Courses

Global Epidemic of Engineered Stone Silicosis: Lessons from California

In this timely Occupational & Environmental Grand Rounds Lecture Series session, attendees will examine the emerging epidemic of silicosis associated with engineered stone fabrication. Dr. Kristin Cummings, Chief of the Occupational Health Branch at the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), will review epidemiologic trends and describe the occupational health surveillance efforts underway at CDPH. Dr. Sheiphali Gandhi, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Occupational Pulmonologist at University of California San Francisco, will discuss the distinctive clinical presentation, diagnostic challenges, and management considerations of engineered stone-associated silicosis. Drawing on California’s experience, this session will equip Pacific Northwest OEM clinicians with the knowledge needed to recognize, evaluate, and manage potential regional cases and to contribute to prevention efforts within their own practice settings.

PRESENTERS:

• Kristin Cummings, MD, MPH - Chief of the Occupational Health Branch of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH)
• Sheiphali Gandhi, MD, MPH - Assistant Professor at the University of California San Francisco in the Divisions of Occupational, Environmental, and Climate Medicine and Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep, and Allergy Medicine

Accreditation Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements of the Washington State Medical Association through the joint providership of Washington State Department of Labor & Industries and University of Washington Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Continuing Education Program. The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries is accredited by the Washington State Medical Association to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries designated this in-person activity for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the CEU's commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

L&I can provide certificates of attendance for non-physician participants to use in seeking Continuing Education Units (CEU's). 

This course serves as the key required course for individuals enrolling in the joint UW DEOHS CE/OHWC Total Worker Health® (TWH) Certificate Program. Individuals not seeking the TWH Certificate may enroll and attend this introductory course as a standalone. This course is offered in collaboration with the Oregon Healthy Workforce Center and Portland State University Occupational Health Psychology and Total Worker Health Program.

This course covers OSHA guidelines for developing a Job Hazard Analysis. Course topics include the purpose and requirements of a job hazard analysis, the relationship between worker tasks and tools in a work environment, identifying job hazards before they occur, and techniques for completing a job hazard analysis.

Focus on common machinery types and related safety standards, hazards associated with various types of machinery, and control of hazardous energy sources (lockout/tagout).

People, and how they feel about their work, can have a very significant impact on how they emotionally engage in the workplace each and every day. 

Today’s safety leaders need to understand stress, and emotions in the workplace in order to design a healthy work environment for the 21st century. This course will provide opportunities to examine, explore, and practice positive approaches for increasing individual and group levels of motivation, inclusivity and emotional effectiveness with the ultimate goal of fostering a safe work environment. 

Past participants have shared the importance of learning about psychological capital, hope, efficacy, resiliency and optimism, as a resource in themselves and in others, in order to prepare the people they lead to effectively cope with stress and to effectively manage their emotions. 

Participants will complete an online self-survey to discover what constitutes their positive psychological strengths and potential areas for development.

This 4-hour course is designated to assist employers in identifying and fulfilling their responsibilities for posting certain records, maintaining records of illness and injuries, and reporting specific cases to OSHA. Several practice sessions are included.

Students who successfully complete this course will be authorized to conduct 10- and 30-hour General Industry Outreach classes. This is a trainer course so enrollees will give a presentation on an assigned OSHA General Industry Outreach Training Program topic and must successfully pass a written exam at the end of the course.

Prerequisites: Five years of construction safety and health work experience and successful completion of the OSHA #511 Occupational Safety and Health Standards for General Industry course within the past 7 years.

This course is for OSHA Outreach Training Program construction industry trainers who have completed OSHA #500 and whose trainer authorization has not expired before the first day of class. Provides an update on OSHA construction standards, policies, and regulations. Trainers are required to attend this course (or OSHA #500) once every four years to maintain their authorized trainer status.

Prerequisites: OSHA #500 Trainer Course in Occupational Safety and Health for Construction

This course covers the requirements of the OSHA Permit-Required Confined Space Standard.  Course topics include safety and health hazards associated with confined space entry, and the evaluation, prevention, and abatement of these hazards.

This course covers the requirements for operation of cranes in the construction industry using the OSHA construction Cranes and Derricks Standard as a guide.

This course provides an overview of state-of-the-art technology for fall protection. Topics covered include the principles of fall protection, the components of fall arrest systems, the limitations of fall arrest equipment, and OSHA policies regarding fall protection.

Introduces the application of ergonomic principles to prevent musculoskeletal disorders. Topics include: work physiology; anthropometry; video display terminals; and risk factors, such as vibration, temperature, manual handling, repetition, and continuous keyboard use. Industrial case studies cover analysis and design of work stations and equipment; laboratory sessions focus on manual lifting and OSHA's proposed ergonomic protection standard.

Federal and state policies, procedures, and standards, as well as construction safety and health principles. Emphasis on those areas that are the most hazardous, using OSHA standards as a guide.

Students learn about the production of electricity and how it is delivered to the end user as well as the hazards associated with high and low voltage current. Basic definitions and explanation of electric generation provides the required skills needed to understand electrical systems.

Students who successfully complete this course will be authorized to conduct 10- and 30-hour Construction Outreach classes. This is a trainer course so enrollees will give a presentation on an assigned OSHA Construction Outreach Training Program topic and must successfully pass a written exam at the end of the course.

