MORA Meeting Minutes

May 9, 2012: 10:00 AM

Minutes:

MORA MINUTES May 9, 2012

Members Present: Amy Wagner (Chair), Peter Doran, Jonathan Lepoff, Ivan Most (via phone), John Rioux, Kathy Schulz, Richard Snow, Raymond Taylor, & Desi-Rae Severson.

MDOL Support Staff Present: Terry Hathaway.

Guests: Carrie Pelletier (Workers’ Compensation Board) & Bill Kirkpatrick (Alzheimer’s Association)

Call to Order. Chair Amy Wagner called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m.

Introductions: Introductions were made.

Approval of April 11, 2012 Minutes. John Rioux made a motion to accept the April 11th minutes, as amended. Jonathan Lepoff seconded the motion. Vote, unanimous.

Announcements. Amy announced that she has a new job with the Workplace Safety and Health Division, Bureau of Labor Standards. Discussion regarding Amy remaining the chair of MORA and will be discussed further at next month’s meeting.

Rick announced that he will be attending the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education for Senior Executives in State Government for three weeks in June. Amy attended the Northern States Occupational Surveillance Conference as a speaker. There is a great deal of interest in worksite wellness from NIOSH and University of Massachusetts, Lowell.

Kathy stated that the workers’ compensation bill passed by the Legislature will take effect January 1, 2013.

Rick announced that until the budget is completed, any legislation with a cost associated with it will be impacted. This will impact truckers and workers’ compensation.

Alzheimer’s Presentation. Bill Kirkpatrick, Manager of Education for the Maine Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association did a presentation on Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease of the brain as it destroys the brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. Mr. Kirkpatrick provided the 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s as well as the difference between Alzheimer’s and typical age-related changes. Further discussion concerning Alzheimer’s in the workplace and how to handle it.

If you notice any of the 10 signs of Alzheimer’s, you should talk with people, visit the doctor, and get the person the right treatment. There is no one test to determine Alzheimer’s. There are other medical issues, such as high blood pressure, anemia, vitamin deficiency, side effects of medications or depression, which can cause similar symptoms.

Next Meeting – Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 10:00 a.m. The meeting will be held in Frances Perkins Conference Room A, Maine Department of Labor at the Central Maine Commerce Center.

Adjournment. Chair Amy Wagner adjourned the meeting at 11:45 a.m.

/tmh