Product warnings, labels, instructions

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

Expertise in: product design and safety; design of product warnings and labels; chemical exposure risks, analysis, and health outcomes; industrial system design, safety, and training. I am an associate professor of safety engineering and human factors engineering and the Director of the Product and System Safety Laboratory in the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. I hold MS and PhD degrees in safety engineering and the certified safety professional (CSP), certified industrial hygienist (CIH), and certified hazardous materials manager (CHMM) credentials. I have over 30 years of experience in the fields of industrial hygiene and safety engineering: conducting investigations and designing safe work systems. I led a compliance organization responsible for conducting investigations and ensuring compliance with safety and health standards (OSHA and EPA). I have 21 years of university teaching experience and have taught courses on product safety, system safety, warnings design, occupational safety, industrial hygiene, risk control, and human factors engineering. My research involves improving product and system safety through Prevention through Design. Prevention through Design (PtD) emphasizes the elimination of hazards associated with the design of products, equipment, tools, materials, and systems. I have been involved in Prevention through Design efforts at the national level. I have served on an advisory committee of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) concerning the development of PtD initiatives. I am the author of a textbook chapter on the subject in the Handbook of Industrial and Systems Engineering.