Industrial Hygiene

05/09/2023: Occupations at Risk for Vector-Borne Diseases

About the webinar:

The incidence of vector-borne diseases spread by ticks and mosquitoes are increasing in the United States. Various occupations, such as agriculture, logging, outdoor recreational, and construction workers, are especially at risk for these diseases. This presentation will describe the primary insect vectors, major diseases they spread, risk factors, and methods to prevent exposure to insect vectors.

03/06/2023 - 03/07/2023: Ventilation Assessment Using Balometers, CO2, and PM 2.5

Ventilation is an essential engineering control for optimizing indoor air quality and minimizing the impact of wildfire smoke events, climate change exacerbated allergies, COVID-19 surges and variants, and in preparing for future pandemics. This in-person, hands-on training will review the basics of assessing ventilation at the occupant level, and help you identify a framework to identify and address ventilation vulnerabilities.

During the workshop, learners will use balometers to collect and analyze data, and to calculate air changes per hour. Learners will also receive hands-on...

02/03/2023 - 02/04/2023 - COEH Builds Bridges: Algorithm Based Work, Wearables, and Surveillance

Friday, February 3 - Saturday, February 4, 2023 | Sacramento, CA


Join COEH for a conversation on the impact and future of data-driven technologies in the workplace. We will discuss how data is collected and used in the workplace; the intersection of humans, robots, and artificial intelligence; and ethical considerations, including how algorithms can reinforce discrimination and erode worker privacy. We will also explore the role of wearables in reducing musculoskeletal injuries, and how human-centered design of textile-based wearable products can improve health and...

02/08/22 - Firefighter Respiratory and Cardiovascular Health: Climate Change & Smoke Exposure

About the webinar: Firefighters comprise the largest group of public safety employees with more than 350,000 career firefighters and more than 780,000 volunteer firefighters in the United States. Smoke inhalation is the primary risk factor of more than half of work-related deaths among them by respiratory and cardiovascular causes. It is well established that the intensity, severity, and magnitude of wildfires is increasing at alarming rates due to climate change. This presentation will discuss smoke exposures, including polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and exhaled breath condensate (...

05/10/2022: Occupational Hygiene and One Health Approaches to Infection Prevention and Control in Animal Farming

About the webinar:

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of infectious disease transmission in animal food production. Few preventive programs exist. This presentation will explore an occupational hygiene approach to infection prevention and control on farms, with an emphasis on a One Health lens that considers the health and well being of both workers and animals in a shared environment.

The Air-Surface Interface of Viral Contamination: What Can Exposure Modeling Tell Us?

About the Webinar:

COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of understanding how communicable diseases are transmitted and the relationships between different transmission routes. Exposure modeling is a useful tool for exploring and describing the fate and transport of viral pathogens in indoor environments. This presentation will explore examples of exposure modeling used to investigate connections between air and surface contamination and potential implications for 1) healthcare workers’ occupational exposures and 2) risk reductions offered by interventions.

Promoting Sanitation Worker Health and Safety through Social Enterprise

About the Webinar:

Worldwide, 2.7 billion people rely on onsite sanitation systems that are not connected to sewer systems. These facilities are cleaned and maintained by informal and invisible sanitation workers at a great risk to their health and dignity. This webinar will focus on how social enterprise may be an important mechanism for integrating sanitation workers in the formal economy and safeguarding their dignity and health. Case studies from East Africa and Southeast Asia will be discussed.

Respirator Development in the Time of COVID-19

About the Webinar:

The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges in efforts to protect both workers and the public. A lack of respirators for health-care workers spurred research on the development of alternatives to the N95 respirator as well as methods to decontaminate them for multiple uses. This presentation will summarize those efforts and provide suggestions for the future.

Quantifying Occupational Heat Stress Among U.S. Agricultural Workers

About the Webinar:

Exposure to extreme heat can result in occupational illnesses and injuries including heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, and heat rashes. This presentation will explore the public health burden of heat stress in agricultural workers in the United States. Learners will also discuss challenges surrounding the measurement of occupational heat stress, and methods to assess heat stress exposure using spatial and meteorological data.

Permeation Through Disposable Nitrile Gloves: Gun Cleaning Solvents and Gunshot Residue

About the Webinar:

Firearms emit a complex mixture of inorganic and organic compounds that pose health risks. These compounds, or gunshot residues (GSRs), must be removed from the firearm to assure its proper function and for the safety of the user. Cleaning requires the use of gun cleaning solvents (GCSs) and manufacturers recommend appropriate protective gloves be worn while using GCSs. However, no research has previously been conducted to investigate the permeation of these solvents through disposable nitrile gloves. GCSs are generally complex mixtures that contain...