NC OSHERC

Outreach, Training and Continuing Education

NC OSHERC mark 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.

Join Our Mailing List!

Upcoming Courses

All upcoming courses will be listed here as soon as their dates are finalized and/or their registration has been opened.

Certified Industrial Hygienist Review
September 25-29, 2023 (4.5 days)
Chapel Hill, NC

This course is designed to provide a comprehensive review of the field of industrial hygiene through lectures by qualified faculty with extensive experience in industrial hygiene and related areas. This course is specifically designed to assist industrial hygienists in preparing to sit for the CIH examination. This course will provide you with an oversight of the areas that will be the focus of your exam preparation efforts and highlight any weak areas you may have. Others needing a comprehensive review of the field of industrial hygiene are also encouraged to attend. This course is not intended for entry level industrial hygienists. Attendees must have a basic understanding of mathematics, statistics and chemistry.

Updates, including the course registration link, will be communicated closer to the date.

Certified Safety Professional Review
January 22-26, 2024 (4.5 days)
Chapel Hill, NC

This course is designed to provide a comprehensive review of the field of safety and related areas through lectures by qualified faculty with extensive experience in the field. This course is designed for safety practitioners who plan to sit for the Certified Safety Professional review exam. Topics include: Basic and Applied Sciences, Environmental Hazards, Program Management, Fire Prevention and Protection, Engineering and Technology, Occupational Health/Environmental Engineering, Legal, Regulatory and Professional Affairs, Test Taking Strategy, plus much more!

Updates, including the course registration link, will be communicated closer to the date.

Certified Occupational Health Nurse Review
January 24-26, 2024 (2.5 days)
Chapel Hill, NC

The Occupational Health Nurse Certification 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.

Updates, including the course registration link, will be communicated closer to the date.

2024 Occupational Safety and Health Spring Institute
May 13-17, 2024

Institute courses and location to be announced later.

Online Training

Professional Ethics Course for Industrial Hygienists and Safety Professionals

An online course designed to meet your 2-Hour ABIH Ethics Requirements!

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
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.

Click here to register!

Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene Online Self-Paced Course

Course Description:
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
Module 1: Art and Science of Industrial Hygiene
Module 2: Legal Aspects and Introduction to OSHA
Module 3: Chemical Hazard Recognition
Module 4: Industrial Toxicology and Physiology
Module 5: Noise and Vibration
Module 6: Hazard Communication
Module 7: Indoor Air Quality
Module 8: Thermal Stress
Module 9: Ionizing Radiation
Module 10: Non-ionizing Radiation
Module 11: Biosafety
Module 12: Air Sampling and Instrumentation
Module 13: Direct Reading Instrumentation
Module 14: PPE and Other Control Measures
Module 15: Industrial Ventilation
Module 16: Respiratory Protection
Module 17: Ergonomics with NIOSH Lifting Equation
Module 18: Implementation of an IH Program

Click here to register!

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.

Certification Review Courses

NC OSHERC offers a variety of professional certification review courses, including the Comprehensive Industrial Hygiene Review for Certified Industrial Hygienists, the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) Review, the Certified Hazardous Materials Manager review, and Biosafety for Safety and Health Professionals (Certified Biological Safety Professional Review).

Read more/less.

Comprehensive Industrial Hygiene (CIH) Review: This 4 1/2 day course is designed to provide a comprehensive review of the field of industrial hygiene through lectures by qualified faculty with extensive experience in industrial hygiene and related areas. This course is specifically designed to assist industrial hygienists in preparing to sit for the CIH examination. This course will provide you with an oversight of the areas that will be the focus of your exam preparation efforts and highlight any weak areas you may have. Others needing a comprehensive review of the field of industrial hygiene are also encouraged to attend. This course is not intended for entry-level industrial hygienists. Attendees must have a basic understanding of mathematics, statistics and chemistry.You will need to bring a scientific calculator for use during the sessions involving calculations. The Texas Instruments TI-30Xa calculator will be the calculator used during these sessions. This model may be purchased online or at the major office supply stores. Students will be provided the most recent publication of the ACGIH “TLVs and BEIs Booklet“.Course Content
Topics including industrial hygiene engineering; toxicology; industrial hygiene mathematics, calculations; personal protective equipment; epidemiology; heat stress, pressure, ergonomics, illumination; general practices in industrial hygiene; regulations, standards, guidelines; PELs, TLVs; sampling and instrumentation; industrial hygiene management; noise and vibration; ionizing and nonionizing radiation; biohazards; analytical chemistry; air pollution; study techniques.Agenda Topics

Math Review and Statistics
Industrial Hygiene Management
Air Pollution
Indoor Air Quality with Mold Case Studies
Air Sampling and Instrumentation
Toxicology/Physiology
Thermal Stress
Exposure Assessment
Guidelines, Standards and Regulations
Problem Solving Session
Ionizing Radiation
Nonionizing Radiation
Ventilation
Ergonomics & NIOSH Lifting Formula
Problem Solving Session
Analytical Chemistry
Noise & Vibration
Biohazards
PPE
Respiratory Protection
Test Taking Strategies

“2-Hr Ethics for Industrial Hygienists” will not be included in this review but will be offered in our fall online course, “Ethics for Industrial Hygienists and Other Safety Professionals.”

Faculty
Richard Cravener Jr., MS, CIH, CSP, Cravener Consulting Solutions, LLC
Bert W. Sellers, MPH, BD Technologies, Research Triangle Park, NC

CIH Exam Information
For additional information on the ABIH exams and eligibility, call the American Board of Industrial Hygiene at (517)321-2638 or visit their website at www.abih.org.

Credit
ABIH has previously awarded CM credit for this event. The current event contains 36 hours which can be claimed for CM credit.

This course may qualify for BCSP Recertification points. See the BCSP Recertification Guide for details, available for download on the Recertification page at www.bcsp.org/recertification.

CEUs are available upon request.

Tuition: $1,150 (includes course materials, certificate of completion, and refreshment breaks)

Registration

For more information, contact John Staley or Emily McAden.

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

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.

What is the Safety Technician Certificate?
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.

What is the Environmental Technician Certificate?
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.

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.

Read more/less.

2023 Southeast Regional Research Symposium
February 27– March 1, 2023
A reception will be held the evening of February 28, 2023.
This year’s conference will be held at the USF Marshall Student Center in Tampa, FL. Please mark your calendars!

Click here for more details and to register.

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 feel free to contact us, johnstaley@unc.edu or pricee@email.unc.edu.

Email address:
(optional) Your name: