Green jobs, safe jobs – more than a buzz word

This paper describes two pilot projects to integrate worker health and safety into green jobs programs with a focus on green buildings. As part of an NIEHS-funded worker training consortium, we developed outreach and education programs in two distinct urban settings – Los Angeles and Seattle. We highlight challenges and successes in the development of educational materials, outreach to workers and community members through pre-apprenticeship programs, and collaboration with social justice and workforce development programs in our respective cities. The curriculum development process is described with particular focus on 1) the balance between hard construction and OHS skills on the one hand and understanding of climate change and other environmental science and policy issues on the other; and 2) determining at what level pre-apprentice trainees can actually be involved in decision-making and action on green building systems and features. We detail the role of multiple parties to the process of curriculum development, piloting, and implementation including the students themselves, training program staff, scientists and occupational health professionals, and contractors engaged in green building design and construction. We analyze our work in the context of serious economic crises and pose questions about how we as occupational health professionals can integrate worker health into public policy discussions that seek to improve environmental conditions inside and outside the workplace.