Nanotechnology and Occupational Health and Safety Conference

November 15 - 17, 2007

University of California, Santa Barbara

Richard Appelbaum, Conference Organizer and UCSB Professor of Sociology and Global & International Studies, delivers welcoming remarks at the conference 

This conference brought together union leaders, human resource managers, social scientists, media, public policy officials, and science experts to examine issues relating to potential risks involved for nanotechnology workers - both in laboratory settings and in industry - and ways to limit those risks.  A major objective of this conference was to initiate a conversation on these issues between specialists and practitioners.  The unifying theme was that labor and management should pay close attention to the new technology and scientific evidence about its risks; and that the scientific community should be aware of workplace concerns and the history of occupational health and safety issues that have been important with past technologies.  The conference included reports on the experience of previous technologies where this message was not fully appreciated.

Conference Sponsors: 

UC Lead Campus for NanoToxicology Research and Training

 For questions regarding the 2007 Nanotechnology and Occupational Health and Safety Conference:

Valerie Walston, Communication Coordinator

NSF Center for Nanotechnology in Society

University of California

Santa Barbara, CA 93106

(805) 893-8850