Health Safety ESOL

Workplace Health and Safety ESOL Curriculum
by Jenny Lee Utech
Massachusetts Worker Education Roundtable, ©2005
To use with the
Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum

Health and Safety Module
By the Labor Extension Programs of
the University of Massachusetts
To download this curriculum, go to www.umass.edu/roundtable.

Workplace Health and Safety ESOL Curriculum
Contents
• Introduction p. 1
• Curriculum Outline p. 5
• Lessons:
§ Lesson 1 p. 6
§ Lesson 2 p. 9
§ Lesson 3 p. 11
§ Lesson 4 p. 15
§ Lesson 5 p. 17
§ Lesson 6 p. 19
§ Lesson 7 p. 22
§ Lesson 8 p. 25
§ Lesson 9 p. 26
§ Lesson 10 p. 29
§ Lesson 11 p. 31
• Other Activity Ideas p. 35
• Handouts List p. 36
• Handouts 1- 17 p. 37
• Selected Resources p. 72
Workplace Health and Safety ESOL Curriculum. Jenny Lee Utech, Mass. Worker Education Roundtable, ©2005.
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Introduction
What is this curriculum?
This curriculum is designed to help ESOL students (English for Speakers of Other
Languages) learn about and exercise their workplace health and safety rights.
The curriculum uses learner-centered activities that engage students in discussion, elicit
and build on their experiences and encourage critical analysis and strategies. Teachers
can use these lessons to create a participatory curriculum with students, in which
teachers and students analyze issues that they have identified together, and develop
strategies to address them.
We have designed lessons for low-intermediate to intermediate level ESOL students

who speak, read and write some English but still need to learn many basic English
skills. Teachers of beginning or advanced ESOL students and teachers of Adult Basic
Education (ABE) can adapt lessons to meet their students’ levels and needs.
This curriculum is based in part on the Health and Safety Module of the Workers Rights
Pilot Curriculum by the University of Massachusetts Labor Extension Program (2003).
We have designed lessons that make the Pilot Curriculum module’s information more
accessible to ESOL students (and others), and give students language practice using
module content. Activities like worker stories, vocabulary review, grammar practice,
dialogues, body maps and coworker interviews help students learn about their
workplace health and safety rights, and also learn and practice the language they need
in order to understand these rights and exercise them.
How can you use this curriculum?
We have designed lessons and activities that can satisfy a range of student skill levels.
Lessons include brainstorming and discussions, reading, writing, vocabulary and
grammar practice. While lessons are sequential and build on each other, you may create
a different lesson order based on your class’s needs. For example, you may choose to
start the unit with body maps (Lesson 10), the scenario (Lesson 9) or a health and safety
discussion (Lesson 4), rather than the worker story (Lesson 1).
Many lessons include catalyst activities designed to raise students’ issues and concerns
and help them develop strategies to address these issues. So while you can teach this
curriculum from beginning to end, it is more likely that your class will take off in a
different direction at some point, to follow up on health and safety issues that have
surfaced during class work. Teacher notes after each lesson list activity tips and
variations, as well as ideas for next steps and follow up.
Introduction 2 of 73
While we have created lessons that address some of the content in the Workers Rights
Pilot Curriculum Health and Safety Module, our curriculum is by no means exhaustive.
We hope that you will create your own lessons and activities to build on the lessons we
have designed. You can also use this curriculum as a model to create your own lessons
and activities for other Pilot Curriculum Modules.
Discussing and taking action on workplace health and safety issues can bring risks for
workers. You and your students should talk about potential benefits and risks of
discussing workplace health and safety issues in class, and of taking action outside the
classroom.
What is the U. Mass. Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum?
The Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum is designed for trainers and other staff of unions and
community-based organizations who need to inform workers of their basic rights under
Massachusetts law. The curriculum targets workers new to the workforce or re-joining
it, young workers and immigrant workers, both documented and undocumented.
Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum contains nine modules: Introduction to workers basic
legal protections on the job; Minimum Wage; Child Labor; Overtime; Protection from
Discrimination; Health and Safety Protection and Workers’ Compensation; Family and
Medical Leave; Unemployment Insurance; and Unions and the Right to Organize.
While the Pilot Curriculum provides information in a straightforward and simple

format, it hasn’t been designed specifically for non-native speakers of English. Our
Workplace Health and Safety ESOL Curriculum provides lessons oriented toward that
population. It can also serve as a model for teachers who want to adapt or create lessons
based on other Pilot Curriculum modules.
What is the Massachusetts Worker Education Roundtable?
The Massachusetts Worker Education Roundtable is a statewide network of unionists,

educators and labor-management education programs. Our mission is to promote and
provide high quality education programs for Massachusetts union members. To this
end we are involved in policy around workplace learning, and we provide technical
assistance to unions and their employer partners who are interested in establishing
learning programs at the workplace. We also provide professional development
opportunities for educators in workplace education, particularly those teaching in
unionized workplaces.
We work closely with the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and are members of the national
Association of Joint Labor-Management Education Programs. We also participate in
discussions of policy and practice in the adult education and workforce development
communities, in such venues as the Massachusetts Coalition for Adult Education and
the Massachusetts Workforce Alliance.
Our focus is on basic skills, including adult basic education, English for Speakers of
Other Languages, computer literacy and GED preparation. Some programs in the
network offer other classes such as career ladders, technical training, leadership skills,
communication skills or writing. While most of our programs serve incumbent workers
at their place of work, some also work with unemployed workers, dislocated workers or
offer classes at the union hall or in the community.
To find out more about the Roundtable and to view and download our Workplace Health
and Safety ESOL Curriculum, visit www.umass.edu/roundtable
Who is the author of this curriculum?
Jenny Lee Utech has fifteen years of experience teaching adult ESOL and basic skills
and developing curricula, at both labor-management workplace and community-based
programs. She has also served as director of two programs, one a labor-management
workplace program and the other a community-based program. Over the years Jenny
has developed and taught a variety of workshops and courses for workplace educators
at SABES (the System for Adult Basic Education Support in Massachusetts), NETWORK
(the annual conference of the Massachusetts Coalition for Adult Education – MCAE),
and the AFL-CIO Working for America Institute’s Professional Development Day.
As an educator and trainer, Jenny works to provide a forum for people to critically
examine issues and problems, develop strategies and skills, and take action to address
the issues. She bases her teaching on the principles of Brazilian educator Paulo Friere,
for whom literacy learning was a context for critical thinking, and literacy a tool for
addressing problems and creating social change.
What is the University of Massachusetts Labor Extension Program?
The U. Mass. Labor Extension Program is a statewide effort, based in the U. Mass.
campuses at Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, and Lowell, to provide training and
education to workers, their unions, and other workers' organizations. The focus of the
program is on strengthening these organizations, increasing activism, and building the
skills necessary to effectively advocate for the needs and concerns of the workforce.
The Labor Extension Program (LEP) helps unions and other worker organizations to
fully and effectively represent an increasingly diverse membership, to train a new
generation of union leaders to face the challenges of the future, and to prepare all
workers, organized and unorganized to exercise their full rights in the work place and
the community.
LEP offers programming in a variety of formats for individual unions, central labor
councils, and union members, including short courses, seminars, conferences, and
special programs on a broad range of subject areas. LEP contracts with unions to
custom design programs for their members, officers and staff. LEP also offers open
enrollment programs that anyone may attend for a small fee. Finally, LEP provides
assistance and support to labor organizations in the development and delivery of their
own educational programs.
To find out more about the U. Mass. Labor Extension Program and to view and
download the Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum, visit www.cpcs.umb.edu/lep.
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Curriculum Outline
Lesson 1. Francisca’s Story – Students read and discuss a worker’s story about health
and safety on the job.
Lesson 2. Students’ Stories – Students discuss and write about their experiences with
health and safety at work.
Lesson 3. What are Health and Safety Hazards? – Students discuss the difference
between health hazards and safety hazards at work, practice identifying hazards as
health or safety hazards, and learn and practice related vocabulary.
Lesson 4. Health and Safety Discussion – Students discuss their experiences with
workplace health and safety hazards, and identify worker rights and responsibilities,
and employer responsibilities, for health and safety at work.
Lesson 5. What is OSHA? – Students review basic information about what OSHA
(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) is and does, and practice related
vocabulary.
Lesson 6. Worker Rights Under OSHA – Students review worker rights and employer
responsibilities under OSHA.
Lesson 7. The Union Contract – Students examine workplace health and safety
information in union contracts.
Lesson 8. Grammar Practice – Students practice grammar points using workplace

