Keynote Speakers

• Jack Caravanos

  Clinical Professor, Environmental Public Health Sciences, NYU College of Global Public Health, USA Title   The Global Burden of Occupational Health Disease: The Informal Economy Biography Abstract
  Biography

  Dr. Jack Caravanos is Clinical Professor of Global Environmental Public Health at the College of Global Public Health at NYU. He received his Master’s Degree in Environmental Health Engineering from NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering and proceeded to earn his DrPH from Columbia University in 1984. Prior to NYU, Dr. Caravanos was a tenure Full Professor at City University of New York (Hunter College), School of Public Health where he directed the ABET accredited MS degree program in Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (EOHS) as well as the MPH EOHS degree for almost 40 years. In 2017, he was designated Professor Emeritus at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy. He is board certified in industrial hygiene (CIH) and prides himself as being a practicing field-based environmental and occupational health scientist. Since 2005, Dr. Caravanos has worked with the international NGO Pure Earth (formerly Blacksmith Institute) helping to create its Toxic Site Inventory Program. In addition to his full time academic duties, he is the Director of Research at Pure Earth where he coordinates and facilitates scientific manuscript preparation based on assessment and remediation projects completed in low and middle-income countries. He has traveled worldwide assessing lead exposures at used lead-acid battery recycling facilities and pottery manufacturing as well as mercury exposures from artisanal and small-scale gold mining. He has extensive experience in heavy metal assessment using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) Lead Detection technology and LeadCare II Blood testing equipment.
  Abstract

  The growth of the global economy continues to shift numerous low skilled manufacturing jobs to low and middle-income countries. In addition, the increasing demand for processing of recyclables such as e-waste, plastics, and used-lead acid batteries has generated additional economic opportunities for low and middle income countries. The burning of copper wires and cables from e-waste processing is a growing trend that continues to not only pollute urban air but also presents a significant worker respiratory risk. Used automotive lead-acid batteries are also recovered, dismantled and smelted for lead ingot production. And of course, a variety of plastics are collected, sorted and sold for reprocessing with little to no worker protection. The vast majority of these tasks fall on the neediest portion of the population and usually in the low income countries. While data exists on global work related injuries and illnesses, the difficulty in quantifying the burden of occupational illness in this sector often leaves them undetected, and, unfortunately, ignored. Using a series of cases studies, significant exposure issues and challenges facing workers in several growing “industries” in several low and middle income countries will be presented and reviewed. These case studies will showcase the findings of the recent Lancet report on Pollution and Health with specific interpretations and applications to occupational hygiene.

• Melissa Friesen

  Senior Investigator, National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA Title   The Importance of Exposure Science in Identifying Causes of Cancer and Other Health Effects Biography Abstract
  Biography

  Dr. Friesen is a Senior Investigator in the Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch at the U.S. National Cancer Institute. Prior to joining the NCI in 2009, she completed her graduate studies in occupational and environmental health at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, and postdoctoral studies at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and at the University of California at Berkeley. Dr. Friesen's research has focused on quantitative assessment strategies to minimize exposure misclassification in occupational epidemiologic studies. She has focused on improving exposure estimates, evaluating the robustness of exposure-response relationships to exposure assessment strategies, and using statistical models for both developing exposure metrics and evaluating their exposure-response relationships. By using more refined and more proximal exposure measures, her research has resulted in quantitative exposure-response relationships for several exposure-disease associations that have not previously been published.
  Abstract

  The interdisciplinary field of exposure science, which includes knowledge of chemistry, biology, statistics and epidemiology, is a crucial component of identifying causes of cancer and other health effects in humans using epidemiologic studies. This talk will focus on state-of-the-art approaches used in population-level studies of cancer and chronic diseases. This includes new approaches for occupational data collection from study participants and linking their questionnaire responses to measurement-based exposure estimates to derive exposure estimates for their entire working life that can be used in epidemiologic studies. To illustrate this, two case studies will be presented: exposure to metalworking fluids and bladder cancer risk and exposure to biologically active dusts in agricultural settings (e.g., endotoxin) and lung cancer risk.

