainable organizational changes that improve the quality of work and well-being outcomes across broad populations and all occupations and industries. Therefore, this presentation also invites diverse partners to join our efforts including researchers, practitioners, professional associations, private and public sector representatives, and worker organizations.

Moderator: Padmaja Naik, MBBS, MPH candidate, The University of Texas Health Science Center

Speaker 4: Lawrence John Schulze, PhD, PE, CPE, University of Houston

Presentation Title: Using SELR (Simplify-Enable-Leverage-Resource) to Develop Solutions to Identified Ergonomic Opportunities

Abstract: The SELR approach was developed by the U. S. Navy Reserve Force (WW.R2W.NAVy.MIL) to make the U. S. Navy Reserve Force and its associated operations more efficient and responsive to an ever-changing environment. Applied to Ergonomics, the SELR approach uniquely provides a method for solution development to opportunities identified using any time of process analysis approach. The SELR approach applied to solution development is defined by the following. Simplify the solution so that the solution is rapidly implemented with immediate impact; the solution does not negatively impact other processes; the solution is easy to understand and use, the solution minimizes costs and returns the investment rapidly; and the solution is feasible, viable and sustainable. Enable personnel with the capacity to develop solutions to identified opportunities with their sphere of influence and enable personnel to make decisions that improve the process and improve worker health and safety. After all, workers are the subject matter experts when it comes to their jobs and job tasks. Enabling personnel creates and winning and sustainable organization. Leverage the talent and passions of the workers within the organization. Human resources must transition from personnel management to talent management. When organizations manage their talent, the organization succeeds economically and productively. Resource funds that allow local task improvements that are economically justified. When the funds are provided to purchase the correct tool for the task, based on recommendations from those doing the task, the worker, the organization and the community win.

Moderator: Madison Bencomo, MBBS, The University of Texas Health Science Center

Speaker 2: Lisa Pompeii, PhD, MS, Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics/Center for Epidemiology & Population Health

Presentation Title: Use of Personal Protective Equipment for Workers Caring for Pediatric Behavioral Health Patients: A Collaborative PDSA Project

Abstract: Background: Healthcare workers are at risk for assault from aggressive behavioral health (BH) patients. To reduce risk, the Initial Behavioral Assessment and Protective Equipment Decision Key (IBA-PEDK) was developed for use in designated pediatric BH units, which uses the patient’s aggressive behavior to recommend personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers. The purpose of this PDSA (Plan, Do, Study, Act) project was to examine the feasibility of implementing the IBA-PEDK on a general pediatric medical surgical unit that already used PPE. Methods: Nurses on this designated unit were trained on how to complete the IBA-PEDK, and how to transfer the recommended PPE information to a sign on the patient’s door that informed workers about the PPE to be worn. Nurses’ aides, patient sitters, and physicians were trained on how to use the door sign to guide their PPE use. We then evaluated nurses’ completion of the IBA and door sign, and workers’ use of PPE through direct observation. Findings were then used to make recommendations for improving this program. Results: During the assessment period, 56 BH patients were admitted, 48% (n=27) had a completed IBA-PEDK and of those, 78% had a completed door sign communicating the PPE to be worn. Only seven of 39 (18%) health care workers were observed wearing PPE prior to entering a patient’s room. Conclusions: Half the patients did not have an IBA-PEDK completed by nursing staff, and the door sign did not result in high PPE usage among workers. These findings of low adherence were used to recommend changes to this program including: 1) integrating the IBA-PEDK into the electronic medical record making it available to all workers; 2) changes to the door sign to ensure workers could readily see the type of PPE required; and 3) making training readily available through the hospital intranet so workers could refresh their skills, when needed.

Moderator: Madison Bencomo, MBBS, The University of Texas Health Science Center

Speaker 3: Jessica Streit, PhD, MS, CHES, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

Presentation Title: Advancing Worker Safety, Health, and Well-being with Strategic Foresight

Abstract: The factors affecting worker safety, health, and well-being in advanced industrialized countries like the United States have undergone a fundamental shift in recent decades. Numerous social, technological, economic, environmental, and political (STEEP) trends now interact to influence work, the workplace, and the workforce. Proactively managing this broad—and growing—set of complex issues affecting workers will require innovative and systems-focused occupational safety and health (OSH) methods and approaches. To that end, we propose incorporating futures-oriented strategic foresight into OSH research and practice to more actively anticipate, and even shape, the future of worker safety, health, and well-being. Recognizing that the future is not predetermined or predictable, the practice of strategic foresight identifies and monitors early signals of potential change for multiple plausible futures. Such an approach reduces the likelihood of being unprepared for emerging trends and changes as they arrive in the mainstream. It also aids in the discovery of leverage points for moving toward desirable future outcomes and informs the development of robust strategic options and approaches. This presentation will review strategic foresight and describe how the practice can be integrated into OSH research and practice. First, we will provide a brief overview of strategic foresight and highlight popular foresight models and frameworks. Next, we will review several projects from around the world that have used strategic foresight to develop and explore plausible scenarios for the future of worker safety, health, and well-being. Then, we will present a strategic foresight framework tailored for OSH, which can serve as a guide for investigating the future in support of an expanded focus for OSH. We will conclude by offering recommendations for building strategic foresight capacity in the OSH community

Moderator: Michael Flynn, MA, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

Speaker 2: Francisco Soto Mas, MD, PhD, MPH, University of New Mexico College of Population Health

Presentation Title: The Health, Safety and Psychosocial Organic Farming Survey Study

