LOHP is known for developing campaigns and materials that are effective and appealing. We have worked on campaigns using social marketing to identify specific messaging, channels, and formats to successfully reach workers and employers and promote needed changes to improve working conditions. Features of our work include:
Language and literacy: LOHP has been at the forefront of developing materials that address language and literacy needs. We have a strong emphasis in Spanish-language, low-literacy materials, as well as resources in other languages including Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Russian, Punjabi, Mixteco, Triqui, and Hmong.
Variety of formats: We recognize that people learn in different ways and that some formats are more accessible than others, so we also develop educational videos, digital stories, social media outreach, and posters or other collateral materials.
Practical and Action-Oriented: We create practical, hands-on tools that workers and employers can use at their worksites to evaluate hazards and needed solutions.
Collaborations with labor agencies: We often collaborate with labor agencies and bring our expertise to develop effective and accessible materials, which are then disseminated broadly as part of statewide or national outreach efforts. We have partnered with the Department of Industrial Relations, Cal/OSHA, the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, the Agricultural Labor Relations Board, the Occupational Health Branch at the California Department of Public Health, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Examples of projects:
Heat Illness Prevention Campaign
LOHP managed the development of a Cal/OSHA statewide campaign to reduce heat-related fatalities and illnesses among non-English-speaking outdoor workers. The use of a social marketing strategy to craft a media and education campaign brought the heat illness prevention messages to large numbers of workers, employers, and community organizations. We created materials in multiple languages and formats, and developed a community education model that engaged community organizations across the state in disseminating the information and providing support to workers in their communities. The successful campaign was adopted by Federal OSHA and implemented across the U.S. Learn more.
Safe Jobs for Youth Month
Held in May each year, this public awareness campaign highlights the importance of preventing job injuries among young workers. As the summer job season approaches, many young people are entering the workforce for the very first time and it’s likely no one has ever told them about their rights on the job or how to stay safe at work. The campaign includes resource kits for teachers, poster, photo and other contests for youth, and local campaigns in California communities organized by teens who participated in our Young Worker Leadership Academy. Learn more.
Domestic Workers – Comunicando Poder y Esperanza
This campaign addressed the working conditions of domestic workers with the goal of transforming the perception of domestic work from undervalued “women’s work” to a respected component of the economy. LOHP facilitated a participatory process with La Colectiva de Mujeres, a Latina domestic workers’ organization, and Underground Advertising to create a social marketing and media campaign. Members of La Colectiva proudly appear in the campaign materials, which included transit ads, posters, billboards and postcards, as well as an exhibit with worker stories. Domestic workers helped develop the messages and theme for the campaign: Comunicando poder y esperanza (Communicating Our Power and Our Hope). Learn more.
Homecare Workers: Caring for Yourself while Caring for Others
LOHP worked in collaboration with NIOSH, the home care workers’ union, and employer agency in Alameda County to develop materials that are practical and recognize that homecare workers are often working on their own and care most about their client. These materials, available in English, Spanish, and Chinese, emphasize an easy-to-use format that lists tools, tips, and talking points to address a variety of hazards such as housekeeping tasks and cleaners, moving their clients, and needles/sharps. An evaluation study of the materials and related training found that the materials were effective and well-received. Learn more.
