This proposed continuation of the Training Project Grant in Occupational Safety at Ohio University will address the shortage of well-trained practitioners in a traditionally underserved area of Southeastern Ohio and the Ohio River Valley. The proposed program will be managed within the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) in the Russ College of Engineering and Technology. Future students will be enrolled in the Master of Science (MS) program in ISE. Key elements of the program include: six core courses, two mandatory internships, two mandatory seminars in writing and research, and participation in plant tours and professional activities. The six core classes are: Human Factors Engineering, Industrial Ergonomics, Occupational Hygiene Sampling and Analysis, Occupational Safety and Health, Systems Safety, and Six Sigma. Students will then take elective courses in the Russ College, the College of Health Sciences and Professions, and/or other colleges at Ohio University in order to complete the requirements for the MS in ISE. A specific academic focus for this project will be older workers and advanced data analysis methods. Faculty for the program are well-qualified in this area as well as in the component areas of Occupational Safety research and field practice.
Demographic changes will necessitate the need for Occupational Safety (OS) Specialists during the next 10 years. Southeastern Ohio is especially underserved in its ability to produce well-trained OS Specialists who can address the relevant needs of local industry. This proposed continuation project will build on the work completed in the first three years and produce well-trained practitioners who will be able to address the OS needs of Ohio and the priorities of NIOSH.