Abstract: Increased participation in organic agriculture has become a social, economic and public health priority. While this priority can only be achieved by understanding the safety, health and life circumstances of the farmer, there are very little data on the organic farmer, including data that directly or indirectly relate to safety and health. Furthermore, there is a dearth of information on the perspectives and experiences of organic farmers (most of whom are small farmers), and the psychosocial and contextual factors that may influence not only their health and safety-related behaviors but also the sustainability of their farms and life as farmers. This information is essential for the allocation of resources, injury prevention and health education, and policy aimed at supporting and promoting organic agriculture. The Health, Safety and Psychosocial Organic Farming Survey study developed a multidimensional tool to assess the demographic, psychosocial and contextual factors that may contribute to safety and health among organic farmers. The Organic Farmer Safety, Health and Life Survey (OFSHL) was administered to a sample of USDA certified organic producers in the SW AG region of the United States. More than 100 farmers completed the survey. Preliminary results indicate low perception of risk compared to conventional farming and other occupations; low compliance with safety recommendations and equipment; and high level of stress related to family problems, illness/health and isolation. Nearly 80% were “somewhat” or “very concerned” about their own health. On the other hand, a very high majority reported satisfaction with life and work. This presentation discusses the project and the results of the study, and proposes strategies for intervention and policy.

Moderator: Michael Flynn, MA, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

Speaker 3: Kimberly Erukunuakpor, PhD, MPH, Georgia Department of Public Health

Presentation Title: Identifying Occupation Groups with Low Breastfeeding Rates, Georgia 2017-2019

Abstract: Introduction Breastfeeding provides a range of health benefits to both infants and mothers. Mothers who breastfeed have lower risk of hypertension, Type-2 diabetes, ovarian and breast cancer, and postpartum depression. Certain policies and supports in the workplace can make a difference in whether or how long infants are breastfed. In this study, we assess the association between occupation and low breastfeeding in Georgia. Methods We used data from the 2017-2019 Georgia Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS). Low breastfeeding was defined as breastfeeding for less than eight weeks following birth. Ten major occupation groups with at least 50 respondents on PRAMS were included. Logistic regression was conducted with low breastfeeding as the outcome, adjusting for age, race, education, BMI, and current smoking. Data were weighted to adjust the total number of respondents to equal the population of women with a recent live birth in Georgia. Results A total of 2,516 (weighted: 367,614) mothers responded to PRAMS in 2017-2019. An occupation code was assigned to 1,588 (weighted: 234,422) mothers. Fourteen percent (95% CI: 12%-17%; weighted: 32,529) of mothers reported breastfeeding for less than eight weeks. Prevalence of low breastfeeding was highest in production occupations (66%; 95% CI: 48%-80%) and lowest among healthcare practitioners and technical occupations (20%; 95% CI: 13%-30%). After adjusting for covariates, low breastfeeding was notably higher in production occupations (PR: 3.3; 95% CI: 2.0-5.5) and food preparation and serving related occupations (PR: 2.75; 95% CI: 1.7-4.4), compared to healthcare practitioners and technical occupations. Discussion/Conclusion This study identified occupation groups where women were more likely to report breastfeeding for less than eight weeks, which is much lower than the recommended duration of one year. Understanding challenges that deter the ability to breastfeed and targeting occupations for workplace interventions that improve breastfeeding support will contribute to the health and well-being of working mothers.

Moderator: Michael Flynn, MA, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

Speaker 4: Michael Flynn, MA, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

Presentation Title: Health Equity and the Future of Occupational Safety and Health: Towards a Biopsychosocial Approach

Abstract: Occupational safety and health (OSH) has evolved into a largely technical field focused on identifying and eliminating physical, chemical, and biological hazards found in the workplace. Central to this approach has been a view of cause and effect rooted in the biomedical model of health. As a result, the OSH field has limited its ability to account for the social structures that circumscribe health outcomes and how they contribute to the inequitable distribution of work-related benefits and risks across the population. Changes to work, the workforce and our understanding of the relationship between work and health have all contributed to a growing awareness of the need to expand and complement this reductionist view of cause and effect by finding ways of accounting for the social, political, and economic interactions that contribute to health outcomes for workers. In short, the field of occupational safety and health is undergoing a paradigm shift towards a biopsychosocial approach to worker health and wellbeing. Central to this approach is the identification and elimination of avoidable differences in workplace injury and illness that are closely linked with social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage. This presentation discusses health equity as a central component of the shift to a biopsychosocial approach and the implications and opportunities this paradigm shift offers OSH professionals, researchers and institutions.

Poster 2: Hsiang-Ming Wang, PhD, MBA, CBSP, Texas Biomedical Research Institute

Presentation Title: Pandemic Response Team (PRT)- A Systematic Approach to Ensure Business Continuity Amid Major Disaster

Abstract: When faced with serious disaster such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the success and failure of an entity depends heavily on having the right team to quickly and effectively making decisions in response to the unknown and ever-changing environment. As a small non-profit research institution, TxBiomed has the ability to implement the necessary changes quickly based on available scientific data, local ordinance, and federal guidance. The decision is constantly refined with the available institutional surveillance data combined with diligent contact tracing records. The Pandemic Response Team (PRT) at TxBiomed was assembled as soon as pandemic was declared and consists of 7 VP and Director level leaders in finance, research, facility operations, safety and security, human resources, and public relations. Through PRT, TxBiomed implemented mask requirements prior to government mandate, adjusted work environment to minimize potential transmission, rapidly traced and quarantined potentially infectious employee, and offered vaccination to employees at a rate more than double the nearby community- 80% as of May. As the pandemic subsided, PRT is crucial in establishing a recovery plan to bring the institution back to the new normal and document the lessons learned. This unprecedented pandemic provided the invaluable lessons for the business continuity plan and flexible work policy.

