Facing the Challenges of Being a Woman at Work - with Rose McMurray

The Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that 51.7% of the workforce is female. However, according to Zippia.com, 27.2% of occupational health and safety specialists are women, and 72.8% are men. This suggests that many policies, procedures, and practices relative to safety are created for and by men. This discrepancy can contribute to physical and psychosocial hazards that harm women and may not be the same for men. In this episode, Dr. I. David Daniels speaks with Rose McMurray, who has been focused on safety and the involvement of women in the safety profession for many years. Ms. McMurray was one of the "founding mothers" of the Nation Safety Council's Women's Division, which is focused on the the inclusion and development of women in the safety profession. Ms. McMurray is a transportation safety professional specializing in consulting services for trucking, motor coach, transit, and other transportation sectors. She also provides expert witness services in truck and motor coach legal cases and teaches safety management at the graduate student level. Before she retired from the federal government in January 2011, Ms. McMurray served as the Chief Safety Officer (CSO) and Assistant Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Ms. McMurray’s efforts have earned her several awards, including the National Safety Council’s Marion Martin and Distinguished Service to Safety awards. Other honors awarded to Ms. McMurray include twice receiving the Senior Executive Service Presidential Rank Award, the Secretary of Transportation’s Meritorious Achievement Award, and the Secretary’s Gold Medal. She has served on the Board of Advisors for the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Board of Directors of the National Safety Council.