University of Massachusetts Lowell Occupational Health and Safety TPG

Details

• Personal Author:
  Buchholz B
• Description:
  The Work Environment Training Program in Occupational Safety and Health at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, during the period 2015 to 2020, provided program support for four training programs: 1) Occupational Epidemiology (Occ Epi), 2) Occupational Safety/Ergonomics (OS/E), 3) Occupational and Environmental Hygiene-Industrial Hygiene (OEH-IH), and 4) Work Environment Policy/Cleaner Production. Since Fall 2019, the TPG supports trainees in two programs: 1) Occupational Epidemiology, where students receive an MPH with an option in Epidemiology awarded from the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences; and 2) Occupational Safety/Ergonomics, where students receive an MSE in Industrial Engineering awarded from the Francis College of Engineering. A total of 30 masters and doctoral students were supported during this five-year cycle: eleven in Occ Epi, five in OS/E, eleven in OEH-IH, and three in Policy. This TPG has been funded by NIOSH since 1990, with support at the master's and doctoral level for each program. At the beginning of this 5-year cycle the TPG was housed in the Department of Work Environment; it is now housed in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, with strong collaboration with the Public Health and Industrial Engineering graduate degree programs. The mission of the program remains unchanged: to train work environment professionals and conduct research on the identification and evaluation of safety and health hazards and the design of safe and efficient alternatives, thereby promoting the development of healthy and sustainable workplaces. In this mission, we are guided by an overarching vision to design and promote systems of production that are environmentally-sound, safe, healthy and rewarding for workers, communities, and consumers. Our integrated approach to health and safety strives to answer the basic question, "What is the optimal design of a healthy workplace, and how can it be achieved?" The program's curriculum has four broad academic objectives: (1) recognition and evaluation of occupational safety and health hazards, especially ergonomic problems; (2) control and prevention of occupational safety and health hazards; (3) an understanding of the methods by which human health effects of working conditions are studied; and (4) U.S. labor relations and legislative context, as well as social and economic policy innovations that could further workforce well-being. Graduates of the Work Environment program include many successful practitioners and researchers whose careers in occupational safety and health indicate overall success towards these goals. Trainees in both degree programs are required to complete a three-course core, comprising: Work Environment Policy & Practice; Ergonomics & Work, and Epidemiology & Biostatistics. All students also conduct an occupational health & safety project for their practicum (Public Health) or capstone (Industrial Engineering). Multiple extracurricular learning opportunities are available and foster inter-disciplinary exchange among the trainees, as well as professional development and networking with alumni. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Education Ergonomics Occupational Health Safety Staff Development Workplace
• Keywords:
  Industrial Hygiene Programs Occupational Health Programs Training Grants Work Environment
• Series:
  Grant Final Reports
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Final Grant Report
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OEP - Office of Extramural Programs
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-16
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20063312
• Citation:
  Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, T03-OH-008424, 2020 Sep; :1-16
• Contact Point Address:
  Bryan Buchholz, PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell MA 01854
• Email:
  Bryan_Buchholz@uml.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2020
• Performing Organization:
  University of Massachusetts - Lowell
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• End Date:
  20250630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:3adc127f0a1a8247f51b2324615ca9adc549df0c2eaef731b1c63d798577c3ad6a26b21754cccf9529c5f8f083256d17a9da9b1db7f3b55117a1edae9bbfcbb2
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/219071/cdc_219071_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 299.00 KB ]