• Marianne Levitsky

  Founding President, Workplace Health Without Borders, Canada Title   No borders – New Meanings: COVID-19 Lessons for Occupational Hygienists Biography Abstract
  Biography

  Marianne Levitsky was founding President of Workplace Health Without Borders, a non-profit organization that engages volunteers in promoting occupational health for workers everywhere. A senior associate with ECOH, an Ontario consulting firm, she was previously Director, Prevention Best Practices in the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, an occupational hygienist with the Ontario Ministry of Labour, and a co-founder of the Toronto Workers’ Health and Safety Legal Clinic. She is adjunct faculty at the University of Toronto and was a member of the Toronto Board of Health. Marianne has received the Hugh Nelson award for excellence in occupational hygiene from the Occupational Hygiene Association of Ontario and the Yant Award from the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA). She has served as chair of the AIHA International Affairs Committee and is an AIHA Fellow and Distinguished Lecturer.
  Abstract

  “Without Borders” implies overcoming boundaries - transcending the limits that restrict us to our own countries, cultures and perspectives. As members of a small profession with its own distinctive culture, Occupational Hygienists have had to transcend borders of many kinds, in efforts to cross-pollinate with other disciplines in an exchange of scientific perspectives. Perhaps no experience has taught us this more unequivocally than the COVID-19 pandemic. We have had to learn unfamiliar paradigms and different ways of looking at disease prevention in multi-disciplinary efforts that brought us together with aerosol scientists, engineers, infection control experts and health care professionals. This path has not been without conflict, as many of us have learned in debates over PPE and aerosol transmission. We have also learned the value of cultural humility, and what the so-called “developed” nations can learn from colleagues all over the world. We have also had to confront the inequities in disease prevention internationally and within our own countries. This talk will build on the experience of Workplace Health Without Borders, an all-volunteer non-profit organization, in exploring these ideas.

• Anh Tho Nguyen

  Deputy Director General, Department of Work Safety under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Vietnam Title   Experiences on OSH Law Implementation and OH management system for the SME in Vietnam Biography Abstract
  Biography

  Profile:
  Over 24 years experience in OSH policies development with core competencies in:
  • Occupational safety and health Law Development;
  • Occupational safety and health technical regulation development;
  • National Programme on Labour Protection, occupational safety and health;
  • OSH policies Devolopment
  • Labour Protection including occupational safety and health;
  • OSH traning to Employers, employees and OSH trainers, OSHofficers ;
  • Safety technical regulation on mining; and Quarry, equipments, PPE.
  • PPE quality
  Employment history:
  This period covers full time employment in Bureau for Safe Work, MOLISA (96 – 2019); attended the Occupational Safety and Health Management Master Degree Course in Korea (2004 – 2006); deputy chief of Safey regulation department, Bureau for Safe Work (from June, 2007); Responsible for MOLISA WTO/TBT Notification authority and Inquiry point; Chief of Office of Bureau for Safe Work (from 2010 to 2012); from 01 January 2013 as Deputy General Director of Bureau for Safe Work, Ministry of Labour , Invalid and social Affairs and in charge to developing the OSH Law, Safety technical regulations and OSH training system.
  Current Position:
  As deputy general director of Bureau for Safe Work (from January, 2013); I am currently responsible for OSH Law Devolopment, MOLISA WTO/TBT Notification authority and Inquiry point; labour protection policies development; safety technical regulation development; A number of training materials, OSH traning material for employers, OSH training material on Mining, etc have been prepared in Vietnamese.
  Abstract

