Kenneth Rosenman

Professor and Medicine Chief of the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine | Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI, UNITED STATES

Kenneth Rosenman is an expert on preventing and treating medical conditions caused by exposure to chemicals, lead, asbestos and silica

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Biography

Kenneth Rosenman has an active research program in occupational and environmental disease with particular interest in pulmonary disease.

In conjunction with Michigan OSHA and the Michigan Health Department, he tracks the occurrence of health issues such as work-related asthma, acute work-related traumatic fatalities, acute pesticide disease, noise-induced hearing loss, lead and mercury exposure, and asthma deaths in the young.

Rosenman is a professor of medicine in the Department of Medicine at Michigan State University in the College of Human Medicine.

Industry Expertise (3)

Writing and Editing

Education/Learning

Research

Areas of Expertise (5)

Coronavirus

Work-related Asthma

Occupational Environmental Disease

Pulmonary Disease

COVID-19

Accomplishments (1)

Michigan Department of Community Health Health Policy Champion Award (professional)

Michigan Department of Community Health Health Policy Champion Award in 2011

Education (2)

New York Medical College: M.D. 1975

Cornell University: B.A., Genetics 1972

Affiliations (2)

American College of Epidemiology : Fellow
American College of Preventive Medicine : Fellow

News (3)

Evictions, flipping tarnish effort to turn squatters into homeowners

Detroit Free Press online

2018-04-27

"That's an injury or fatality waiting to happen," said Dr. Kenneth Rosenman, a professor of medicine at Michigan State University who studies occupational and environmental injuries. Falls are a leading cause of death among construction workers and can be prevented with safety equipment ...

Robots descending on Michigan industrial workplaces in record numbers

Detroit Free Press online

2017-10-29

Robots also reduce workers' exposures to some of the most hazardous environments in the auto industry, including contact with potentially toxic chemicals in the paint shop and elsewhere, said Dr. Kenneth Rosenman, professor of medicine at Michigan State University and chief of its division of occupational and environmental medicine ...

Dangerous lead levels went unchecked at Michigan National Guard armories

Michigan Live online

2016-12-06

Michigan State University professor Kenneth D. Rosenman, chief of MSU's Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, said the hazards of lead-containing dust would depend on the concentration of lead, the amount of time a person was exposed to it, and what they were doing. "During the active use of a firing range, instructors, frequent users and particularly individuals who do clean up or collect spent bullets develop lead poisoning unless the ventilation is adequate and proper work practices and personal protective equipment is used during cleanup," Rosenman said ...

Journal Articles (5)

Multi-source surveillance for work-related crushing injuries

American Journal of Industrial Medicine

February 2018 BACKGROUND: Work-related crushing injuries are serious but preventable. For 2013 through 2015, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) reported 1260 crushing injuries in Michigan. In 2013, Michigan initiated multi-data source surveillance of work-related crushing injuries. METHODS: Records from all 134 of Michigan's hospitals/emergency departments (EDs), the Workers Compensation Agency (WCA) and Michigan's Fatality Assessment Control and Evaluation (MIFACE) program were used to identify work-related crushing injuries. Companies, where individuals were hospitalized or had an ED visit for a crushing injury, potentially had an OSHA enforcement inspection conducted. RESULTS: From 2013 through 2015, there were 3137 work-related crushing injury incidents, including two fatalities. The Michigan OSHA program completed inspections at 77 worksites identified by the surveillance system. CONCLUSION: The Michigan multisource surveillance system identified two and a half times more crushing injuries than BLS and was useful for initiating case-based enforcement inspections.

Sleep Apnea Screening Practices During Department of Transportation Medical Examinations

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

October 2017 OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the practices of Michigan Occupational and Environmental Medicine Association (MOEMA) members regarding screening for sleep apnea during required driver medical examinations. METHODS: A 13-question survey on sleep apnea screening practices was emailed to the MOEMA member. Nonresponders received additional E-mails and calls. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 66%. Fifty-five percent of respondents performed driver examinations and 94% screened for sleep apnea. Variations in practice included differences in how many risk factors were used to determine the need for polysomnography, 13% never ordered polysomnography and 42% never denied medical certification because of sleep apnea. CONCLUSION: Although there was significant consensus that sleep apnea screening was important, there was a large variation in the indication for and frequency in which sleep studies were ordered and drivers were denied approval because of concern about sleep apnea.

Occupational health risks associated with use of environmental surface disinfectants in health care

American Journal of Infection Control

December 2016 In their recent article, Weber et al 1 concluded “scientific evidence does not support that the use of low level disinfectant products on environmental surfaces by health care personnel is an important risk factor for the development of asthma or dermatitis.” They reached this conclusion after reviewing the employee medical records at University of North Carolina hospitals (2003-2012) and conducting a literature review on disinfectants and health care workers.

What Should Be the Content and Frequency of Performing a Medical Evaluation to Determine Fitness to Wear a Respirator?

Journal of Occupational Environmental Medicine

September 2016 OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the standard of care among occupational medicine practioners for determining medical fitness to wear a respirator. METHODS: A 15-item email/telephone survey was conducted of members of the Michigan Occupational and Environmental Medical Association. RESULTS: Sixty-seven percent of occupational medicine practioners who responded performed respirator evaluations; 75% did more than just the required Occupational Safety Health Administration questionnaire. Cardiovascular and respiratory symptoms and problems wearing a respirator (87% to 95%) were the most common reasons for additional testing and denying medical clearance (58% to 82%). Sixty percent of practioners required workers to have an annual evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of medical evaluation, which specific tests were performed, and the criteria used to determine fitness to wear a respirator varied markedly between practioners. Further research is needed to determine whether the widespread variation is a sign of too little or too much testing by different practioners.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis and antigen identification--An alternate approach.

Respiratory Medicine

March 2016 OBJECTIVES: Identification of the causal antigen for patients with hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is challenging in a standard clinical setting. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine whether it was possible to evaluate the home/workplace of patients, and identify the causal antigen. METHODS: Using a case-control study design we compared the presence of antibody to antigen collected in the environment of individuals with HP and controls consisting of family members/co-workers. Based on patient interviews, homes/workplaces were evaluated and suspected sources of antigen collected for use in immunoassays. RESULTS: Nineteen individuals with HP participated with 15 classified as having fibrotic disease. Up to 54 bulk samples were collected from each patient's environment, with multiple isolates (antigens) cultured from each. Of the seven individuals who tested positive to one or more environmental samples, three had a positive response to more than 1 antigen from the environmental sample (range 1-9). Twelve individuals tested positive to antigen(s) on a standard panel, with only one overlapping with the antigen from the home/workplace sample. A significant association existed between results of interviews/site evaluations, and ability to collect antigen eliciting a positive response (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Antigen identification was successful for patients with 'active' disease. Antigens for which patients test positive on standard panels may not be present in their environment. One benefit to patient-centered testing is the ability to develop recommendations specific to their environment. As most individuals tested positive for >1 antigen, further investigation is warranted to determine the actual antigen responsible for disease.