health and safety information, and review health and safety information from previous
lessons.
Lesson 9. A Scenario – Students identify workplace health and safety hazards and
rights in a typical workplace scenario, and strategies for dealing with workplace health
and safety hazards.
Lesson 10. Body Maps – Students identify specific areas of their bodies where they
experience work-related pain and health problems. Students link their work-related
symptoms to health and safety hazards at their work sites.
Lesson 11. Coworker Interviews – Students practice using a coworker interview to

gather workplace health and safety information from coworkers. Students collect,
collate, and analyze workplace health and safety information from coworkers. Students
discuss strategies for addressing health and safety problems at work.
Lesson 1 6 of 73
Lesson 1. Francisca’s Story
Objective
• Read and discuss a worker’s story about health and safety on the job.
Materials
• Flip chart paper, magic markers and masking tape to record students’ ideas.
• Discussion questions (below) written on flip chart paper.
• Handout 1. Francisca’s Story.
• Handout 2. Francisca’s Story – Yes or No.
• Handout 3. Francisca’s Story – Questions.
• Handout 4. Francisca’s Story – Missing Words.
• Handout 5. Francisca’s Story – Vocabulary Practice.
Activities
Part 1 – Francisca’s Story
1. Tell students that you will read a story about one worker’s experience with health
and safety on the job. Give students copies of Handout 1 and review any vocabulary
from the story if needed.
2. Read the story together with students. Let students read silently for themselves first,
and let them ask any questions about words or phrases they don’t understand. Then
practice reading the story with students. (See Teacher Notes).
3. Ask students some quick questions about the story orally to make sure that they
have understood story content. (For example: What was Francisca’s job? What
happened to her? Why? What did she do about it? Why did they test her blood?
How did the test come back?)
4. Ask students to complete Handouts 2, 3, 4 and 5. (You may want to give some of
these handouts for homework.) You can also create other language practice
activities. (See Teacher Notes.)
Part 2 – Discussion
1. Lead a whole-class discussion using the questions below. For some classes, it may
work well to post the questions on flip chart paper and record students’ answers.
Lesson 1 7 of 73
For other classes, you may want to ask students to discuss the questions in small
groups first, and then share their ideas with the whole class:
• What are the problems Francisca had in this story?

• Why did her accident happen?
• How did Francisca handle the accident?
• If you were Francisca, what would you do in her situation? Why?
Teacher Notes
Activity tips and variations. Francisca’s Story (Handout 1) provides valuable language
practice, but it is also intended as a catalyst, to help students start to think about their
own experiences with health and safety on the job. For higher-level readers, the story
can be a springboard for higher-level language work (responding to the story in
writing, writing their own stories). Lower-level readers will need more time to work
through the story text and Handouts 2 – 5.
You may want to start with only the first paragraph of Handout 1. (Give students a
copy of Handout 1 with paragraphs two through four blanked out). After reading the
first paragraph, ask students to discuss Francisca’s situation: What happened? Why did
it happen? What could/should Francisca do in this situation? What would you do in
this situation? Has anything like this ever happened to you at work? What did you do?
Then read the rest of the story, and adapt your Part 2 discussion questions as needed.
To practice reading the story with students, you can read out loud for the whole class,
ask the whole class to read out loud with you, have students read to each other in pairs,
or do whatever works for your class. In addition to, or instead of Handouts 2 – 5
(especially for higher-level readers / writers), you can provide further language
practice by asking students to write their own questions for the story, share them and
make a class list of questions, and then write answers to some or all of the questions.
You can have students write letters to Francisca. You can cut the story into strips, pair
up students and ask them to order the strips. You can create grammar exercises using
sentences or verbs from the story.
If Handout 1 is at too high a reading level for your class, you can adapt and use it in
many ways. For example, you can read the story out loud for students and ask them to
tell it back to you orally while you write up key sentences. You can divide students in to
small groups and ask each group to read part of a story, or enlarge text on the
photocopier, cut it up and ask each student to work with one sentence of the story. Or,
you can simply read the story out loud and discuss it orally, using it as a catalyst but
not for reading or writing practice.
Lesson 1 8 of 73
Next steps. If you choose to record students’ ideas during your Part 2 discussion, you
can type them up and use them in future classes for language work and further
discussion. For example, you can ask students to read back their own comments,
respond to other students’ comments orally or in writing, or fill in missing words.
Francisca’s story (Handout 1) is a catalyst intended to start students thinking about and
discussing their own experiences with health and safety on the job. Depending on what
surfaces during your discussion of the story you may want to follow up by strategizing
with students about a particular health and safety problem, consulting the union
contract, or researching more information about students’ particular work site(s). See
Lessons 2 and 4 for discussion questions designed to elicit students’ experiences with
health and safety on the job.
Handout 1 is excerpted and adapted from Santos, F. (2002). Sea Urchins, Needles and
Gloves. In Working Writers V: A Literary Collection by the Students of the Worker Education
Program, 27. Boston: Worker Education Program/SEIU Local 2020.
Lesson 2 9 of 73
Lesson 2. Students’ Stories
Objective
• Discuss and write about our experiences with health and safety at work.
Materials
• Writing paper for students.
Activities
1. Lead a whole-class discussion using the questions below. For some classes, it may
work well to post the questions on flip chart paper and record students’ answers.
For other classes, you may want to ask students to discuss the questions in small
groups first, and then share their ideas with the whole class:
• What is your experience with health and safety at work? (Have you, or someone
you know, ever had an accident at work? What happened? How did you/they
handle it? How does your job affect your health?)
• What are the hazards (dangers) in your job?
2. After students have had a chance to share their stories, give everyone writing paper
and ask them to write their stories. You can use the discussion questions above as
writing prompts. (See Teacher Notes.)
Teacher Notes
Activity tips and variations. If you choose to record students’ ideas during your
discussion (step 1 above), you can type them up and use them in future classes for
language work and further discussion. For example, you can ask students to read back
their own comments, respond to other students’ comments orally or in writing, or fill in
missing words.
Instead of writing their own stories, lower-level writers can write simple sentences
using the words, phrases or ideas that the class has generated about their experiences
with health and safety on the job. Students can also complete sentences, for example,
“My job is safe because …” “My job is not safe because …” “The safest part of my job is
…” “The most dangerous part of my job is …” “During work, I feel … because …” Or,
you can lead the class in writing a whole-class story (or whole-class sentences or
Lesson 2 10 of 73
phrases) using the Language Experience Approach as you move through the discussion
questions in step 1. You can also ask individual students to dictate their stories to you.
If they are comfortable doing so, students can write their stories on flip chart paper after
writing and revising them on writing paper). You can use the flip chart stories in Lesson
3. You can type up the stories to use in Lesson 3, and also use them for reading,
vocabulary and grammar practice.
Next steps. If students raise particular workplace health and safety problems during
this lesson, you and your students can brainstorm strategies for approaching the
problems, discuss where and how to find out more information about the problems,
consult the union contract, or invite a union representative or other guest to visit the
class and discuss the problems.
classroom.
Lesson 3 11 of 73
Lesson 3. What are health and safety hazards?
Objectives
• Discuss the difference between health hazards and safety hazards at work.
• Practice identifying hazards as health or safety hazards.
• Practice health and safety hazard vocabulary.
Materials
• Definitions of safety hazards and health hazards from the Handout “What Are
Workplace Hazards?” (from Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum) written on flip chart
paper.
• Health and safety hazard vocabulary words from the Handout “What Are
Workplace Hazards?” (from Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum) written on writing
paper, large index cards or large Post-Its (one word per sheet/card/Post-It). (See
Teacher Notes.)
• Blank writing paper, large index cards or large Post-Its.
• Students’ stories from Lesson 2 and/or their responses to Lesson 2 discussion
questions (written on flip chart paper or typed up).
• One sheet of flip chart paper labeled “Safety Hazards,” and four sheets labeled with
the four types of Health Hazards – “Stress,” “Physical,” “Chemical, and
“Biological”.
• Handout “What Are Workplace Hazards?” (from Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum).
• Handout 6. Health and Safety Hazard Vocabulary Practice.
Activities
Part 1 – Definitions of health and safety hazards
1. Post the following definitions of a health hazard and a safety hazard (from the
Handout “What are Workplace Hazards?”) and review the definitions with the
class. As you explain the definitions, explain any vocabulary needed. Refer back to
any examples of workplace safety or health hazards that students mentioned during
previous class discussions (Lesson 2, step 1, or other discussions):
Safety hazards:
• Cause accidents and injuries
• Cause immediate harm
• May cause broken bones, cuts, bruises, sprains or electrocutions
Health hazards:
• Cause disease or illness
Lesson 3 12 of 73
• Disease may take years to develop