Poster 3: Ali Aljaroudi, PhD, Sam Houston University

Presentation Title: Effect of Hand Activity on Cleaning Personnel During COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract: Cleaning personnel complete jobs daily that require frequent excessive force, repetitive motion, and awkward postures. During the current pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there has been extra workload on cleaning staff to provide proper disinfecting and safe work environment. The job tasks could be exacerbated by a lack of equipment, poor maintenance of equipment, and inadequate training on lifting techniques and proper body mechanics. The objective of this research study is to provide an insight to the CTS risk levels related to hand activity during COVID-19 pandemic of most repeated cleaning tasks. A total of 12 cleaning personnel were assessed during their duty completing the following tasks: mopping floors, scrubbing floors, and wiping surfaces. The collected data was analyzed using the American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienist Hand Activity Level (ACGIH HAL). The data reflected that the level of risk increased between mopping floors and scrubbing surfaces then again between scrubbing floors and wiping surfaces. The highest ratio came from the right hand of wiping surfaces at 2 and the highest ratio was in the left hand from scrubbing floors at 1. There was an equal ratio of 0.5 in the left and right hand for mopping. From the data gathered, it seemed that the highest risks came from wiping surfaces with the right hand meaning that the risk level was unacceptable and above the ACGIH TLV. There was a lot of excessive force in place for a simple task that would have to be repeated for hundreds of surfaces a day. The suggested immediate solution in this case is the administrative control such as proper job rotation, increasing number of personnel instead of putting all tasks on one person as well as providing proper tools that can reduce the biomechanical load and make the job safer.

Poster 4: KC Elliott, MPH, MA, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

Presentation Title: Fatigue and Fatigue Management in the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing Sector: Context, Challenges, and Opportunities for Effective Communications and Training

Abstract: The Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing (AgFF) industry is often characterized as dangerous work in a dynamic environment that takes focus, good judgement, and often quick reflexes. AgFF workers average longer hours per week than those in other industries, and consistently have the highest fatality rate of any sector in the country, while also experiencing high rates of non-fatal injury and illness. However, many federal and state OSH regulations have specific exemptions for AgFF work. Extended work hours, shift work, sleep deprivation, and fatigue have been described as a “significant safety issue” and a “cultural norm” within the sector, but little research or interventions have been developed for AgFF work settings. However, addressing fatigue in AgFF using traditional approaches is difficult. Several work organizational factors culturally and economically incentivize extended shifts and minimal staffing. At the same time, AgFF workers are older, less likely to have health insurance or paid leave, and live in rural and remote areas. AgFF workers realize the risks of fatigue, but do not yet have the tools and training to respond effectively. Future AgFF fatigue management solutions must provide realistic and adaptable solutions to mitigate risk during both acute fatigue incidents and persistent chronic fatigue, while keeping in mind the unique challenges of rural work settings, mental stress, and diverse workplaces. This presentation will explore the unique environmental, economic, geographic, and social contexts of AgFF work which often makes current sleep hygiene best practices incompatible with the realities of working in this sector. The current state of shift work and fatigue research and training in AgFF will be discussed, followed by possible approaches for creating new fatigue interventions and messages, as well as current NIOSH efforts to expand research and develop training for this sector.

Poster 5: Midrel Dorel Tamba Diebres, Diploma in Systems, IT Business Campus

Presentation Title: Personal risk factors

Abstract: Epidemiologic studies have identified myriad factors related to cancer risk. Risk can be quantified on the basis of demographic factors, genetics, occupation, medical conditions, and lifestyle. Existing evidence suggests that:

1) individuals at risk often are unaware of their risk;
2) physicians may not know well those factors associated with the highest cancer risk ; and
3) methods to reduce risk have been under-applied because of lack of knowledge, lack of funds, or lack of motivation among both patients and physicians. Methods to reduce risk do not follow the usual medical model in that those groups requiring risk modification intervention usually are symptom free. Evidence indicates that elimination of tobacco use would reduce lung cancer deaths by 83% and substantially reduce the incidence of head and neck malignancies. Broad application of mammographic screening would effect a 30% reduction in breast cancer mortality. Dietary modification could potentially reduce cancer mortality by 30%.

An effective program to reduce cancer risk will accomplish the following:
1) develop new and refine existing risk factor measurements to improve identification of individuals at risk;
2) apply risk factor identification and modification more completely to populations known to be at risk;
3) use combinations of risk factors to identify subpopulations at the highest risk;
4) apply existing prevention and screening modalities more broadly and uniformly;
5) identify new screening strategies with improved test performance and cost effectiveness to maximize screening efficiency; and
6) provide accurate and rapid means of risk assessment and quantification using the best available multivariate estimates of risk.

