Three of the nation’s leaders in occupational health and safety have launched a new online course intended to help employers integrate their health and safety programming in ways that can bolster bottom-line results while improving the health and wellbeing of their workers.

“Fundamentals of Integrated Health and Safety,” a seven-module eLearning course, was developed by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) and UL in partnership with the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) School of Public Health.

Aimed at both health and safety managers in the workplace, the course offers strategies to improve health and safety programming using the concept of Integrated Health and Safety (IHS) – an increasingly popular workplace management approach that more closely aligns the traditionally separate “silos” of workplace health and safety programs.

The seven-module course, developed by the nation’s leading health and safety experts, provides a step-by-step how-to manual of IHS, ranging from data collection and health and safety measurement to population health management and the details of integrating health and safety teams.

The course incorporates the latest in research and practical applications for these concepts, including the critical component of metrics and measurement. Also included is in-depth instruction in the use Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and a new IHS measurement tool known as the “Integrated Health and Safety Index,” which was developed by UL and ACOEM to help determine the long-term business value of employer health and safety programming.

Those who complete the course earn a certificate from University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health.  ACOEM members completing the course will receive, in addition to the certificate, a customized course-related offering that will provide up to 10 hours of continuing medical education (CME) and maintenance of certification (MOC) credits.

“We are excited to offer this important new educational resource in an environment in which the demand is high for new strategies to address employee health and safety,” said James A. Tacci, MD, ACOEM President “The course is extremely relevant to employers, who today are facing the impact of the rise of chronic disease, an aging workforce and many other factors that make well-thought-out workplace health and safety programs a must.”

“While we have made many gains in health and safety in recent decades, it has only been recently that we have discovered, through research and innovation, that integrating them can significantly leverage their effectiveness,” said Mark Ward, General Manager of UL EHS Sustainability. “With this course, we are offering the most comprehensive instruction and tools available on how employers can take this important step forward with their own programs.”

“The UIC School of Public Health is delighted to participate in this project, which we believe represents the wave of the future in workplace health and safety,” said Joseph Zanoni, PhD, Director of Continuing Education and Outreach for the Illinois Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety Education and Research Center at UIC. “The nation’s leading employers are moving in this direction, and the course provides a great opportunity for working professionals to advance their careers.”

Modules 1 through 4 of the course focus on the fundamentals of workplace health and productivity and workplace safety, offering advice on how to create and measure effective health and safety programming. Modules 5, 6 and 7 offer a roadmap for integrating these programs together for greater impact, including how to create an overarching “culture of health and safety.”

Among other highlights of the course are:

•  More than five hours of instruction

•  Animated, visually appealing online course modules.

•  Video clips of national experts in health and safety

•  Templates, measurement tools, and other resources

•  Access to scholarly articles and research studies

The course was developed by health and safety experts Wayne Burton, MD; Jon Dopkeen, PhD; Ray Fabius, MD; Todd Hohn, CSP; Pam Hymel, MD; Andrew Kapp, PhD; and Ron Loeppke, MD.

Introductory cost for the seven-module course and resulting certificate is $199.

To learn more about the course, or to register, visit http://learn.ulehssustainability.com/ihs-course or call (888) 202-3016.

About ACOEM

The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) represents more than 4,000 physicians specializing in occupational and environmental medicine. Founded in 1916, ACOEM is the nation’s largest medical society dedicated to promoting the health of workers through preventive medicine, clinical care, disability management, research, and education. For more information, visit www.acoem.org.

About UL

UL fosters safe living and working conditions for people everywhere through the application of science to solve safety, security and sustainability challenges. The UL Mark engenders trust enabling the safe adoption of innovative new products and technologies. Everyone at UL shares a passion to make the world a safer place. We test, inspect, audit, certify, validate, verify, advise and train and we support these efforts with software solutions for safety and sustainability. To learn more about us, visit www.UL.com.

About UL EHS Sustainability

UL EHS Sustainability empowers organizations to protect the well-being of workers, reduce risk, improve productivity, enhance compliance, and drive measurable business improvement through its EHS, occupational health, environmental, supply chain, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility platforms. Its new PURE™ Platform is a full suite of environment, health, safety, sustainability and supply chain software solutions designed for users who want total connectivity and visibility into the overall health, safety, and sustainability of their organization. More than 2,000 organizations in over 20 major industries including manufacturing, healthcare, and construction & energy, trust UL’s tools to meet their expanding needs. To learn more, visit http://www.ulehssustainability.com/

About UIC

UIC ranks among the nation's leading research universities and is Chicago's largest university, with 28,000 students, 15 colleges, and the state's major public medical center. UIC has been a leader in a new model of higher education: the comprehensive urban research university. To learn more, visit www.publichealth.uic.edu.