Mission
Consulting Services
The Field Group provides occupational health and safety consultation to worksites with potential problems identified by a company or labor representative. Our intent is not to compete with private-sector consulting firms, but rather to work primarily with companies whose resources are limited, where there are new or emerging health and safety problems, and/or where there are opportunities for teaching, research, or student experiences.
A field investigation includes a visit to the worksite, observation of work activities, collection of worksite samples or data, laboratory analysis, and review of findings. A final report is issued which includes a summary of findings and recommendations for control of workplace exposures. The Field Group will also work with companies to design and evaluate the effectiveness of control strategies.
Field Group assistance can be obtained by sending an email to:
Dr. Martin Cohen
University of Washington
Field Research and Consultation Group
4225 Roosevelt Way NE, Suite 100
Seattle, WA 98105
frcg@uw.edu
206-543-9711
Student Information
Field Work Opportunities
The Field Group often has opportunities available for students interested in gaining field industrial hygiene experience. Typically, students accompany FRCG Industrial Hygienists to on-site consultations where they assist the IH with a variety of tasks including exposure monitoring and site observations. We try to accommodate student's schedules and transportation is available if needed.
Internships
Internships provide students with an opportunity to gain applied field experience before graduation and practice their new profession. The FRCG is responsible for assisting interested DEOHS exposure sciences students in obtaining internships at local companies and agencies. These internships typically occur in the summer between the first and second year of the Masters degree program, although some opportunities may be available for internships during other times of the year. With few exceptions, internships are paying jobs. Potential employers often offer internships as a means to evaluate students for permanent positions following graduation.
Coursework
The Field Group is involved in several industrial hygiene and safety courses offered by the UW Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences:
- ENVH 564 Recognition of Health and Safety Problems in Industry - Develops skills in occupational health and safety hazard recognition in a variety of important northwest industries. Focuses on process understanding and hazard recognition skills during walk-through inspections of several local facilities, stressing a multidisciplinary approach.
Please contact Dr. Marty Cohen if you are interested in any of these opportunities
Personnel
Marty Cohen, ScD, CIH, CSP
Director, Teaching Professor
Dr. Cohen has more than 20 years of experience in the varied fields of occupational and environmental health and safety sciences. He has conducted his research and provided services nationwide. Marty earned a bachelor's of science degree in environmental health from Purdue University and then went on to attended Harvard University 's School of Public Health where he received a Master's of Science degree in air pollution control. Applying that knowledge he took a job working with Harvard, the University of Tennessee , and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, heading up an indoor air quality study in Eastern Tennessee . Marty returned to the Harvard School of Public Health where he earned his Doctorate of Science in exposure assessment. His thesis was entitled, "Community Exposures to Volatile Organic Compounds in the Kanawha Valley of West Virginia".
Allison Crollard, MS, MN, CIH
Research Industrial Hygienist
Allison Crollard joined the Field Group in 2013 after completing a Master's of Science in Exposure Sciences at the University of Washington. She is also trained as an occupational health nurse and has a Master's of Nursing in Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing from the University of Washington. In addition, Allison has experience conducting health and safety research on programmatic interventions for small businesses, and is interested in finding approaches for addressing health and safety issues for under-served worker populations.
Gerry Croteau, MS, CIH
Research Industrial Hygienist
Gerry Croteau received a master's degree in Industrial Hygiene from the University of Washington in 2000. Gerry has responsibility for service consultation offered by the Field Group and has consulted for an array of industries including: food processing, plastics manufacturing, construction, mining, waste disposal and processing, and machine shop and metal fabricating facilities. His primary interest is the implementation and evaluation of substitution and engineering controls. Before joining the Field Group, Gerry had worked 10 years as environmental consultant specializing in waste management and processing. He is currently involved in research to assess the effectiveness of engineering controls for controlling silica dust exposures during concrete cutting and grinding activities.
Brayan Rosas, CSP
Research Industrial Hygienist
Brayan Rosas received a Bachelor’s of Science in Safety and Health Management from Central Washington University. He worked as an Industrial Hygienist and provided consultation services to a variety of industries throughout the central and eastern Washington region including construction, healthcare, agriculture, and public works. Brayan joined the field group in 2024 and continues to use his expertise to improve worker health and safety.
Maria Tchong-French, MPH
Research Industrial Hygienist
Maria Tchong-French has been a research scientist with the University of Washington since 2004. She has been involved in exposure assessment in multiple projects ranging from pesticide exposure in agriculture, solvent exposure in automotive shops, and air quality in schools. She feels strongly about improving the safety and health of workers and their families. She is a native Spanish speaker. Maria is also part of NW PEHSU, and is involved in program tracking/reporting, as well as providing exposure assessment and industrial hygiene expertise in their consultations.
