Green Chemistry Can Protect Workers from Hazards

Growth in chemical production outpaces population growth.  Industrial chemicals are now widely dispersed in the environment and in people, with 287 chemicals and pollutants detected in umbilical cord blood.  Many industrial processes involve close contact with hazardous substances, making workers disproportionately affected by chemically induced diseases.

These are just a few reasons that so-called “green chemistry” is gaining widespread appeal, including among workplace safety and health advocates.

Green chemistry promotes the creation of products that are safe at every stage of life - from development on the factory floor to disposal and reuse. We’ve all seen examples of green chemistry in action – nontoxic cleaning products, textiles, building materials and more. Through funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), MassCOSH, The New England Consortium (TNEC), and the Beyond Benign/ Warner Babcock Foundation have developed an awareness training for labor and environmental activists on this trend toward green chemistry, and how to get involved.

“A vibrant economy and sustainable jobs need not come at the expense of human health and the environment,” says Tom Estabrook, a worker health educator at UMass Lowell and president of the Grant and Contract Funded Employees union, Massachusetts Teachers Association. "Green chemistry principles are very useful in health and safety training. Green chemistry also informs our discussions and negotiations with management to help make our workplaces safer."

This new 4-hour training will teach basic green chemistry principles and how application of these principles on a larger scale can help reduce and prevent the generation of hazardous wastes. The curriculum will also teach labor and environmental activists how to support policy changes that transition our economy toward green chemistry principles.

“MassCOSH and our allies are working together to promote safer alternatives to toxic chemicals, and we can utilize these training resources,” said Tolle Graham of MassCOSH, one of the developers of this curriculum. “This is a chance to educate ourselves and policy makers about opportunities for innovation with green chemistry – opportunities to help eliminate hazardous waste sites, make workplaces safer, and create new green jobs.”