One vital purpose of the USF College of Public Health is to protect worker health. To serve this end we have created the OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration Education Center. 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 at the College of Public Health as well as those of the USF SafetyFlorida (OSHA 21(d) Consultation Program) and the USF OSHA Education Center.

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 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.

Thomas Bernard, PhD
Professor and Center Director