Outreach, Training and Continuing Education
In addition to our academic programs, NC OSHERC provides extensive outreach, training and continuing education programs. These courses are offered on both an open registration basis as well as on a contract basis for specific companies and the military. The courses offered cover many topics in industrial hygiene, occupational health nursing, occupational medicine, safety and environmental areas. This includes our Industrial Hygiene Technician, Safety Technician, and Environmental Technician certificate programs.
Select a link for more information.
Upcoming Courses
Certified Occupational Health Nurse Review Course
September 11-13, 2024 (2.5 days)
The Friday Conference Center
100 Friday Center Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
The Certified Occupational Health Nurse Review Course will be an interactive, in-person program to prepare registered nurses on a guided study for the COHN and COHN-S exam. The course work will be extensive with additional study material provided for continued prep after the course and prior to the exam. This course will provide a systematic review based on the COHN and COHN-S handbooks, as well as test taking and knowledge retention on the legal, ethical, and regulatory issues surrounding the occupational health nurse role, which includes hands on care to program and case management. This course is 100% in-person. This nursing continuing professional development activity was approved by North Carolina Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. The course has been approved for 20.5 contact hours.
Click here for more information and to register!
2024 Occupational Safety and Health Spring Institute
Click here to download the 2024 Spring Institute flyer.
Respiratory Protection Fundamentals
May 13-15, 2024 (2.5 days)
The Rizzo Center
150 Dubose Home Ln, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
This course will cover occupational respiratory hazards, respirator terminology, aspects of a respiratory protection program, respirator fit testing, respirator selection (including filter and cartridge selection), medical considerations for respirator use, and cleaning, inspection and maintenance of respirators. This course is intended for any occupational safety and health professionals who use respirators in their work and may be viewed as an introduction to or review of basic concepts. This course will include significant hands-on practical lessons (i.e., pump calibrations, use of instrumentation, qualitative and quantitative fit testing, etc.).
Click here for more information and to register!
Industrial Hygiene Sampling
May 15-17, 2024 (2.5 days)
The Rizzo Center
150 Dubose Home Ln, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Industrial Hygiene Sampling focuses on the accurate measurement of airborne concentrations of chemical contaminants to which workers may be exposed. The course will focus on proper techniques for calibration, collection, and handling of samples, potential sources of errors and how to address them, and the “science” behind accurate measurement of airborne chemical concentrations. After taking this course, students will be able to determine the airborne concentration of a chemical to which a worker is exposed as accurately as possible and to understand the degree of confidence they can have in their results. This course will include significant hands-on practical lessons (i.e., pump calibrations, use of instrumentation, qualitative and quantitative fit testing, etc.).
Click here for more information and to register!
Industrial Toxicology
May 15-17, 2024 (2.5 days)
The Rizzo Center
150 Dubose Home Ln, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
This course focuses on toxicology and industrial medicine to develop competencies on how to recognize and examine the impact of chemical and non-chemical exposures on worker health. Students will develop basic problem-solving skills necessary to assess toxic exposures at the workplace with particular emphasis on recognition of health effects arising from hazardous agents and the efficacy of protection measures, including exposure standards, personal protective equipment, and engineering controls. This course will demonstrate the usefulness of toxicology, epidemiology, industrial hygiene, and management skills to interact effectively with workers, employers, and occupational health and safety experts to assess and mitigate occupational health issues.
Click here for more information and to register!
Biosafety for Safety and Health Professionals
May 13-15, 2024 (2.5 days)
The Rizzo Center
150 Dubose Home Ln, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
This course will cover microbiology, principles of infectious disease transmission, occupational infections, bloodborne pathogens, risk assessment, biosafety levels, biological safety cabinets (including decontamination), disinfection sterilization and shipping, and environmental monitoring, among other topics. This course is intended for any occupational safety and health professionals who may work in, manage, or oversee safety for biological laboratories and may be viewed as an introduction to or review of basic concepts.
Click here for more information and to register!