• Examples of diseases are cancer, heart disease, loss of hearing, or reproductive
problems.
Part 2 – Identifying health and safety hazards
1. Post the vocabulary words that you have prepared up on the board or spread them
out on the table. (See Teacher Notes.)
2. Introduce the vocabulary words one at a time. Make sure everyone understands the
meanings of the words. You can ask students for simple definitions, examples or
synonyms and write these next to the vocabulary words as needed (or ask students
to write them). (See Teacher Notes.)
3. Now post the flip chart sheets labeled Safety Hazards (one sheet) and Health
Hazards (four sheets – one each for stress, physical, chemical, biological). Make sure
students understand the categories.
4. Choose a few sample hazard vocabulary words and post them yourself onto the
appropriate flip chart sheet categories.
5. Ask students to post the remaining hazard vocabulary words onto the flip chart
sheet categories where they think the words belong (safety hazards, or one of the
four types of health hazards – stress, physical, chemical, biological). (See Teacher
Notes.)
6. After all the hazards are posted, review them with the class. Move any hazards that
have been posted in the wrong category and explain why.
7. Ask students to complete Handout 6 on their own or in pairs (students match each
word with its definition by drawing a line from the word to the definition).
Part 3 – Health and safety hazards from students’ experiences
1. Post students’ stories and/or responses to discussion questions (from Lesson 2) (or
hand them out) and review them with the class.
2. Ask students to identify the health and safety hazards in each story or in the
responses to discussion questions. Then ask students to write these hazards on
writing paper, index cards or Post-It’s (one hazard per sheet, card or Post-It). (See
Teacher Notes.)
Lesson 3 13 of 73
3. Ask students to decide which types of hazards these are and post each one onto the
appropriate flip chart sheet.
Teacher Notes
Activity tips and variations. The main goal of this activity is to add to students’
knowledge of what health and safety hazards are, and learn and practice vocabulary for
naming hazards. It’s not important for students to categorize all the hazards “correctly”.
In fact, some of the hazards may fall under more than one category, depending on the
circumstances or work site.
Health hazards (vocabulary) from the Handout “What Are Workplace Hazards?” (from
Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum) (for Part 2, step 2): Stress – speed-up, boring work,
repetitive work, supervisor-worker problems, worker-worker problems. Physical –
noise, heat or cold, dusts, vibration, radiation, lifting, dampness, repetitive motion.
Chemical – gases, dusts, cleaners, acids, heavy metals, vapors or fumes, smoke.
Biological – contagious diseases, insects, dirty conditions.
Safety hazards (vocabulary) from the Handout “What Are Workplace Hazards?” (from
Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum) (for Part 2, step 2): flammable materials, unguarded
machines, unsafe ladders or scaffolding, explosive materials, poor housekeeping, unsafe
trenches, exposed wires, sparks, too much overtime, slippery floors, blocked exits.
Depending on your students’ levels and needs, the introduction of the hazard
vocabulary words (Part 2, step 2) may simply be a quick review. Or you may need to
spend one or more class sessions introducing, practicing and reviewing the vocabulary.
You can create vocabulary flash cards, cloze exercises or other activities to help students
practice the vocabulary. You can use all the vocabulary words or select some,
depending on your group.
You can ask students to work as a whole class, in small groups, pairs or individually to
post the hazard vocabulary onto the appropriate flip chart sheet categories (safety
hazards, or one of the four types of health hazards – stress, physical, chemical,
biological) (Part 2, step 5).
When you ask students to identify health and safety hazards in their own stories (Part 3,
step 2), you can do this as a whole class, or ask students to work in small groups or
pairs. Students can underline or circle hazards (either on flip-chart sized stories or
typed up stories), and then you can go over them with the whole class. Students can
work with all of the stories, a few, or just one (their own or someone else’s).
Lesson 3 14 of 73
When you ask students to write the hazards from their stories onto index cards or Post-
its (Part 3, step 2), divide up the hazards so that each student only has to do a few.
Depending on your students’ levels, you can give students the Handout “What Are
Workplace Hazards?” (from Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum) at the end of this lesson, or
just use it for yourself as a resource.
Next steps. You can type up the posted hazards from students’ own stories (Part 3) and
give them to students as a record of class work. For further vocabulary practice with
these hazards, you can create flash cards, cloze exercises, matching exercises or other
activities.
Note: Lessons 3, 5, 6 and 9 are based on content from the Health and Safety Module of
the Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum by the University of Massachusetts Labor Extension
Program (2003). To download the Handout “What Are Workplace Hazards?” (from
Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum) or other parts of the Pilot Curriculum, go to
www.cpcs.umb.edu/lep.
An excellent resource for worker rights in Massachusetts is Schwartz, Robert M. (2000).

Your Rights on the Job: A Practical Guide to Employment Laws in Massachusetts. Quincy,
MA: Labor Guild of Boston. ISBN: 0-9611038.
Lesson 4 15 of 73
Lesson 4. Health and Safety Discussion
Objectives
• Discuss our experiences with health and safety at work.

• Discuss examples of workplace health and safety hazards.
• Identify worker rights and responsibilities, and employer responsibilities, for health
and safety at work.
Materials
Activities
1. Post and ask the following questions and record students’ ideas on flip chart paper.
(If you have done Lessons 2 and/or 3, you can skip the first two questions and focus
your discussion on the last three questions):
• What is your experience with health and safety at work? (Have you, or someone
you know, ever had an accident at work? What happened? How did you/they
handle it? How does your job affect your health?)
• What are some health and safety hazards at your job? (What are some health and
safety hazards for other jobs – construction, factory, hospital, or office work?)
• What rights do you have for health and safety at work?
• What responsibilities do you have?
• What responsibilities does your employer have?
Teacher Notes
Activity tips and variations. This activity gives students the chance to share their
experiences and knowledge of health and safety hazards and rights. If you haven’t done
Lessons 2 and/or 3, you should give students ample time to share and discuss their
experiences with health and safety at their jobs (the first two discussion questions). If
students have already discussed and/or written about their experiences during Lessons
2 or 3, focus your discussion in this Lesson on what students think and know about
their health and safety rights and responsibilities, and their employers’ responsibilities.
There are no “correct” answers to these discussion questions. The goal is to help
students brainstorm what they think and know about the topic. Students will have the
chance to learn about OSHA laws (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) in
Lesson 4 16 of 73
Lessons 5 and 6, and what a union contract says about workplace health and safety
(Lesson 7). If students have already mentioned workplace health and safety rights and
responsibilities during previous lessons, build on what students have mentioned and
adapt the discussion questions above as needed.
For examples of workplace health and safety hazards see the Handout “What Are
Workplace Hazards?” (from Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum)and Lesson 3 Teacher
Notes. For examples of worker rights, see Handouts 7, 9 and 10 (Lessons 5 and 6).
Worker responsibilities might include wearing safety gear provided by the employer,
and following directions for chemical or machine use. Employer responsibilities might
include giving workers proper training, providing adequate safety gear, labeling
dangerous chemicals, and posting signs for hazards.
Next steps. Save the student responses that you record during this lesson. You will use
them again in Lesson 6. If you haven’t done Lesson 2, you can ask students to talk and
write about a time they, or someone they know, had a problem with health and safety at
work. You can type up and use these stories for further language practice or as catalysts
for more discussion (see Lesson 2 Teacher Notes.)
Lesson 5 17 of 73
Lesson 5. What is OSHA?
Objectives
• Review and discuss basic information about what OSHA (Occupational Safety and
Health Administration) is and does.
• Practice vocabulary related to OSHA information.
Materials
• The definition of OSHA (“What is OSHA”) from Handout 7 written on flip chart
paper.
• Handout 7. What is OSHA?
• Handout 8. OSHA – Yes or No.
Activities
1. Write “Occupational Safety and Health Administration” on the board or on flip

chart paper. Ask students what OSHA is and does and write up their responses.
2. Then post the definition of OSHA from Handout 7 and review it with the class:
What is OSHA?
• OSHA is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
• OSHA was created by the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
• OSHA protects workers from health and safety hazards in the workplace and
on the job.
3. Tell students that the class will read a little information about OSHA. Give students
copies of Handout 7 and review any vocabulary from the handout if needed.
4. Read Handout 7 together with students. Let students read silently for themselves
first, and let them ask any questions about words or phrases they don’t understand.
Then practice reading the handout with students. (See Lesson 1 Teacher Notes for
ideas on reading in class).
5. Ask students some quick questions about the handout orally to make sure that they
have understood story content. (For example: What does OSHA do for workers?
Which workers does OSHA protect? Which workers are not protected by OSHA?)
6. Ask students to complete Handout 8. You can also create other activities to help
students learn and practice Handout 7 information. (See Teacher Notes.)
Lesson 5 18 of 73
7. Discuss the following questions with students:
• Are you covered by OSHA at your job?

• Why or why not?
Teacher Notes
Activity tips and variations. The main goal of this activity is to give students a broad-
brush picture of what OSHA is, what it does and what it covers. If students already
have some knowledge of OSHA, build on this knowledge as you read Handout 7 with
the class. Handout 8 provides vocabulary and reading practice and also reinforces
Handout 7 content.
Handout 7 is adapted from information in the Handout “Your OSHA Rights” (from the
Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum). We have adapted the information to make it more
accessible for ESOL students. For more advanced classes, however, you may choose to
use the Pilot Curriculum handout as is.
Next steps. If students have experience with OSHA, you can build a discussion around
their experiences by asking when, why and how they have learned about or contacted
OSHA. You can write students’ discussion points on flip chart paper, type them up and
bring them into the next class for further discussion or language practice. You can ask
students to write about their OSHA experiences. You can type up and use these stories
for further language practice or as catalysts for more discussion or research into health
and safety at students’ work sites.
Program (2003). To download the handout “Your OSHA Rights”, or other parts of the
Pilot Curriculum, go to www.cpcs.umb.edu/lep.
An excellent resource for workers rights in Massachusetts is Schwartz, Robert M. (2000).

Lesson 6 19 of 73
Lesson 6. Worker Rights Under OSHA
Objective
• Review worker rights and employer responsibilities under OSHA.
Materials
• Students’ responses to Lesson 4 discussion questions (worker rights, worker
responsibilities, employer responsibilities) on flip chart paper.
• Handout 9. Worker Rights Under OSHA.
• Handout 10. Employer Responsibilities Under OSHA.
• Handout 11a. OSHA Sentence Halves (front halves)
• Handout 11b. OSHA Sentence Halves (back halves) (Copy Handouts 11a and 11b
onto two colors of paper, one for front halves and one for back halves, and cut into
strips.)
• Handout 11c. OSHA Sentences (whole).
Activities
Part 1 – Worker rights and employer responsibilities under OSHA
1. Post students’ responses to Lesson 4 discussion questions (worker rights, worker

responsibilities, employer responsibilities) and review them with the class. Tell
students that you will come back to this information later in the lesson.
2. If you haven’t done Lesson 4, post and ask these questions and record students’
ideas on flip chart paper:
• What rights do you have for health and safety at work?

• What responsibilities do you have?
• What responsibilities does your employer have?
3. Tell students that the class will read about worker rights and employer
responsibilities under OSHA. Give students copies of Handout 9 and review any
vocabulary from the handout if needed.
4. Read Handout 9 together with students. Let students read silently for themselves
Then practice reading the handout with students. (See Lesson 1 Teacher Notes for
ideas on reading in class).
Lesson 6 20 of 73
5. Ask students some quick questions about the handout orally to make sure that they
have understood handout content. (For example: What records do workers have the
right to see? When can workers refuse dangerous work?)
6. Repeat steps 3 through 5 for Handout 10.
Part 2 – Rights and responsibilities sentence practice
1. Divide students into pairs. Explain that students will review and practice Handout 9
and 10 content by matching sentence halves (using sentences from those handouts).
2. Give each pair a set of front sentence halves and back sentence halves (Handouts 11a
and 11b cut into strips) and show students how to match front halves with back
halves.
3. After pairs finish matching their sentence halves, give them copies of Handout 11c
and ask them to check their work. Pairs can also practice reading sentences to each
other, or copy sentences they had trouble with. You can also create other activities to
help students learn and practice the information from Handouts 9 and 10. (See
Teacher Notes.)
Part 3 - Comparing OSHA rights with students’ brainstorm
1. Go back to the students’ responses to Lesson 4 discussion questions (worker rights,

worker responsibilities, employer responsibilities) that you posted at the beginning
of this lesson (Part 1, step 1).
2. Ask students to compare what they have learned about worker rights and employer
responsibilities under OSHA, with the ideas they named in Lesson 4.
3. Depending on what students named during Lesson 4, you can add or change
information as students compare. (See Teacher Notes.)
Teacher Notes
Activity tips and variations. As you read Handouts 9 and 10 with students, you can ask
them what experience they have with these worker rights and employer
responsibilities. For example, where is the OSHA poster located in their workplaces?
Where does the employer post summaries of job-related injuries and illnesses? Has
anyone ever refused to do a dangerous job, and under what circumstances?
Lesson 6 21 of 73
Handouts 9 and 10 contain lots of information and some fairly high-level vocabulary.
Depending on your students’ levels and needs, you may want to spend more than one
class period reading and reviewing these handouts, or simplify them.
Part 3 is an open-ended activity designed to help students connect what they already
know about their rights and employers’ responsibilities to the “official” information in
Handouts 9 and 10. Depending on what students discussed during Lesson 4, and what
their work sites are like, you can handle this activity in different ways. For example,
you can go over the ideas generated during Lesson 4 point by point as a whole class,
and identify which OSHA rules apply to each (or not). Or you can divide students into
small groups, give them typed copies of Lesson 4 discussion notes, and ask them to find
which OSHA rules apply, and circle them. Or you can divide students’ Lesson 4
discussion ideas into things covered under OSHA and rules specific to particular work
sites. Or you can simply discuss students’ Lesson 4 ideas in general, and circle or
highlight a few key ideas and connect them to the information in Handouts 9 and 10.
In Lesson 7, students have the chance to compare OSHA rules (Handouts 9 and 10) to
health and safety information in their union contracts. You may want to save some
comparisons for that lesson, when students will have looked at their union contracts.
Handouts 9 and 10 are adapted from the Handout “Your OSHA Rights” (from Workers
Rights Pilot Curriculum). We have adapted the information to make it more accessible
for ESOL students. For more advanced classes, however, you may choose to use the
Pilot Curriculum handout as is, or as a review after students have worked with
Handouts 9 and 10.
Next steps. You can create additional activities to help students learn and practice the
information from Handouts 9 and 10. For example, you can create cloze exercises using
sentences from the handouts. You can write questions about handout information on
cards, and have students work in pairs to ask each other the questions and answer them
in their own words.
The class can research the history of accidents, complaints or OSHA citations at their
workplaces. If students are union members, the class should explore what their union
contract(s) says about health and safety on the job (see Lesson 7).
Program (2003). For more information on OSHA, download the handouts “Your OSHA
Rights” and “Occupational Safety and Health Act in a Nutshell” from the Pilot
Curriculum. To download handouts or other parts of the Pilot Curriculum, go to
www.cpcs.umb.edu/lep. See also the Schwartz book (Lesson 3 Teacher Notes).
Lesson 7 22 of 73
Lesson 7. The Union Contract
Objectives
• Examine workplace health and safety information in students’ union contract(s).

