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June 3, 2002

The Honorable John Henshaw
Assistant Secretary of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
U.S. Department of Labor
OSHA Docket Office
Docket NACE-2002-1
Room N-2625
200 Constitution Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20210

In response to the announcement in the Federal Register of May 2, 2002, seeking candidates to serve on the committee in caption, the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) offers a superbly qualified person. Obtaining an endorsement from the ASSE is a distinct honor in itself, as you will verify by reading and referring to the enclosed Fact Sheet, which describes our 30,000 member professional society. Together with its and our nominee's credentials, the agency has the opportunity to put together a truly outstanding advisory committee.

The ASSE nominee is Dr. Carter Kerk, whose CV and biographical sketch are also enclosed with this letter. Before highlighting his career, in all of its multiple aspects, we assure you that he meets all the criteria specified in the Federal Register announcement, most emphatically his desire to serve on this committee and with the panel the agency brings together. From the human relations aspect alone, he is a clear analyst of facts and figures together with being able to build consensus among diverse parties and interests.

Now to highlighting his career and achievements. His credentials from educational attainment (PhD/Industrial Engineering) to state licenses and professional certification (all by examination) are impeccable. By this background alone, Dr. Kerk is, we are sure, placed among a handful of authorities in the arts and sciences of ergonomics. In attaining these credentials, you need to factor in the experience component related to securing successfully these licenses and professional certificates, each of which is validated by a nationally recognized accreditation body.

As an academician and teacher, Dr. Kerk is on the cutting edge of the issues, which will be the focus of this advisory committee's work product. Coupled with the help of academia is his extensive research activities that portray a range of subject areas within, we believe, the advisory committee will need the kinds of evaluation and inputs Dr. Kerk can provide.

Rather than reprising, from various aspects, what Dr. Kerk brings to the advisory committee, we will simply emphasize that by education, experience, research, academic endeavor, and validation of these credentials by state agencies and nationally recognized accreditation bodies, he meets every test which can be applied to serve on this advisory committee.

If you need additional information to evaluate Dr. Kerk's qualifications, please contact me at your earliest. We do wish to be helpful and positive in staffing this most important advisory committee with the very best authorities in the field.

Thank you for your thoughtful and thorough review of Dr. Carter Kerk's credentials.

Sincerely,

M.E. Greer, CSP
Society President 2001-2002

TFB/rs
Enclosures

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