Leslie Nickels

An Intervention Effectiveness Study of Hazard Awareness Training in the Construction Building Trades

Objective. We evaluated knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported work practices among apprentice and journeyman trainees in two construction trades at baseline and three months after participation in two training sessions as part of a 10-hour Occupational Safety and Health Administration hazard awareness training program. We developed preliminary assessment of prior and current training impact, accounting for demographics, trade, and construction site safety climate. Methods. Participants were recruited prior to union-delivered safety training, self-completed a baseline survey prior to class, and completed a follow-up interviewer-administered telephone survey three months later. Discrimination (D) testing evaluated knowledge questions, paired t-tests examined differences in pre- and post-intervention knowledge, and attitude responses were tested with the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Linear regression analysis and logistic regression were used to assess the contribution of different categorical responses to specific sub-questions. Results. Of 175 workers completing the baseline survey, 127 were born in the U.S. and 41 were born in Mexico; 40% of those who reported ethnicity were Hispanic. Follow-up surveys were completed by 92 (53%) respondents and documented significant increases in both fall safety and electrical safety knowledge. The most recent safety climate was associated with improvement in fall safety attitudes (slope = 0.49, p<0.005) when adjusted by country of birth (slope = 0.51, p<0.001). Workers born in Mexico had less formal education than U.S.-born workers and lower baseline knowledge scores, but more positive attitude scores at baseline and greater improvements in attitude at follow-up. Conclusion. Knowledge and attitude improvement following a one-hour safety class was measurable at three months in both U.S.-born and Mexican-born construction workers.

Trainer Evaluation of a Union-based Ten-hour Safety and Health Hazard-awareness Program for U.S. Construction Workers

Abstract A web-based survey of union-based outreach instructors evaluated training materials developed to teach OSHA ten-hour hazard-awareness courses to members of the construction trades. Respondents taught an average of five ten-hour hazard-awareness courses per year. When asked about hazards commonly encountered by their trainees, 83% identified falls from ladders, with a range of 1–22 hazards identified. Over one third of the trainers taught individuals whose primary languages were not English. Increased interaction with trainees through subsequent phone calls may be a marker of differential training impact.

Personal Care Assistants and Blood Exposure in the Home Environment: Focus Group Findings

Abstract Background: Exposure to blood and bodily fluids continues to be an important and life-threatening risk facing health care workers employed in traditional health care workplaces. Little is known about how blood exposure risk impacts personal care assistants (PCAs) who provide care in homes. Objectives: A National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-funded community based participatory research project between Service Employees International Union (SEIU), PCAs, and university-based researchers was conducted to increase the understanding of the risk of exposure to blood among PCAs. Methods: Six focus groups were conducted to assess the relationship between the context of work, blood exposure, and Results: Findings indicate that PCAs are exposed to blood even though they do not provide health care or treatment. Training and barrier protection may be available, but the quality of each was highly variable if available. Conclusions: Focus group findings will be used to implement a union-based participatory primary prevention intervention for the reduction of blood exposure among PCAs.

Efficacy of an Outdoor Air Pollution Education Program in a Community at Risk for Asthma Morbidity

Background. Asthma management guidelines recommend avoiding exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollutants. A limitation of such recommendations is that they do not provide information about how the public should obtain and act on air quality information. Although the Air Quality Index (AQI) provides simplified outdoor air quality forecasts, communities with high rates of asthma morbidity tend to have low rates of internet access due to factors such as low socioeconomic status. Assessments of knowledge about air quality among low-income minority communities are lacking, as are community-based programs to educate the public about using the AQI. Methods. An air quality education program and system for disseminating air quality information were developed to promote pollutant avoidance during the reconstruction of a major highway in a low-income minority community on Chicagos South Side. The program, which centered on workshops run by community asthma educators, was evaluated using a pre-test, post-test, and 1-year follow-up questionnaire. Results. A total of 120 community workshop participants completed at least a portion of the evaluation process. At baseline, knowledge about air quality was limited. Following the workshops, substantial increases were noted in rates of correct answers to questions about health effects of air pollution, the availability of air quality information, and the color code for an AQI category. Approximately 1 year after the workshops were held, few participants could recall elements of the training. Few participants have internet access, and alternative means of distributing air quality information were suggested by study participants. Conclusions. Baseline knowledge of air quality information was limited in the community studied. Air quality education workshops conducted by community educators can increase knowledge about outdoor air quality and its impact on health over the short term. Refresher workshops or other efforts to sustain the knowledge increase may be useful. Given the known short-term and long-term effects of air quality on morbidity and mortality, air quality education efforts should be further developed, evaluated, and promoted for the general public, for people with underlying cardiopulmonary disease, and given the documented health disparities within the general population, for low-income and minority communities.