Online Training
Professional Ethics Course for Industrial Hygienists and Safety Professionals
An online course designed to meet your 2-Hour ABIH Ethics Requirements!
Click here to register!
Course Description:
This course introduces the ethics underlying professional industrial hygiene practice and is designed to meet the American Board of Industrial Hygiene ABIH requirement for ethics training.
The course is comprised of seven modules, including presentation and discussion of ethical scenarios likely to be encountered in the workplace. Participants are required to complete all elements of each module in order, including the brief quizzes. You can work at your own pace to complete the modules within a 30-day period, to accommodate your schedule. Read more/less.
Upon successful course completion, the course director will confirm all course requirements have been met, and provide you an NC OSHERC certificate of course completion.
Course Agenda
- Module 1:
- Welcome, overview, housekeeping, set expectations for course
- Introduction to Ethics, historical perspective on codes
- Module 2:
- Review of ABIH Code of Ethics
- Why have a code?
- To whom does the code apply?
- What is in the code?
- Quiz on ABIH Code of Ethics
- Review of ABIH Code of Ethics
- Module 3:
- Professional values in practice
- Module 4:
- Discuss potential ethical dilemmas and challenges regarding decision-making
- Module 5:
- Ethics Scenario #1
- Quiz and Discussion
- Ethics Scenario #2
- Quiz and Discussion
- Ethics Scenario #3
- Quiz and Discussion
- Module 6:
- ABIH/BGC Promotion of Ethics
- ABIH Ethics Review Committee
- Review summary of CIH ethics cases
- Discuss possible disciplinary actions
- Quiz on ABIH requirements and ABIH Ethics Review Committee
- Module 7:
- Summary
Your course instructor: Richard Cravener Jr., MS, CIH, CSP, has over 30 years of experience in the industrial hygiene profession, including the US Navy, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Duke University, the private sector, and currently as owner of Cravener Consulting Solutions.
Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene Online Self-Paced Course
Course Description:
Click here to register!
This course introduces the basic concepts of industrial hygiene and provides students with a broad overview of the field, including recognition of hazards in the workplace, basic evaluation or measurement of those hazards, and application of control strategies.
This course includes presentations and discussion of industrial hygiene concepts and workplace scenarios likely to be encountered in the workplace. Participants are required to complete all elements of the course, including the brief quizzes. Students can work at their own pace to complete the course within a 30-day period. The Final Course Evaluation must be completed to receive full credit for course completion Read more/less.
Upon successful course completion, the course director will confirm all course requirements have been met and provide the student with a NC OSHERC certificate of course completion. This course will satisfy the Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene requirement for the Industrial Hygiene Technician Certificate.
This course is comprised of the course introduction, and 18 content modules including the discussion of implementing an Industrial Hygiene program. Each module includes a presentation that students watch/listen to, and a pdf copy of the slides for students’ use. Students can review the presentations at their own pace and go back to review at their convenience.
Course Agenda:
- Intro: Welcome, Overview, Housekeeping, Course Expectations, Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene Introduction
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Module 1: Art and Science of Industrial Hygiene
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Module 2: Legal Aspects and Introduction to OSHA
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Module 3: Chemical Hazard Recognition
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Module 4: Industrial Toxicology and Physiology
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Module 5: Noise and Vibration
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Module 6: Hazard Communication
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Module 7: Indoor Air Quality
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Module 8: Thermal Stress
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Module 9: Ionizing Radiation
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Module 10: Non-ionizing Radiation
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Module 11: Biosafety
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Module 12: Air Sampling and Instrumentation
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Module 13: Direct Reading Instrumentation
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Module 14: PPE and Other Control Measures
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Module 15: Industrial Ventilation
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Module 16: Respiratory Protection
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Module 17: Ergonomics with NIOSH Lifting Equation
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Module 18: Implementation of an IH Program
Training at Your Site
Let us train your employees at your location. Courses are tailored to meet the needs of your organization. The negotiated cost covers course presentation at your selected location, course materials, certificates of completion and faculty expense. Course agendas are available on this website when you select a specific course. The Center has a long record of successful presentations of on-site courses for selected groups. We also can conduct online, live webinars as well if the location is inaccessible or unavailable!
