WSNA CNE

Deborah Gold, MPH, CIH, retired from Cal/OSHA as Deputy Chief for Health at the end of 2014. She worked as an industrial hygienist in Cal/OSHA enforcement in the Bay Area for seven years before being promoted into the headquarters unit. As a senior safety engineer, and then as Deputy Chief (from 2011-2014), Gold was involved in developing several ground-breaking regulations to protect workers from infectious disease, patient-handling injuries, workplace violence, and exposures to hazardous substances.  She was also involved in implementing both new and existing regulations particularly in health care environments. She is the principal author of Cal/OSHA’s Aerosol Transmissible Disease Standard, and worked on California’s response to H1N1, the Healthcare Surge Project, and preparations for Ebola. Since retiring, Gold has worked on several projects for the University of California and union and community groups to develop and deliver training on worker health and safety issues. In 2016 she received the Alice Hamilton Award from the American Public Health Association.