  Labour laws are promulgated in Vietnam from 1994. However, regulations about occupational safety and health are only one chapter in the labor laws. In the years of the 2000s, Vietnam's economy has grown very quickly, especially in the field of industrial production and construction, materials manufacture, quarrying, etc. In addition, must be considered the increased rapidity of small and medium enterprises, the number of this enterprises proportion more than 80% of the Vietnamese economy. So, the numbers of fatal accidents and diseases were increasing at construction sites and quarrying. In this context, the Occupational Safety and Health law (OSH law) were issued in 2015. The content and all the guidelines of this law, has focused on making the management regulations about safety to prevent accidents for employees at the workplaces. Moreover, regulations about risk assessment and controlling of hazards in workplaces also prescribed for the companies with a high risk. And, this regulation also prescribed for small and medium enterprises in Vietnam. After four years (from 2015 to now), the accident rate at workplaces has decreased in the sectors of quarrying, construction, materials manufacture, oil and gas. This indicates that OSH law and all the guidelines, regulations about system of accident prevention and occupational diseases, risk assessment and controlling of hazards in workplaces are actually being implemented effectively in Vietnam.

• Doo Yong Park

  President, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA), Korea Title   How Can IH Embrace the Challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution? Biography
  Biography

  Present Position
  Korea Occupational Safety and Health (KOSHA)
  Chair of OSH Committee of Economy, Social and Labor Council of KOREA
  Professor at the Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Hansung University
  
  Professional Experience
  Director General of KOSHA Research Institute (OSHRI), 2006~2008
  Immediate Past President of International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA), 2016~2017
  Immediate Past President of Korea Industrial Hygiene Association (KIHA), 2015~2017
  Past President of Asia Network of Occupational Hygiene (ANOH)

• Jorma Rantanen

  Professor, University of Helsinki, Finland Title   Challenges to Professional Ethics in the Globalising World of Work Biography Abstract
  Biography

  Professor Jorma Rantanen, MD, PhDis researcher and specialist in occupational health.He made his PhD on radiation biology and biochemistry in 1973 (Radiation Injury of Connective Tissue. A biochemical investigation with experimental garnuloma). He specialized in occupational health in the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, FIOH. Until 2003 he served for 30 years as the Director General of theFIOH. He has served as the President of the International Commission on Occupational Health, ICOH for the tenures 2003-2006 and 2006-2009.
  Dr Rantanen has experience in practical occupational health services, in clinical occupational medicine, clinical radiology, occupational toxicology and risk assessment, He has published about 500 research and professional (practice) articles. He is an author of several books and book chapters on occupational health,occupational medicine, radiation biology and toxicology, risk assessment, prevention of occupational cancer and during the recent years on research on work in the information society and professional networking. He has authored several textbooks and guidelines for training and education of OSH professionals on risk assessment, good occupational health and safety practices, basic occupational health services, prevention and health promotion, and guidelines for implementation of new legislations on occupational health and safety.
  Abstract