The NC OSHERC will bring the IH Technician Certificate Program, Safety Technician Certificate Program, or the Environmental Technician Certificate Program to your organization on a contract basis.
For more information, contact John Staley.
Annual Institutes
Presented by the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center at the University of North Carolina, the annual Occupational Safety and Health Institutes are designed to provide practical information and a forum for the exchange of ideas among participants with widely diverse backgrounds. The interdisciplinary focus makes the Institutes unique in continuing professional education and development.
The institutes are designed for industrial hygienists, safety personnel, occupational physicians, occupational health nurses, managers, supervisors, personnel specialists, union health and safety professionals and others with the responsibility of providing a safe and healthy work environment. Approximately 5-10 courses dealing with a wide range of occupational safety and health and environmental issues are offered at each institute. Courses generally range from one to five days in length. Our three Technician Certificate Programs are also offered through the Annual Institutes.
NORA Seminar Series
Another important part of the Outreach and Continuing Education program is the NORA Interdisciplinary Seminar Series, required for our NIOSH-funded students, was established in 2002 and has been offered quarterly since 2005, typically in the months of February, April, August, and November. The seminars are fully virtual via Zoom and a recording link is available on this web page a few days after each seminar. This enables distance education students and others in the broader occupational health and safety community to attend and participate, facilitating discussion of common research interests, networking, and interdisciplinary role integration. Attendees can obtain continuing education units (CEUs) through UNC-Chapel Hill at a nominal fee after completing an evaluation form. Documentation of attendance is also provided for those who wish to request CM points from the American Board of Industrial Hygiene.
Racist Epidemiology and Abolitional Possibility: The case of aluminum worker health
Elizabeth (Libby) McClure, PhD, MS
April 8, 2022 | 11 a.m. – Noon (ET)
Click here to watch seminar
Click here for presentation slides
Take survey
Using qualitative data to inform the feasibility of workload monitoring within law enforcement officers
Gena Gerstner, PhD, MPH
May 4, 2022 | 11 a.m. – Noon (ET)
Click here to watch seminar
Click here for presentation slides
Take survey
Framework for Heat stress Management
Thomas E. Bernard, PhD
September 16, 2022 | 11 a.m. — Noon (ET)
Click here to watch seminar
Click here for presentation slides
Take survey
Immigration Enforcement Reduces Worker Complaints and Worsens Workplace Safety
Matthew S. Johnson, PhD
November 10, 2022 | 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. (ET)
Click here to watch seminar
Click here for presentation slides
Take survey
Physicians’ Stress and Work-Related Wellbeing During COVID-19: Qualitative Insights From Four U.S. Cities
Mara Buchbinder, PhD
February 17, 2023 | 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. (ET)
Click here to watch seminar
Click here for presentation slides
Take survey
Fireside Chat with Elizabeth H. Maples, PhD, CIH
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Scientific Program Official
April 21, 2023 | 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. (ET)
Click here to watch seminar
Click here for presentation slides
Take Survey
Occupational epidemiology in practice: Understanding pesticide-cancer risk in the Agricultural Health Study cohort and learned lessons
Richard Remigio, PhD, MS
October 26, 2023 | 11 a.m. – Noon (ET)
Click here to watch seminar
Click here for presentation slides
Take Survey
Testing the Validity of 2D and 3D Design Information for Pre-Incident Emergency Response Plans
Dylan Hardison, PhD
December 8, 2023 | 11 a.m. – Noon (ET)
Click here to watch seminar.
Click here for presentation slides.
Take Survey
Fatal Incidents Among Landscaping and Tree Care Workers: Insights from NIOSH and State-based FACE Reports
Greg Kearney, DrPH, MPH
March 7, 2024 | Noon – 1 p.m. (ET)
Click here to watch the seminar.
Click here for presentation slides.
