Workers In California Research Articles

Libraries’ environmentally sustainable practices and services in California, Florida, and Georgia

This article reports findings from an exploratory survey study of library workers in California, Florida, and Georgia on their observations of libraries’ environmentally sustainable practices and services, and their perceptions of libraries’ roles and challenges in promoting environmental sustainability in the community. Findings from this study show that the most common environmentally sustainable practice in these libraries is to reduce, reuse, and recycle (3Rs). The respondents view libraries as primarily the information providers and educators on environmental sustainability. Lack of money, time, and community buy-in as well as the risk of being perceived as politicizing the topic are the top challenges faced by libraries when promoting environmental sustainability in the community, followed by the competing priorities faced by the libraries as well as the lack of expertise. Findings from this study contribute to the continuous effort to systematically study this topic and to identify the support libraries need to promote environmental sustainability in the community effectively.

MH workers strike against Kaiser Permanente in Southern California

More than 2,000 unionized mental health workers in Southern California went on strike against Kaiser Permanente last week after the two sides failed to reach a new labor agreement, CNN reported Oct. 21. The National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) — which represents 19,000 health care workers in California and Hawaii, including 4,700 mental health workers — picketed outside Kaiser facilities in Los Angeles, San Diego, Anaheim and Fontana, seeking an increase in salaries, restoration of pensions and increased staffing. When announcing the impending strike earlier this month, the union cited its 10‐week strike in Northern California in 2022, which resulted in higher wages, better working conditions to improve patient care and prevented rapid staff turnover (see “Kaiser agrees to historic settlement to overhaul its BH care system,” MHW, Oct. 25, 2023; https://doi.org/10.1002/mhw.33828). Union members on strike in Southern California have said their demands are in line in with what Kaiser has provided to the majority of its workforce. “Unless we strike, our coworkers are going to keep leaving and our patients are going to keep struggling in an underfunded, understaffed system that doesn't meet their needs,” Josh Garcia, a psychologist for Kaiser in San Diego, said in a press statement from the NUHW. The strike comes as employment in the mental health field — for psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, counselors, psychiatric aides and social workers — is expected to grow three times faster than the average US job position, according to CNN's analysis of data released in September by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A survey in 2022 from CNN in partnership with the Kaiser Family Foundation showed that nine out of 10 US adults believe the country has a mental health crisis.

Zoonoses in the workplace: A Seroprevalence study of Coxiella, Brucella, and Leptospira among marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation workers in California

Zoonoses in the workplace: A Seroprevalence study of <i>Coxiella</i>, <i>Brucella</i>, and <i>Leptospira</i> among marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation workers in California

Silicosis Among Immigrant Engineered Stone (Quartz) Countertop Fabrication Workers in California

Key Points Question What are the characteristics of patients in California with silicosis from occupational exposure to dust from engineered stone (quartz), a popular material that is high in silica content and that is used to fabricate countertops? Findings In this case series of 52 patients, the median age was 45 years at diagnosis, and nearly all were Latino immigrant men. Diagnosis was delayed in 58%, with 38% presenting with advanced disease (progressive massive fibrosis), and 19% died. Meaning In California, silicosis associated with occupational exposure to dust from engineered stone primarily occurred among young Latino immigrant men; many patients presented with severe disease, and some cases were fatal.

Estimated impacts of forest restoration scenarios on smoke exposures among outdoor agricultural workers in California

As wildfires continue to worsen across western United States, forest managers are increasingly employing prescribed burns as a way to reduce excess fuels and future wildfire risk. While the ecological benefits of these fuel treatments are clear, little is known about the smoke exposure tradeoffs of using prescribed burns to mitigate wildfires, particularly among at-risk populations. Outdoor agricultural workers are a population at increased risk of smoke exposure because of their time spent outside and the physical demands of their work. Here, we assess the smoke exposure impacts among outdoor agricultural workers resulting from the implementation of six forest management scenarios proposed for a landscape in the Central Sierra, California. We leverage emissions estimates from LANDIS-II to model daily PM2.5 concentrations with the Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model (HYSPLIT) and link those to agricultural employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. We find a u-shaped result, in that moderate amounts of prescribed burning result in the greatest reduction in total smoke exposure among outdoor agricultural workers, particularly during months of peak agricultural activity due to wildfire-specific smoke reductions. The reduction in total smoke exposure, relative to scenarios with the least amount of management, decreases as more prescribed burning is applied to the landscape due to the contributions of the fuel treatments themselves to overall smoke burden. The results of this analysis may contribute to preparedness efforts aimed at reducing smoke exposures among outdoor agricultural workers, while also informing forest management planning for this specific landscape.

Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Nervios and Other Psychological Disparities in Latinx Migrant Farm Workers in Central California

Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Nervios and Other Psychological Disparities in Latinx Migrant Farm Workers in Central California

Discrimination and stress among Asian Health Care Workers in California during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT This study surveyed Asian American healthcare workers to examine the impact of discrimination on workplace stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Workplace stress was measured by utilizing the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and discrimination experienced by healthcare workers was measured using the Everyday Discrimination Scale. This research reported several key findings. Healthcare workers who were not married at the time of the survey experienced the most discrimination, followed by those who worked less than five years. Those who were married experienced the least discrimination. Healthcare workers with less than five years of work experience felt the most workplace stress, followed by those who were not married, while those who were married experienced the least workplace stress. Healthcare workers who experienced greater discrimination also reported higher workplace stress. As hypothesized, workplace discrimination emerged as the most influential predictor of Asian HCWs’ workplace stress during the pandemic. Feeling safe at work and being married contributed to less workplace stress among healthcare workers during the pandemic. These factors explained 25.6% of the variance in workplace stress among healthcare workers during the pandemic.

Active Surveillance of Engineered Stone Workers Facilitates Early Identification of Silicosis: A Discussion of Surveillance of Occupational Lung Diseases.

Silicosis in workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica while fabricating engineered stone products is an emerging respiratory health issue. We describe silicosis in engineered stone workers in California and examine clinical features by the source of identification. Cases were identified passively using hospital-based patient discharge data or actively through outreach and medical testing following enforcement investigation. Outcomes were examined based on the source of case identification. We identified 18 cases diagnosed between 2006 and 2020. Cases identified passively compared to other identification methods were associated with lower percent predicted forced vital capacity (FVC) (P ≤ .01), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) (P ≤ .01), and diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) (P < .01) at the time of diagnosis and were more likely to be identified following death or lung transplant (P = .01). Our experience demonstrates delays in diagnosis and case identification when relying on passive surveillance methods. Enhanced public health surveillance systems can improve the early detection of occupational lung disease and inform future prevention policies.

Vacuum of Social Mobility: Warehouse Labor’s Impact on Young Workers in California’s Inland Empire

Vacuum of Social Mobility: Warehouse Labor’s Impact on Young Workers in California’s Inland Empire

Silicosis Among Immigrant Engineered Stone (Quartz) Countertop Fabrication Workers in California

Silicosis associated with inhalation of respirable crystalline silica among engineered stone countertop fabrication workers is an emerging health concern. To describe clinical, socioeconomic, and occupational characteristics of patients diagnosed with silicosis associated with engineered stone in California. This case series included reported cases of silicosis associated with fabrication of engineered stone countertops, as identified by statewide surveillance by the California Department of Public Health (2019-2022). Data analysis was performed from October 2022 to March 2023. Patient interviews and medical record abstractions were used to assess occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica, including duration of work tenure and preventive measures undertaken. Demographics, clinical characteristics, health care utilization, and clinical outcomes were obtained, including vital status, hypoxia, and lung transplant. This case series identified 52 male patients meeting inclusion criteria; median (IQR) age was 45 (40-49) years, and 51 were Latino immigrants. Ten (19%) were uninsured, and 20 (39%) had restricted-scope Medi-Cal; 25 (48%) presented initially to an emergency department. A delay in diagnosis occurred in 30 (58%) patients, most commonly due to alternative initial diagnoses of bacterial pneumonia (9 [30%]) or tuberculosis (8 [27%]). At diagnosis, 20 (38%) patients had advanced disease (progressive massive fibrosis) with severely or very severely reduced forced expiratory volume in 1 second in 8 (18%) and 5 (11%), respectively. Of the cases, 10 (19%) were fatal; median (IQR) age at death was 46 (38-51) years, and 6 patients (12%) were alive with chronic resting hypoxia. Eleven were referred for lung transplant: 3 underwent transplant with 1 fatality; 7 were declined transplant, with 6 fatalities; and 1 died prior to listing. Median (IQR) work tenure was 15 (10-20) years; 23 (45%) reported use of water suppression for dust mitigation, and 25 (48%) continued to fabricate stone after being diagnosed with silicosis. In this case series performed in California, silicosis associated with occupational exposure to dust from engineered stone primarily occurred among young Latino immigrant men. Many patients presented with severe disease, and some cases were fatal.

