Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #117448

Robin Baker, MPH, Labor Occupational Health Program, School of Public Health/UC Berkeley, 2223 Fulton St., Berkeley, CA 94720-5120, Laura Stock, MPH, Labor Occupational Health Program, Berkeley School of Public Health, 2223 Fulton St, 4th Fl, Berkeley, CA 94720-5120, 510-642-5056, lstock@uclink4.berkeley.edu, Betty Szudy, LOHP, University of California Berkeley, LOHP, 2223 Fulton Street, 4th Floor, Berkeley, CA, CA 94720, and Robin D. Dewey, MPH, Labor Occupational Health Program, University of California at Berkeley, 2223 Fulton Street, 4th floor, Berkeley, CA 94720.

This paper will describe a unique state program designed to train California workers to become Worker Occupational Safety and Health (WOSH) Specialists able to take leadership roles in promoting workplace injury and illness prevention. The California Commission for Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation partnered with the University of California to develop a 24-hour curriculum that prepares workers to identify and control hazards, participate effectively in workplace safety programs, and develop strategies for taking action to prevent injuries. The course was pilot tested and evaluated, and is now being offered throughout the state, supported by a legislatively mandated worker training fund. This presentation will describe: a) the process of involving stakeholders in identifying core training needs, b) the development of action-oriented and participatory training activities designed to promote leadership; c) the challenges faced in designing a standardized curriculum that is relevant for workers in a range of occupations from home care to factories and appropriate for a diverse and multilingual workforce. We will also discuss the implementation of the training program using two different models: an open enrollment labor studies course in a community college and an occupation-specific class for English, Spanish and Chinese speaking homecare workers delivered in collaboration with a union and employer. We will review lessons learned that may inform potential efforts in other states.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to

• describe California's unique program for training workers as leaders in injury and illness prevention.
• list challenges in developing a universal leadership curriculum for workers in diverse industries with a range of language needs.
• identify potential roles of trained worker leaders in their workplaces and unions.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.