Oral

Comprehensive risk reduction models that address both occupational health and safety conditions (health protection) and health promotion have gained the support of federal agencies. Yet, underlying the apparent gains from combining health protection and health promotion is the inherent tension from merging two fields with different histories and politics hence disparate paradigms. Health promotion, throughout history, has primarily focused on changing individual behaviors and employs health education as a tool to improving health. In contrast, the occupational health paradigm emphasizes engineering controls and job redesign as the primary means through which to minimize worker's exposure to workplace hazards. The goal of this session is to gather experts in the fields of health protection and health promotion for a provocative discussion of health protection/health promotion models. This session will provide a background on the occupational health and health promotion paradigms and the contribution of the different paradigms to potential conflict in the field. In addition, two leading scientists will present an overview of the empirical evidence for integrating these two disciplines to both protect and promote worker health. The union and industry perspectives on value, concerns and priorities for the health protection/health promotion model will be presented by a panelist from a union and a panelist representing the industry. The session concludes with a discussion on moving the field forward.

Session Objectives: 1) describe health protection/health promotion models; 2) Identify significant challenges in conducting health protection/health promotion interventions; 3) Identify strategies for integrating health protection and health promotion in the workplace; 4) Describe how to successfully recruit stakeholders for health protection/health promotion interventions

CE Credits: CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing