Health Equity for Spanish- Speaking Immigrant Workers

1. Health Equity for Spanish- Speaking Immigrant Workers LCDR Elizabeth Garza 20 June 2012

2. Objectives • Understand the novel approach of incorporating occupational safety and health within Mexican Consulates • Explain two examples of how NIOSH is reaching Spanish-speaking immigrant workers • Working with promotores as part of the Mexican Consulate Initiative • Conducting health hazard evaluations at worksites with Spanish-speaking workers

3. Health Equity Health equity is achieved when every person has the opportunity to “attain his or her full health potential” and no one is “disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances.” • -CDC

4. Highest-risk Workers “Workers born in Mexico accounted for 44% of all work-related fatalities among foreign-born workers in the U.S. in 2007.” • -BLS CFOI, 2008 • -BLS CFOI, 2004

5. Occupational Safety and Health Act “…to assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women.” * Created NIOSH and OSHA (1970)

6. Barriers Immigrant workers face barriers to exercising their rights and accessing information at all levels: • individual • relationships • community • societal

7. Mexican Consular Network • 50 offices throughout the U.S. • Serving more than one million Mexican immigrants annually

8. Ventanillas de Salud (‘Health Windows’) • NIOSH collaborates with the Mexican Government • Well-established health promotion program • Series of print materials, video spots & training curriculum

9. Example #1: Promotores de Salud(Community Health Workers)

10. Promotores de Salud • Already interact regularly with Mexican immigrant workers • Training promotores can improve their capacity to effectively assist and advocate for workers

11. Occupational Safety and Health Training: Skills-based Curriculum • Fundamentals of occupational safety and health • Support network for occupational safety & health • Creating action plans

12. Occupational Safety and Health Training: Module 1: Perceptions & attitudes Module 2: Hazard recognition: Worker’s rights & responsibilities Module 3: Accessing occupational safety and health resources

13. Occupational Safety and Health Training Module 4:Evaluating change Module 5: Practice Encounter

14. Beyond the Mexican Consulates

15. Example #2: Health Hazard Evaluations (HHEs)

16. HHEs (Health Hazard Evaluations) • responds to requests for investigations to learn whether exposures or conditions in specific workplaces pose a health hazard to workers

17. Health Hazard Evaluations The evaluation is done at no cost to the employees, employee representatives, or employers.

18. Worksite Assessment • May review records about exposure and health, interview or survey employees, measure exposures, and do medical testing.

19. HHEs: Final Report & Actions Experience has shown that most employers attempt to address any problems identified in the HHE report.

20. HHEs: Representing All Segments The changing economic, social, cultural, and political landscape in the United States means that we must reach out to new populations.

21. Responding to Immigrant Populations • Addressing language needs • Considering access to care in making decisions about offering medical testing

22. HHEs: Broader Array of Requests Establish formal relationships with organizations representing underserved populations, small businesses, and their employees.

23. Achieving Health Equity Through Mexican Consulate Initiative & Health Hazard Evaluation Program… • expanding access to health services for underserved Spanish-speaking immigrant communities • instituting workplace changes to create safer and healthier environments for Spanish-speaking immigrant workers