Community-based occupational health interventions for Northeastern farmworkers: Employers as part of the community

The Community Coalitions for Farmworker Health is a NIOSH-funded Environmental Justice project that addresses problems of people working in two separate commodities in two geographically separate regions of the Northeast. In Orange County, NY, NYCAMH collaborates with HRHC and other community groups in a project aimed at reducing eye irritation among vegetable workers. Musculoskeletal pain in Washington County, ME blueberry rakers is the focus of a MMHP – NYCAMH collaboration. The structure of both programs is similar, relying upon a community-based “work team” to assess and prioritize problems, review and select interventions, assist with testing and evaluation of interventions, and advise on appropriate dissemination of successful interventions. An unusual aspect of these community work teams is the inclusion of farm employers along with hired workers, medical advisors and representatives of interested agencies. The inclusion of employers adds a level of complexity to the interactions and may influence the designation of the priority areas to be targeted by the project. At the same time, employers participation in the project also means that: decision makers are present in the planning from the beginning; commitments for participation in trials and planning sessions can be made immediately; financial support for trials may be forthcoming; previously marginal relationships between growers and migrant programs may be considerably strengthened and access to groups of workers and work processes is significantly enhanced. (NIOSH grant #R25 OH008144-03)