UL and ACOEM Collaborate to Launch the UL Integrated Health & Safety Institute

New Institute Will Be the First Organization of Its Kind Dedicated to Advancing the Integration of Health and Safety in the Private Sector


CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwired - Jun 8, 2015) - Underwriters Laboratories Inc. and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) today announced that they have partnered to create the UL Integrated Health & Safety Institute (IHSI), the first private sector not-for-profit institute dedicated to advancing the integration of health and safety programs within corporations around the world. The new IHSI will launch at Safety 2015, the American Society of Safety Engineers' (ASSE) Professional Development Conference & Exposition, which is being held June 7-10, 2015, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas.

IHSI will be the foremost leader with a unified approach to health and safety in the development of new strategies for managing population health. The breadth and depth of UL and ACOEM's expertise will combine to provide Institute members and partners with world-class research, advisory, standards, and education solutions.

"Companies around the world are interested in building a health and safety framework and are looking to the industry for guidance on effective implementation and best practices," said UL Global Director of Workplace Health and Safety Todd Hohn, CSP. "The Integrated Health & Safety Institute will be the first organization of its kind with the research and educational offerings to meet this need of integration of health and safety in the workplace."

UL and ACOEM jointly published a paper in the May 2015 issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine that proposed a new framework for integrating health and safety strategies in the workplace, including the use of a standardized index for measuring effectiveness. The Integrated Health and Safety Index -- developed by UL and ACOEM and based on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index -- allows companies to translate the impact of employer health and safety programs into business value for the investment community. For the full paper, visit: http://journals.lww.com/joem/Fulltext/2015/05000/Integrating_Health_and_Safety_in_the_Workplace_.15.aspx.

"Countless studies have shown that health and safety in the workplace are directly related -- promoting better health impacts safety, and promoting greater safety impacts health," said ACOEM President Mark Roberts, MD. "We're incredibly proud and excited to partner with UL to create an institute that will serve as the guiding force for truly integrating employer health and safety programs."

IHSI will develop detailed programs and initiatives from research it conducts and convening of experts at roundtable discussions and educational forums to assist in the integration of the concepts of combining health and safety programs around the world. For more information on the UL Integrated Health & Safety Institute, visit booth #1311 at Safety 2015.

Safety 2015 is the American Society of Safety Engineers' annual conference convening 4,000 safety professionals for educational and informative sessions covering the latest topics and trends in the evolution of occupational health and safety strategies, skills and innovations.

About ACOEM: The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) represents nearly 4,500 physicians specializing in occupational and environmental medicine. Founded in 1916, ACOEM is the largest medical society in the United States 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 is a premier global independent safety science company that has championed progress for more than 120 years. Its nearly 11,000 professionals are guided by the UL mission to promote safe working and living environments for all people via two distinct entities: Underwriters Laboratories Inc., a 501(c)3 public charity, and UL LLC. UL uses research and standards to continually advance and meet ever-evolving safety needs. We partner with businesses, manufacturers, trade associations and international regulatory authorities to bring solutions to a more complex global supply chain. For more information, visit http://www.UL.com.

Contact Information:

CONTACT:
UL:
Minh Le
615-327-7999
MLe@seigenthaler.com

ACOEM:
Paul Larson
847-624-7232
larsonpw@gmail.com