PROJECT SUMMARYThis project aims to reduce negative health outcomes in small businesses that primarily employ high-riskLatino workers by characterizing their exposures to hazardous chemicals and assessing if a community healthworker (CHW) intervention is effective at decreasing these exposures. Although preventable by definitionoccupational disease and injuries are leading causes of death in the United States with a disproportionateburden faced by Latinos. Small businesses pose a particular risk. They are more likely to employ low-wageLatino workers and often use hazardous solvents including volatile organic chemicals that can cause asthmacancer cardiovascular and neurological disease; yet their workers lack access to culturally and linguisticallyappropriate occupational health and pollution prevention information due to economic physical and socialbarriers. CHW-led interventions and outreach in Latino communities have documented increased access tohealth care and health education and reduced workplace exposures among farmworkers. CHWs are aninnovative method to bridge the gap between these small business communities and other stakeholders. Theproposed project will capitalize on established partnerships between the University of Arizona the SonoraEnvironmental Research Institute Inc. and the El Rio Community Health Center. A community-engagedresearch framework will be used to complete the following specific aims: 1) quantify and identify exposures tohazardous chemicals in the two high risk small business sectors common in our target area (i.e. auto repairshops and beauty salons); 2) work collaboratively with business owners trade groups workers and CHWs todesign an industrial hygiene enhanced CHW intervention tailored for each small business sector; and 3)conduct a cluster randomized trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the CHW intervention at reducing workplaceexposures to volatile organic compounds and assess which factors led to successful utilization of exposurecontrol strategies in both male and female-dominated businesses. Businesses will be randomized to either anintervention or delayed intervention group both of which will receive incentives to participate including worksitehealth screenings. CHWs will work closely with business owners and employees to select and implementexposure-strategies appropriate for their worksite using a menu of complementary strategies of varyingcomplexity and cost. This innovative project has the potential to directly reduce occupational health disparitiesthrough a CHW intervention that moves beyond providing occupational health education. The intervention willovercome current barriers by helping marginalized Latino workers and small business owners who may havelimited education literacy and computer skills to understand the hazards associated with their work and willempower them to have greater control over their occupational exposures with the ultimate goal of preventingoccupational disease and reducing health disparities.