Poster 6: Paulette Hebert, PhD, Oklahoma State University

Presentation Title: Case Study of a University’s Departmental Textile Laboratory: Existing Conditions and Compliance with Illumination Standards

Abstract: Proper illumination is considered necessary for workers’ 1) accuracy, 2) comfort and 2) safety, especially around hazardous chemicals and high temperature procedures commonly found in a textile laboratory. At a University’s Departmental Textile Laboratory, traditional college age students, as well as graduate students, faculty and staff may use the facility. The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) publishes recommendations for light levels for various tasks with acceptable ranges for different age groups and Light Reflectance Values (LRV) recommendations for room surfaces. As this lab is over 15 years old, it was anticipated it may not comply with current standards. Researchers acquired the upper-limit of departmental faculty ages from a voter records app and estimated youngest undergraduate students’ ages. During two-week period, researchers documented existing conditions. Using industry procedures, researchers utilized an Extech LT300 light meter to measure light levels on work surfaces and lab equipment in both horizontal and vertical planes. They utilized a Sherwin Williams Paint Color Fan deck to visually match and identify the Light Reflectance Values (LRV) of room finishes. They compared the measured light levels to IES Recommendations. Age range for potential laboratory workers was found to be 18 to 67 years. In-situ measured light levels were found to exhibit variability: 2.4-150 footcandles (25.83 – 1614.58 lux) on worksurfaces and 1.3-21.9 footcandles (13.99 – 235.73 lux) on equipment. Lack of compliance of some measured light levels with the IES recommendation for general laboratory work were found including those for 25-65 year old age group (300 horizontal lux, 150 vertical lux) and over-65 age group (600 lux horizontal, 300 lux vertical). LRV ranged from 49% for floor, to 77% for walls and ceiling. Ceiling LRV did not comply with IES recommendations (>90%). The existing textile laboratory should be renovated to meet current recommendations and potentially increase worker accuracy, comfort and safety.

Poster 8: Roxane Gervais, PhD, Practical Psychology Consultancy Ltd

Presentation Title: Ensuring a safety culture that facilitates positive behaviours and actions

Abstract: Introduction. The literature that exists on the safety culture concept is extensive. It is a construct that is acknowledged as one that can drive positive change within organisations. As such, it is accepted as one of the drivers that supports how organisations should function to ensure they achieve considered and purposeful actions and behaviours in their safety practices. In this respect, an effective and functional safety culture is expected to add efficacy to those preventive measures used within organisations’ health and safety management systems, with an expected benefit of good safety performance. Aim. The purpose of this paper is to present the evidence-base for those actions and preventative measures that promote, ensure and reinforce the characteristics of a robust safety culture. Method: This paper uses desk-based research to investigate those attributes that allow a positive safety culture to emerge within organisations. Results and Discussion: A review of the literature does not provide a definitive set of factors or characteristics that improve an organisation’s safety culture. However, various elements emerge as ones that should be considered when organisations wish to enhance their safety culture, these are leadership, communication and training. More recent research has been promoting the usefulness of psychological safety within organisations to support appropriate risk-taking, openness, trust and a healthy working environment, in which raising a concern does not result in censure. The promotion of a psychological safe working environment can be seen to assist with positive change, which in turn will support a robust safety culture.

Poster 9: Natalie Schwatka, PhD, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Presentation Title: Lessons learned from a study of organizational leadership for occupational health and safety

Abstract: Expanding our focus of occupational safety and health (OHS) to address this complete picture of workforce health cannot be done without considering our vision for the working environment. Our research over the past five years during the Small+Safe+Well intervention study suggests a complex interplay between organizational structures and functions for OHS and the culture that that drives engagement in it. We find that businesses implement a variety of OHS approaches with some offering similar safety and health/wellness policies and programs and others offering differing levels. However, businesses that offer more OHS policies and programs tend to employ workers who report that their employer cares for their health and safety than employers who offer fewer OHS policies and programs. Yet for employers that wish to create a culture where employees are proactively engaged in the OHS policies and programs, company leadership must demonstrate a commitment to these initiatives and create a climate that supports the initiatives use in day-to-day practice. Under these conditions, employees are more internally motivated to participate in OHS initiatives and this internal motivation will drive their engagement even in the absence of incentives that employers commonly use to drive participation. Even in the face of a pandemic, this positive environment may prepare businesses to better maintain their employees’ well-being. We also find that a leadership program that trains multiple individuals per organization can help business leaders develop a shared vision and goals for OHS through increased practice of OHS leadership skills. The future of OHS must thus include attention to creating the right structures that support health in the workplace, but also to developing the relationships that sustain the structures in a way that is attuned to workforce emerging needs.

Poster 10: Marian Downing, RBP, CBSP, ABSA International

Presentation Title: Academic Programs: The Need for Robust Biorisk Management Training

Abstract: Many scientific and health care workers begin their careers woefully unprepared for dealing with the risks associated with handling human specimens, research materials, infectious agents and genetically modified organisms. In order to serve as an effective and healthy contributor to a workplace, undergraduate and graduate students in the sciences, as well as those in medical profession curricula, need basic training in the principles of biorisk management. While other safety disciplines are highly regulated and the focus of extensive training, biosafety has often been neglected as a topic for students in biology, engineering, nursing, medical school, dentistry, and medical technology in many academic institutions. The American Biological Safety Association, ABSA International, offers several free curriculum packages for graduate and undergraduate students, as well as live in-person and remote training for biosafety professionals. The current pandemic has highlighted the need for evidence-based science as a basis for moving forward – do we owe our future healthcare workers, laboratorians and researchers anything less than the most relevant information for keeping themselves healthy? The common goal of creating a culture of safety in the workplace also depends on effective training and helping workers understand the principles of risk assessment and mitigation, as well as engaging them in the process.