• Practice locating information in a union contract.
Materials
• Discussion questions for Parts 1 and 3 (below) written on flip chart paper.
• Either your own worksheet developed from your students’ union contract (see
Handout 12 for examples of worksheet questions);
• Or Handout 12. Union Contract Health and Safety Information.
• Either students’ union contracts (ask students to bring them to class), or photocopies
of relevant sections on health and safety from students’ union contracts;
• Or Handout 13. Union Contract Pages.
• Text of Handouts 9 and 10 (from Lesson 6) written on flip chart paper (if needed) (or
students’ copies of these handouts).
Activities
Part 1 – Discussion
1. Post and ask these questions and record students’ ideas on flip chart paper:
• What does your union contract say about health and safety at work?
• How do you know or find out about what is in the contract?
• How does (can) the union help its members with health and safety problems at
work?
Part 2 – The union contract
1. Ask students to take out their union contracts (or give students photocopies you
have made of relevant health and safety sections from their contracts, or give
students Handout 13).
2. If students are unfamiliar with their contract, give them a few minutes to flip
through it and see how it’s organized (table of contents, numbered sections with
headings).
3. Give students the contract worksheet you have prepared, or Handout 12, and go
over it with the class.
Lesson 7 23 of 73
4. Ask students work individually or in pairs to complete the worksheet you have
prepared (or Handout 12). For some classes, it may work well to have students
complete some of the worksheet (for example, Handout 12 “Table of Contents”) and
then review the answers with the whole class before students do the rest.
Part 3 – Comparing the union contract and laws under OSHA
1. Post and ask these questions and write students’ ideas on flip chart paper:
• How much of the health and safety information in your contract did you already
know? How did you find out about it?
• What didn’t you know? Why not?
• What workplace health and safety rights does the union contract give you?
2. Post the your flip chart-sized Handouts 9 and 10, or ask students to take out their
copies of these handouts, and review the handout information with students.
3. Post and ask these questions and make lists on flip chart paper (or ask students to
circle items on their handouts):
• Which rights in the union contract are also rights under OSHA?
• What other rights does the union contract give you (that are not under OSHA?)
• If you didn’t know about these rights before now, how can you find out more?
Teacher Notes
Activity tips and variations. This activity’s main goal is to help students become
familiar with what their union contract says about workplace health and safety. Use
Handout 12 as a model for creating your own worksheet from students’ contract. If
students come from various work sites and some or all are unionized, you can create a
worksheet specific to each contract (students complete the worksheet for their contract),
or a worksheet that is broad enough to use for various contracts (all students complete
the same worksheet). Or, you can use Handouts 12 and 13 first (for practice) and then
ask students to work with their own contracts using a worksheet you created.
If students are already familiar with the workplace health and safety information in
their contract, you can leave out Part 2 above, and adapt Part 1 and Part 3 discussion
questions. Many union contracts are booklet-sized and use small print. For some
groups, it may help to enlarge relevant sections of students’ contracts on the
photocopier, and make copies for students to use in class.
Lesson 7 24 of 73
See Lesson 6 Teacher Notes for other ideas how to compare information in students’
union contracts with OSHA rules and regulations.
Next steps. You can type up students’ responses to Parts 1 and 3 discussion questions
and bring them into the next class for further discussion or language practice. You can
create a yes/no worksheet, cloze exercises, flash cards or other activities to help
students review their union contract information and practice related vocabulary.
Students can prepare questions for their union representative and invite the
representative to visit their class. If students know about health and safety violations
(of their union contract) at their work site(s), they can brainstorm strategies for
contacting the union, getting more information and acting on the violations.
classroom.
Lesson 8 25 of 73
Lesson 8. Grammar Practice
Objectives
• Practice grammar points using workplace health and safety information.

• Review health and safety information from previous lessons.
Materials
• Handout 14 a. Have to or Don’t Have to

• Handout 14b. Has to or Doesn’t Have to
• Sentences from Handouts 14a and 14b written on flip chart paper (if needed).
Activities
1. Write up examples of the use of Have to / Don’t Have to and Has to / Doesn’t Have
to on the board and review them with the class. You can use examples from
Handouts 14a and 14b or your own examples.
2. Give students Handouts 14a and ask them to complete the handout individually or
in pairs.
3. Review the answers for Handout 14a with the whole class. Then repeat steps 1 and 2
for Handout 14b.
Teacher Notes
Activity tips and variations. The goal of this lesson is to help students practice
grammar using the workplace health and safety information covered in Lessons 5, 6
and 7. You can also create grammar practice activities from information gathered
during class discussions (from your typed discussion notes), from students’ health and
safety stories, from Francisca’s Story (Handout 1), or from other lessons.
Next steps. Additional grammar practice based on the information from Lessons 5, 6
and 7 could include question formation with have to or has to (Do employers have to --?
Does the hospital have to---?); the use of Must; and verb practice (protect, inspect,
enforce, make, give, keep, obey, tell, let, put, punish).
Lesson 9 26 of 73
Lesson 9. A Scenario
Objectives
• Identify hazards and rights in a typical workplace health and safety scenario.
• Identify strategies for dealing with workplace health and safety hazards.
Materials

• Handout 15a. The Safety Net.
• Handout 15b. The Safety Net Part 2.
• Handout “Facilitator Answer Sheet for Scenario #1” (from Workers Rights Pilot
Curriculum).
Activities
Part 1 – Reading the scenario
1. Tell students that you will read a dialogue between two workers who are discussing
a safety problem at work. Give students copies of Handout 15a and review any
vocabulary from the story if needed.
2. Read Handout 15a together with students. Let students read silently for themselves
Then practice reading the story with students. Students can take turns reading the
dialogue in pairs for the class.
3. Post and ask these questions and write students’ responses on flip chart paper:
• Why is this situation dangerous? What are the safety hazards?

• What OSHA rights can Mario and Juan use in this situation?
• What would you do in this situation?
• What could Mario and Juan do now?
4. After you have listed students’ responses, make sure your lists of safety hazards and
rights include the information from the Handout “Facilitator Answer Sheet for
Scenario #1” (from Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum). Add any missing information to
your lists.
Part 2 – Responding to the scenario
1. Divide students into pairs and give each pair copies of Handout 15b.
Lesson 9 27 of 73
2. Ask students to work in pairs to create a follow up dialogue to the “Safety Net”
dialogue in Handout 15a. Students should create, write out and then practice their
dialogues with their pair partners.
3. When pairs have finished their dialogues, ask volunteer pairs to perform their
dialogues for the whole class. After each performance, invite students to comment
and ask questions about the dialogues.
Teacher Notes
Activity tips and variations. Handout 15a uses the content from the Handout
“Responding to Health and Safety Problems on the Job: Worksheet for Scenario #1”
(from Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum), turned into a dialogue. Using a dialogue
provides speaking practice and brings the scenario to life for students. However, you
may want to use Scenario #1from the Pilot Curriculum as is, or adapt it slightly, instead
of using Handout 15a. You can also use the other scenarios and/or the pictures of
workplace health and safety hazards from Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum, instead of, or
in addition to, Handout 15a. Depending on your class, you may want to create a
simplified version of the Handout “Facilitator Answer Sheet for Scenario #1” (from
Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum) (particularly the information on refusing dangerous
work) to go over with students, give the handout as is to students, or simply use it for
yourself as a resource.
The dialogues that students create using Handout 15b will vary, but can include
refusing to do the work after calling OSHA, and asking the foreman for alternative
assignments. Be sure to cover the “requirements” for refusing dangerous work covered
in the Handout “Facilitator Answer Sheet for Scenario #1” (from Workers Rights Pilot
Curriculum) during this lesson. If students are union members, you can ask them to
create dialogues between Mario and/or Juan and a union representative.
It’s best to work from students’ own experiences of health and safety problems at work.
Instead of using Handout 15a, you and your students can use one or more of students’
health and safety stories from Lesson 2, or students’ stories from class discussions, to
create your own dialogues or scenarios. If students’ bring up current health and safety
problems on the job that haven’t been resolved, the class can develop strategies for
addressing these problems.
Next steps. Students can practice placing a call to OSHA, or convincing other co-
workers to join them in speaking to the foreman. If students are unionized, they should
discuss how to involve the union in the scenario.
Lesson 9 28 of 73
classroom.
Program (2003). To download the Handout “Facilitator Answer Sheet for Scenario #1”
(from Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum) for this lesson, or other parts of the Pilot
Curriculum, go to www.cpcs.umb.edu/lep.
An excellent resource for worker rights in Massachusetts is Schwartz, Robert M. (2000).