Click here for NC OSHERC introduction slides.
Take Survey
Towards Better Understanding of Workplace Factors Contributing to Burnout in Healthcare Settings
Lukasz Mazur, PhD
April 16, 2024 | Noon – 1 p.m. (ET)
Click here to register!
Ergonomics and Industrial Hygiene NIOSH ERC Webinar Series
NIOSH supported Education and Research Centers throughout the country are pleased to offer free monthly webinars on various topics on Industrial Hygiene and Human Factors and Ergonomics. A collaborative effort on behalf of each ERC’s Continuing Education program (including NC OSHERC’s CE program), our goal is to provide access to current research supported through NIOSH ERC Programs.
The webinar series is hosted by the UC Berkeley Center for Occupational and Environmental Health. Navigate to https://www.coeh.berkeley.edu/webinars for the webinar schedule and to register.
CE Certificate Programs
The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has designed and developed three Technician Certificate Programs. Each program recognizes those individuals who have completed a selected set of requirements outlined for an Industrial Hygiene, Safety, or Environmental Technician. Upon successful completion of specific required courses and elective courses, a certificate program plaque will be awarded. Each Certificate Program requires participants to obtain six credits. Successful completion of two required courses and elective courses to complete the credit requirements is mandatory for each of the Technician Certificate Programs. Courses designated as Electives may be used as elective credit in any of the three Technician Certificate Programs. An exam must be passed at the end of each course.
Only continuing education courses offered by the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center will be accepted as program credit. Academic and continuing education credits from other universities cannot be applied toward the NC OSHERC Continuing Education Certificate Program.
You must submit a Technician Certificate Application and a one-time $150.00 application fee before you can be accepted into a certificate program and be eligible to sit for an exam. An application form and $150 fee must be submitted for each certificate program. To submit an application, download and complete the linked form below and return it to NCOSHERC@unc.edu, AND register for the certificate program of your choice and pay the $150 application fee online by clicking here.
You will be notified by email when your payment and application have been approved.
Click here to download the Technician Certificate Application Form.
Industrial Hygiene Technician
Read more/less.What is the Industrial Hygiene Technician Certificate?
Good question! The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has designed and developed the Industrial Hygiene Technician Certificate Program to recognize those individuals who have completed a selected set of requirements outlined for an Industrial Hygiene Technician. The program requirements are listed below. This program should not be confused with being a Certified Industrial Hygienist.
Supervisors, listen up! Have you ever had difficulty finding qualified IH Technicians, or do you feel that you must spend valuable time training new techs? Well, this program should be of interest to you. The IH Technician Certificate Program is designed to provide an independent external assessment of technician expertise to assist you. In addition, the program gives you a wonderful opportunity to support your technician training. This is a great way to show your support for their efforts to improve IH technician knowledge. So in essence, the program offers a win-win opportunity for both you (the Supervisor) and you (the IH Technician). The NC OSHERC will also bring the Industrial Hygiene Technician Certificate program to your organization on a contract basis.
What are the requirements?
Program participants are required to obtain six credits through successful completion of two required courses and elective courses, and must pass an exam at the end of each course. Only continuing education courses offered by the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center will be accepted as program credit. Academic and continuing education credits from other universities cannot be applied toward the NC OSHERC Continuing Education Certificate Program.
Required courses
- Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene (2 credits)
- Industrial Hygiene Sampling (2 credits)
- Elective courses
You choose the two remaining elective credits from the Institute and/or online course list. Any course designated as an elective may be chosen for the Industrial Hygiene Technician Certificate Program. An elective course may be used as credit in only one certificate program.
Safety Technician
Read more/less.Good question! The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education & Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has designed and developed the Safety Technician Certificate Program to recognize those individuals who have completed a selected set of requirements outlined for a Safety Technician. The program requirements are listed below. This program should not be confused with being a Certified Safety Professional.
