Online Program

283990
Improving occupational safety and health in the maritime industry


Monday, November 4, 2013

Kristi Messer, MSW, MPH, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Jason Cohen, M.S.L., College of Osteopathic Medicine: Institute for Disaster & Emergency Preparedness, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Devra Cohen, M.P.H., College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Kelley Davis, PhD, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL
There are over 817,000 shipments of hazardous materials into the US every day, totaling over 2.1 billion tons entering this county annually. Approximately 24% of these hazardous materials enter the US through a waterway, putting maritime personnel at increased risk for exposure, injury, or even death. In 2010, Nova Southeastern University's Institute for Disaster and Emergency Preparedness (NSU-IDEP) received a grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to provide safety training to maritime workers in concert with law enforcement, shipping and cruise industry workers, and port/dock workers. Project SEAMIST provides an interprofessional training which allows for participants to actively exchange vital information related to response protocols and role clarification, as well as actively collaborative in tabletop exercises and maritime-specific simulations that are delivered on an iPad (equipped with a user response framework that impacts how the scenario unfolds). Since 2010, SEAMIST has trained over 900 individuals who work in high-risk environments. Individuals completing the training are contacted 6-9 months post-training to assess the following outcome measures: content specific knowledge on environmental risks, recognition of hazardous materials safety issues in the workplace, and the likelihood of workers addressing safety-related concerns to supervisors in the workplace. Preliminary findings indicated that as a result of SEAMIST training, they were better able to recognize hazardous materials, felt an increased level of comfort notifying supervisors of environmental safety concerns, and would encourage others workers to participate in SEAMIST training in an effort to prevent or mitigate injury. Updated findings will be reported.

Learning Areas:

Occupational health and safety

Learning Objectives:
Explain the role of interprofessional training in reducing or mitigating workplace hazardous materials exposures. Evaluate the safety implications of active and participatory training, including the use of iPad simulations. Discuss anecdotal observations of active learning and participant engagement when comparing utilization of mobile iPad technology vs. table top exercises.

Keyword(s): Hazardous Waste, Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Kristi Messer, MPH, MSW has worked as a public health educator, evaluator, and health program administrator for over 20 years. She is an advocate and leader for special needs and underserverd populations as they relate to health care. She brought these skills and abilities to the education of maritime workers who may become exposed to hazardous or toxic substances and has helped create a program and curriculum for trianing this unique audience.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3264.1: Chemicals & toxic substances