Projects
Developing a 360 Video Tour for Student and Worker Training
Touring workplaces is a common method used to help students of occupational health and safety understand work processes, hazards, and controls. During the COVID pandemic, it wasn’t possible to take students out to workplaces, so educators needed an alternate way to bring the workplaces to their students. Using 360o videos and technology similar to that used by realtors to show their properties it is possible to bring the workplace to the students. The system described in this primer allows the students to explore the workplaces on their own, with embedded informational hotspots, photos, and videos. To allow for the independent learning of the students, the added information covers only the processes and not the potential hazards and controls, though that information could be added for other uses. The 360o videos can be viewed from a networked computer, stand-alone computer, or virtual reality (VR) headset. The system has many other potential uses, such as: training workers for new job tasks, training students and professionals on hazard identification, and evaluating knowledge. The uses of the system have yet to be fully explored.
This guide was developed to help others develop their own systems by detailing the various components and steps used to produce a video. The software and hardware products referenced are not the one-and-only products that can be used. The guide is broken up into sections by Equipment, Viewing, and Processes.
In summary, a special 360o camera is used to capture video or still scenes of a workplace. You can then use standard video editing software to edit the video as needed and then import the clips into specialized 360o tour editing software. In this program, you’ll build a tour using clips from different areas of the worksite and add supplemental information (text, photos, videos, pdf’s, etc.). Next, the tour is exported to either a special viewer file, a website or VR headset and presented to the audience.
Video Exposure Monitoring (VEM)
A System for the 21st Century
Using a video exposure monitoring (VEM) system as described on this site, may allow you to visualize worker exposures in a video of them conducting their tasks. See The images below show examples using two different software packages.
We have developed a manual and demonstration files (data, video, project, and template files) to help you develop your own VEM system. It should be noted that the data in the demo files are the same for the different software programs, but may have been formatted differently to suit the needs of that program. The demo video file is the same for all programs. In addition, Read Me files have been added to help you place files in the appropriate locations.
This project was a collaborative effort between the SAIF Corporation and the UW’s Field Research and Consultation Group.
- Manual for the development of a video exposure monitoring system using NIOSH EVADE, RaceRender or DashWare.
EVADE Files
- Files contained in zip file:
- Data: DemoDateEVADE.csv
- Video: DemoVideo.mp4
- Project: EVADE_Demo.dcf2
- Read Me file: README.txt
RaceRender Files
- Files contained in zip file:
- Data:DemoDataRR.csv
- Video:DemoVideo.mp4
- Templates:Data – Exposures_Conc.rrt and Data – Exposures_Noise.rrt
- Project:RR_Conc_Demo.rrp and RR_Noise_Demo.rrp
- Read Me file:README.txt
DashWare (a legacy program that is no longer supported by its developer – very powerful, but more difficult to use)
- Files contained in zip file:
- Data: DemoDataDash.csv
- Video: DemoVideo.mp4
- Templates folder: DemoProject_Template [For Templates]
- Project folder: DemoProject2 [For DashWare Projects]
- Gauges folders: Exposure - Horizontal [For Gauges], Exposure - Noise - Horizontal [For Gauges], Exposure - Noise - Vertical [For Gauges], and Exposure - Vertical [For Gauges]
- Profile: DemoProfile [For DataProfiles].xml
- Read Me file: README.txt
Other Examples of the Use of VEM
- The Importance of a fit tested and properly adjusted respirator; (The overlay software used for this video, NIOSH VEM, is no longer compatible with current computer operating systems)
- Hexavalent Chromium Exposure Control (HexChEC) [Module 3]; (The overlay software used for this video, NIOSH VEM, is no longer compatible with current computer operating systems)
N95 Respirator Fit Testing
The importance of a fit tested and properly adjusted respirator
Produced by the University of Washington Field Research and Consultation Group
Download the video here by right clicking on the link and "Save link as"
If you have trouble viewing the video on our website please Click Here to be redirected to the Internet Archive where the video resides.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License
Any of the condition of the license can be waived if you get permission
Environmental Sampling for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) in Fire Stations
Executive Summary:
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterium that is resistant to common antibiotics. MRSA can cause minor or severe skin infections, surgical wound infections, bloodstream infections, and pneumonia. It can live for weeks or months on surfaces that are not kept clean. MRSA is spread by direct skin-to-skin contact with an active infection or by contact with contaminated shared items and surfaces. Fire service professionals may have a higher likelihood of exposure to MRSA when they come in contact with patients during emergency medical situations. However, for this population, the risk of developing a MRSA-related disease is not known.