  Professional ethics is a branch of applied ethics, which has its roots in the principles of antique Hippocrat (460-370 BC) then formalized and generalized by Plato (428?-348 BC) and Aristotele (384-322 BC). Today applied ethics is considered to have several branches, including Medical ethics, Bio-ethics, Cyber Ethics, Environmental Ethics, Personal Ethics, Professional Ethics, Public Ethics, International Ethics and so on.
  Several professional organizations on occupational health and safety, including IOHA and ICOH, IEA, IALI have drawn codes of ethics or codes of conduct for the memberships. In these codes, the core principles in professional ethics have remained the same since times of Hippocrat, but certain variation in the contents are observed and a number of additional dimensions have been included in the course of development of the working life. The key principles found in the codes are:
  • Autonomy: Respecting autonomy of the client
  • Beneficence: Doing good: Protection of Life and obligation to help those in need
  • Non-maleficence: Not doing bad, avoiding harm
  • Objectivity: Basing judgements and decisions on evidence and or recognized professional experience
  • Confidentiality: Keeping and protecting the individuals’ secrets
  • Collegiality: Respecting fellow professionals
  • Competence: Maintaining and continuously developing professional knowledge and skill
  • Moderation of financial rewards in relation to service and the ability of the client to pay.
  Numerous threats hurt the professional ethical principles in the contemporary world of work, for example:
  • Value relativism
  • Excessive competition
  • Dominance of economic dimension
  • High rhythm of work life
  • New unexperienced events and activities
  • Ethical incompetence
  • Conflict between institutional/organizational ethics vs. professional ethics
  • Dramatic business scandals (=collapses of business ethics) even in giant multinational corporations.
  Several professionals have reported “ethical stress” at work due to conflict between their professional values and unethical principles of cultures of communities and organizations. Protecting professional ethics is not only the benefit of professionals themselves, but important for the whole international and national communities, enterprises, workers and public at large, i.e. common good. The seven guiding principles by the UK Government Chief Scientific Advisor, sir David King are.
  • Act with skill and care, keep skills up to date
  • Prevent corrupt practice and declare conflicts of interest
  • Respect and acknowledge the work of other scientists
  • Ensure that research is justified and lawful
  • Minimise impacts on people, animals and the environment
  • Discuss issues science raises for society
  • Do not mislead; present evidence honestly.
  High and up to date competence behind the professional independence and support by professional Associations, their ethics codes, support to members and collegial support by fellow-members are crucial in maintaining the principles of professional ethics in the contemporary globalizing world of work. International professional Associations in occupational health and safety should recognize their roles as guardians of professional ethics, they could collaborate more intensively in promotion of ethical dimension in the globalising world of work and provide support for the implementation of the key ethics principles in the everyday life of their memberships.

• Yogindra Samant

  Chief Medical Officer, Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority, Norway Title   The Changing Nature of Work Now and Beyond: Challenges for Occupational Health Biography Abstract
  Biography

  Dr. Yogindra Samant is a trained physician and epidemiologist employed as a chief medical officer at the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority. He has Medical degree from University of Mumbai, India. A Master’s in Public health from the University of Minnesota, USA and a PhD. from the Norwegian University of Science Technology (NTNU), Norway.
  
  Dr. Samant has been working in the fields of Occupational and Public Health for over 20 years as an researcher, practitioner and a policy-adviser. Dr. Samant represents the Norwegian government at the executive board of the European Agency for Occupational Safety and Health (EU OSHA), and also serves as an occupational health expert on several European, and Nordic Occupational Safety and Health initiatives. Dr. Samant is also an active member of the management board at the Norwegian Association of Occupational Medicine.
  
  A significant amount of his work at this time involves chairing the Nordic Group on the Future of Work and Occupational Safety and Health where issues such as digitalization, climate change and migration are being addressed. Dr. Samant continues to work as a part-time as public health doctor engaged in control and prevention of environmental exposures in the local communities.
  Abstract

  The world of work is changing, and changing at a rapid pace. New technologies, globalization , demographic changes along with climate change will continue to impact occupational health of working populations globally. The purpose is to provide a brief overview of the occupational health challenges that we face vis-à-vis Future of Work. The presentation will include some historical and contemporary background on how technology in the past, present and future is a bane and a boon for occupational health. Specifically we will look at issues of occupational health as it relates to digital platforms, but also other topics of relevance to the future of work. The presentation will conclude with challenges that future work poses for practitioners, regulators and researchers.

• Tzu-Lien Tzou

  Director General, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Ministry of Labor, Taiwan Title   Strategies of Improving Occupational Hygiene Capabilities for SMEs Biography Abstract
  Biography

  Professional Experience
  Dr. Tzou was the Deputy Director General of Department of Labor, Taipei City Government from 2016 to 2017 and served as Director of Taipei City Labor Inspection Office from 2011 to 2016.
  Dr. Tzou has been servicing OSH field for 30 years.
  
