Document nmqoYE0QY5OKZkjOM43VQ6GJ8

Data extracted from this statistical research should be useful to the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists' Threshold Limits Committee, as part of the Foundation's central data repository project. IHF's mental health project (Employee Mental Health and Industrial Nursing Practices) under subcontract to the American Institutes for Research (AIR) made signficant progress during this second year of the five-year National In stitute of Mental Health training grant awarded to the Foundation in July 1966. Mr. Harris H. Shettel, Director of AIR's Instructional Development Program, who is directing IHF's project, reported at the Foundation's 32nd Annual Meeting on the success of securing professional staff: Enid Goldberg, R. N., a psychiatric nurse, and Iva Pleasants, R. N. , an industrial nurse, plus additional research assistants. Their first major task was to find out what nurses are doing at pre sent in the area of employee mental health, the support which could be expected from their immediate environment (especially from medical personnel), how they would react to the notion of taking on increased responsibility in this area, and what kind of course content would be most useful to them. To secure this infor mation, a case study record form and a comprehensive questionnaire were devel oped and distributed to nurses in several IHF member companies. The analysis . of the data will lead to the initial determination of the role of the industrial nurse with regard to employee mental health and also determine course content for future programmed instruction in this area. (Mr. Shettel's paper, "Mental Health and the Industrial Nurse, " will be published in the 32nd Annual Meeting Trans actions, available April 1968.} The Industrial Hygiene Digest, now in its 32nd year, continues to he the principal publication of IHF. Dr. John Metschl, Editor, excerpts articles from a wide range of literature on environmental and occupational health for the monthly issues. This medium has produced a file of over 30, 000 abstracts providing a ready source of information on inplant dust, air pollution, noise, heat, solvents, dermatitis, toxicity of materials, ionizing radiation and up-to-date information on new products and procedures. Plans are underway to augment this facility and expand this information service to our members. From all of the above it can readily he seen that IHF is setting out to perform its mission in a manner consistent with present and expected needs of an increasingly technological society. It is contributing in a unique way to human progress by introducing scientific concepts of management, based on genuine needs and factual data. IHF's membership deserves great credit for encouraging our efforts, and we hope we can count on a greatly expanded expression of interest and support on a broader base in industry as our programs mature. 3