Can workers participate in–and benefit from–pollution prevention?
Michele Ochsner, PhD, Occupational Training and Education Consortium, Rutgers University, 50 Labor Center Way, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, 732-932-3780, mochsner@rci.rutgers.edu Numerous studies of pollution prevention practices at industrial facilities demonstrate that production and maintenance workers can play an important role in identifying pollution prevention (P2) opportunities and implementing P2 projects. The evidence, however, indicates that most facilities have failed to deeply involve workers in P2 activities. And while P2 represents an important approach for reducing worker exposures, the evidence also suggests that the connections between worker health and safety and P2 strategies are often overlooked. Survey responses from 149 industrial facilities in three states (NJ, IL, and TX), interviews with environmental managers at a smaller subset of these facilities, and additional qualitative data from several case studies of P2 activities at best practice facilities will be used