  Education
  Dr. Tzou received the Ph.D. degree from Department of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, UK and the M.Eng. degree in Chemical Engineering at University of Sheffield, UK.
  Abstract

  Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for 97.6% of businesses in Taiwan, and they are important contributors to job creation and economic development. However, SMEs often have higher rates of occupational accidents and worse working environment compared to large enterprises due to the limited resources. To improve the problems and promote occupational hygiene capabilities for SMEs, tiered management based on risk ranking and multiple approaches of compliance inspection, counseling and outreach programs have adopted by Occupational safety and Health Administration of the Ministry of Labor in Taiwan (Taiwan OSHA).
  In respect of chemical management, Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) has introduced the tools of chemical control banding for exposure assessment. To master the patterns about how to carry out the exposure assessment by enterprises, there are multiple ways utilized including propaganda, counseling and on-site visiting by professional counselors. From 2016 to 2019, Taiwan OSHA has collected patterns from more than 10,000 SMEs. Furthermore, Taiwan OSHA has devised a special subsidy program to assist SMEs to employ or contract medical personnel to conduct occupational health services in accordance with OSH Act.
  In the so-called 3D (difficult, dirty and dangerous) traditional manufacturing industry, Taiwan OSHA assists SMEs to improve the working environment by site counseling and subsidies providing up to US$ 80,000 for each enterprise. From 2014 to 2019, Taiwan OSHA has cooperated with three industries: casting, surface treatment, and dyeing and finishing of textile industry, encouraged more than 150 enterprises to build the working environment safer and healthier, promoted industry investment that totals about US$89 million, and approved subsidies of nearly US$4.33 million.

• Zongzhi Wu

  General Director, Department of Occupational Health, National Health Commission, China (The People’s Republic of China) Title   Control and Prevention Strategy for Resumption of Production of Enterprises under epidemic of COVID-2019 in China Biography Abstract
  Biography

  Dr. Zongzhi Wu is currently Director-general of the Department of Occupational Health, National Health Commission of China. He graduated from department of mechanical engineering of South China University of Science and Technology, received Bachelor degree in 1983, Master degree in 1986, received his Doctoral degree from China University of Mining &Technology in 1989. He is also an adjunct professor at Department of safety science and engineering of University of Science and Technology Beijing, and China University of Mining & Technology. He is the vice president of International Association of Labor Inspection, the former president of China Academy of Safety Science and Technology, the former vice president and secretary- general of China Occupational Safety and Health Association.He has mainly engaged in major hazard control, risk assessment, emergency management, legal and policy research, with 30 years 'professional experience in the field of occupational safety and health.
  Abstract

  The Chinese government has always attached great importance to occupational health. In recent years, China has achieved remarkable achievements in the field of occupational disease prevention and control . However, due to the rapid development of industrialization and urbanization in China, the problems of occupational diseases accumulated in decades of extensive development are gradually emerging, and the situation of prevention and control of work-related diseases is still very serious. The number of occupational disease reports remains high. Occupational hazards are widely distributed, and the number of enterprises and workers involved is large. A considerable number of enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, do not fulfill their main responsibilities, lacking of basic protective facilities and effective personal protective equipment, and the occupational hazards in some workplace seriously exceed the standards of the occupational exposure limits. Some workers who are not well educated, lack the basic self-protection knowledge, or neglect health protection.
  At present, the Chinese government has taken effective measures to strengthen occupational health, including organizing and carrying out key actions for prevention and treatment of pneumoconiosis, improving the legal system and supervision system of occupational health, strengthening the training of occupational health professionals and relevant personnel, improving the capacity of occupational health technical services for small and medium-sized enterprises, organizing and implementing Occupational Health Protection Action, enhancing the international exchanges and cooperation.

