Karen Messing

Life

Messing was born in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1943. She studied social sciences at Harvard before deciding to focus on science. She went to McGill University in Montreal where she studied biology, genetics and chemistry. She faced prejudice from colleagues because she was a single mother.

She began teaching at University of Quebec at Montreal in 1976 and two years later she was conducting research amongst phosphate workers. She knew of the potential and radioactivity and discovered that amongst six workers, four of them had children with birth defects like a club foot. She did manage to get dust extraction equipment installed but only on the provisp that the researchers left the factory. Messing reflects that this event focused her later work on occupational health.

In 1990 she spent a year studying a toilet cleaner named Nina who walked 23 km every day as she cleaned toilets in 1–2 minutes. This work led to recommendations that were adopted and to her specializing in ergonomics and winning an award. She was given the Jacques Rousseau Award in 1993. This award recognises leading Canadians who are working across disciplines.

Messing co-founded the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Health, Society and the Environment (CINBIOSE) at her university.

She has worked for thirty years to also increase opportunities for women. She chaired the committee that advises on gender and ergonomics at the International Association of Ergonomics. In recognition of this she was given the Governor General's Award in 2009 that commemorates the 80th anniversary of the persons case. This was a case where Canadian acknowledged that women were included in the legal phrase of "person" and were therefore entitled to all those legal rights.

Other awards

She was given the Yant Award in 2014.

Works

1. Messing, K. Invisible suffering : for a science that listen to workers' voices [en coréen, traduit par Inah Kim] (Dongnyok Press, Séoul, Corée du Sud, publication prévue en août 2017).
2. Messing K (2016) Les souffrances invisibles : Pour une science à l’écoute des gens [traduit par Marianne Champagne] (Écosociété, 2016). Avec mise à jour et nouvelle conclusion par l'auteure.
3. Messing K (2014) Pain and Prejudice: What Science Can Learn about Work from the People Who Do It. BTL Books, Toronto. Finaliste (“short list”) pour le Prix Science and Society de la Canadian Science Writers Association.
4. Messing, K., Ostlin, P. 2006. Gender Equality, Work and Health : A Review Of The Evidence, Organisation mondiale de la santé, Genève
5. Messing, K. 2000. La santé des travailleuses: La science est-elle aveugle? traduction et mise à jour de One-eyed Science. Éditions du remue-ménage (Montréal) avec Octarès (Toulouse).
6. Messing, K. (dir.) 1999. Comprendre le travail des femmes pour le transformer. Bruxelles: Institut syndical européen pour la recherche, la formation et la santé-sécurité.
   1. Integrating Gender in Ergonomic Analysis. Brussels: Trades Union Technical Bureau, European Economic Community.
   2. Compreender o trabalho das mulheres para o transformar. Lisboa: Commissao para a igualdade no trabalho e no emprego (CITE).
   3. Comprendere il lavoro delle donne per trasformarlo. Roma: Istituto Superiore per la Prevenzione e la Sicurezza del Lavoro (ISPESL).
   4. I Ensomatosi tou fylou stin Ergonomiki Analisi. Stratigikes gia tin metekseliksi tis Ergasias ton Gynaikon Athènes: EDEM.
   5. El trabajo de las mujeres: Comprender para transformar. Madrid: Catarata.
7. Kilbom, A., Messing, K., Thorbjornsson, C. (eds.) (1998) Women's Health at Work/ Yrkesarbetande kvinnors hälsa. National Institute for Working Life, Sweden. Disponible au
8. Messing, K. (1998). One-eyed Science: Occupational Health and Women Workers. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
9. Messing, K., Seifert, Ana Maria, Escalona, Evelin. 1996. La minute de 120 secondes: Analyse du travail des enseignantes de niveau primaire. Québec: Centrale de l'enseignement du Québec. Traduit en espagnol et en basque par les syndicats d’enseignement de l’Espagne.
10. Messing, K., Neis, B. and Dumais, L. (eds.) 1995. Invisible: Issues in Women's Occupational Health and Safety/Invisible: La santé des travailleuses. Charlottetown, PEI: Gynergy Books.
11. Messing, K. (1991). Occupational Health and Safety Concerns of Canadian Women: A review/Santé et sécurité des travailleuses: un document de base. Labour Canada 110pp.
12. Messing, K., Simoneau, S., Vanier, D. (1990). Les radiations en milieu de travail. Comité conjoint UQAM-CSN-FTQ. 84 pages.