ASSP Region III March Webinar

Speaker:

Robert Emery, DrPH, CHP, CIH, CBSP, CSP, CHMM, CPP, ARM
Vice President for Safety, Health, Environment & Risk Management
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Title: The Ethical Obligation to Correct Misinformation: A Case Study

Summary: Looking ahead, individuals will most certainly continue to experience apprehensions about possible exposures to various substances both in the workplace and in the environment. These apprehensions can be exacerbated by previously held beliefs, intensive media coverage, and uncontrolled internet postings. In the absence of counterbalancing factual information presented in ways individuals can readily comprehend, poor decision-making and the wasting of precious public health resources can ensue. So, what should the safety professions be doing to address situations where incorrect or misinformation abounds?  This presentation will discuss the current evidence-based information on risk communications and the techniques that can be employed to address situations involving misinformation.

Objectives:

• Define ethics as they apply to our profession
• Define misinformation
• Detect strategies that are used to derail the scientific process and thus generate misinformation
• Suggest options addressing misinformation
• Provide a list of validated references and resources

Bio: Dr. Robert Emery is Vice President for Safety, Health, Environment & Risk Management for The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Professor of Occupational Health at the University of Texas School of Public Health. Bob has over 45 years of experience in health & safety and holds master’s degrees in health physics and environmental sciences, and a doctorate in occupational health. Bob is unique in that he possesses national board certification and registration in all of the main areas of health & safety;

• health physics [Certified Health Physicist, CHP],
• industrial hygiene [Certified Industrial Hygienist, CIH],
• biological safety [Certified Biological Safety Professional, CBSP],
• occupational safety [Certified Safety Professional, CSP],
• hazardous materials management [Certified Hazardous Materials Manager, CHMM],
• security [Certified Protection Professional, CPP],
• and risk management [Associate in Risk Management, ARM].

Bob is the author of over 100 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and reports on practical health and safety topics and makes frequent presentations on such issues at the local, national, and international level.