Poster 11: Kaitlin Gallagher, PhD, University of Arkansas

Presentation Title: Expanding Occupational Safety and Health Training to Other Disciplines – A Case Study

Abstract: In their commentary, Schulte and Colleagues (2019) discuss additional skills (such as business, education, and applied economics) that Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) professionals should gain as part of their training. Unfortunately, this expanded focus may overburden the curriculum. A possible way to reduce this burden is to also educate non-OSH professionals on the expanded OSH focus. In Spring 2021, I taught a “Health in the Workplace” class based on NIOSH’s Total Worker Health (TWH)® framework to a group of non-OSH undergraduate students. The 16-week class was a special topics course under two alpha codes, Exercise Science and Management. Thirteen students enrolled from a mix of majors (eight Exercise Science, two Management, and one student each from Biology, Human Nutrition & Dietetics, and Public Health). Each week concentrated on an aspect of the TWH® framework and used different assessment tools. In the last three weeks of class, we used the Center for the Promotion of Health in the New England Workplace (CPH-NEW) resources to create a mock Healthy Workplace Participatory Program. Classmates worked together in “Design Teams” to address student health and safety issues on campus. A common theme of the final course reflections was that the concept of a “healthy workplace” was more complex than they initially thought, and that one can approach worker well-being from many angles, as is described in the TWH® framework. Teaching OSH principles in other majors has the potential to help future professionals (1) appreciate their employee, patient, and/or customer well-being, (2) appreciate and maintain their personal well-being, and (3) partner with OSH professionals within their organizations and champion OSH initiatives. Future work should guide training expansion and collaboration with non-traditional majors, as well as determine the high-impact topics that should be presented in these classes.

Poster 12: Ismail Nabeel, MD, MPH, MS, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Presentation Title: Agile development of innovative, interactive hazard recognition and mitigation tools/learning e-platforms for workers involved in the rescue and recovery operations in diverse flooding environments

Abstract: Introduction: Flooding events continue to increase in both frequency and intensity. Workers involved in post-flood reconstruction work are at increased risk of adverse health effects due to respiratory exposures and other hazards. Objective: E-learning platform ’Pocket Ark’ provides training before flooding occurs, real-time decision support during a clean-up, and communications capabilities during and after cleanup to the workers involved. Methods: To develop an e-learning platform called ‘Pocket Ark (PA)’ that will: 1) disseminate and enhance the critical knowledge regarding hazards prior to being deployed in the flooded environment to protect the health of construction workers ( PA’s Multi-module interactive educational program); 2) provide workers with real-time data to assist with making safe decisions during the deployment phase in the flooded zone; and 3) provide a communications platform to improve logistics between operational bases and workers during and after the deployment to the flooded zone. Results: Platform was evaluated for feasibility, usability, and subjective appeal with a selected sample of workers that participated in Hurricane Harvey reconstruction efforts. Using two sample t-tests for the same person, results showed a statistically significant difference with the pvalue of 0.019999657 among the pre and post evaluations. Conclusions: Prototype of e-learning platform can be further developed into a functional product through iterative design and feedback to be used by these vulnerable workers in post-flood environments.

Moderator: Professor Frank Pot, PhD, Radboud University Nijmegen

Speaker 2: Michael Silva, PhD, Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Presentation Title: Association between informal employment and mortality rate by welfare regime in Latin America and the Caribbean: an ecological study.

Abstract: Objective: We aimed to estimate the association between informal employment and mortality in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) by comparing welfare state regimes. Design: Ecological study using time-series cross-sectional analysis of countries. Informality was estimated from household surveys by the Center of Distributive Labor and Social Studies (CEDLAS) in collaboration with the World Bank, and the adult mortality rates for 2000-2016 were obtained from World Health Organization databases. Countries were grouped by welfare state regimes: state productivist, state protectionist, and familialist. We calculated the compound annual growth rate for each country and performed linear regression between the informality and the adult mortality rates stratified by sex and welfare state regime. Setting: Seventeen countries from LAC with available data on informality and adult mortality rates for 2000-2016. Primary outcome measure: The association between informality and mortality by welfare state regime. Results: Between 2000-2016, mortality rates decreased an average 1.3% per year and informal employment rates 0.5% per year. We found a significant positive association between informality and mortality rates (women: R2 =0.48; men: R2 =0.36). The association was stronger among the state regime countries (women: R2 =0.58; men: R2 =0.77), with no significant association among the familialist countries. Conclusion: Informal employment negatively impacts population health, which is modified by welfare state regimes. Addressing informal employment could be an effective way to improve population health in LAC. However, linkage with public health and labor market agendas will be necessary

Moderator: Professor Frank Pot, PhD, Radboud University Nijmegen

Speaker 3: Richard Rabin, Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health

Presentation Title: Undocumented workers: what is to be done?

Abstract: Immigrant and other low-wage workers are often subject to unsafe and abusive working conditions. Fall hazards; lead poisoning; dangerous (and asthma-causing) cleaning chemicals; and lack of protective measures are a few of the dangerous conditions that they report. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); both state and federal wage and hour laws; and state workers’ compensation laws all exist to protect workers. Yet many, if not most, immigrants are unaware of these laws and government programs. Undocumented workers are particularly subject to unsafe and unhealthy working conditions, both because they often work in the more dangerous occupations and many employers exploit their precarious legal status. Numerous cases of employers threatening to contact immigration authorities, so-called wage theft, labor trafficking and other extremely abusive practices have been documented. Several social and legal strategies could be employed to significantly improve the working conditions of unauthorized immigrant workers. Establishing a clear and equitable path to citizenship and other legal statuses would perhaps be the most effective mechanism. Amending labor laws to enable workers to join unions more easily would benefit all workers, including immigrants. Strengthening and increasing the number of worker centers – freestanding organizations that organize and advocate for low-wage workers – is another avenue for improving immigrants’ working conditions.

