You’ve heard a lot from us in the past year about hair smoothing products and formaldehyde. Frankly, we’re all a bit tired of it, and we didn’t plan to weigh in again about it. But last week, the Public Relations Society of America, Portland Metro Chapter, awarded a Spotlight Award to Oregon OSHA and CROET in the Issue Management Category.

This is an exciting acknowledgment of the time and effort both organizations put into this issue. So many people at Oregon OSHA deserve to be complimented, from Oregon OSHA Administrator Michael Wood and Lab Manager Kermit McCarthy, to many industrial hygienists and laboratory chemists. And the award would never have happened without Melanie Mesaros, Oregon OSHA Public Information Officer and a member of PRSA. Here at CROET we also thank Jim Newman, representing OHSU Strategic Communications, for helping us get our news printed and aired.

While those of us at CROET aren’t exactly public relations experts, through this experience we did learn an awful lot about how important it is for scientists to articulate and translate what we know in a language that the public can understand. All of us at CROET and Oregon OSHA also learned about both the value and challenges of communicating via social media. And most importantly, we have received an abundance of thanks from stylists and family members who were now finally able to pinpoint the reason for adverse health symptoms.  Our message is long-lived as we continue to stress the importance of science-based information and sources to all who seek guidance in the overload of daily news.

More information on Formaldehyde & Hair Smoothing Products:
CROET Emerging Issues and Alerts
Oregon OSHA Hazard Alert
Federal OSHA Hazard Alert