Labor Secretary Elaine Chao announced 15 people from industry, academia, labor, legal and the medical professions to form OSHA’s National Advisory Committee on Ergonomics (NACE).
“We are fortunate to have such a wide array of talented and experienced individuals to provide advice on our comprehensive approach to ergonomics,” Chao said. “I’m confident that this committee of experts will help us reduce [musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)] suffered by thousands of workers each year.
The NACE is chartered initially for two years and is expected to meet two to four times annually beginning in 2003.
“I believe we’ve struck the right chord in assembling this group of skilled experts,” said OSHA Administrator John Henshaw. “We asked for nominees from varied backgrounds, and that’s just what we got. But, each selectee also brings skills and expertise that, collectively, will help the agency accelerate the decline of [MSDs]. We’re anxious to get the committee’s help.”
Edward J. Bernacki, M.D., M.P.H. Assoc. Professor and Director, Occupational Medicine, Johns Hopkins Univ. School of Medicine, and serves as Executive Director of Health, Safety and Environment and Chair of the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Univ. Safety Committee. Current president of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Lisa M. Brooks, C.I.E. Health and Safety Program Manager for Intnl. Paper Company. A certified industrial ergonomist with advanced degrees in kinesiology and industrial and operations engineering from the Univ. of Michigan.
Paul A. Fontana President/CEO, Center for Work Rehabilitation, Inc. at the Fontana Center. A registered occupational therapist with 26 years of experience, 16 of which have been specialized in working with business and industry customers on injury prevention and return to work programs.
Willis J. Goldsmith, Esq. Partner in the law firm Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue. He chairs the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice, and has practiced before state and federal trial and appellate courts in matters arising under the Occupational Safety & Health Act, among others. Member of the advisory board of the Center for Labor and Employment Law, New York Univ. School of Law, and former assoc. editor of the Bureau of National Affairs’ Occupational Safety and Health Law.
Carter J. Kerk, Ph.D., CPE Assoc. Professor in the Ind. Engineering Program at S. Dakota School of Mines and Technology. A licensed Professional Engineer, a Certified Safety Professional, and a Certified Professional Ergonomist, he has 21 peer-reviewed publications in journals and conference proceedings covering ergonomics, occupational medicine, and other industrial hygiene issues, and has participated in 60 invited seminars and lectures in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
James L. Koskan, MS, CSP Corporate Director of Risk Control, SUPERVALU, Inc. He holds an advanced degree in Risk Control Management from the Univ. of Wisconsin. Associate in Loss Control Management, and a member of ergonomic advisory committees for both the Food Distributors International and Food Marketing Institute. A Certified Safety Professional, he is a founding member of the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company’s Loss Prevention Advisory Group.
Morton L. Kasdan, M.D., F.A.C.S. Clinical Professor of Surgery at the Univ. of Louisville School of Medicine. A leading expert on MSDs, he has conducted research, written articles and studies, participated in numerous exhibits and presented seminars and academic lectures on MSDs and MSD symptoms in the workplace. He has served since 1991 as a member of the ANSI, Medical Management Subcommittee, Control of CTDs.
George P. LaPorte Ergonomics Manager for NATLSCO, the loss control division of Kemper Insurance Companies. More than 23 years experience in ergonomics, safety and industrial engineering and currently supervises Kemper/NATLSCO’s Health and Ergonomics technical staff. A certified industrial ergonomist, he has provided ergonomics consulting in the meatpacking, textile, bakery and health care industries.
Barbara McCabe Program Manager, Operating Engineers National Hazmat Program. She holds graduate degrees in occupational health and safety engineering and audiology; industrial hygienist since 1991. Certification as a licensed audiologist, and certified as a trainer for 10- and 30-hour OSHA general industry outreach programs, as well as a “train-the-trainer” for hazardous waste operations and emergency response.
J. Dan McCausland Consultant, and Director, Worker Safety and Human Resources, American Meat Institute. He has served in various functions with Oscar Mayer Food Corporation, for more than 30 years, appointed Regional Director of Safety & Risk Management for Kraft Foods, Inc. He also worked with OSHA in the early 1990’s in the development of ergonomics guidelines for the meatpacking industry.
Audrey Nelson, Ph.D., RN Center Director for: VHA Patient Safety Center of Inquiry, VHA Health Services Research Program on Patient Safety Outcomes; and Suncoast Development Research Evaluation Research Center on Safe Patient Transitions. More than 29 years of nursing experience, she has joint faculty appointments at the Univ. of South Florida in the Colleges of Nursing and Public Health, and is the Assoc. Director for Clinical Research in the College of Nursing. Chaired a VHA task force on Patient Care Ergonomics which was implemented nationally.
Lida Orta-Anes, Ph.D. Assoc. Prof., Grad. School of Public Health, Univ. of Puerto Rico. Dr. Orta-Anes is currently developing a minor concentration in ergonomics within the Industrial Hygiene Program and serves as the principal investigator in several proposed ergonomics research projects. Served as the Sr. Ergonomist Consultant for the UAW in Detroit, served in policy setting committees for the MIOSHA Ergonomics Guidelines.
Roxanne Rivera President and CEO, PMR Construction Services, Inc. Founded PMR in 1981, a company that provides general construction services to the local and federal government and commercial customers. Her firm received the SBA’s Award of Excellence in 1994, 1997; it has been listed in the top 500 Hispanic-owned businesses in the U.S for the past five years. Member of the Board of Directors for the Assoc. of Builders and Contractors for the state of New Mexico.
W. Corey Thompson National Safety and Health Specialist, APWU. Provides health and safety direction for the APWU’s 368,000 members in more than 35,000 USPS facilities. Worked in the industrial hygiene field since 1980, served as a union representative on AFL-CIO’s Health and Safety Committee, and as a member of OSHA’s Federal Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health. Before joining APWU, he founded Thompson’s Training Institute and Consulting Services, providing training and technical assistance to business, government agencies and non-profit organizations on safety, occupational health, ergonomics, and OSHA regulatory requirements.
Richard Wyatt, Ph.D., CPE Assoc. Director, Aon Ergonomic Services. An industrial and systems engineering expert, he conducts ergonomic seminars and develops ergonomic plans and programs. A certified quality engineer, registered professional engineer, and certified professional ergonomist, he has served for more than 20 years in the industrial engineering field in varying capacities in Alabama, Kentucky and Indiana.