Welcome to The Center for Occupational Health Planning and Education!

One vital purpose of the USF College of Public Health is to protect worker health. To serve this end we have created the Center for Occupational Health Planning and Education. The Center seeks to engage and include the local community in our efforts to promote the health and safety of the Florida workforce and beyond.

Specifically, the Center includes the contributions by the faculty, staff and resources of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health as well as those of the USF SafetyFlorida (OSHA 21d Consultation Program) and the USF OSHA Training Institute.

USF SafetyFlorida, the state's safety and health consultation program, provides free and confidential assistance to Florida's small businesses. Its mission is to save lives by reducing workplace injuries and illnesses. Florida's small businesses often find that they profit from these free safety and health consultation visits because workers compensation costs decrease and productivity improves. The program is funded by OSHA and the state of Florida.

The USF OSHA Training Institute Education Center provides courses to train workers in the various aspects of Safety and Health. The training includes job hazard recognition as well as OSHA standards, policies and procedures for persons responsible for enforcing or directly supporting the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1970. The job Hazard training and Communication aims to benefit workers by reducing confusion about physical and chemical hazards in the workplace, and improving understanding of these hazards, especially for low literacy workers.

We believe that the joint coordinated effort of our diverse staff will be helpful to the State of Florida and the region. Please contact us with any needs, questions or concerns that you may have. We look forward to addressing your workplace safety and health problems and your training needs.

Yehia Y. Hammad, Sc.D.
Professor and Center Director

What's New?

Matthew Gilbertson pursues PhD in biopharmaceutical sciences

Matthew Gilbertson is getting a piece of the rock—Rockford, Illinois that is. This fall Gilbertson heads north to begin a doctoral program at the University of Illinois. His area of concentration is biopharmaceutical sciences. Matthew Gilbertson holds a master of public health degree in epidemiology and global communicable diseases. Recently, he earned a graduate certificate in biostatistics from the USF College of Public Health.

A double commencement for Ayesha and Ivan Kirk

A couple who met in the military overseas graduates together from USF’s College of Public Health. TAMPA, Fla. (May 14, 2013) – Amidst all the powerful emotions at the University of South Florida’s commencement ceremonies, the joy of completing college was shared between one special couple.Ayesha and Ivan Kirk walked across the stage together with graduates of the College of Public Health, shook President Judy Genshaft’s hand and posed for their individual pictures. One difference was that they posed for one together, thanks to the intervention of Ayesha’s uncle, Albert Owens. Her uncle, [...]

Ketnie Aristide takes public health’s message to Botswana

Ms. Ketnie Aristide recently received the biggest assignment of her life—in August she reports to Botswana for a two-year placement with the Peace Corps. As a member of the Clinic and Health Team, Aristide works directly with the HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Project. According to her official assignment notification, she’ll work in partnership with local health professionals to “address needs in community health and HIV/AIDS, especially through clinic health education outreach, district-level research, data analysis, and coordination.” “I look forward to my hands-on experience abroad, applying what I learned here [College [...]

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