Supervisors, listen up! Have you ever had difficulty finding qualified Safety Technicians, or do you feel that you must spend valuable time training new techs? Well, this program should be of interest to you. The Safety Technician Certificate Program is designed to provide an independent external assessment of technician expertise to assist you. In addition, the program gives you a wonderful opportunity to support your technician training. This is a great way to show your support for their efforts to improve safety technician knowledge. So in essence, the program offers a win-win opportunity for both you (the Supervisor) and you (the Safety Technician). The NC OSHERC will also bring the Safety Technician Certificate program to your organization on a contract basis.
Requirements
Program participants are required to obtain six credits through successful completion of two required courses and elective courses and must pass an exam at the end of each course. Only continuing education courses offered by the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center will be accepted as program credit. Academic and continuing education credits from other universities cannot be applied toward the NC OSHERC Continuing Education Certificate Program.
Required courses
- Fundamentals of Occupational Safety (2 Credits) -or- Fundamentals of Occupational Safety Online (2 Credits)
ONE of the following:
- OTI 511 OSHA Standards for General Industry (2 Credits) -OR- Complying with OSHA – 30-Hour General Industry (2 Credits) -or- Safety Boot Camp for Program Managers (2 Credits)
Elective courses
You choose the two remaining elective credits from the Institute and/or online course list. Any course designated as an elective may be chosen for the Safety Technician Certificate Program. An elective course may be used as credit in only one certificate program.
Environmental Technician
Read more/less.Good question! The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education & Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has designed and developed the Environmental Technician Certificate Program to recognize those individuals who have completed a selected set of requirements outlined for an Environmental Technician. The program requirements are listed below.
Supervisors, listen up! Have you ever had difficulty finding qualified Environmental Technicians, or do you feel that you must spend valuable time training new techs? Well, this program should be of interest to you. The Environmental Technician Certificate Program is designed to provide an independent external assessment of technician expertise to assist you. In addition, the program gives you a wonderful opportunity to support your technician training. This is a great way to show your support for their efforts to improve environmental technician knowledge. So in essence, the program offers a win-win opportunity for both you (the Supervisor) and you (the Environmental Technician). The NC OSHERC will also bring the Environmental Technician Certificate program to your organization on a contract basis.
Requirements
Program participants are required to obtain six credits through successful completion of two required courses and elective courses and must pass an exam at the end of each course. Only continuing education courses offered by the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Education and Research Center will be accepted as program credit. Academic and continuing education credits from other universities cannot be applied toward the NC OSHERC Continuing Education Certificate Program.
Required courses
The following courses are required for the Environmental Technician Certificate:
- Fundamentals of Environmental Health (2 credits)
- Environmental Regulations for Safety and Health Professionals (2 credits)
- Elective courses
The two remaining elective credits are chosen from the Institute and/or online course list. Any course designated as an elective may be chosen for the Environmental Technician Certificate Program. An elective course may be used as credit in only one certificate program.
Southeast Regional Research Symposium and Southeastern States Occupational Network “SERRS/SouthON”
The southeastern United States ERCs are involved in high-impact occupational safety and health research and practice activities, including the work of our NIOSH trainees, faculty, and staff. Held in February or March, the annual SERRS/SouthON is a collaborative effort of the NIOSH ERCs and Agricultural Centers in North Carolina, Kentucky, Florida and Alabama to showcase these efforts, as well as spark ideas and foster collaboration.
2024 Southeast Regional Research Symposium/SouthONMarch 25 – March 27, 2024
This year’s conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Lexington, KY. This year’s keynote speakers and workshop focus will be on health and safety hazards in the equine and distillery Industries. Keynote speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.
Click here to download the save-the-date flyer.
Researchers from the Southeast will present their innovative projects in Occupational Health and Safety. Select students from SE Region Universities will also present research posters.
For more information, please email us at NCOSHERC@unc.edu.
North Carolina Industrial Ventilation Conference
May 6-10, 2024
Hilton Raleigh North Hills
Raleigh, N.C.
Click here for more information and to register!
For questions, please contact Connie McElroy-Bacon, at 919-233-8400 or cbacon@mindspring.com
