Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation
Information Bulletin

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) and the California Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation (CHSWC) are pleased to report that the "California Forum for Workplace Health and Safety" was a great success.

This public educational program, held February 8 and 9, 2001 at the South San Francisco Conference Center, was devoted to workplace injury prevention, safety and return to work. It brought workers, employers, the community and the public together to participate in presentations, discussions and various workshops. The Forum was jointly sponsored by the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health at the University of California at Berkeley.

Experts on workplace health and safety from throughout the nation presented the latest research efforts and findings. Key points from the Forum include:

• Increased emphasis on prevention and safety will benefit both workers and employers by reducing workplace injuries and related costs.
• The prevention strategies for the millenium must take into account demands of the new economy, the changing workforce within California and the nation, and the various sizes of businesses and industries.
• More information and education are needed on health and safety, easily accessible to all parties, including young and immigrant workers.
• Labor and management are most effective by working together to further their common goal of improving workplace health and safety.
• Health and safety research needs to be linked to real-world applications.
• Enhanced communication among employers, workers, and providers will improve return-to-work outcomes for injured workers and their employers.
• Tax incentives for employers to promote health, safety and return-to-work programs will improve outcomes for workers and employers.

Information from the Forum, including the agenda, presentations, handouts, and speaker biographies may be viewed on the Commission website at www.dir.ca.gov/CHSWC/chswc.html

The Commission is charged with overseeing the health and safety and workers' compensation systems in California and recommending administrative or legislative modifications to improve their operation. The Commission was established to conduct a continuing examination of the workers' compensation system and of the state's activities to prevent industrial injuries and occupational diseases and to examine those programs in other states.

Further information may be obtained by writing to Christine Baker, Executive Officer, Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation, 455 Golden Gate Avenue, 10th Floor, San Francisco, California 94102, by calling (415) 703-4220, or by faxing a request to (415) 703-4234. The information is also available through the Department of Industrial Relations' internet home page at www.dir.ca.gov.

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