Special Lecturers

• Rafael Moure-Eraso

  University of Massachusetts Lowell, USA Title   Catastrophic Investigations:The Fallacy of Human Error Biography Abstract
  Biography

  Rafael Moure-Eraso earned graduate degrees in chemical engineering and a Ph.D. in environmental and occupational health. He has taught occupational and environmental health for 23 years at UMass Lowell. During his career he consulted full time in occupational health matters for two international labor unions (UAW, OCAW) for 15 years. He served the Obama administration as chair of the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board in Washington DC for five years (2010-15). He is a Fulbright Scholar and have taught Process Safety Management and Mayor Accident Investigation Methods in various international venues (Thailand, Australia, Mexico and Colombia). He is a naturalized US citizen from Colombia.
  Abstract

  "Human error" concepts (the finding of culprits) is a fallacy that create difficulties to professional investigations of root causes of disasters (Train wrecks, plane accidents and industrial mayor fires and explosions).Drawing on experiences of directing fire and explosion investigations at the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard investigation Board (CSB) for 5 years (2010-15), Dr. Moure-Eraso will discuss 3 mayor disasters (train derailment , Quebec,  2013, refinery fire, Richmond CA, 2012, West , TX town destruction, 2013).
  The problems of finding blame as a serious obstacle to learn lessons for prevention will be explored. It is either: Blame or Learn
  The accident investigation methods will describe contributions of Industrial Hygiene concepts in CSB work, such as, inherently Safer Technologies (ISTs) and Hierarchy of Controls. An application to a mayor refinery accident will ilustrte IH applications.

• Gurumurthy Ramachandran

  Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA Title   TBD

• Chungsik Yoon

  Seoul National University, Korea Title   Mask, aerosols and bioaerosols Biography Abstract
  Biography

  He is a professor of the Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University and president of the Korean Industrial Hygiene Association
  He has published more than 150 peer reviewed papers. He also published many papers on the respirators used in workplace and for general citizens.
  Recently, his research area includes nanomaterial assessment of the consumer as well as workers and health hazards in the semiconductor industry and liquid crystal display industry. He is also studying how to deal with unknown risks in the workplace.
  Abstract

  In the age of Covid-19, interest in the use of masks is increasing.
  Different countries have different standards for masks and also different wearing guidelines for Covid-19. Also, there are disagreements about wearing masks to protect the health of ordinary citizens and workers. This lecture will provide information on the comparison of mask standards in many countries and the performance of masks on aerosols and bioaerosols. In particular, it will explain the difference between WHO's droplet definition (including its inadequacy) and aerosols defined by environmental health and occupational health realm, and explain the results of existing studies on how much filtration efficiency a mask has for bio aerosols.
  This lecture will provide accurate information about facts that occupational health professionals know superficially or are inaccurate. Therefore, after listening to this lecture, the listeners can learn about aerosols and bio-aerosols, and knowledge of the proper use of masks.

• Laurence Svirchev

  Title   The International Trajectory of SARS-CoV-2 & COVID-19 from Localized Epidemic in Wuhan China to Pandemic End-Phase Biography
  Biography

  Laurence Svirchev, CIH, has a four-decade career in Occupational Health and Safety spanning occupational cancer epidemiological research as an occupational hygienist at the British Columbia Canada Cancer Agency, a Health and Safety Officer and Fatalities Investigator at the Workers' Compensation Board of BC, and as the OHS Manager for large Chinese Infrastructure Construction companies building hydro-electric infrastructure in Fiji, Niger, Indonesia and Pakistan. He was a member of the BC SARS Scientific Committee in 2002. He has a long history of volunteer work in the International Affairs Committee of the American Industrial Hygiene Association. He holds a BSc from the Montana School of Mines in Occupational Health and Safety and an MA from Royal Roads University in Disaster and Emergency Management. He also spent four years investigating the geological and social effects of the 2008 Ms 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan China with the Chengdu University of Technology. He was a member of the International Scientific Committee, 2018 IOHA Conference, Washington DC and the present IOHA Korea Conference. Mr. Svirchev has authored and co-authored 17 peer-reviewed articles in the industrial hygiene, disaster management, and geology literature.