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.
###