Moderator: Professor Frank Pot, PhD, Radboud University Nijmegen

Speaker 4: Bethany Bogges Alcauter, PhD, National Center for Farmworker Health

Presentation Title: Characteristics & Health Issues Impacting International Guest Workers in U.S. Agriculture

Abstract: Background: The H-2A guest worker program is a rapidly expanding non-immigrant visa program in the U.S. that enables agricultural employers and labor contractors to recruit workers outside of the U.S. to come and work for temporary work contracts. The program has ballooned to now bring in over a quarter of a million workers every year, primarily male workers from Mexico. Little is known by researchers, service providers, or advocates about the workplace health issues and well-being of these workers. Many of these workers are located in remote rural areas in the U.S., lack knowledge of workplace health and safety regulations in the U.S., and often come from indigenous communities in Latin America. Objectives: The objectives of this presentation are to enable participants to understand (1) trends in the H-2A program and why it is becoming a critical component of U.S. farm labor, (2) relate to real-life stories and testimonies of H-2A workers and their primary health and safety concerns while working in the U.S., and (3) learn how to identify H-2A worksites and approach H-2A guest worker employers for public health research and practice collaborations.

Moderator: Genesis Miranda, BA, The University of Texas Health Science Center

Speaker 2: Silvia Maberti, PhD, ExxonMobil Biomedical Sciences Inc / American Industrial Hygiene Association / Content Portfolio Advisory Group

Presentation Title: American Industrial Hygiene Association Efforts to Support an Evolving Profession

Abstract: In 2014, the Board of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) carried out a “Landscape Assessment” to identify future trends and challenges that could impact the future of Industrial Hygiene as a profession. A “Content Portfolio Advisory Group” was created to help prioritize these trends and support AIHA in prioritizing where to invest its resources with respect to creating new educational content and reference materials. The initiatives that are currently being pursued are: a) Big Data and Sensor technology, b) Communicating OHS concepts, c) Serving the Changing Workforce, d) Occupational Exposure Banding, and e) Total Exposure Health. This presentation will share the topics identified as priorities by this group, describe the activities and initiatives currently carried out by each of the priority working groups, and discuss what we see as future trends

Moderator: Genesis Miranda, BA, The University of Texas Health Science Center

Speaker 3: Javier Gonzalez, PhD, RN, OHN, MSc, Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social

Presentation Title: Occupational Health Nursing in Spain and Total Worker Health® (TWH)

Abstract: Introduction: The NIOSH TWH initiative proposes a holistic approach to achieving worker well-being by simultaneously addressing work and non-work-related factors at multiple societal levels. Occupational health nurses (OHN) are trained in several competencies that can contribute to effective implementation of TWH initiatives; however, the degree to which OHNs in Spain value their importance is not known. Objective: To evaluate the importance that OHNs in Spain give to professional competency areas relevant to the TWH initiative. Methodology: Data were derived from a 2014 cross-sectional survey conducted among 1985 OHN members of 26 professional societies. Using a 10-point Likert scale (0=not important, 10=maximally important), respondents ranked the importance of TWH-relevant competency areas: subject matter expertise in health promotion; advocacy/engagement in training implementation and evaluation; communication; leadership and management; and building partnerships. We computed mean importance score for each competency, and tested associations with demographics and occupational variables using multivariate linear regression. Results: The most highly scored competencies were subject matter expertise in health promotion and risk assessment (mean score, 8.9); advocacy/engagement in training (8.8); partnership building (8.4), followed by program implementation and evaluation (8.1), health communication and dissemination (8.1) and leadership and management (7.7). Higher competency importance scores were strongly associated (p<.05) with seniority, occupational health practice setting and economic activity sector. Conclusion: OHNs in Spain value several TWH-related competencies that can be useful when implementing TWH in that country. More detailed results, including specific sub-competencies, will be presented at the conference.

Moderator: Genesis Miranda, BA, The University of Texas Health Science Center

Speaker 4: Kim Olszewski, DNP, CRNP, COHN-S/CM, FAAN, Bloomsburg University

Presentation Title: “Exploring Occupational Health Nurse’s Understanding and Needs in Regard to Total Worker Health (TWH)”

Abstract: The concept of total worker health (TWH) focuses on safety and health of an employee, but also the health promotion of every employee to reduce injury and illness and advance overall well-being. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention ([CDC], 2016) reported that 3 million nonfatal injuries/illnesses occurred, and 4,649 workers died from work related illness in 2014. Employers are beginning to move towards a TWH concept by advancing the level of education and care being offered to employees at work and outside of the work setting to decrease workplace injury and illness. A recent study with occupational health professionals was completed, 1) explore occupational nurses’ current level of knowledge regarding Total Worker Health (TWH), 2) explore how many nurses have begun to adopt the TWH methodology and 3) explore various factors related to how change is perceived by the nurses and the organization. Since the Covid pandemic, many workplaces have embraced that their employee’s health extends well beyond their work environment. In addition to the work environment, community resources, compensation, and environmental concerns can affect employee health as well. This presentation will explore the concepts of TWH, and will review the research findings, as well as discuss practical educational solutions for implementing and moving towards a TWH program in an occupational health setting.

