Ever noticed the month of April marks Cancer Awareness Month, World Health Day, Day of Mourning and Earth Day too? Health, safety and environmental advocates have made this
connection and more.They know healthy and safe workplaces contribute to healthy and safe communities and ecosystems. Any time we
take action to control hazardous workplace exposures we also help to reduce, if not eliminate, toxic emissions in our communities.
A
growing partnership between worker representatives, environmentalists and community health groups has raised awareness of healthy, sustainable work, or
green jobs. These jobs promote worker and community health through the sustainable use of safer, non-polluting materials and practices.
On Earth Day and Every Day
You can support healthy environments by:
- Securing training focused on identifying, assessing and eliminating hazards that pollute environments inside and outside the workplace
- Pressing governments to introduce “extended producer responsibility laws” as an answer to landfill and incineration issues among others
- Pressing governments to strengthen toxic use reductions laws
- Planning environmental awareness events in your workplace
- Establishing a workplace environment committee to identify and recommend sustainable material choices and processes (Or simply make this the business of your joint health and safety committee or worker health and safety representative in smaller workplaces.)
- Encouraging individuals and communities to make sustainable choices, on the job and at home.