Advancing Occupational Justice: The National Action Summit for Latino Worker Health and Safety

To advance occupational justice for high risk workgroups, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) led the Secretary of Labor's charge to convene a national dialogue and action summit on workplace safety and the Latino community. Co-sponsored by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, in partnership with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a National Action Summit for Latino Worker Health and Safety was held April 14-15 in Houston, Texas.

The conference brought together workers and representatives from employer associations, labor unions, the faith community, community organizations, the medical community, safety and health professionals, educators, government officials, Consulates, worker centers, and other non-traditional partners. It promoted an exchange of information on innovative partnerships, successful education and training strategies, and effective enforcement and communication strategies. Construction was the primary industry targeted since Latino immigrant workers comprise almost one quarter of the construction industry workforce and suffer the highest rate of construction-related deaths. The conference also targeted other high-risk industries that employ large numbers of Latino workers. This presentation describes the objectives of the summit, discusses the major outcomes of this national dialogue, and examines effective strategies OSHA and others can use to advance occupational justice for Latino and other diverse workgroups.