221362 Developing an occupational health and safety intervention to prevent falls and silica exposure to Latino construction workers through community-based participation

Wednesday, November 10, 2010 : 8:45 AM - 9:00 AM

Susan Shepherd, ScD , Dept. of Work Environment, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA
Lenore S. Azaroff, ScD , Dept. of Work Environment, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA
Marie Brunette, PhD , Dept. of Work Environment, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA
Cora Roelofs, ScD , Dept. of Work Environment, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA
Ellie Parker , Local 175, Laborers International Union of North America, Methuen, MA
Milagro Grullon , Mayor's Health Task Force, City of Lawrence, Lawrence, MA
Luz Marin , Dept. of Work Environment, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA
     
Protección en Construcción: Lawrence Latino Safety Partnership is a research project conducted by the Lawrence Mayor's Health Task Force, Laborers International Union of North America Local 175, JSI Research and Training Institute, and University of Massachusetts Lowell. The goals of the project are to build a community-university-labor partnership that will research ways to prevent falls and silica dust exposure affecting Latino construction workers. This research is supported by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

The project has applied a community-based participatory approach to adapt existing organizational and technical interventions for fall prevention and silica exposure prevention on a variety of construction sites, including commercial and residential, union and non-union. The partnership has developed a unique organizational intervention utilizing on-going committees, focus groups and interviews engaging a variety of stakeholders and providing input from Latino construction workers, community residents, construction supervisors and local contractors.

This session will follow the two-year path which led to selecting the elements of the 15-step “Leaders in Safe Construction” intervention for contractors. Of particular interest will be the development of a training program for Construction Supervisors in Management and Cultural Competency and other unique elements that came from discussions with Latino workers and community members.

Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Occupational health and safety

Learning Objectives:
Explain how community-based participatory research (CBPR) can be used to develop occupational health and safety interventions. Identify how, and if, standard occupational health interventions can be adapted to different groups of workers, in this case Latino construction workers. Name specific barriers to health and safety for Latino construction workers.

Keywords: Community-Based Partnership, Workplace Safety

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a Certified Industrial Hygienist and Safety Professionals with 10 years experience in the construction industry investigating fatalities due to falls as well as conducting research in the practical elimination of exposure to silica dust. I have been involved in this project since its inception and am responsible for developing the intervention and implementing it in the field.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 5070.0: Occupational Health Disparities Institute: Addressing disparities through participatory research