Moderator: Jessica Streit, PhD, MS, CHES, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

Speaker 2: Raul Astete, MD, AC Occupational Health Consulting SAC

Presentation Title: "VALIDATION OF THE EUROQUEST NEUROTOXIC SYMPTOMS QUESTIONNAIRE TO EVALUATE NEUROTOXICITY IN WORKERS EXPOSED TO MERCURY"

Abstract: At present, the diagnosis of Neurotoxicity due to exposure to Mercury presents certain difficulties mainly because there are no instruments that can initially detect symptoms and signs that alert us that there is a certain degree of intoxication due to exposure to this element, for which workers with chronic exposure they are already detected when the toxicity has produced irreversible damage at the level of the Central or Peripheral Nervous System. The objective of this study has been the validation of the EUROQUEST Questionnaire in its Spanish version to use it as an instrument for surveillance, detection and prevention in the workplace. The quantification of the validation of the content of the questionnaire was carried out using the V method of Aiken with average values higher than 0.7 in all the sections of the questionnaire except one but exceeding the lower limit (0.5) so it continued to be considered as a valid question Criteria validity was carried out by completing the questionnaire in a total of 70 people, 35 workers exposed to mercury and 35 unexposed workers, obtaining an area under the ROC curve of 92.8%, with a sensitivity of 97.1% and a specificity of 71.4%. The reliability analysis by Cronbach's α method for the entire questionnaire was 0.94, which indicates a very high internal consistency. The test-retest for the analysis of reproducibility was very significant with a value of r = 0.997.

Moderator: Jessica Streit, PhD, MS, CHES, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

Speaker 3: Rosandra Daywalker, MD, The University of Texas Health Science Center

Presentation Title: Advances in Occupational & Environmental Medicine Training: Integration of the Total Worker Health® Approach

Abstract: Since 2019, occupational and environmental medicine (OEM) resident physicians at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston have had the opportunity to engage in Total Worker Health® training. The Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health in Texas is the first and only educational research center in the world to concurrently host an occupational and environmental medicine (OEM) residency and a Total Worker Health (TWH) doctoral program. Established by NIOSH, the TWH approach emphasizes policies, programs, and practices integrating hazard protection with health promotion to enhance overall worker well-being. OEM physicians are tasked with supporting the health of the worker population through a combination of clinical care, prevention, research, and education, often serving in leadership roles in various settings (outpatient, corporate, academic, public health, etc.). Academic training in TWH represents a valuable and innovative adjunct in training OEM physicians, who traditionally earn a Master’s of Public Health degree during training. Complimentary OEM and TWH training prepares trainees to take a multi-disciplinary approach to the holistic well-being of workers, their families, and their communities. This curriculum prepares these occupational safety and health professionals to more effectively serve all workplace stakeholders on both individual and systemic levels, poising them to take on the expanding occupational safety and health needs of the present and future. The aim of this presentation will be to inspire and inform other programs seeking to formally integrate the new paradigm with traditional medical training by describing how TWH has been integrated into OEM resident training at this center, exploring the potential benefits of this approach, and highlighting a particularly pioneering dual-training experience that arose from this unique offering.

Moderator: Jessica Streit, PhD, MS, CHES, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

Speaker 4: Jennifer Laine, DrPH, University of Miami

Presentation Title: The Prevalence of Practicing Safety Professionals’ Knowledge and Involvement with Workplace Wellness Programs

Abstract: This research survey investigated how Safety Professionals are impacted by the NIOSH Total Worker Health (TWH) initiative. As the concept of TWH has evolved, apparent confusion has arisen regarding the extent of awareness and involvement with organizational safety programs with regard to roles, responsibilities, and boundaries. The survey ascertained the prevalence of safety professionals’ knowledge of TWH and experience with workplace wellness programs, measured the level of involvement that safety has with their workplace wellness programs, and identified any training safety professionals might have or need relating to TWH or workplace wellness program topics.

Moderator: Madison Bencomo, MBBS, The University of Texas Health Science Center

Speaker 2: Wilton Remigio, DSc, MS, MPT, Arkansas State University

Presentation Title: Working in the Cold- Environmental Temperatures in the Genesis of Musculoskeletal Painful Disorders

Abstract: Introduction: Movement disorders presenting with pain carry a significant economic and rehabilitative burden which is more predominant in the working-age population. Amongst the many causative factors suggested for these condition, cold exposure has been implicated as an important, albeit, an unrecognized and often ignored etiology in the development of painful movement related conditions. To this date no systematic reviews has focused on the effects of work environment cold exposure and its association with the appearance of musculoskeletal pain. The purpose of this project is to conduct a systematic review aiming to delineate and characterize this relationship and analyze the evidence present in studies the last 2-3 decades. Methods: An electronic search will be conducted using several databases on the subject by two different reviewers. A hand search of each reference list will be performed to improve the quality of the literature review. Relevant articles will be collected and analyzed for inclusion of not in the literature review according to the from the literature review and used in this study. Risk of bias. If there are Randomized controlled Clinical Trials amongs studies reviewed the research will include a formal assessment for the risk of bias. The risk of bias will be assessed by using criteria included in the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias (RoB) Tool (1) comprising 13 items, each item is scored as “yes” if it fulfils the criterion, “no” when there is clear RoB, and “unsure” if there is insufficient information. Any disagreement will be resolved by discussion, and if consensus is not obtained, another reviewer will be consulted. To summarize the overall RoB for a study, items related to allocation concealment, blinding of outcome assessment, and incomplete outcome data will be taken into considered. Studies will be classified as “low risk of bias” when all 3 criteria are met, “high risk of bias” when at least 1 criterion is unmet, and “moderate risk of bias” in the remaining cases. Quality of Evidence Assessment : Two authors will independently conduct a qualitative analysis to evaluate the overall quality of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.(2)mm

Moderator: Madison Bencomo, MBBS, The University of Texas Health Science Center

Speaker 3: Babak Memarian, PhD, CSP, CHST, CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training