Prerequisites: Five years of construction safety and health work experience and successful completion of the OSHA #510 Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry course within the past 7 years.

This course covers the requirements for the establishment, maintenance, and monitoring of a respirator program. Topics include OSHA and ANSI standards, NIOSH certifications, and medical evaluation recommendations. Course includes a discussion of both quantitative and qualitative respirator fit testing.

This course provides a basic introduction to the root cause analysis system for incident investigation. Course participants will leave with a basic understanding of the procedure for incident investigation using root cause analysis and an introductory understanding of appropriate preventive measures or corrective actions.

This 2-day course explores the principles, methods and tools for digging into the root causes of a workplace injury or fatality. This course builds on the introduction to the root cause analysis system for incident investigation offered in the 1-Day Root Cause Analysis for Incident Investigation - Basic course. The course continues with a more in-depth look that will include detailed case scenarios and interactive exercises led by a dynamic and engaging instructor. Course participants will obtain data collection and analysis skills that will equip them to conduct incident investigations and to implement appropriate corrective actions. Health and safety professionals, supervisors and workers with an interest in safety and accident investigation should attend.

NIOSH-Approved Spirometry Training courses offered at the University of Washington (UW) incorporate the most recent American Thoracic Society and European Respiratory Society (ATS/ERS) spirometry testing procedures and interpretation standards. The ATS is the leading medical professional society in the United States that provides evidence based statements for pulmonary function laboratory standards, testing procedures, and the interpretation of test results.

This course is designed for technicians who have never taken the NIOSH Spirometry certification course, or with certificates more than 5 years old. This class is appropriate for novice as well as highly experienced spirometry technicians.

Permissible exposure limits, OSHA health standards, regulations and procedures, respiratory protection, engineering controls, hazard communication, sampling instrumentation, workplace health program elements, and other industrial hygiene topics. Workshops in health hazard recognition, OSHA health standards, and safety and health programs.

Federal and state policies, procedures, and standards, as well as general industry safety and health principles. Emphasis on those areas that are the most hazardous, using OSHA standards as a guide.

This course covers the recognition of confined space hazards, use of instrumentation to evaluate atmospheric hazards, ventilation techniques, and confined space program elements. The requirements for a permit, non-permit and alternate procedures confined space are also covered. Specific duties of entrants, attendants, supervisors and rescue are discussed.

This course provides an overview of state-of-the-art technology for fall protection. Topics covered include the principles of fall protection, the components of fall arrest systems, the limitations of fall arrest equipment, and OSHA policies regarding fall protection.

Using interactive assignments and thought-provoking group projects, students of this one day workshop come away with a strong understanding of the benefits in implementing a safety and health management system in the workplace.

This course is an introduction to basic accident investigation procedures and accident analysis techniques. Course topics include accident investigation methods, employer responsibilities related to workplace accident investigations, and a six-step accident investigation procedure.

This OEM Grand Rounds session will equip occupational medicine clinicians with an overview of comprehensive rehabilitation programs for injured workers. Participants will learn how to match patients to the appropriate rehabilitation program and determine optimal referral timing during recovery. The speakers will also examine how common barriers to recovery, such as mental health and psychosocial challenges, fear avoidance, pain-related disability, and vocational or claim-related factors can be addressed to improve functional outcomes and support safe, timely return to work.

Presenters:

• Heather Kroll, MD - Co-Founder & Co-Director, Rehabilitation Institute of Washington (RIW) 

• Sean Tollison, PhD - Psychologist, Clinical Director of Pain Management Programs, Rehabilitation Institute of Washington (RIW)

This course covers the development and implementation of controls and strategies to prevent or mitigate silica exposures in construction, maritime, and general industries.

Accelerating Leadership Development

Safety improves when motivation is strong. 

Motivation influences whether workers follow procedures, raise concerns, and stay engaged when conditions are challenging. When motivation declines, compliance becomes unreliable and accidents become more likely. Motivation does not stand alone, it is shaped by four core capabilities that determine how leaders grow their capacity to lead in complexity.

This course provides practical insight into the theories, capabilities, and motivational drivers that accelerate leadership effectiveness and strengthen safety performance at every level of an organization. 

Past participants include health and safety professionals seeking to improve safety compliance and lead the adoption of rapidly changing workplace requirements. As part of the course, participants complete an online self-survey to examine their motivation and leadership capacity and learn how to activate positive leadership capabilities—referred to as leader developmental readiness.

About the Instructor:

Molly Breysse Cox, MA, PhD, U.W. NW Center for Occupational Health & Safety

Dr. Breysse Cox has over 25 years of change management work experience with Fortune 500 companies. This includes leadership positions in IT, Operations, Customer Service, Product Management, and Marketing. She joined the U.W. Center for Leadership & Strategic Thinking in the Foster School of Business in 2014 as a faculty and leadership associate for undergraduate and graduate. Dr. Breysse Cox has experience in transformational change projects, including designing and deploying new technology, organizational change, and leadership development. Her work is focused on fostering trust and psychological safety in education and the workplace. In addition, she was chosen in 2008 as the recipient of Women in Technology International’s Leadership Award for leadership in support of women in IT.

This course covers common health hazards that are encountered in the workplace. These health hazards include exposure to chemicals, asbestos, silica and lead. Course topics include identification and evaluation of health hazards and their sources of exposure, health hazard information, and engineering and work practice controls.