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Printing Instructions
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Room N3457, 200 Constitution Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20210
(202) 693-2323
[Credits] |
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Mission
The mission of the Office of Occupational Medicine (OOM) is to provide medical, toxicologic,
and epidemiologic support to OSHA staff in the National and Regional offices, and to
compliance officers in the field. The office also provides direct services to employers,
employees, unions, health professionals, and members of the general public in support of the
Agency’s educational and outreach activities.
Office of Occupational Medicine 2006
OOM Staff
OOM is staffed by a variety of healthcare professionals. The staff includes five full-time
physicians, one part-time physician, a PhD toxicologist, a registered nurse, a health
scientist, a program analyst, and an administrative assistant. All current OOM physicians
are board-certified in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. In addition, several
physicians are also board-certified in other specialties including: Internal Medicine,
Family Practice, and Clinical Pharmacology. A PhD toxicologist enhances OOM's capabilities
by providing expertise regarding occupational exposures to hazardous chemicals and other
substances. The OOM nurse coordinates the office's clinical activities, including the
Compliance Officer Medical Examination program and OSHA beryllium monitoring. The OOM
Health Scientist prepares and coordinates Medical Access Orders and the OOM program analyst
coordinates and assists with many OOM office projects.
Current OOM Projects and Activities
The Office of Occupational Medicine brings a unique body of medical knowledge to OSHA, and
OOM staff participate in nearly all aspects of the Agency’s activities. Key activities
include:
- Influenza Pandemic Preparedness and Response: OOM staff provide
medical expertise
to OSHA, the Department of Labor, and the federal interagency community
regarding pandemic
influenza issues. In addition, OOM is developing guidance on workplace safety
and health
procedures and practices to protect healthcare workers in the event of an
influenza
pandemic.
- Specialized Response Teams (SRT): OSHA maintains four specialized Response Teams
organized to address chemical, biological, and radiological emergencies, as well as
structural collapses. OOM medical officers are members of these specialized teams tasked to
provide support in the event of a catastrophic incident impacting the United States
workforce.
Dr. John Piacentino and SRT members
Bob Garvey and Fred Malaby
- Substance Abuse in the Workplace: OOM in coordination with the Office of the
Assistant Secretary for Policy are working with employers, employees, and unions to promote
the establishment of Drug-Free Workplaces.
- Challenges and Opportunities of an Aging Workforce: OOM is providing education and
leading Agency discussions in order to promote optimal workplace safety and health for this
growing segment of the workforce.
- Workplace Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Programs: OOM is committed to
ensuring that workplaces are prepared to respond to employee health emergencies. OOM has
sponsored AED training sessions for Department of Labor staff at the National Office.
Additionally, OOM is supporting research on the factors promoting implementation of AED
programs in the workplace.
- Federal Disaster Response: OOM provides occupational and environmental expertise in
support of OSHA as it fulfills its role in the National Response Plan. As part of the
Agency’s federal disaster response, OOM coordinated the development and distribution of
Psychological First Aid and Resilience resources targeted to support federal and federalized
disaster response workers.
Enforcement Assistance Activities
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OSHA Compliance Safety and Health Officers may contact OOM for medical consultation
on workplace investigations. OOM staff prepares and issues Medical Access Orders
authorizing designated OSHA personnel access to employee medical records maintained by the
employer (or the employer’s healthcare provider/recordholder). Employee medical records may
contain critical information about workplace conditions adversely impacting the health of
employees. OOM also addresses written objections to OSHA’s access to medical records and
prepares written responses as appropriate.
- OOM staff also assists with enforcement activities by performing compliance case
evaluations and cluster investigations. OOM staff conduct medical record reviews, employee
interviews, and medical screening activities in support of these investigations. During
enforcement activities OOM staff may make determinations of work-relatedness, evaluate the
seriousness of medical disorders attributed to occupational exposures, review fatality
investigations, and determine compliance with the medical surveillance requirements of OSHA
standards. OOM staff may also assist OSHA area offices and Department of Labor Solicitors
office attorneys in decisions regarding settlement arrangements and legal proceedings in
compliance cases.
Standards and Guidance Support Activities
OOM supports and contributes to the development of Agency standards and guidance. OOM
contributes information on health effects of occupational exposures and provides expertise
and recommendations for appropriate medical surveillance. Recent OOM standards and guidance
support activities include:
- Best Practices Guide: Fundamentals of a Workplace First-Aid Program.
