The OccHealthSci Resource Center is directed by Dede Montgomery, CIH, to offer assistance in locating resources or technical assistance related to workplace safety and health issues. Fastest response to inquiries is often by email, although individuals can also call by phone at the number listed on the right column of this page.

If you have an immediate question about an exposure or poisoning, please call Oregon Poison Center

Ms. Montgomery provides assistance to other safety and health professionals, in addition to employees, owners and the public. She also partners with a variety of organizations, including O[yes] (Oregon young employee safety), SAIF, Oregon OSHA and the Oregon Health Authority.

The OccHealthSci Resource Center, in collaboration with other staff and programs at the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences and the Oregon Healthy Workforce Center also produces various resources available online for use as health education tools in the workplace. See our Resource Kiosk.

Here are some resources that may be useful as related to common workplace safety and health concerns and questions:

Mold information

Indoor Air Quality

Lyme Disease

Hantavirus

OccHealthSci Resource Directory - search by industry or topic

Oregon Poison Control

National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC)

Oregon OSHA Consultative Services

Recent Contacts

Indoor Air Quality

Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) has frequently been an issue brought to us. It has profound adverse effects on worker health, morale and productivity and should be addressed as soon as it becomes an issue. We remind callers that organizational safety and health staff, safety committees, worker compensation consultants and unions can all be helpful when air quality issues relate to workplaces. Read more about indoor air quality.

Literature and Best Practice Searches

Frequent requests are made for information related to substances and health conditions that may be difficult for some workers or citizens to locate and understand. Findings are usually shared by email or phone. Examples of recent research requests have been related to endocrine disrupters, Bisphenol A, formaldehyde, Bells Palsy, and welding fumes. Findings are sometimes used to further enhance the OccHealthSci Resource Directory (for example, adding a sub-topic addressing endocrine disrupters).

Pesticides

In instances where it is believed that pesticide use or misuse is causing adverse health or environmental impacts, we advise callers to contact the Oregon Department of Agriculture's (ODA) Pesticides Division. The ODA has the investigative authority for pesticide incidents in Oregon. The Pesticides Division houses the Pesticide Analytical and Response Center (PARC), whose mandate is to:

• Collect incident information
• Mobilize expertise for investigations
• Identify trends and patterns of problems
• Make policy or other recommendations for action
• Report results of investigations
• Prepare activity reports for each legislative session

Although the PARC board has no regulatory authority, it's primary function is to coordinate investigations by the appropriate member agencies (OR OSHA, DEQ, Oregon Health Authority, Dept. of Forestry, ODOT, Poison Center, ODFW, State Fire Marshal) and to collect and analyze information about reported incidents (http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/PEST/parc.shtml).