Michael N. Cooper, M.P.H., CIH

Mr. Cooper specializes in occupational health, industrial hygiene, chemical exposure limits, Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) management and program development, EHS regulatory affairs, community communication, and public policy. Mr. Cooper has developed and directed corporate compliance programs and improved corporate culture regarding safety and environmental affairs for a variety of industries, including: aerospace, pharmaceuticals, semiconductor, and semiconductor equipment manufacturing in both the United States and International settings. He has created and implemented corporate compliance and auditing programs, clean-up strategies for groundwater contamination, site closure and site development planning, due diligence for real estate transactions, occupational health functions, and has hosted local community forums regarding industry chemical usage. Mr. Cooper has built strong relationships with state regulators within various departments in California including Radiological Health, OSHA, and various Fire Departments. He has served as the corporate radiation safety officer and the biosafety officer for several industries.

Mr. Cooper has extensive experience in permissible exposure (PEL) development for chemicals within California. He has served or is currently serving on advisory committees for California State OSHA, the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), Organizational Resources Counselors, the American Electronics Association, and other voluntary and advocacy groups. Mr. Cooper has taught college courses in chemistry, physics, hazardous materials management and industrial hygiene at the University of California (UC) Davis, UC Extension, San Jose State University, and De Anza College. He has developed and taught AIHA accredited continuing education courses in radiation safety and industrial hygiene.

Prior to joining Exponent, Mr. Cooper was the Director of Corporate Environmental, Health & Safety at Vishay Intertechnology, a semiconductor and electronics component manufacturer. At Vishay he was responsible for EHS programs in California, Israel, China, Germany and Taiwan. He was also Senior Manager for EHS programs at Novellus Systems, a semiconductor equipment manufacturer, and EHS manager at Behring Diagnostics, a medical device manufacturer.

While at Exponent, Mr. Cooper has worked on diverse projects including mitigation of a Q-fever outbreak and assisting with a NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation, litigation support for industrial hygiene cases, and assessment of radiological issues for a 100-year-old chemical plant in California, working with various State agencies and community action groups. During 2008–2009, he served as an Exponent Department of Defense contractor with the forward units of the US Army Rapid Equipping Force from Ft. Belvoir, Virginia. For these assignments, Mr. Cooper was deployed with military personnel for extensive periods of time in Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Iraq. In this role, Mr. Cooper was the lead field engineer supporting technology development and research to provide materiel solutions for deployed tactical units. Mr. Cooper worked with various Army task forces, units, and core personnel in the areas of overheadwire mitigation, intelligence/surveillance/ reconnaissance, and counter IED efforts.

Cohen R, Steinmaus C, Quinlan P, Roberts T, Cooper M. Keeping up with science: Developing PELs in California. The Synergist, March 2007; 32–35.

Cohen R, Steinmaus C, Quinlan P, Ku R, Cooper M, Roberts T. Development of permissible exposure limits. International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health July/September 2006; 12(3):242–247.

Presentations

Cooper M. A perspective on safety and health in Afghanistan—Images of Operation Enduring Freedom. Organizational Resources Counselors (ORC) quarterly meeting, September 2008.

Cooper M. Setting permissible exposure limits—Viewpoint from a Cal OSHA State Health Expert Advisory committee member. Organizational Resources Counselors (ORC) quarterly meeting, June 2008.

Cooper M. Radiation safety for the industrial hygienist. Peninsula Industry Business Association, April 2007.

Cooper M. Are permissible exposure limits dead or alive. Panel discussion, Organizational Resources Counselors, March 2005.

• Director of Corporate Environmental, Health & Safety, Vishay Siliconix, 2003–2007
• Senior Manager of Corporate EHS, Novellus Systems, 1999–2003
• Manager of EHS, Behring Diagnostics (Syntex/Syva), 1994–1999
• Senior Safety Engineer, Amdahl Corporation, 1991–1994
• Various positions including Contamination Control Engineer, Senior Material and Process Engineer, and EHS coordinator for the central chemistry laboratories, Lockheed Corporation, 1982–1991
  

• Health Expert Advisory Committee , California State OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit Advisory Committee on Airborne Contaminants (appointed for 2001–2004, re-appointed 2007–present) (member)
• Workplace Environmental Exposure Level (WEEL) Committee, American Industrial Hygiene Association, 2005–present
• Steering Committee, Western Occupational Safety and Health Group, Organization Resources Counselors, 1998–2006, 2009–present
• Phylmar Group—Occupational Health and Safety Forum, 2004–2007 (member)
• American Chemical Society, 1990–present (member)
• American Industrial Hygiene Association, 1994–present (member)
• American Board of Industrial Hygiene, 1994–present (member)