Total Worker Health® Learner spotlight: Q&A with Caitlin Orman, Amy’s Kitchen

At the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Science (OccHealthSci), we’re not only regional leaders in occupational health and safety research but also at the forefront of Total Worker Health® training and education in the Pacific Northwest. We’ve partnered with the University of Washington’s Occupational Safety and Health Continuing Education program to offer the Total Worker Health (TWH) Certificate. 

The Certificate in TWH provides occupational safety and health professionals and students with an understanding of the TWH approach, and the skills to implement its various components within organizations. The program offers information on the determinants of physical and psychological health encountered at work, and how to be better equipped to act on these determinants as a part of an interdisciplinary workplace team. The certificate is a collaboration between the Oregon Healthy Workforce Center at OccHealthSci, the Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety, and the Pacific Northwest OSHA Education Center at the University of Washington.  

OccHealthSci recently sat down for a Q&A with Caitlin Orman, a participant in the TWH Certificate program. Orman is a Health and Safety Specialist at Amy’s Kitchen, a national producer of organic vegetarian meals. 

OccHealthSci: Welcome, Cate. Could you please tell us a little about what you do at Amy’s Kitchen?

Caitlin Orman: Thank you. I’m the health and safety specialist at Amy’s Kitchen in Medford, Oregon, where I help oversee and carry out the day-to-day operations of Amy’s safety program. That involves working with managers, supervisors, and employees to develop workplace solutions to safety concerns, conduct incident investigations and risk assessments, and perform other general safety work. 

OccHealthSci: How did you learn about the Occupational Safety and Health Continuing Education Program at University of Washington and how many certificates have you completed?

Caitlin Orman: I learned about the program after I was thrust into a safety position at a former employer. I was given the position and didn’t know much about workplace safety. A coworker knew about the program and suggested I take a course. Since then, I’ve completed three certificates: the general and construction Safety & Health Leadership Certificates and the Occupational Hygiene Awareness Certificate. I’m enrolled in the Emergency Safety Specialist Certificate and am about to complete the Total Worker Health Certificate.

OccHealthSci: In what ways have the University of Washington certificates and coursework you’ve completed added to your expertise and knowledge in occupational health and safety? 

Caitlin Orman: I completed my first certificate right before I began working here at Amy’s, and I realized it wasn’t that many more classes to get a few additional certificates, which led me to the Total Worker Health certificate. So, I think this idea of Total Worker Health has resonated with me. I try to apply its lessons in how I communicate with people and consider the intersection of the workplace, work performance, safety, health, and well-being. I didn’t know much about Total Worker Health before I began that certificate program. I feel like, between all these programs, I’ve gained a base knowledge of Total Worker Health that I’ve been able to use as I launch my career here at Amy’s.

OccHealthSci: Are there any elective courses from your certificate programs that stand out to you? 

Caitlin Orman: One course I found particularly useful was Effective Emotions and Psychological Capital in the Workplace; it provided a strong foundation for workplace strategies like projecting positivity, negotiation, and communication skills. I also took the Principles of Ergonomics course and found it quite helpful. 

OccHealthSci: Are there key takeaways from the Total Worker Health Certificate program that you’d like to share with our blog audience?

Caitlin Orman: One of the main things is that these courses have helped me realize what a difference I can make. When you are someone's supervisor or manager, those workplace safety tools and knowledge can affect everything from people's motivation to, you know, even their physical health. That was my big takeaway. The other is feeling like I have the tools and I'm prepared to not only be a safety leader but also understand the human side of workplace health, safety and well-being and wanting people to feel valued, seen and safe at work.