The risk of MRSA infections has become an increasingly important concern for firefighters; recent studies have found MRSA on surfaces in fire stations. This service project was coordinated by the University of Washington Field Research and Consultation Group, working in collaboration with Dr. Marilyn C. Roberts, Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS). The goal of the project was to collect environmental surface samples from 30 different fire stations across Washington state to better understand the presence and distribution of MRSA and to help reduce exposure risk factors in fire stations.
Thirty-three fire stations with career-based staff participated in this study. Sampling kits containing all supplies needed to conduct environmental surface sampling were mailed to each station. Fire station personnel collected 653 samples. Eight percent of the field samples (52/653) were positive for MRSA, and 19 of 33 stations (58%) had at least one positive MRSA sample. The percentage of MRSA positive samples per station ranged from 5%–35%. Forty-two percent of the stations had two or more positive MRSA samples. Nine stations (27%) had three to seven samples with MRSA. Sixty-two percent of the positive MRSA samples were collected from the living quarters. MRSA was also found on turnout gear, items in aid cars (work benches, seat belts, and medical bag handles), and fire engines/ladders (steering wheels, door handles, mobile data computers, and arm rests). MRSA was not found in samples from 14 stations.
The average fire station call volume was 151 per week, ranging from 5 to 1800. Seventy-six percent of the stations transported patients for medical services.
Stations were classified into two groups according to the presence or absence of MRSA. In general, policies, practices, and cleaning and disinfecting items did not significantly differ between the two groups. Many factors appear to contribute to the presence of MRSA on a surface. This project was designed to give general guidance and strategies to fire stations for reducing the spread of MRSA and other infectious diseases.
Each fire station was provided the results of its sampling, educational materials on how to maintain a clean zone in the fire station, and a fact sheet on tools for improving an infection control program. Special attention to infection control policies, work practices, and cleaning techniques are necessary to reduce the risk potential of MRSA transmission.
American Journal of Infection Control Publication
MRSA Posters:
Hand Washing Poster
Bandaging Poster
Uniform Washing Poster
MRSA Prevention Guidance:
Prevent MRSA: Maintain
a "Clean Zone" in the Fire
Station
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dr. Marilyn Roberts
Professor
University of Washington
Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences
marilynr@uw.edu
206-543-8001
Hexavalent Chromium Exposure Control Package
The Hexavalent Chromium Exposure Control (HexChEC) package consists of 6 video segments, a 32 page manual with additional information, and a poster entitled, "Exposure Assessment Tool for Stainless Steel Welders". These components are designed to be used together to assist welders and their supervisors, health and safety professionals, and welding engineers in recognizing:
- Conditions that can result in overexposure to hexavalent chromium, and
- Appropriate control measures to effectively reduce exposures.
Please download and use all components together:
The exposure assessment tool is a guideline, based on hexavalent chromium exposure monitoring results collected by industrial hygienists at the University of Washington Field Research & Consultation Group, to support weld shops with objective data to evaluate potential hazards. The poster should be used as a guide only and should not be used for regulatory compliance purposes. In accordance with the Federal and State OSHA requirements, employers must provide initial monitoring of their welders.
Funding and support for this project were provided by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries' Safety & Health Investment Project.
For more information on the training package, please contact:
Marc Beaudreau
University of Washington Field Research and Consultation Group
mbeaudre@u.washington.edu
206-543-9711
Crab Fishing Safety Study and PFDs
The Oregon Dungeness crab fishery represents one of the most dangerous work environments in the US, with most fatalities (79%) resulting fromcapsized vessels while crossing river bars or working near shore.During the period 2003-2009, 14 deaths were recorded.None of the 14 drowning victims were wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) at the time of the incident.A study was conducted to investigate the perceptions and experiences of Oregon Dungeness crab fishermen regarding critical safety issues.The study entailed a dockside survey of crab fishermen in November 2010 in Newport, Oregon, as they prepared for the 2010-2011 season.In addition, five different types of PFDs were distributed to 50 fishermen who completed the dockside survey.These volunteers were asked to complete and return a survey after using the PFD for 30 days.
Evaluation of Local Exhaust Ventilation Systems for Nail Salons
This was a project conducted by a Master's of Science degree student, Nazila Shakibaei, in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, in collaboration with the Field Research and Consultation Group. The goals of this study were to evaluate four local exhaust ventilation (LEV) systems to determine their effectiveness at eliminating vapors and dust from the breathing zone of nail salon technicians and their clients and to assess the overall efficiency of the systems in an isolated static exposure chamber. The work was presented and recorded as a webinar for the National Healthy Nail and Beauty Salon Alliance on February 3, 2105. The webinar can be viewed below. The project was funded by the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County, WA. For more information on this project, please email frcg@uw.edu.