Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 Sep-Oct;126 Suppl 3(Suppl 3):62-9.
doi: 10.1177/00333549111260S311.

Promoting health and safety in San Francisco's Chinatown restaurants: findings and lessons learned from a pilot observational checklist

Affiliations

Promoting health and safety in San Francisco's Chinatown restaurants: findings and lessons learned from a pilot observational checklist

Megan Gaydos et al. Public Health Rep. 2011 Sep-Oct.

Abstract

Noncompliance with labor and occupational health and safety laws contributes to economic and health inequities. Environmental health agencies are well positioned to monitor workplace conditions in many industries and support enhanced enforcement by responsible regulatory agencies. In collaboration with university and community partners, the San Francisco Department of Public Health used an observational checklist to assess preventable occupational injury hazards and compliance with employee notification requirements in 106 restaurants in San Francisco's Chinatown. Sixty-five percent of restaurants had not posted required minimum wage, paid sick leave, or workers' compensation notifications; 82% of restaurants lacked fully stocked first-aid kits; 52% lacked antislip mats; 37% lacked adequate ventilation; and 28% lacked adequate lighting. Supported by a larger community-based participatory research process, this pilot project helped to spur additional innovative health department collaborations to promote healthier workplaces.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Potential local public health agency actions to improve compliance with labor laws and occupational safety standards in restaurants: Chinatown Restaurant Worker Health Project, San Francisco, 2008

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Benach J, Muntaner C, Santana V Employment Conditions Knowledge Network. Employment conditions and health inequalities. Final report to the World Health Organization Commission on Social Determinants of Health. 2007. [cited 2011 Feb 15]. Available from: URL: http://www.who.int/social_determinants/resources/articles/emconet_who_re....
    1. Marlenga B, Berg RL, Linneman JG, Brison RJ, Pickett W. Changing the child labor laws for agriculture: impact on injury. Am J Public Health. 2007;97:276–82. - PMC - PubMed
    1. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (US) Delivering on the nation's investment in worker safety and health. NIOSH publication no. 2010-122. Washington: Department of Health and Human Services (US); 2009.
    1. Mischel L, Walters M. How unions help all workers. Economic Policy Institute briefing paper no. 143. Washington: EPI; 2003.
    1. Bernhardt A, Boushey H, Dresser L, Tilly C, editors. Confronting the gloves-off economy: America's broken labor standards and how to fix them. Champaign (IL): Labor and Employment Relations Association; 2008.

Publication types