Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.
Aaron Bender: MOHSS Principle Investigator
aaron.bender@mt.gov
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
New! Interactive Dashboards are now available! They include data from the MT Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) on health conditions and behaviors of Montana workers by industry and workers' compensation data on work-related injury characteristics and wage and loss benefits.
Montana are affected by arthritis and programs offered by the Montana Arthritis Program that can help workers manage their arthritis symptoms. (May 2019)
Newsletter - Ladder Safety - March is ladder safety month. This newsletter discusses ladder safety and the top injuries that can result from improper ladder use (March 2019)
Newsletter - Firefighter Safety - This newsletter presents major takeaway points from our new report on firefighter health and safety issues in Montana (October 2018)
Occupational Health Success Story - Work-Related Fatalities in a Frontier State - A look into how the MT Worker Health program began to address worker deaths in Montana (October 2018)
ATV Rider Safety Online Course - Unique online lessons cover ATV safety gear, operations, riding strategies, agricultural uses, and advanced techniques ($25 cost) (January 2018)
Industry Spotlights pages are available for 12 different industries, with injury data specific to Montana (May 2017)