Lesson 10 29 of 73
Lesson 10. Body Maps
Objectives
• Identify specific areas of our bodies where we experience work-related pain and
health problems.
• Link our work-related symptoms to health and safety hazards at our work sites.
Materials
• Body maps (Handouts 16a and 16b) drawn onto two sheets of flip chart paper.
• Handout 16a. Body Map (front).
• Handout 16b. Body Map (back).
• Small and large sticky dots to stick on individual and flip-chart-sized Body Maps (of
one color or multiple colors, depending on your class). (See Teacher Notes).
Activities
1. Give students Handouts 16a and 16b (Body Maps) and small sticky dots.
2. Ask students to think about pain, rashes, numbness, headaches and other symptoms
they suffer from that are caused by the work they do.
3. Ask students to stick a dot onto each area of their body maps (Handouts 16a and
16b) where they suffer work-related symptoms (for example, on the back for back
pain, on the head for headaches).
4. When students have finished sticking dots onto Handouts 16a and 16b, give them
large sticky dots and ask them to place the large dots on the flip-chart-sized Body
Maps (front and back), in the same body areas that they have marked on their
individual maps.
5. When students have finished sticking their large dots on the large maps, ask them to
take turns pointing out and explaining their dots to the group. (For example, “I put a
dot on the hands because the cleaning chemicals we use give me a rash.”)
6. Post and ask these questions and record students’ responses on flip chart paper:
• Look at the body map. Which symptoms are most common? Why?
• Which symptoms are least common? Why?
• What does this map tell us about our jobs? About our health and safety as
workers?
Lesson 10 30 of 73
Teacher Notes
Activity tips and variations. This lesson is designed to give students a vivid visual
image of how their jobs affect their health and safety. You can use this lesson as a lead-
in to having students interview their coworkers (Lesson 11), as the initial catalyst
activity for the whole health and safety curriculum unit (before or instead of Lessons 1
and/or 2), or as a lead-in or follow-up activity to students own stories (Lesson 2).
If students work in various work sites, or various departments at the same work site,
you can use different-colored dots for each department or work site. Or you can create
one flip-chart-sized Body Map (front and back) for each department or work site. Or,
you can use one color each for the various types of health and safety hazards (safety
hazards and the four types of health hazards - stress, physical, chemical, biological).
For psychological symptoms like stress, students can mark the body map head and then
explain why they feel stress.
Next steps. You can generate a list of body and symptom-related vocabulary for
students learn and practice. You can also label body parts on the body maps (Handouts
16a and 16b) and use them to help students learn body-related vocabulary. The class
can create a chart that lists each symptom they marked on the body maps, what causes
it, and what kind of health or safety hazard it is (physical, chemical, biological, etc.).
You and your students can brainstorm next steps and strategies for dealing with
symptoms and problems identified during this lesson.
This lesson is adapted from an activity created for the Training Institute for Spanish-Speaking Health and
Safety Workplace Advocates held at SEIU Local 285 in 1997. The idea for this activity came from Susan
Moir.
Lesson 11 31 of 73
Lesson 11. Coworker Interviews
Objectives
• Practice using a coworker interview to gather workplace health and safety

information from coworkers.
• Collect, collate, and analyze workplace health and safety information from
coworkers.
• Discuss strategies for addressing health and safety problems at work.
Materials
• Flip chart-sized Body maps from Lesson 10.
• Handout 17 symptoms and body parts checklists written on flip chart paper (or
copied onto an Overhead Projector sheet).
• Handout 17. Coworker Interview.
Activities
Part 1 – Coworker interview
1. Post your flip chart-sized body maps from Lesson 10 and ask students to help you
review the main symptoms and problems identified during that lesson. (If you have
not done Lesson 10, you can refer back to students’ stories about workplace health
and safety from previous lessons.)
2. Explain that students will interview their coworkers to find out what health and
safety problems coworkers have in their jobs.
3. Post your flip chart (or Overhead Projector) checklists of symptoms and body parts
from Handout 17. Explain that students will use these parts of the Coworker
Interview to ask coworkers about symptoms and check them off. Go through the
items on the checklists with the class, so that everyone understands how to check off
the items when they interview coworkers.
4. Ask students what else they would like to ask their coworkers about health and
safety on the job. Write their ideas for questions on flip chart paper. With the whole
class, finalize these questions and add them to the “Additional Questions” section of
your flip chart or Overhead Projector version of Handout 17.
5. Photocopy Handout 17 with students “Additional Questions” added.
Lesson 11 32 of 73
6. Divide students into pairs and ask pairs to practice interviewing each other.
Part 2 – Conducting coworker interviews
1. Lead a whole-class discussion using the questions below. Use the questions to
brainstorm any changes students want to make to the Coworker Interview
(Handout 17), tips and strategies for interviewing coworkers, and a plan for
conducting interviews.
1. How did your practice interviews go?

2. What do you think of the Coworker Interview (Handout 17)? (Is it too long or
detailed? Do the checklists and the Additional Questions elicit the information
we want?)
3. What changes should we make to the Coworker Interview (if any)?
4. What are some tips or strategies for interviewing coworkers? (When and where
should you interview coworkers? Who should you interview? How should you
explain the interview and its purpose?)
5. How can we make sure that all information collected will be kept confidential
and anonymous?
2. After the class has discussed the interview tool and developed a plan to interview
coworkers, revise Handout 17 as needed and give students enough copies to
conduct all the interviews planned.
3. As students are interviewing coworkers (during the next few weeks or months), do
periodic check-ins with the class to hear how interviews are going, and revise the
interview tool or plans as needed.
Part 3 – Analyzing information from coworker interviews
1. When students have finished interviewing their coworkers, ask them to bring their
interview sheets (Handout 17) to class.
2. Gather the information collected onto your flip-chart-sized or Overhead Projector

version of Handout 17, or onto one clean copy of Handout 17. (See Teacher Notes.)
3. Ask students to look at the collated information. Post and ask these questions and
record students’ responses on flip chart paper:
• Which symptoms are most common? Why?

