Session 1: Alaska—The Land of Reality TV shows that make OSH Professionals Cringe!
You are probably familiar with at least one of these shows-- “Deadliest Catch,” “Flying Wild in Alaska,” or “Bering Sea Gold.” Reality TV has helped Alaska earn its reputation of being a hazardous place to work. However, counter to what Hollywood is portraying, workplace hazards have been reduced in the last 25 years in “The Last Frontier State.” NIOSH established the “Alaska Field Station” in 1991, in partnership with the State of Alaska, to reduce occupational safety hazards by applying the public health model to conduct smart and effective research. This session will review many of the success stories that have led to a significant decrease in the rate of work related fatalities in Alaska. Our Pre-Conference Workshop will start with examples of success stories of how to make a difference through smart surveillance, effective partnerships, tailored interventions, and evaluation.
Session 2: The Reality of Including Occupation Information in Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
The CDC National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and partners are conducting several projects focused on the inclusion of work information in EHRs. This panel will provide an overview of: current efforts to develop informatics products supporting the management and exchange of structured work information in EHRs, a demonstration project to pilot capture of occupational information in a primary care setting, and the development of tools within EHRs to help guide clinical care using occupational information.
Session 3: The Challenges in OH Surveillance Talk Show
In this less formal session, a ‘host’ will interview seasoned veterans of state-based occupational health programs about their experiences and lessons learned. Audience members will also be encouraged to pose questions to the host and panel. This will be an especially useful session for members from states who are relative newcomers to occupational health.
Break for Lunch
Session 4: #OHS #Storytelling
Part 1: The California Department of Public Health’s FACE program is continuing to make videos aimed at preventing occupational fatalities. The latest video highlights the danger of using paint stripper containing methylene chloride. Dr. Harrison will talk about the reasons for making a video featuring paint stripper; Laura Styles will talk about distribution of the video via social media; and then the video will be shown. Dr. Harrison and Ms. Styles will then address questions and comments from workshop participants.
Part 2: Have you met Angus? Angus Iverson is the spokesman of NIOSH's health communication intervention, Live to be Salty, and he's got a few things to say about fishermen and their use of personal flotation devices (PFDs). NIOSH created Angus as a clever way to communicate messages about PFDs to commercial fishermen in Alaska. Using twitter, FaceBook, print media, posters, coasters, flyers, stickers—he was anywhere you could find a fisherman.
Session 5: Practical Tools and Guidance for Evaluating OH Programs
NIOSH will provide a brief overview of CDC program evaluation resources. The presentation will be followed by a panel of state-based occupational health professionals who will share their experiences in evaluating occupational health programs and using the evaluation findings. The panel will provide useful tips on approaches other states can use to conduct their own program evaluations.