Forum on Catastrophe Preparedness: Partnering to Protect Workplaces

Sponsored and organized by the California Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation (CHSWC)

Friday, April 7, 2006
The South San Francisco Conference Center
255 South Airport Boulevard
South San Francisco, CA 94080

This forum was sponsored by the California Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation (CHSWC), a labor-management Commission created by the 1993 workers' compensation reform legislation. The Commission was established to oversee the health, safety and workers' compensation systems in California and recommend administrative or legislative modifications to improve their operation. Recognizing that employers and workers should be prepared if a catastrophe strikes at the workplace, the Commission voted to host a public education program devoted to workplace safety in the event of terrorist attacks and natural disasters. CHSWC developed this forum to provide an opportunity for the health, safety and workers' compensation communities and the public to discuss and share ideas for safety in responding to terrorist attacks and natural disasters, learn lessons from other experiences, as well as consider areas where improvements need to be made.

One hundred years after the catastrophic earthquake of 1906, earthquake risk and the risk of other catastrophes including terrorism continue to loom large for Californians and the nation. As we have learned from September 11, the risk of a catastrophe while people are at work and the risks to the workers who respond require the urgent attention of employers, workers and policymakers. This conference gathered together leaders in homeland security, emergency response, and occupational safety and health to discuss individual, worker and employer preparedness for catastrophic risks.

Conference Agenda
About the Speakers

I.	Welcome and Introductions
	Christine Baker, Executive Officer, Commission on Health and Safety and Worker's Compensation Robert Reville, Director, Institute for Civil Justice, RAND
II.	Opening Remarks
	Richard Baum, Chief Deputy Commissioner, California Department of Insurance Max Kiefer, Assistant Director for Emergency Preparedness, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Robert Samaan, Deputy Director, California Office of Homeland Security Deborah Gold, Senior Industrial Hygienist and Avian Influenza Preparedness Program Coordinator, Division of Occupational Safety & Health, Cal/OSHA
III.	Opening Keynote Speaker
	"Business & Home Safety" Harvey Ryland, President & CEO, Institute for Business & Home Safety
IV.	Impact of 1906 Earthquake Today
	This discussion focused on what happened in 1906 and how California would respond today
	"Impact of the 1906 Bay Area Earthquake and San Francisco Fires" David Keeton, Rick Manager, Swiss Re "Doing Business After a Major Bay Area Earthquake" Jeanne B. Perkins, Earthquake Program Manager, Association of Bay Area Governments "1906 Ground Motion Simulations" (excerpt from presentation) http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/nca/1906/simulations/ Mary Lou Zoback, Senior Research Scientist, United States Geological Survey
V.	Is California Prepared if a Disaster Strikes at Work?
	This discussion focused on the current status of workplace preparedness from the perspective of multiple disciplines
	Robert Balgenorth, President, California Building & Construction Trades Council Betsey Lyman, Deputy Director, Emergency Preparedness Office, Department of Health Services Michael Nolan, President, California Workers' Compensation Institute
VI.	Employer and Worker Preparedness for Natural Disasters and Terrorist Attac
	This discussion focused on practical information on how to respond in the case of natural disasters and terrorist attacks as well as how California can improve worker and business preparedness through partnerships and other means.
	"Employer and Worker Preparedness for Natural Disasters and Terrorist Attacks" Judith Freyman, Vice President, Western Occupational Safety and Health Operations, ORC Worldwide "How Can Employers and Workers Prepare?" Robert M. Fredianelli, Director, Area 1, Operations Maintenance and Construction, Pacific Gas & Electric "Emergency Management Programs at Kaiser Permanente" Skip Skivington, Director of Operations, Kaiser Permanente " Douglas Bloch, Research Analyst, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) "Individual Preparedness and Response to Chemical, Radiological, Nuclear, and Biological Terrorist Attacks: A Quick Guide" http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/2005/RAND_MR1731.1.pdf What You Should Do To Prepare for and Respond to Chemical, Radiological, Nuclear, and Biological Terrorist Attacks (reference card) http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/2005/MR1731.2.pdf Lynn Davis, Senior Political Scientist, RAND Scott Hauge, Founder, Small Business California and President, CAL-Insurance & Associates, Inc.
VII.	Lunch Keynote Speaker
	"Profile of Risk to California Workers From a Variety of Catastrophe Scenarios" Hemant Shah, President & CEO, Risk Management Solutions
VIII.	Workers Protecting the Workplace: The Health and Safety of Emergency Responders in Natural Disasters and Terrorist Attacks
	This discussion focused on what can California do to improve health and safety of emergency responders in natural disasters and terrorist attacks.
	"Protecting Emergency Responders, Volume 2: Community Views of Safety and Health Risks and Personal Protection Needs" Tom LaTourrette, Physical Scientist, RAND "Protecting our Protectors?" Max Kiefer, Assistant Director for Emergency Preparedness, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Mark Ghilarducci, Vice-President-Western Region, James Lee Witt Associates; Former Deputy Director of the Governor's Office of Emergency Services Dallas Jones, Secretary Treasurer, California Professional Firefighters
IX.	What can California learn from other experiences?
	This discussion focused on experiences from other jurisdictions and within California at responding to catastrophes, and how lessons are integrated into plans and initiatives.
	Earthquake Risk and the Workplace" David Bonowitz, Chair, SEAON Existing Buildings Committee; Structural Engineer, Judicial Council of California "Improving Disaster Preparedness: What California Can Learn from other Catastrophes?" Frances Edwards, Director, MPA Program and Associate Professor, San Jose State University; and Associate Director, Collaborative for Disaster Mitigation; Former Director of the City of San Jose Office of Emergency Services "Protecting Emergency Responders, Volume 3: Safety Management in Disaster and Terrorism Response" Brian Jackson, Physical Scientist, RAND "Workers' Compensation Challenges" Robert Snashall, Counselor at Law and Founder, Snashall Associates
X.	Roles of agencies in disaster preparedness and response in the workplace: Current actions, recommendations, and plans for the future.
	This discussion focused on the roles of various agencies in improving workplace preparedness, the type of training needed, and how scenarios are developed and simulated to improve decision-making during catastrophic events.
	"Disaster Preparedness & Response in the Workplace" Phyllis Cauley, Chief, Preparedness Branch, Governor's Office of Emergency Services "Protecting Workers in Emergencies - the Role of Cal/OSHA" Deborah Gold, Senior Industrial Hygienist and Avian Influenza Preparedness Program Coordinator, Cal/OSHA "The Role of the Seismic Safety Commission" Larry Klein, Chair, California Seismic Safety Commission "Preparedness as a Means for Survival and Solidarity" Raymond Neutra, Chief of Environmental and Occupational Disease Control, California Department of Health "Current Actions, Recommendations & Plans for the Future" Vickie Wells, Director, Occupational Safety & Health Program, San Francisco Department of Public Health
XI.	Recommendations for the future
	This discussion focused on the role of partnerships in protecting the workplace and synthesize the information from the day.
	Angie Wei, Chair, Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation Robert T. Reville, Director, Institute for Civil Justice, RAND
Acknowledgements
	Conference sponsors and participants

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Forum on Catastrophe Preparedness: Partnering to Protect Workplaces

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