• What does this information tell us about our health and safety at work?
• What should we do with this information? What can we do about the symptoms
and problems we found?
Lesson 11 33 of 73
Teacher Notes
Activity tips and variations. This lesson is an example of an action that students can
take together to research health and safety problems at work. The lesson works best if
all students work at the same work site, but you can also use it for classes with workers
from several workplaces.
You can adapt this lesson based on your group’s literacy levels, language abilities and
work situations. For example, if all students marked certain symptoms on the Body
Map (Lesson 10), your group may want to create a symptoms checklist for those
symptoms only. For a group with lower-level literacy skills, you may want to shorten
the Handout 17 symptoms and body parts check lists, or create Additional Questions
that allow a yes/no response (so students won’t have to record whole-sentence
answers).
Additional questions might include: What other symptoms or pain do you have from
your job? Do your coworkers experience similar symptoms or problems? What have
you done about the symptoms or problems? What health and safety training have you
gotten on this job? What equipment do you use to protect yourself on the job (gloves,
eye goggles, ear plugs, hard hat)? Do you have the protective equipment that you need?
If you don’t, why not? Have you had an accident at this job? How did it happen? How
long were you out of work? How did the accident affect you or coworkers?
Depending on your students’ levels and needs, you can handle the collecting of
interview results (Part 3, step 2) as a whole-class activity, or ask students to do it in
small groups or pairs (with the interviews they completed) and then report their results
to the class. As each group or pair reports, they (or you) can add their results to a
whole-class tally.
Next steps. The coworker interview is an open-ended activity that allows students to
develop strategies for addressing their workplace health and safety issues. Strategies
and next steps will vary depending on your students. If students are unionized, they
may want to invite their union representative to class to discuss interview results. If
students’ work site has a Health and Safety Committee, students could prepare and
make a presentation on interview results to the committee. Students can make a plan to
speak with coworkers about going to supervisors with interview results, and practice
what they will say to supervisors. Students can review OSHA rules and regulations
from previous lessons and decide how OSHA might be involved.
Interviewing each other and other coworkers provides students with ample
opportunities for speaking and grammar practice. Before, during and after Lesson 11,
Lesson 11 34 of 73
students can work on asking and answering questions, and learning and practicing
verbs and phrases that describe body areas and symptoms.
It is best if the idea of interviewing coworkers comes from students. You can invite
students to brainstorm various ideas for getting health and safety information from
coworkers (chatting during breaks, meeting after work at someone’s home), and see
which ideas they are most comfortable taking on.
workers. For example, workers might get into trouble for attempting to interview
coworkers or talk with them about work-related health and safety problems. You and
your students should talk about potential benefits and risks of discussing workplace
health and safety issues in class, and of taking action outside the classroom. You should
familiarize yourself with students’ workplaces, union contracts, and jobs before you
consider doing coworker interviews.
This lesson is adapted from an activity created for the Training Institute for Spanish-Speaking Health and
Safety Workplace Advocates held at SEIU Local 285 in 1997. The idea for this activity came from Susan
Moir.
35 of 73
Other activity ideas
As students share their knowledge and experiences of health and safety issues at their
workplaces, you can use activities like the ones below to help students get more
information and take action on these issues.
Obtain and examine MSDS sheets
Employers must keep Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) on chemicals used by
workers on the job. If students talk about problems with chemicals, the class can make a
plan for obtaining MSDS information on these chemicals. MSDS sheets are often written
in complicated, technical language, but the class can practice skimming the sheets and
locating key information. If students discover that the employer is not storing or using
chemicals correctly, or has not provided workers with the necessary safety gear for
handling chemicals (gloves, masks), the class can create strategies for approaching the
employer and addressing the problems.
Examine workplace precaution signs
If students want to discuss precaution signs posted on the job, the class can get copies of
the signs, or tour the work site and write down information from posted signs. The
class can use the signs for language work, and discuss whether or not the employer has
trained workers on posted precautions or provided necessary safety gear. If students
discover that the employer has not posted enough information, or has not provided
training or proper equipment, the class can brainstorm strategies for dealing with this.
Practice making accident reports
Part of dealing with health and safety on the job is knowing what to do if an accident
happens, and how to write up an accident report. Students can share their experiences
with workplace accidents and reporting. The class can review the work site’s
procedures for responding to accidents and filing reports. If there have been problems
with these procedures in the past, the class can create strategies for improving them.
Create risk maps of students’ work sites
To explore workplace health and safety hazards and risks in more depth, students can
create risk maps of their work sites. Risk mapping involves drawing a map of the work
site and labeling risks in each area. Students can draw their maps on sheets of flip chart
paper and use large sticky dots to mark the various risks and hazards at their jobs. You
can use different colors of sticky dots for each type of hazard (biological, chemical, etc.).
36 of 73
Handouts
1. Francisca’s Story p. 37
2. Francisca’s Story – Yes or No p. 38
3. Francisca’s Story – Questions p. 40
4. Francisca’s Story – Missing Words p. 41
5. Francisca’s Story – Vocabulary Practice p. 43
v Handout “What Are Workplace Hazards?” *
(from Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum)*
6. Health and Safety Hazard Vocabulary Practice p. 44
7. What is OSHA? p. 46
8. OSHA – Yes or No p. 48
9. Worker Rights Under OSHA p. 50
10. Employer Responsibilities Under OSHA p. 51
11a. OSHA Sentence Halves (front halves) p. 52
11b. OSHA Sentence Halves (back halves) p. 54
11c. OSHA Sentences (whole) p. 56
12. Union Contract Health and Safety Information p. 58
13. Union Contract Pages p. 60
14a. Have to or Doesn’t Have to p. 63
14b. Has to or Doesn’t Have to p. 64
15a. The Safety Net p. 65
15b. The Safety Net, Part 2 p. 66
v Handout “Facilitator Answer Sheet for Scenario #1” *
(from Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum)*
16a. Body Map (front) p. 67
16b. Body Map (back) p. 68
17. Coworker Interview p. 69
* To download these handouts or other parts of the Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum, go to
www.cpcs.umb.edu/lep.
37 of 73
Handout 1. Francisca’ Story
I had a job at Massachusetts General Hospital. I worked in the

emergency room. I changed needle boxes. One Saturday, I started
to change the needle boxes in my area. When I finished, I went to
put the boxes in the trash room and I saw one box open. I picked
up the box to close it, but I didn’t notice a needle sticking out. The
needle stabbed me and went through my glove and my hand.
I walked until I saw a nurse. I told her that the needled stabbed
me. She stopped what she was doing and took care of me. The
same day, she took my blood to do a test on it. Then she gave me
a shot and some pills. The pills made me dizzy and gave me an
upset stomach.
The next day, I got up and went to work. When I took my

medicine, I felt very dizzy and my legs felt numb. So I went to the
doctor again. She gave me a paper so that I could stay home for
two days.
They tested me for HIV. The test came back negative, and I felt so
happy. The gloves had not protected me from the needle stick,
but I was lucky and I was O.K. Now I feel better.
Adapted from Santos, F. (2002). Sea Urchins, Needles and Gloves. In Working Writers V: A Literary
Collection by the Students of the Worker Education Program, 27. Boston: Worker Education Program/SEIU
Local 2020.
38 of 73
Handout 2. Francisca’s Story – Yes or No
Francisca’s Story
1. Francisca worked at Massachusetts General Hospital. Yes No
2. Francisca worked in the emergency room. Yes No
3. Francisca worked as a nurse. Yes No
4. Francisca changed needle boxes. Yes No
5. When she picked up a needle box, a needle stabbed her. Yes No
6. Francisca walked until she found a nurse. Yes No
7. The nurse didn’t take care of Francisca. Yes No
8. The next day, Francisca got up and went to work. Yes No
9. Francisca felt very good at work that day. Yes No
10. The medicine made Francisca feel dizzy. Yes No
11. The gloves protected Francisca from the needle stick. Yes No
12. The HIV test for Francisca came back negative. Yes No
39 of 73
Handout 2, page 2. Francisca’s Story – Yes or No
Your experience, Yes or No
1. I work in a hospital. Yes No
2. I work in the emergency room. Yes No
3. I change needle boxes for my job. Yes No
4. I use gloves for my job. Yes No
5. I have had an accident at work. Yes No
6. There is a nurse at my job to take care of problems. Yes No
40 of 73
Handout 3. Francisca’s Story – Questions

Francisca’s Story
1. What was Francisca’s job?
2. How did Francisca hurt herself at work?
3. What did Francisca do after she hurt herself?
4. Why was Francisca’s accident at work so serious?
5. What could happen at Francisca’s workplace to make it safer for

workers?
Your Experience
1. What is your job?
2. Have you or a co-worker ever hurt yourself at work? How?
3. What happened after this accident at work? How did you handle it?
41 of 73
Handout 4. Francisca’ Story – Missing Words
I had a job at Massachusetts General Hospital. I worked in the

________________ room. I changed _______________ boxes. One
Saturday, I started to change the needle boxes in my area. When I
finished, I went to put the boxes in the ______________ room and
I saw one box open. I picked up the box to close it, but I didn’t
notice a needle sticking out. The needle ________________ me and
went through my glove and my hand.
I walked until I saw a _____________. I told her that the needle

stabbed me. She stopped what she was doing and took
____________ of me. The same day, she took my ______________
to do a test on it. Then she gave me a shot and some pills. The
pills made me _____________ and gave me an upset stomach.
The next day, I got up and went to work. When I took my

________________, I felt very dizzy and my legs felt ___________.
So I went to the _______________ again. She gave me a paper so
that I could stay home for two days.
42 of 73
Handout 4, page 2. Francisca’ Story – Missing Words
They tested me for _________. The test came back ______________

and I felt so happy. The gloves had not ___________________ me
from the needle stick, but I was ________________ and I was O.K.
Now I feel better.
Adapted from Santos, F. (2002). Sea Urchins, Needles and Gloves. In Working Writers V: A Literary
Collection by the Students of the Worker Education Program, 27. Boston: Worker Education Program/SEIU
Local 2020 (formerly Local 285).
43 of 73
Handout 5. Francisca’s Story – Vocabulary Practice
stabs upset
gloves negative
nurses lucky
blood medicine
pills emergency
1. Pills are one kind of ____________________.

