OAKLAND, California, Nov. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Cal/OSHA is advising employers that special precautions must be taken to protect workers from hazards from wildfire smoke.

Smoke from wildfires contains chemicals, gases and fine particles that can harm health. The greatest hazard comes from breathing fine particles in the air, which can reduce lung function, worsen asthma and other existing heart and lung conditions, and cause coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing.

Guidance for employers and workers on working safely in conditions with heavy smoke caused by the wildfires is available on Cal/OSHA’s web page, including information for protecting outdoor workers, details on how to protect indoor workers from outdoor air pollution, and frequently asked questions about N95 masks.

When employees are working outdoors where the air is affected by wildfire smoke, employers are required by Cal/OSHA’s standards on Control of Harmful Exposure to Employees and Respiratory Protection to determine if the outdoor air is a “harmful exposure” to employees. Exposure is harmful when the pollution or contaminants in the air cause (or are likely to cause) injury, illness, disease, impairment or loss of function.

Local air quality districts provide information on outdoor air that can assist employers in determining if the outside air is harmful to employees. Employers should pay special attention when the outdoor air quality for airborne particles is “unhealthy,” “very unhealthy,” or “hazardous.” The outdoor air quality is posted at the U.S. EPA website airnow.gov.

When exposure to wildfire smoke is considered harmful, employers are required to take the following measures to protect workers:

• Implement feasible modifications to the workplace to reduce exposure. Examples include providing enclosed structures or vehicles for employees to work in, where the air is filtered.
• Implement practicable changes to work procedures or schedules. Examples include changing the location where employees work or reducing the amount of time they work outdoors.
• Provide proper respiratory protection equipment, such as disposable respirators, if the previous measures are not feasible or do not prevent harmful exposures. 
• To filter out fine particles, respirators must be labeled N-95, N-99, N-100, R-95, P-95, P-99, or P-100, and must be labeled as approved by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Cal/OSHA helps protect workers from health and safety hazards on the job in almost every workplace in California. Cal/OSHA’s Consultation Services Branch provides free and voluntary assistance to employers to improve their health and safety programs. Employers should call (800) 963-9424 for assistance from Cal/OSHA Consultation Services.

Employees with work-related questions or complaints may contact DIR’s Call Center in English or Spanish at 844-LABOR-DIR (844-522-6734). The California Workers’ Information line at 866-924-9757 provides recorded information in English and Spanish on a variety of work-related topics. Complaints can also be filed confidentially with Cal/OSHA district offices.

Members of the press may contact Erika Monterroza or Frank Polizzi at (510) 286-1161, and are encouraged to subscribe to get email alerts on DIR’s press releases or other departmental updates.

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The California Department of Industrial Relations, established in 1927, protects and improves the health, safety, and economic well-being of over 18 million wage earners, and helps their employers comply with state labor laws. DIR is housed within the Labor & Workforce Development Agency. For general inquiries, contact DIR’s Communications Call Center at 844-LABOR-DIR (844-522-6734) for help in locating the appropriate division or program in our department.

SOURCE California Department of Industrial Relations; Cal/OSHA

NEW YORK, Nov. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — We Are All Human, the global non-profit organization devoted to championing our common humanity, announced today that it is hosting its first-ever Hispanic Leadership Summit on December 10, 2018 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The Hispanic Leadership Summit will explore ways in which to better unify America’s Hispanic and Latino communities.

“It was imperative that we used our organization’s mission to unify this community and promote greater awareness of its vitality and future, especially at a time when negative rhetoric about American immigrants, particularly from Central and South America, have risked alienating the Hispanic and Latinx Americans who make up $1.7 trillion of America’s spending power,” Claudia Romo Edelman said, founder of We Are All Human Foundation.

The Summit is a nonpartisan event that plans to go beyond sectoral interests and insights from the November midterm elections to discuss and reflect on what unites America’s many Hispanic and Latino communities and what should be done to ensure their importance to the U.S.’s future is understood.

Joining Romo Edelman as co-hosts of the summit will be the following Hispanic and Latino leaders:

• Sol Trujillo, co-founder and co-chairman of the Latino Donor Collaborative (LDC), a nonprofit organization devoted to reframing and advancing the public perception of Hispanics and Latinos in American society. He also is the former CEO of U.S. West, Orange SA and Telstra, Australia
• Henry Cisneros, also co-founder and co-chairman of LDC, and the former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and the former mayor of San Antonio, Texas
• Patricia Menéndez-Cambó, vice chair of Greenberg Traurig, the Miami-based international law firm
• Cid Wilson, president and CEO of the Hispanic Association for Corporate Responsibility, which promotes the inclusion of Hispanics in Corporate America

Romo Edelman also noted the recent findings of We Are All Human’s “Hispanic Sentiment Study,” conducted by Zeno Group. The study further affirms the importance of convening leaders of Hispanic and Latino communities to explore the future of an economic force that represents $2.3 trillion of annual U.S. GDP, as Hispanics and Latinos launch more new businesses, achieve higher levels of education and reach the C-suite of Fortune 500 companies in greater numbers.

“I’m optimistic that the value of America’s Hispanic community will continue to be recognized by citizens of all walks of life,” Romo Edelman said, “but as our organization’s work has shown, much work is needed to dispel misperceptions and to unify this community of 55 million that is so important to America’s future.”

“It’s time for perceptions to catch up with the many significant contributions we’re making to this country,” said Menéndez-Cambó of Greenberg Traurig. “There is an urgent need for the Hispanic Community to unify its strengths and efforts to unlock its potential.”

Summit sponsors include Greenberg Traurig, Ulta Beauty, Dairy Management, Inc., HARMAN, Aflac, the Alumni Society, Chevron, Cultura Colectiva, Hispanic Executive, Western Union and Zeno Group (Sponsorship opportunities are still available).

This Summit is in coordination with the Latino Impact Summit on December 11-12, 2018.

About We Are All Human
We Are All Human is a foundation dedicated to advancing the agenda of equity, diversity and inclusion.  Its mission is to unify all people and create channels of access that will leave no one behind. The foundation focuses on research, advocacy and dissemination, capacity development and partnership building in order to fight discrimination, racism and xenophobia by highlighting progress when people all act together.

The Hispanic Sentiment Study was supported by Richard Edelman, The Rick and Susan Goings Foundation, the Robert R. McCormick Foundation and Western Union.

For more information, visit www.WeAreAllHuman.org.

SOURCE We Are All Human