RESUMEN
New Solutions offers a short memorial statement noting the January 2, 2024, death of Dr Michael Silverstein, an internationally known leader in the field of occupational health and safety. Dr Silverstein spent 53 years specializing in the fields of occupational medicine, public health, and general preventive medicine. He was the Assistant Director for Occupational Health and Safety with the United Automobile Workers Union for 15 years. He served as the Director of Policy for the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) during the Clinton Administration. He later served as Director of the Washington State OSHA program for 10 years and was the Assistant Director for Industrial Safety and Health in the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. A long-time friend of New Solutions, Dr Silverstein was the journal's first Scientific Solutions editor.
Asunto(s)
Salud Laboral , Salud Pública , Humanos , Estados Unidos , WashingtónAsunto(s)
American Public Health Association , Enfermedades Profesionales/prevención & control , Salud Laboral/historia , Traumatismos Ocupacionales/prevención & control , Historia del Siglo XX , Historia del Siglo XXI , Humanos , Enfermedades Profesionales/mortalidad , Salud Laboral/normas , Salud Laboral/tendencias , Traumatismos Ocupacionales/mortalidad , Justicia Social/normas , Justicia Social/tendencias , Sociedades Médicas/historia , Estados Unidos/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: This article introduces some key labor, economic, and social policies that historically and currently impact occupational health disparities in the United States. METHODS: We conducted a broad review of the peer-reviewed and gray literature on the effects of social, economic, and labor policies on occupational health disparities. RESULTS: Many populations such as tipped workers, public employees, immigrant workers, and misclassified workers are not protected by current laws and policies, including worker's compensation or Occupational Safety and Health Administration enforcement of standards. Local and state initiatives, such as living wage laws and community benefit agreements, as well as multiagency law enforcement contribute to reducing occupational health disparities. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to build coalitions and collaborations to command the resources necessary to identify, and then reduce and eliminate occupational disparities by establishing healthy, safe, and just work for all.