Occupational COVID-19 Exposures and Illnesses among Workers in California-Analysis of a New Occupational COVID-19 Surveillance System.

Little is known about occupational SARS-CoV-2 exposures and COVID-19 outcomes. We established a Doctor's First Reports of Occupational Injury or Illness (DFR)-based surveillance system to study cases of work-related COVID-19 exposures and disease. The surveillance data included demographics, occupation, industry, exposure, and illness, details including hospitalization and lost work. We classified workers into 'healthcare', non-healthcare 'public-facing', or 'other' worker groups, and rural-urban commuting areas (RUCAs). We describe worker exposures and outcomes overall by worker group and RUCA. We analyzed 2848 COVID-19 DFRs representing workers in 22 detailed occupation groups and 19 industry groups. Most DFRs were for workers in metropolitan RUCAs (89%) and those in healthcare (42%) and public-facing (24%) worker groups. While DFRs were from 382 unique worksites, 52% were from four hospitals and one prison. Among 1063 DFRs with a suspected exposure, 73% suspected exposure to a patient or client. Few DFRs indicated hospitalization (3.9%); however, the proportion hospitalized was higher among nonmetropolitan (7.4%) and public-facing (6.7%) workers. While 56% of DFRs indicated some lost work time, the proportion was highest among public-facing (80%) workers. Healthcare and prison workers were the majority of reported occupational COVID-19 exposures and illnesses. The risk of COVID-19 hospitalization and lost work may be highest among nonmetropolitan and public-facing workers.

Exposure of agricultural workers in California to wildfire smoke under past and future climate conditions

Wildfire activity in the western U.S. has increased in frequency and severity in recent decades. Wildfire smoke emissions contribute to elevated fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations that are dangerous to public health. Due to the outdoor and physically demanding nature of their work, agricultural workers are particularly vulnerable to wildfire smoke pollution. In this study, we quantify the potential exposure of agricultural workers in California to past (2004–2009) and future (2046–2051) smoke PM2.5. We find that while absolute increases in smoke PM2.5 exposure are largest in northern California, agricultural regions in the Central Valley and Central Coast may be highly vulnerable to future increases in smoke PM2.5 concentrations. We find an increase from 6 to 8 million worker smoke exposure days (+35%) of ‘smokewave’ exposure for agricultural workers across the state under future climate conditions, with the largest increases in Tulare, Monterey, and Fresno counties. Under future climate conditions, we find 1.9 million worker smoke exposure days of agricultural worker exposure to levels of total PM2.5 pollution deemed ‘Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups.’ This is a 190% increase over past climate conditions. Wildfire smoke PM2.5 contributes, on average, to more than 90% of these daily PM2.5 exceedances compared with non-fire sources of air pollution. Using the recent extreme wildfire season of 2020 as a case study, we show that existing monitoring networks do not provide adequate sampling of PM2.5 in many future at-risk wildfire regions with large numbers of agricultural workers. Policies will need to consider the changing patterns of smoke PM2.5 exposure under future climate conditions to better protect outdoor agricultural workers.

Factors Influencing COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance in the Workplace: Results From a Rapid Survey at 2 Corporations in Los Angeles County, California, 2021.

Achieving widespread vaccine acceptance across various employment sectors is key to a successful public health response to COVID-19, but little is known about factors influencing vaccine acceptance among essential non-health care workers. We examined factors influencing vaccine acceptance among a sample of essential non-health care workers in California. We conducted a survey in early spring 2021 at 2 corporations in Los Angeles County, California, to identify and describe factors influencing vaccine acceptance and the ability of incentives to increase this acceptance. We used modified Poisson regression analysis to estimate adjusted prevalence ratios and a best-subset selection algorithm to identify the strongest factors influencing vaccine acceptance. Of 678 workers who completed the survey, 450 were unvaccinated. Among unvaccinated participants, having trust in information about the vaccine from public health experts, having ≥1 chronic health condition related to COVID-19 severity, being Asian, and perceiving risk for COVID-19 were factors that most influenced vaccine acceptance. Most (271 of 296, 91.6%) participants who had trust in information from public health experts and 30.6% (30 of 98) of participants who did not have trust in information from public health experts said that they would accept the vaccine. Seventeen of 24 (70.8%) vaccine-hesitant workers who had trust in information from public health experts and 12 of 72 (16.7%) vaccine-hesitant workers who did not have trust in this information said that they would be more likely to accept the vaccine if an incentive were offered. Efforts to increase vaccine coverage at workplaces should focus on improving trust in the vaccine and increasing public awareness that the vaccine is free.

Elevated exposures to respirable crystalline silica among engineered stone fabrication workers in California, January 2019-February 2020.

Workers fabricating engineered stone face high risk for exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) and subsequent development of silicosis. In response, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) performed targeted enforcement inspections at engineered stone fabrication worksites. We investigated RCS exposures and employer adherence to Cal/OSHA's RCS and respiratory protection standards from these inspections to assess ongoing risk to stone fabrication workers. We extracted employee personal air sampling results from Cal/OSHA inspection files and calculated RCS exposures. Standards require that employers continue monitoring employee RCS exposures and perform medical surveillance when exposures are at or above the action level (AL; 25 μg/m3 ); exposures above the permissible exposure limit (PEL; 50 μg/m3 ) are prohibited. We obtained RCS and respiratory protection standard violation citations from a federal database. We analyzed RCS exposures for 152 employees at 47 workplaces. Thirty-eight (25%) employees had exposures above the PEL (median = 89.7 μg/m3 ; range = 50.7-670.7 μg/m3 ); 17 (11%) had exposures between the AL and PEL. Twenty-four (51%) workplaces had ≥1 exposure above the PEL; 7 (15%) had ≥1 exposure between the AL and PEL. Thirty-four (72%) workplaces were cited for ≥1 RCS standard violation. Twenty-seven (57%) workplaces were cited for ≥1 respiratory protection standard violation. Our investigation demonstrates widespread RCS overexposure among workers and numerous employer Cal/OSHA standard violation citations. More enforcement and educational efforts could improve employer compliance with Cal/OSHA standards and inform employers and employees of the risks for RCS exposure and strategies for reducing exposure.

POS-567 END-STAGE KIDNEY DISEASE IN CALIFORNIA'S CENTRAL VALLEY: WHY SO MUCH KIDNEY DISEASE IN THE US "BREADBASKET"?

California’s Central Valley has one of the highest incidences of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in the United States. This region shares climate, topography, and agricultural activity with international regions experiencing epidemics of CKD among agricultural workers, termed chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu). It remains unclear whether agricultural workers in California are also vulnerable to CKDu. In 2020 we demonstrated that areas with high numbers of people with undefined ESKD in California overlap with areas of high agricultural activity as measured by ground water nitrate (Figure 1).

Effectiveness of Abbott BinaxNOW Rapid Antigen Test for Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Outbreak among Horse Racetrack Workers, California, USA.

The Abbott BinaxNOW rapid antigen test is cheaper and faster than real-time reverse transcription PCR (rRT-PCR) for detecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. We compared BinaxNOW with rRT-PCR in 769 paired specimens from 342 persons during a coronavirus disease outbreak among horse racetrack workers in California, USA. We found positive percent agreement was 43.3% (95% CI 34.6%–52.4%), negative percent agreement 100% (95% CI 99.4%–100%), positive predictive value 100% (95% CI 93.5%–100%), and negative predictive value 89.9% (95% CI 87.5%–92.0%). Among 127 rRT-PCR–positive specimens, the 55 with paired BinaxNOW-positive results had a lower mean cycle threshold than the 72 with paired BinaxNOW-negative results (17.8 vs. 28.5; p<0.001). Of 100 specimens with cycle threshold <30, a total of 51 resulted in positive virus isolation; 45 (88.2%) of those were BinaxNOW-positive. Our comparison supports immediate isolation for BinaxNOW-positive persons and confirmatory testing for negative persons.

