Andrea H Okun1, Janice P Watkins1, Paul A Schulte1. 1. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), USA Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There has not been a systematic study of the nature and extent to which business and professional trade associations and labor organizations obtain and communicate workplace safety and health information to their members. These organizations can serve as important intermediaries and play a central role in transferring this information to their members. METHODS: A sample of 2294 business and professional trade associations and labor organizations in eight industrial sectors identified by the National Occupational Research Agenda was surveyed via telephone. RESULTS: A small percent of these organizations (40.9% of labor organizations, 15.6% of business associations, and 9.6% of professional associations) were shown to distribute workplace safety and health information to their members. Large differences were also observed between industrial sectors with construction having the highest total percent of organizations disseminating workplace safety and health information. CONCLUSION: There appears to be significant potential to utilize trade and labor organizations as intermediaries for transferring workplace safety and health information to their members. Government agencies have a unique opportunity to partner with these organizations and to utilize their existing communication channels to address high risk workplace safety and health concerns. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
BACKGROUND: There has not been a systematic study of the nature and extent to which business and professional trade associations and labor organizations obtain and communicate workplace safety and health information to their members. These organizations can serve as important intermediaries and play a central role in transferring this information to their members. METHODS: A sample of 2294 business and professional trade associations and labor organizations in eight industrial sectors identified by the National Occupational Research Agenda was surveyed via telephone. RESULTS: A small percent of these organizations (40.9% of labor organizations, 15.6% of business associations, and 9.6% of professional associations) were shown to distribute workplace safety and health information to their members. Large differences were also observed between industrial sectors with construction having the highest total percent of organizations disseminating workplace safety and health information. CONCLUSION: There appears to be significant potential to utilize trade and labor organizations as intermediaries for transferring workplace safety and health information to their members. Government agencies have a unique opportunity to partner with these organizations and to utilize their existing communication channels to address high risk workplace safety and health concerns. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Entities:
Keywords:
health communication; labor organizations; labor unions; occupations; safety and health information; surveys and questionnaires; trade associations; trade unions; workers; workplace
Authors: Paul A Schulte; Thomas R Cunningham; Rebecca J Guerin; Brian Hennigan; Brenda Jacklitsch Journal: Ann Work Expo Health Date: 2018-09-13 Impact factor: 2.179