LOHP was launched in 1974 by the Center for Labor Research and Education to assist the Northern California labor movement in understanding and exercising their rights under the new OSHA law that had just recently passed.
In 2019, the Labor Occupational Health Program (LOHP) celebrated its 45th year of service to workers, labor and the community.
As we have grown, so has our mission. Now a part of UC Berkeley’s Center for Occupational and Environmental Health at the School of Public Health, LOHP seeks to reduce occupational injury, illness, and death by protecting the health and safety of workers locally, nationally and worldwide.
We strive to raise awareness of the environmental impact of jobs on both individuals and communities, particularly when the results disproportionately affect low-income communities and communities of color. LOHP serves workers, unions, labor management groups, community organizations, small businesses, schools, government, and the general public. Our work addresses nearly every industry and population.
LOHP has worked with coalitions of unions to address emerging issues affecting members such as workplace violence and ergonomic hazards. We have built strong labor-community-university alliances to research and help address the needs of the most vulnerable workers, including teens and immigrant workers.
LOHP’s innovative, action-oriented training programs have expanded internationally, with training partnerships in Mexico, Central America and Asia. We produce educational materials on many safety and health topics, tailored to meet a range of language and literacy needs.