Addressing organizational climate can potentially reduce sexual harassment of female agricultural workers in California

Workplace sexual harassment (SH) has been highlighted as a key issue for female agricultural workers in the United States. This study investigated how workers' descriptive data (age, job experience, attitudes) and specific organizational variables (how work crews are structured) potentially facilitate SH in an agricultural setting. Harassment was reported by 30% of surveyed female viticulture workers in their current jobs. Harassed women tended to be younger, employed seasonally and working in crews where hostile sexist views were prevalent. Harassment affected worker productivity; harassed women and their male co-workers were less satisfied with their jobs and more likely to seek other employment. Efforts to address SH by restructuring at the level of the field crew may be ineffective. Instead, addressing workers' hostile sexist attitudes and the extent to which an organization tolerates SH appears to have the most promise for reducing SH in agricultural industries.

Aprendiendo de La Vida (Learning from Life): Development of a Radionovela to Promote Preventive Health Care Utilization among Indigenous Farmworkers from Mexico Living in California.

Mixtecs and Zapotecs, originating from the Oaxaca area in Mexico, are among the largest indigenous groups of workers in California. Many adults in this community only access the health care system when sick and as a last resort. This article describes the development of a radionovela to inform the community about the importance of preventive health care. It was developed following the Sabido Method. The methodology to develop a radionovela may be of interest to other public health practitioners who want to develop educational materials in an engaging format, especially for communities that rely on oral, not written information.

User perceptions of automated Truck-Mounted attenuators: Implications on work zone safety

Objective Automated Truck-Mounted Attenuators (ATMAs) have the potential to improve work zone safety by removing the human driver out of a vehicle that is positioned in work zones to absorb impact from errant vehicles. However, this automated technology is expensive and can be detrimental to safety and project success if operated incorrectly (e.g., operating limitations and procedures not followed). Therefore, it is important to understand users’ perceptions of ATMAs and how training can improve appropriate adoption of this technology. The objective of this study was to evaluate how work zone workers perceive the usefulness of and the capabilities of automation in Truck-Mounted Attenuators. Methods A survey study was conducted with 13 Department of Transportation (DOT) workers in Colorado and California. Each of the DOT workers in this study had some previous experience with the ATMA, either in real-world applications and/or formal training. The survey collected information on participant job specifications, experience with the ATMA, training received, trust in the ATMA, usability of the HMIs, and operating capabilities of the automation. Results Workers reported an overall positive acceptance of this technology. This was supported by their expectation that it would reduce crash severity; that there was a reasonable workload associated with operating procedures for the automation; and by their overall trust in the automation’s reliability. However, workers noted concerns regarding their trust in the automation under various contexts, such as poor visibility and denser traffic volumes. Further, trust in the technology was greatest among workers with higher levels of ATMA training and longer experience working with the ATMA. Conclusions This research presents a novel perspective on user acceptance of ATMA technology. These findings can help jurisdictions achieve the safety improvements that investment and deployment of automation in work zones offers, by identifying the disconnect between operators and technology.

The End of Ideology

The poetry in Cathy Park Hong's Empire Engine (2012) is separated into three timelines: the period of Westward Expansion in the United States, a contemporary story of fine art reproduction in China, and a futurist story of data workers in California. These three sections are united in their interrogation of the role of ideology in creating and sustaining an empire. I argue that the first timeline stages a representation of ideology in the traditional Althusserian sense, that the second timeline shows this representation as inadequate, and most importantly, that the final section suggests a new model for oppression. The key for the new model presented in the third timeline lies in the job the workers have: they work with data. The main argument is that the ruling class no longer maintains its power through the ownership of capital. Instead, as McKenzie Wark maintains in Capital is Dead (2019), this ruling class »owns and controls information« (Wark 5). The owning and controlling of information is no longer capitalism, »but something worse« (29). Following on Wark, I argue that this use and abuse of data changes ideology in a fundamental manner. Rather than having a world from which an individual can feel more or less estranged in an Althusserian sense, the new reign of data suggests that estrangement is the fundamental experience of the world. In other words, there is no world to feel estranged from, thus leading to ideology; rather, the feeling of estrangement is already the fundamental experience of our data-driven reality. While in Hong's book this new model is located in the future, the end of the essay argues that a similar state is brought about not only by our data-driven world, but also pandemics such as that caused by COVID-19, which are part of our time now.