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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Luis Vazquez, MPH, Health and Safety Department, United Auto Workers, 8731 East Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, MI 48214, 313 926 5563, lvazquez@uaw.net, John S. Morawetz, Center for Worker Health & Safety Education, International Chemical Workers Union (ICWUC), 329 Race Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202-3534, and Amy K. Mock, MPH, Health and Safety Department, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, 6805 Oak Creek Drive, Columbus, OH 43229.

Unions have long recognized the need for Spanish language worker training. UAW's organization of 15,000 members in Puerto Rico provided an opportunity to enhance existing occupational health training programs.

UAW staff attended programs conducted by other NIEHS grantees to compare programs and share training resources, and then delivered Spanish Hazardous Materials Awareness workshops in Puerto Rico in May, 2005. Training materials were then developed, based on needs assessments and feedback on evaluations, and delivered during another workshop in Puerto Rico in October, 2005. These experiences led to collaboration with other unions to further address the needs of this under served population.

Participants at a multi grantee conference outlined a strategy to develop and deliver high quality, worker-oriented occupational health and safety training materials and programs, focusing first on 8-hour Spanish hazardous materials awareness courses. A planning group of representatives of UAW, AFSCME and ICWU then met to review each organization's Spanish training modules and performance objectives. All participants contributed to a Spanish-language health and safety resource CD-ROM, consolidating training materials, factsheets, and other resources into one location.

These efforts are consistent with the training mandate of OSHA's Hazard Communication standard (1910.1200) that training must be provided in a language that the employees understand.

Through joint cooperative activities, participating organizations will address the needs of the Spanish-speaking worker population, including a train-the-trainer program to expand the health and safety training capacities of each participating union.

Evaluation efforts will be based on extensive past activities by these organizations.

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

• Recognize the advantages of forming multi organizational partnerships to accomplish training objectives.
• Describe how joint efforts are initiated, planned, operate and are evaluated.
• List the supports and barriers to implementation of Spanish language Occupational Health and Safety training programs.

Keywords: Collaboration, Training

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation