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

Abstract #119171

Garrett D. Brown, MPH, CIH, Maquiladora Health & Safety Support Network, P.O. Box 124, Berkeley, CA 94701-0124, 510-622-2913, gdbrown@igc.org

One significant impact of the current "economic globalization" has been intense downward pressure on workplace health and safety standards as countries, regions and employers compete for investment, economic development and jobs. Many transnational corporations have moved production from relatively well-regulated workplaces in the developed world to basically unregulated, often unsafe and unhealthy workplaces in the developing world. International trade and investment treaties have the potential to either establish minimum workplace standards and enforcement of health-protective regulations on a global scale; or to accelerate the current "race to the bottom" as standards, enforcement and workers' health are thrown aside in the relentless search for the lowest possible production costs. This presentation will analyze why the North American Free Trade Agreement failed to protect North American workers' health and what is needed in international trade treaties to actually protect workplace health and safety in both the developed and developing world.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to identify the threats to workplace health and safety contained in current and proposed international trade treaties; to define the components of future trade treaty needed to actually protect worker health, and to articulate the actions APHA members need to take as professionals and as citizens to win approval of health-protective trade agreements.

Keywords: International Health, Occupational Health

Related Web page: www.igc.org/mhssn

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.