OSHA Publication 3317, (2006) 163 KB
PDF, 23 pages. OOM staff
developed this guide to provide information for establishing and
maintaining effective workplace first aid programs.
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Protecting Yourself in the Sun. OSHA Publication 3166, (2003).
Also available as a 355 KB
PDF, 2
pages.
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Protecting Yourself Against Harmful Sunlight. Job Safety and
Health Quarterly, Vol. 11:4, (2001, Summer), 1.6 MB
PDF, 44 pages.
- Lyme Disease Facts. Job Safety and Health Quarterly, Vol. 11:4, (2001, Summer), 1.6 MB PDF,
44 pages.
- Lyme Disease. Hazard Information Bulletin, HIB
00-4-20, (2000, April), 65 KB PDF, 7 pages.
- Lyme Disease Facts. OSHA Fact Sheet, (2000, April), 32 KB PDF, 2 pages.
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Saving Sudden Cardiac Arrest Victims in the
Workplace: Automated External Defibrillators. OSHA Publication 3185, (2003).
Also available as a 376 KB
PDF, 4
pages.
Training Activities
The OOM staff is dedicated to excellence in teaching and they are actively
involved in the education of resident physicians and health and safety professionals. OOM staff
take part in a number of training efforts including:
- OSHA Occupational Medicine Elective
OOM has served as a practicum site for residents training in occupational medicine,
general preventive medicine and aerospace medicine for over a decade.
At any time throughout the year, the Office of Occupational Medicine may host up to three resident physicians for 2-month
training rotations. Future occupational medicine leaders have the
opportunity to fully participate in OOM activities and also receive an organized
series of lectures on toxicology, homeland security, and clinical occupational
medicine. OOM staff are members of the residency advisory committees at the
Johns Hopkins University and the Uniformed Services University of the Health
Sciences. For more information on the OOM Medical Residency Training Program,
please go to
OSHA Occupational Medicine Elective.
Dr. Kay Dellinger with
Dr. Heather Lampel, University of Pittsburgh,
Dr. Illy Dominitz, Johns Hopkins, &
Dr. Bill Otto, USUHS.
- Educational Conferences
OOM is often asked to present at international, national, state, and local conferences in
support of the Agency’s mission to the public. In 2005 and 2006, OOM coordinated the annual
Emergency Preparedness Conference, co-sponsored by OSHA, the Joint Commission on
Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), the American Red Cross and Joint
Commission resources (JRC). This conference focuses on preparing healthcare facilities for
response during catastrophic events. OOM staff have presented at conferences sponsored by
the National Safety Council, the American Industrial Hygiene Association, the American
College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the World Congress on Safety and Health
at Work, and other federal agencies and national safety and health organizations.
OSHA-NIOSH Journal Club with Dr. Patricia Bray
- OOM OSHA Internal Training Activities
- OSHA Training Institute (OTI)
OOM provides assistance to OSHA and OTI in outreach efforts for various training courses.
OOM staff participate as faculty in a number of courses, including topics on healthcare
issues, biohazards and bloodborne pathogens. OOM staff work closely with OTI and provide
input for course content.
- OSHA-NIOSH Journal Club
OOM hosts a monthly lecture series addressing current topics in occupational safety and
health. Journal club is a live, interactive, web-based presentation for employees of OSHA
and NIOSH. The presentations provide free continuing professional education credits for
physicians, nurses and industrial hygienists, and feature a variety of speakers from OSHA,
NIOSH, other federal agencies, academic institutions and other safety and health
organizations.
Interaction with Other Federal Agencies and OSHA Alliance Partners
OOM staff serve on various interagency groups and task forces. OOM has worked with
organizations and task force working groups such as the American Hospital Association, the
American Red Cross, the Interagency Board for Equipment Standardization and
Interoperability, the National Institutes of Health Data Safety Monitoring Board, the
Federal Task Force on Elimination of Tuberculosis, the National Cancer Advisory Committee,
the Interagency Asbestos Working Group, and the NIOSH Hazardous Drugs Working Groups. OOM
frequently consults and coordinates efforts regarding occupational safety and health issues
with agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug
Administration, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
OOM also participates in the following OSHA Alliances:
- American Heart Association
- American Red Cross
- Drug Free Workplace
- Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare
Organizations
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