Developing and evaluating a promotora program to reduce occupational injuries among Latino sanitation workers in poultry processing plants

Poultry processing workers in the US experience a disproportionate share of occupational injuries and illnesses. Recent trends in this industry have resulted in a worker population that is poor, minority, and increasingly comprised of immigrants. Because of issues related to language, culture, and educational status, existing safety educational programs may not be effective with immigrant workers. Most focus on general categories of injuries experienced by workers on the chicken processing lines. There are virtually no accessible educational programs for such specialized tasks as sanitation work. These workers are at significant risk of injuries from cleaning chemicals, machinery, and night-shift work.

This paper describes the process of developing, implementing, and evaluating a safety education program delivered by promotoras de salud focusing on third-shift sanitation workers in rural North Carolina poultry processing plants. Content of the program was developed through interviews with workers and safety experts and review of OSHA regulations. The format of developed materials used by promotoras was aimed at low literacy adult learners. Lessons were delivered one-on-one to 40 current sanitation workers from 3 different plants by promotoras from the local communities. Evaluation used a pre-post design, with promotoras administering brief pretests of knowledge prior to the educational lesson, and project staff administering post-tests one month later. Results highlight the degree to which knowledge of the lesson and of prescribed safety information is retained. These results demonstrate that promotoras working in communities outside the poultry plant can be an effective adjunct to existing safety training administered within the plant.