The Food Processing Worker Ergonomics Training Project provided training to workers and technical assistance to employers from small food processing companies in the Los Angeles area. The population of food processing workers in Los Angeles is 90% Latino and primarily comprised of Spanish-speaking male immigrants. These workers are disproportionately concentrated in hazardous jobs and largely unorganized by unions.
The project provided health and safety training, concentrated on ergonomics, for workers. The training involved body and work site mapping activities that assisted workers in understanding and analyzing their work. Workers learned the risk factors of repetitive motion injuries , how to identify workplace hazards and discussed and analyzed worplace changes that may improve their job tasks. These activities empowered workers by providing information on health and safety and providing a safe and open arena for discussing solutions to resolve workplace health and safety problems.
Written reports given to employers included recommendations by an ergonomics consultant for workplace changes and workers' ideas for improvements of workplace hazards. The process was important for our population of workers because they did not receive the benefits of a union and may not have thought of the possibility of changing a job task at work. It also acknowledged the importance of their input when making workplace changes and provided a "voice" for these workers. Since workers know and understand their work the best, their input resulted in workplace changes that were most appropriate for them and more likely to reduce workplace injuries.
Learning Objectives: -Describe how worksite mapping activities help workers identify hazards in the workplace. -Recognize the benefits of using risk mapping activities with a limited literacy population -Describe how body mapping can help workers identify risk factors associated with their job
Keywords: Risk Mapping, Underserved Populations
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.