' neck pain can be prevented." Dearman joined Quinte Health Care as occupational health and safety consultant in February of 2000 and looked after dis- ability management and safety co-ordina- tion at all four hospital sites. "I was responsible for managing sick time, worker injuries, health promotion, safety programs and ergonomics. I love what I do because safety programming is ever changing and improving so that work- ers continue to have the best protection possible." Because of recent changes to QHC, she has moved to a position with Walsh and Associates, an occupational health and safety firm that was the successful bidder to provide health and safety programs to the four hospitals. Dearman is now only responsible for the safety programs at QHC. From her second floor office in the administrative wing at Belleville hospital, she develops and main- tains programs to keep hospital employees safe at work. She teaches staff how to lift patients and materials safely, does air testing and respirator fit testing in case of another SARS outbreak and facilitates the joint health and safety committees. "I love the diversity of the job and that I'm helping people stay healthy," she said. Dearman got involved with Greater Belleville Safe Community in 1998, a year after the not-for-profit organization was formed to make this a safer community. She headed the Safety Community Incentive Program for two years -- it's a program where companies participate in developing safety programs to reduce injuries in their respective workplaces - before serving as vice-chairman and now chairman. "One of our biggest challenges is sus- taining the funding for our administrative staff. We have one full-time and one part- time employee," she said. "We also have several wonderful volunteers that assist us with running of the programs, financial support for these programs and helping raise funds for the organization." Dearman has her priorities in order. "I work very hard every day at the work- place and I want to do my best for GBSC and then use every other minutes to spend with my family." Contact Henry Bury at: newsroom@intelligencer.ca