Meet our Alumni: Shayla Kaplen, Occupational Hygienist

As an occupational hygienist, my responsibilities vary based on current priorities and urgent issues that arise. Significant hazards in healthcare often include radiation, lasers, hazardous drugs, bloodborne pathogens, sharps, chemicals, indoor air quality, and ergonomics. My portfolio currently focuses on managing exposure to non-prescribed substances and hazardous drugs. In evaluating and controlling these hazards, my role can include conducting risk assessments, occupational hygiene monitoring, developing exposure control plans, respiratory protection, overseeing joint health and safety committees, providing staff education and training, investigating workplace incidents, liaising between WorkSafeBC and unions, and collaborating with other health authorities to address key issues affecting all regions of the province.

After completing my undergraduate degree in Biology at UBC, I worked at WorkSafeBC in Claims & Rehabilitation for over four years. In my role in the Special Care Services department, I supported injured workers with various workplace injuries, including severe spinal cord and brain injuries, loss of a limb, occupational diseases, and mental health injuries. Serving as a primary contact for workers unable to work due to job-related incidents, I gained insight into the impact of occupational injuries and diseases. This heightened my awareness of the necessity to protect workers and the community from harmful exposures and strongly influenced my desire to become an occupational hygienist. Learning about the MSc OEH program at UBC from alumni confirmed my desire to pursue this master’s program to help transition my career. As part of the OEH program, my summer practicum allowed me to work with Providence Health Care. My practicum project focused on measuring workers’ exposure to formaldehyde and xylene in a pathology laboratory. I am very grateful to have returned to Providence Health Care as an occupational hygienist after completing this master’s program. I enjoy being involved in new and existing occupational hygiene projects within the healthcare industry.

UBC provides one of the few master’s programs in Canada that specialize in occupational and environmental hygiene. This program allowed me to use my background in biological sciences and further my knowledge in epidemiology, occupational hygiene monitoring and data analysis. After hearing many positive reviews about this program from previous graduates and having grown up in Vancouver, I decided to return to UBC for this graduate program.

The MSc OEH program at UBC has allowed me to transition into a new field with the necessary tools to be successful. The curriculum covers the key components required for a career in this field and allows for some flexibility based on individual interests. In my second year, I had the opportunity to collaborate with one of the professors on a research project on ototoxicity, allowing me to develop further research skills and present information about the study at a conference in the United States.

If you are considering a career in occupational and environmental hygiene, reach out to current students or graduates of the program, and they will be happy to provide you with more information. This dynamic field has many different career paths available, many of which I was unaware of when I began this program. With a growing alumni community and a focus on networking and professional development, I am grateful for the opportunities presented as a result of completing this program!