International Total Worker Health: Applicability to Agribusiness in Latin America

Abstract

Total Worker Health® (TWH) is a framework for integrating worker and workplace safety, health, and well-being, which has achieved success in European and US settings. However, the framework has not been implemented in Latin America or in agricultural sectors, leaving large and vulnerable populations underrepresented in the implementation and evaluation of these strategies to improve safety and promote health and well-being. This study presents a case study of how a TWH approach can be applied to a multinational Latin American agribusiness. We describe the process and adaptation strategy for conducting a TWH assessment at multiple organizational levels and in multiple countries. We follow this with a description of a TWH leadership training that was conducted based on the results of the assessment. Finally, we describe our methods to make corporate recommendations for TWH policies and programs that were informed by the TWH assessment and leadership trainings. With this case study we aim to demonstrate the importance and feasibility of conducting TWH in Latin America.

Dissemination and Implementation Science Approaches for Occupational Safety and Health Research: Implications for Advancing Total Worker Health

“…Another important area of focus for D&I in TWH is how to critically infuse an equity approach into all research endeavors [79,[128][129][130]. This includes focusing on equitable reach from the beginning of the intervention planning and development; designing and selecting programs for populations at disproportionate risk for work-related injury, illness and reduced well-being; implementing what works; and developing implementation strategies that can help reduce inequities in OSH [129].…”

“…TWH research is needed that systematically considers the factors at the system, organizational, worksite, and individual level that serve as facilitators or obstacles to implementation [31,75]. Designing implementation strategies to address contextual barriers [75] may help TWH researchers to consider multilevel influences (such as regulatory changes, or individual worker acceptance of new technologies) as well as other complex phenomena that influence the effectiveness, equity, adoption, implementation and sustainability of TWH programs, both in the United States and internationally [130].…”

Automation, Climate Change, and the Future of Farm Work: Cross-Disciplinary Lessons for Studying Dynamic Changes in Agricultural Health and Safety

“…One core consideration of the literature regards how automation and climate-smart agriculture are adapting in response to climate change [ 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ]. From this literature, a portion focuses on the holistic wellbeing, with an emphasis on economic factors, of farm owner/operators [ 25 , 29 , 33 ].…”

Small + Safe + Well: lessons learned from a Total Worker Health® randomized intervention to promote organizational change in small business

“…Previous TWH interventions commonly address transformational change components, such as employee participatory methods to identify and implement a TWH approach [ 12 , 13 ]. Also, while some TWH interventions focus on transformational intervention factors around management participation, few seek to develop leadership capacity for TWH by educating and guiding leaders in implementing a TWH approach with their business, and none focus on doing so amongst small business owners or other senior-level decision-makers [ 4 , 7 , 8 , 14 ]. In this study, we posit that small businesses must undergo organizational changes to effect change in workforce health, safety, and well-being outcomes.…”