Collaborating for Education, Research, and Service

The relationship between the University and the field of occupational health and safety began well before the School of Public Health and Community Medicine was established in 1970. The Environmental Research Laboratory, for example, was founded in 1951 to provide industrial hygiene services for industry, a mission that continues today through our Field Research and Consultation Group and our Environmental Health Laboratory.

Much of our School’s success is grounded in collaboration with and service to agencies and professionals in the field. Through our many partnerships, we are able to provide education for students and practitioners, research support for industry and business, and service to the entire Northwest.

Education

Industrial Hygiene and Safety students study health hazards found in the workplace, such as chemicals, airborne particles, noise, vibration, ergonomic factors, and safety hazards. They learn to recognize these hazards, evaluate their possible health risks, and implement effective control measures. The Occupational and Environmental Medicine residency program trains physicians through clinical, classroom, and practicum components and leads to a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree and board eligibility in Occupational Medicine.

Research

The Environmental Health Laboratory provides consultation and chemical analytical services to Washington’s employers, labor groups, and governmental organizations. It also assists researchers throughout the University.

The support the Laboratory has historically provided to firefighters and fire departments in Washington state has recently been expanded. In the past two years, the Laboratory provided education, testing, and technical assistance to 76 fire departments and related agencies. It offers the only certified breathing air analysis in Washington and was one of the pioneer groups in establishing the certification program. Last year, at the request of the Renton Fire Department, the Lab developed sophisticated measurement capabilities to evaluate the chemical safety of three fire extinguishing agents.

The Field Research and Consultation Group conducts field-based research and provides occupational health and safety consultation to companies requesting assistance. Consultants observe work practices, collect samples or data, obtain laboratory analyses, coordinate medical examinations, and make recommendations for controlling workplace exposures. Priority is given to serving small businesses whose problems are not readily addressed by the private sector.

The Field Group’s clients include woodworking shops, sawmills, building contractors, battery manufacturers, and foundries. We also provide research opportunities for students, with Field Group clients hosting graduate student interns and sponsoring collaborations with groups such as the Seattle Metal Arts Guild and the Washington Automotive Services Association.

Service

Our Occupational and Environmental Medicine Clinic provides care to patients with illness or injury caused by occupational or environmental exposures. This multidisciplinary group includes experts trained in occupational medicine, occupational health nursing, internal medicine, family medicine, neurology, pediatrics, industrial hygiene and toxicology, epidemiology, and public health. Through an association with the Department of Labor and Industries, the Clinic plays a key role in evaluating clusters of occupational illness. Physicians provide consultation services on a wide range of medical, legal, and regulatory issues.

The Clinic also provides occupational health services for WISHA inspectors, Seattle firefighters, and UW HazMat responders, as well as comprehensive consultation services for patients, physicians, workers, and employers throughout the Pacific Northwest. In a typical year, the clinic sees about 700 patients, of whom about 40 percent are referred by the workers’ compensation system.

A recent enhancement is the Clinic’s multidisciplinary collaboration with its colleagues in spine, neurosurgery, and rehabilitation medicine to provide consultation services for injured workers with complex orthopedic conditions. This has further strengthened our partnership with the Department of Labor and Industries.

Our School is committed to advancing knowledge and collaborating with our partners in the field to keep workers healthy and safe. I hope you enjoy reading about a few of the occupational health and safety initiatives our School and others are involved in for the benefit of our region’s workforce.

Patricia Wahl, Dean
School of Public Health and Community Medicine