Implementation and Evaluation of Interventions for Home Care Aides on Blood and Body Fluid Exposure in Large-Group Settings

Participatory research conducted with academic, union and management cooperation resulted in the development, implementation, and process evaluation of interventions designed to reduce occupational blood and body fluid exposure among home care aides. Home care aides working for a large urban home care agency took part in the design and implementation of an interactive participatory training program conducted in large-group settings, and the development and evaluation of two training tools: an information card for home care aides and a sharps safety magnet for their clients. A process evaluation conducted immediately following the interactive training program found that 72 percent of the home care aides preferred it to lecture-style trainings typically offered, while only 9 percent preferred typical trainings. Home care aides were able to effectively articulate information learned during the interactive training program, with less than 2 percent providing inaccurate information about what was taught during the training. Home care aides overall responded positively to the information card and the magnet, with aides caring for clients who used sharps rating the tools as more useful. Participatory training programs can be effectively implemented in a large-group setting.

1431 Asynchronous, online training of healthcare workers and hygiene/safety managers in occupational health and hygiene

Background The Global Program in Occupational Health Practice (GPOHP) is a 400 hour, online, interactive program with 2 tracks in Health and Hygiene. GPOHP has trained 135 individuals from 85 different countries over 8 years. Methods An online survey of course participants was administered to determine the value of this training and to guide future content and training methods. Results 30% of the prior course participants from 19 countries responded. 68% received company sponsorship for tuition, 19% received scholarships and 13% were self-funded. Respondents reported a significant increase in knowledge base, greater confidence in doing their jobs, clarity about where to seek the best resources, awareness of global standards, and how to execute specific activities including, incident (accident) investigation, noise monitoring, ergonomic assessment, return to work after injury/illness, and development of a worker screening program. A few described moving up in their careers because of this training. Several participants continue to share ideas and plans with their classmates across national boundaries. Discussion Online training in OH is an important and apparently successful tool for training those without locally available courses. Asynchronous communication lowers expenses by reducing time off work and out-of-country. Hands on activities applied in their own work settings with feedback from experts were likely to be key in developing relevant and immediately applicable skills. Establishing a network of OH providers could improve conditions for workers and companies, globally.

OSHA Compliance Issues: Case Referrals to OSHA from an Interfaith Workers' Rights Center

I mmigrant Latino workers have fatal traumatic injury rates that are one-third higher than U.S. workers overall.(1) Nationally, more than 100 workers’ rights centers have formed to provide advocacy and other services to various worker communities, often using a worker-centered, participatory approach. The Chicago Interfaith Workers’ Rights Center (CIWRC) is a center that provides outreach, such as training in labor rights through community venues,(2) and follow-up peer counseling to assist with identified concerns, which are entered systematically into a database that includes complaints, the worker’s decision about the course of action to pursue, and follow-up. It works in concert with the Chicago Area Workers’ Rights Initiative, which is led by the Region V Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division but includes other federal and state entities as well as nongovernmental and advocacy groups. This initiative allows worker centers to triage complaints to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), among other agencies. As part of this initiative, Region V OSHA recognizes CIWRC as the workers’ representative for purposes of reporting a complaint. Previous review of the CIWRC database showed that of the 934 cases recorded for workers who entered the center because of a complaint between March 1, 2001, and February 24, 2005, only 47 resulted in an OSHA referral.(3) These 47 cases formed the basis of this review. According to OSHA’s Inspection Priorities, OSHA prioritizes employee complaints after imminent danger and fatality or catastrophe (an accident that requires hospitalization of three or more workers) investigations.(4)