Presentation Title: Task Demands and Impacts on Safety, Health, and Well-being

Abstract: Task performance is best viewed as a function of task-demand and applied capability. Task-demand is defined as the knowledge, skills, and effort required for successful task performance. High task-demand increases the likelihood of errors, and when task-demand exceeds capabilities, performance degrades, quality suffers, and exposure to health and safety hazards increases. Construction is a task-based industry, and construction tasks place significant physical, mental, and temporal demands on workers. It requires them to perform physical and cognitive tasks under aggressive schedule pressures, often in chaotic and everchanging work environments, where they may also experience noticeable level of psychosocial demands. Industry sectors such as aviation, transportation, and healthcare have long been concerned with the effects of task-demands on performance. However, the construction industry has not yet fully integrated the concept into existing safety and health management systems. As the work landscape evolves, a more holistic approach to employee well-being over a working lifetime is needed. This presentation will discuss how the concept of task-demand can be applied during the construction pre-task planning phase to enhance worker safety, health, and well-being. It will further discuss the methods to assess task demands, identify contributing factors from workers’ perspectives, and systematically address these factors during the project lifecycle.

Moderator: Madison Bencomo, MBBS, The University of Texas Health Science Center

Speaker 4: Amber Mitchell, DrPH, MPH, CPH, International Safety Center

Presentation Title: The Pandemic’s Impact on Sharps Injuries & Mucocutaneous Exposures in Healthcare

Abstract: National occupational incident data for needlesticks, sharps injuries, and mucocutaneous exposures to blood and body fluids has been available for decades, though not through federal agencies like OSHA, NIOSH, or CDC, as the public would expect. Until 2019 based on publicly reported data, overall incidence was trending downward among those working in healthcare settings. This was due to the institution of better engineering controls, advances in medical technology, safer work practices, and the standard performance of PPE. This presentation will summarize data from the Exposure Prevention Information Network (EPINet®) and similar surveillance databases and compare it to injury and exposure incidents from the beginning of the US pandemic in early 2020. It will provide insights based on what we knew in years past about inconsistencies in PPE use, lack of PPE access and availability, and lower than ideal designs for medical devices and clinical spaces. We will then explore what we could have predicted then, what we learned about the impact of occupational COVID-19 in the early days of the pandemic, to how we can build systems to prevent future exposures to infectious and bloodborne disease. This presentation will include not just information about the exposures and incidents alone, but how the current healthcare work environment also has added pressures to perform medical procedures quickly, more focus on patient compared to worker safety, the desire to see more patients in less time, hesitancy to report exposures, exhaustion from long and short-staffed shifts, unhealthy nutrition and sleep patterns, unbearable personal and professional physical stressors, and the stoic patient-first nature of many healthcare workers and institutions. Total healthcare worker health and well-being has long been ignored relative to exposure to infectious disease, this presentation will illustrate just how devastating a future pandemic could be, if we don’t act now.

Moderator: Padmaja Naik, MBBS, MPH candidate, The University of Texas Health Science Center

Speaker 2: Jack Dennerlein, PhD, Northeastern University / Harvard Center for Work, Health, and Well-being

Presentation Title: Integrated Total Worker Health® approach to improve workers’ safety, health, and well-being in the transportation industry in Chile: The “Get on Board” Pilot Program

Abstract: Professional drivers suffer from a cadre of health and safety issues associated with their specific and unique conditions of work. A scoping review revealed the need for interventions focused on improving the conditions of work and identified few organizational interventions that have included bus drivers. Therefore, our goal was to develop, by using formative research methods, and implement an intervention that targets the conditions of work to improve the safety, health, and well-being of the drivers of a bus company based in Chile. The formative research indicated that driver safety, health, and well-being concerns included fatigue/sleep, job stress, health behaviors impacting longer term health, work-related health and illness, and accidents. The intervention utilized a continuous improvement model with participatory components to prioritize and address the working conditions associated with these concerns. We evaluated the program from March 2019 through August 2020, which included the social unrest protests in Chile and the COVID-19 pandemic. The intervention resulted in changes in organizational policies, programs, and practices surrounding schedules and routes, vacation policies, and communications between dispatchers/supervisors and drivers. These changes reduced the number of back-to-back longer routes assigned to any one driver and increased trust between workers and supervisors allowing for increased application of driver-initiated safety protocols. Specific changes in worker outcomes were obscured most likely due to other larger external events related to social unrest in Chile and the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, this project demonstrated that the application of Total Worker Health® interventions within the Chilean context are feasible and could have positive results, improving the conditions of work that impact the safety, health, and well-being of workers.

Moderator: Padmaja Naik, MBBS, MPH candidate, The University of Texas Health Science Center

Speaker 3: Babak Memarian, PhD, CSP, CHST, CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training

Presentation Title: Evidence-based Solutions to Enhance Construction Worker Health and Safety

Abstract: Predicting construction worker exposure to jobsite hazards and proactively implementing effective controls to protect workers and enhance their well-being are ongoing challenges in the construction industry. To fill this gap, CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training has developed two web-based tools, both available to the public free of charge: (1) the Exposure Control Database and (2) Construction Solutions Database. The Exposure Control Database is an interactive, online tool that allows construction health and safety practitioners to estimate workers’ potential exposure to silica, welding fumes, noise, and lead based on the task being performed and worksite conditions. The system retrieves exposure measurements from the database based on the user’s input and estimates potential exposure to the selected hazard. The Construction Solutions Database compliments the Exposure Control Database. It contains over 330 evidence-based occupational safety and health controls and provides users access to information on commercially available interventions to reduce workers’ exposure to occupational safety and health hazards. This presentation will demonstrate how to use these two web-based tools in tandem to reduce construction workers’ exposure to occupational safety and health hazards and improve worker well-being.