Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation
Information Bulletin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
November 20, 2001 Christine Baker
(415) 703-4220

CHSWC Approves Additional Activities
on California Health, Safety and Workers' Compensation

SAN FRANCISCO --  The Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation (CHSWC) approved plans for additional research projects and activities at its public meeting on November 16, 2001 in San Francisco.

The Commission took another step in its ongoing efforts to improve information about workers' compensation obligations, rights and benefits by approving a project to address the legal service needs of injured workers. Previous research by CHSWC determined that injured workers face significant problems in learning about their rights and seeking workers' compensation benefits. Although efforts were taken to improve available information, problems persist for injured workers with complicated legal cases. This project will assist the Commission in planning, organizing, convening, and synthesizing a series of individual, small-group, and large-group task-force meetings with members of the California workers' compensation community, for the purpose of exploring policy solutions to address the legal-services needs of injured workers.

CHSWC is keeping California a leader in child labor protection by continuing to fund the California Partnership for Young Worker Health and Safety. This unique task force is comprised of groups and individuals dealing with youth employment and education issues as well as others who can play a role in educating and protecting young workers such as educators, parents, employers, youth training programs, and government agencies.
CHSWC also decided to contribute to and participate in the Worker Injury National Survey Project (WINS), which is exploring the feasibility of a national information resource on issues of access to workers' compensation medical care, the process of medical care, and the outcomes of care. WINS, part of a project sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Workers' Compensation Initiative, will document the performance of the workers' compensation medical care system from the perspective of the injured worker.

CHSWC 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.

The Commission, created by the workers' compensation reform legislation of 1993, 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.

Since its inception in 1994, the Commission has held meetings, conducted fact-finding hearings, and directed several studies to determine how these crucial programs are serving California employees and employers. These studies, conducted by independent research organizations under contract with the Commission, and other activities were aided by the involvement of state agency personnel and interested members of the workers' compensation community. This cooperative public-private partnership continues to work together to identify, describe, measure and propose solutions to problems and difficulties in the current health and safety and workers' compensation systems.

Further information about the Commission and its activities 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. Information is also available at www.dir.ca.gov.

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