Speakers

Kate Cole OAM is a multiple award-winning scientist, engineer and Certified Occupational Hygienist who has dedicated her career to the prevention of work-related disease. Her work on preventing silicosis has been informed by the completion of a Winston Churchill Fellowship and her extensive work on major construction and tunnelling projects in Australia and abroad. Kate is regularly sought after to provide her expert opinion on issues relating to airborne hazards including respirable crystalline silica. Kate is the past President of the Australian Institute of Occupational Hygienists, the former co-chair of the National Silicosis Prevention Strategy Expert Steering Committee, and a member of the NSW Dust Diseases Board. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to workplace health and safety, Kate was awarded the Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia and was included in the Covid-19 Honour Roll in the 2022 Australia Day Honours. Kate now works as an independent consultant while completing her PhD at the University of Sydney where she is researching respirable crystalline silica exposures to tunnel construction workers.