Planning for the Occupational Health and Safety section’s American Public Health Association (APHA) 2009 program is already underway! With a new administration and the promise of positive changes in the public health and labor arenas, it will be exciting to meet again in Philadelphia (Nov 7-11, 2009) to discuss forward motion in our field. How can we capture the energy that will be in motion as we turn around years of neglect into a new agenda for workers’ rights in health and safety? By all standards we are expecting the 2009 APHA meeting to be historic and monumental, and we are asking you to consider participating in the
scientific program. Using feedback given by members at the 2008 APHA meeting, the OSH program committee has prepared a call for abstracts for the 2009 meeting.
The OHS section agenda will emphasize two themes – ‘Research to Practice (R2P)’ and ‘Occupational Health Disparities’. To that end, we ask that, where possible, authors communicate the practical applications of their research to their audience. Additionally, the Occupational Health Disparities Institute, now in its third year, has received great interest from members, and again in 2009 we are soliciting high quality submissions on disparities in occupational health. Of course, in addition to these areas of focus, the OHS section is looking for submissions on many other topics of current interest in occupational safety and health.

Please consider submitting an abstract – either for a full, 90-minute session or for an individual presentation (approx. 15 minutes). Please be aware that student scholarships are available from the OHS section – we ask that you encourage students to apply to present their work at APHA. The OHS section call for abstracts for APHA 2009 is now available at the following website: http://apha.confex.com/apha/137am/ohs.htm

Abstracts are due February 13, 2009. If you have any questions about preparing your abstract or about the OHS section’s scientific program, please feel free to contact us! FYI – We are planning events for the meeting to start on Saturday 11/7 so plan your trip accordingly.

Student scholarships are available and will be awarded based on the quality of the submitted application. Students are typically provided with annual meeting fees, a one-year student membership to APHA, and up to $300 to cover meeting-related expenses.

Abstracts for APHA 2009 are due on February 13, 2009. Please see online submission information at http://apha.confex.com/apha/137am/ohs.htm

We would also like to encourage you to join APHA and help us to continue to advance the field of occupational health and safety. The orientation of the OHS Section is multidisciplinary. Members include occupational health specialists, occupational physicians, union organizers, occupational hygienists, safety professionals, nurses, educators, administrators, epidemiologists, and attorneys. Section membership offers numerous opportunities for professional advancement, as well as further involvement in APHA.

Additional information about the upcoming conference and becoming a member of APHA Occupational Health Section is available at www.apha.org. We look forward to having you join us!

Program Planner Contact Information:
Kerry Souza, Chair
ksouza@hsph.harvard.edu

Peter Dooley, MS, CIH, CSP
LaborSafe@aol.com

Mark D. Catlin, BS BA
mark.catlin@seiu.org

Homero Harari
Homero_Harari@student.uml.edu