Judith A. Daltuva, MSW, MA, Melina Williams, MPH, and Thomas G. Robins, MD, MPH. Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 109 Observatory, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, 734 936 0756, jdal@umich.edu

Participatory action research (PAR) is a research methodology characterized by an emphasis on equal partnership of academic researchers and study participants in all stages of the research process and a focus on generating knowledge for purposes of taking action. Researchers from the University of Michigan are collaborating with a joint union-management committee to conduct a PAR project in a manufacturing facility in Michigan, as part of a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences–funded grant held by the United Automobile Workers (UAW). This study is unusual for PAR in its focus on occupational health and safety issues, particularly issues of workers’ exposure to hazardous chemicals. The PAR committee collected survey data at the end of the first and second years of the study from facility employees to contribute to a formative evaluation of the project. A brief introduction is given to the theory and practice of PAR as well as a description of how PAR can be applied in a manufacturing setting, with joint union and management involvement. We compare the survey results from the end of the first and second years of intervention to highlight the project’s impact in the facility thus far as well as revealing the challenges that have arisen. Our results show that PAR can be an effective tool for improving health and safety conditions in manufacturing facilities and can help bridge the gap between research and action. Recommendations arising from these findings for implementation of PAR in industrial settings are explored.

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