Montana Occupational Health and Safety Surveillance (MOHSS)

MOHSS Newsletter August 2023

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.
Aaron Bender:  MOHSS Principle Investigator
aaron.bender@mt.gov

Mission Statement

The Montana Occupational Health & Safety Surveillance program (MOHSS) identifies and tracks trends in work-related fatalities, injuries, and illnesses in order to improve worker health and safety across Montana.
    • Build a strong and dependable occupational health surveillance system for Montana
    • Conduct high quality research on workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities in Montana
    • Provide useful and timely information so that workers and employers in Montana can be aware of health hazards in the workplace
    • Collaborate with workers, organizations, and other stakeholders to identify opportunities for improvement and intervention
    • Tackle occupational health projects to address the needs of the Montana workforce
    • Do our best work for the people of Montana

Key Personnel

  • Hello!

    I would like to introduce myself.  My name is Aaron Bender.  I am the new Principal Investigator/epidemiologist for the Montana Occupational Health and Safety Surveillance (MOHSS) program which is associated with the Montana Department of Labor and Industry, Employment Standards Division. 

    My professional career was born out of bioscience research.  I first obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology/Botany from the University of Wyoming.  Having enjoyed my courses in laboratory science, I applied for and was accepted to the PhD program in Molecular Biology at the University of Wyoming.  I successfully defended my dissertation in 2006 and went on to work as a professional scientist at the Mayo Clinic and later for the University of Kansas.

    During my tenure as a scientist, I authored several peer-reviewed publications, presented my work at national and international conferences, and learned dozens of technical laboratory procedures.

    I believe my experience as an academic scientist has prepared me well for my role as the MOHSS PI/epidemiologist.  Having years of data analysis experience, I am familiar with many of the tools necessary for identifying important numerical trends.  

    Our primary focus involves studying/tracking occupational health indicators in Montana.  Analysis of these indicators allows us to gain a more comprehensive understanding of worker-health and safety trends over time.  

    I have been with the state of Montana since May of 2022 and am learning new things every day.  I enjoy the challenges that come with this position and am excited to see what the future of the MOHSS program will bring.

    Please return to this website to review Montana worker health statistics as well as updates on the MOHSS program.

    Feel free to contact me at any time with questions about our program and how we can help.

    It’s nice to meet you!
    -Aaron

    Email: aaron.bender@mt.gov
    Phone: (406)-444-1722

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