Partnerships Contribute to the Safety of Workers Worldwide
Image Credit: Getty Images / Pogonici
This post was sponsored by Amazon.
In some emerging economies, the scarcity of health and safety professionals and the lack of training and research may expose workers to unnecessary hazards and injuries while working in high-risk situations. Amazon is partnering with safety organizations to contribute to the safety of workers worldwide across a variety of industries, prioritizing our company leadership principle, “Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility.” Over the last three years, Amazon contributed $125,000 to AIHA, the Occupational Hygiene Training Association (OHTA), the International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA), and other groups that aid worker safety in developing nations.
Through a partnership with AIHA, Amazon has provided $75,000 over three years to the Emerging Economy Microgrants Program, which funds hyper-local occupational safety and health initiatives. Since 2022, the group has awarded grants to 24 projects in Bangladesh, the Philippines, Malaysia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, and other countries with limited access to occupational health and safety resources.
These grants have funded projects such as a silica awareness course and video for more than 200 field assessors and workers in Tanzania and Egypt, a program for air monitoring of safer artisanal mining practices in eastern Cameroon, and a program for the prevention of hearing damage from exposure to high noise in Kenya. These are a few examples of the projects that are impacting thousands of workers worldwide.
According to Tom Fuller, a member of AIHA’s Emerging Economy Microgrants Program, “The program has been a phenomenal means to advance modern occupational health and safety culture globally to countries and regions where the lives of workers are often undervalued and workplace risks are poorly understood. The generous funds provided by Amazon touch the lives of tens of thousands of workers and their families, and the impacts will be seen on many following generations of workers.”
As a senior industrial hygienist at Amazon and a member of the Emerging Economy Microgrants Advisory Group, I’ve witnessed the positive impact of microgrants on worker health, and it is truly remarkable to see. Occupational health risks know no borders, and the program has proven to be an effective mechanism for building collaboration and learning networks in the areas that most need it. From pesticides risks in Uganda, to silicosis in Peru, to sanitation workers in Bangladesh, microgrants not only improve worker health through the funded projects but also build capacity for sustainable improvement in the future.
Amazon is also working to encourage the training of new industrial hygienists and safety professionals in developing areas of the world. OHTA develops peer-reviewed training modules with the support of global subject matter experts who contribute their time in a volunteer capacity. Industrial Hygiene team leaders from Amazon Workplace Health and Safety volunteer as subject matter experts by contributing to and reviewing content.
Amazon’s sponsorship of OHTA funded a new website, which offers updated training modules, virtual courses, and certification exams that are easy to access. Since the website’s relaunch at the end of January 2024, approximately 50 early career professionals qualified for the new OHTA certificate in occupational hygiene. Recent awardees have come from Zambia and India. Without this resource, continuing education would be less accessible due to lack of qualified trainers in many countries.
IOHA represents 42 associations that promote occupational hygiene in 38 countries. IOHA acts as a clearinghouse by sharing information, training materials, and resources to other associations to improve knowledge and awareness about a broad range of current occupational hygiene topics and issues. IOHA promotes occupational hygiene globally through its support of OHS associations, including AIHA, OHTA, and the European Network Education and Training in Occupational Safety and Health (ENETOSH). Amazon’s sponsorship helps IOHA curate content from member associations, which is used by associations to improve their members’ skills. The alliances between these small, volunteer-driven organizations have resulted in greater access and improved training and educational programming.
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