2. If a needle goes into your hand, it _______________ your hand.
3. Francisca was _______________ because her blood test came back
negative.
4. In a hospital, ____________________ help people who are sick.
5. Francisca worked in the ____________________ room.
6. We use ____________________ to protect our hands.
7. When Francisca took the _______________, they gave her an upset
stomach.
8. If you don’t have HIV, the blood test comes back
____________________.
9. If your stomach is _______________, you don’t feel good.
10. When the needle stabbed Francisca, they tested her
____________________ for HIV.
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Handout 6. Safety Hazards Vocabulary Practice
1. flammable materials ladders are not safe or are in bad

condition
2. unguarded machines workers are too tired because of

too many hours of work
3. unsafe ladders materials that can explode easily
4. explosive materials machines with no protection
5. poor housekeeping materials that catch fire fast
6. exposed wires floors are wet; you can slip and

fall
7. sparks they can start a fire
8. too much overtime there is something in front of the

exit
9. slippery floors wires are showing or sticking out
10.blocked exits work areas are dirty and this is not

healthy
45 of 73
Handout 6, page 2. Health Hazards Vocabulary Practice
1. speed up chemicals for cleaning
2. boring work they can smell bad
3. repetitive work carbon monoxide, for example
4. dampness flies, cockroaches or other bugs
5. repetitive motion you have to work faster
6. gases work that is not interesting
7. cleaners flu, tuberculosis, AIDS
8. vapors or fumes doing the same job over and over
9. contagious diseases something is not completely dry
10. insects doing the same motion over and

over
46 of 73
Handout 7. What is OSHA?
What is OSHA?
• OSHA is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
• OSHA was created by the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
• OSHA protects workers from health and safety hazards in the

workplace and on the job.
What does OSHA do?
1. OSHA makes legal standards to protect workers’ health and

safety on the job.
2. OSHA enforces the standards.
3. OSHA inspects workplaces to make sure they are safe.
4. OSHA gives employers information to make workplaces safe

and healthy.
5. OSHA enforces workers’ rights to make complaints to OSHA,

without punishment by their employer.
6. OSHA makes procedures for reporting and record keeping to

keep track of job-related injuries and illnesses.
Adapted from the Handout “Your OSHA Rights” in the Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum, University of
Massachusetts Labor Extension Program, 2003, www.cpcs.umb.edu/lep.
47 of 73
Handout 7, page 2. What is OSHA?
Who is protected by OSHA?
• Most workers are protected by OSHA, but not all workers.
• Workers who are not protected or covered by OSHA are:
1. Workers in workplaces that have 5 workers or fewer.
2. Workers for the State, county and city governments in

Massachusetts.
3. Workers in workplaces that are regulated by another

federal agency (like mining or seafaring).
4. Workers who are self-employed.
5. Workers who are employed by the federal government.
48 of 73
Handout 8. OSHA – Yes or No
OSHA
1. OSHA protects workers from health and safety hazards. Yes No
2. OSHA makes legal standards to protect workers. Yes No
3. OSHA inspects workplaces to make sure they are safe. Yes No
4. OSHA protects all workers. Yes No
5. OSHA protects state, county and city workers in Mass. Yes No
6. OSHA gives employers information about workplace Yes No

health and safety.
7. OSHA protects workers who are self-employed. Yes No
8. Workers have the right to complain to OSHA. Yes No
9. OSHA makes procedures to keep track of injuries and Yes No

illnesses on the job.
10. OSHA protects workers who are employed by the Yes No

federal government.
11. OSHA protects workers in workplaces that have Yes No

5 workers or fewer.
12. OSHA protects workers in mining or seafaring. Yes No
13. OSHA is the Occupational Health and Safety Yes No

Administration.
49 of 73
Handout 8, page 2. OSHA – Yes or No
My experience – Yes or No
1. I work in a workplace that has 5 workers or fewer. Yes No
2. I work for the state, county or city government in Mass. Yes No
3. I work in a federal agency. Yes No
4. I am self-employed. Yes No
5. I am employed by the federal government. Yes No
6. I am protected by OSHA. Yes No
7. I have the right to make a complaint to OSHA. Yes No
50 of 73
Handout 9. Worker Rights Under OSHA
1. Workers have the right to a workplace that has no known

hazards. This is called the “General Duty” clause.
2. Workers have the right to ask for and get information from
their employer about health and safety hazards on the job.
3. Workers have the right to see their medical records or exposure

records from work.
4. Workers have the right to see copies of OSHA regulations

about their workplace.
5. Workers have the right to look at their employer’s records of

injuries and illnesses that have happened at work.
6. Workers have the right to refuse dangerous work if they

believe, with reason, that they could be seriously hurt or killed
immediately, and they have asked the boss to eliminate the
danger, and there is no safer way to do the job.
7. Workers have the right to make a complaint to OSHA about

dangerous conditions on the job. OSHA will not show workers’
names to their boss.
8. Workers have the right to be protected from punishment by

their employers for using their rights under OSHA.
51 of 73
Handout 10. Employer Responsibilities Under OSHA
1. Employers have to provide a workplace that has no known

hazards.
2. Employers have to obey all OSHA regulations.
3. Employers have to put up the OSHA “Job Safety and Health”

poster where all workers can see it.
4. Employers have to tell OSHA about any workplace accident

that kills a worker or sends 5 or more workers to the hospital.
They have to tell OSHA within 8 hours.
5. Employers have to keep records of job-related injuries and

illnesses. Every year in February, they have to put up a
summary of job-related injuries and illnesses from the past
year.
6. Employers have to let a worker representative go with the

OSHA inspector during an inspection.
7. Employers have to put up a notice of any OSHA citations at or

near the place where the violations happened. The notice has to
stay up for at least 3 days, or until the violation is corrected.
8. Employers have to correct hazards within the time period set

by OSHA in a citation.
9. Employers cannot punish workers for using their OSHA rights.
52 of 73
Handout 11a. OSHA Sentence Halves (front halves)
Workers have the right to a workplace that has …

Cut sentences into strips……………………………………………………
Workers have the right to ask for and get information from their
employer …
……………………………………………………………………...
Workers have the right to see their medical records …
Workers have the right to see …
Workers have the right to look at their employer’s records of …
Workers have the right to refuse …
Workers have the right to make a …
Employers have to obey …
Employers have to put up the OSHA “Job Safety and Health”

poster …
53 of 73
Handout 11a, page 2. OSHA Sentence Halves (front halves)
Employers have to tell OSHA about any workplace accident that..

Employers have to keep records of …
Every year in February, employers have to …
Employers have to let a worker representative …
Employers have to put up a notice of any OSHA citations at …
Employers have to correct hazards …
Employers cannot punish workers …
54 of 73
Handout 11b. OSHA Sentence Halves (back halves)
… no known hazards.
… about health and safety hazards on the job.

………………………………………………………………………
… or exposure records from work.
… copies of OSHA regulations about their workplace.
… injuries and illnesses that have happened at work.
… dangerous work if they believe that they could be seriously

hurt or killed immediately.
… complaint to OSHA about dangerous conditions on the job.
… all OSHA regulations.
… where all workers can see it.
55 of 73
Handout 11b, page 2. OSHA Sentence Halves (back halves)
… kills a worker or sends 5 or more workers to the hospital. They

have to tell OSHA within 8 hours.
… job-related injuries and illnesses.
… put up a summary of job-related injuries and illnesses from the

past year.
… go with the OSHA inspector during an inspection.
… or near the place where the violations happened.
… within the time period set by OSHA in a citation.
… for using their OSHA rights.
56 of 73
Handout 11c. OSHA Sentences (whole)
Workers have the right to a workplace that has … no known

hazards.
Workers have the right to ask for and get information from their
employer … about health and safety hazards on the job.
Workers have the right to see their medical records … or

exposure records from work.
Workers have the right to see … copies of OSHA regulations

about their workplace.
Workers have the right to look at their employer’s records of …

injuries and illnesses that have happened at work.
Workers have the right to refuse … dangerous work if they

believe that they could be seriously hurt or killed immediately.
Workers have the right to make a … complaint to OSHA about

dangerous conditions on the job.
Employers have to obey … all OSHA regulations.
Employers have to put up the OSHA “Job Safety and Health”

poster … where all workers can see it.
57 of 73
Handout 11c, page 2. OSHA Sentences (whole)
Employers have to tell OSHA about any workplace accident that

… kills a worker or sends 5 or more workers to the hospital. They
have to tell OSHA within 8 hours.
Employers have to keep records of … job-related injuries and

illnesses.
Every year in February, employers have to … put up a summary

of job-related injuries and illnesses from the past year.
Employers have to let a worker representative … go with the

OSHA inspector during the inspection.
Employers have to put up a notice of any OSHA citations at … or

near the place where the violations happened.
Employers have to correct hazards … within the time period set

by OSHA in a citation.
Employers cannot punish workers … for using their OSHA

rights.
58 of 73
Handout 12. Union Contract Health and Safety Information
Contract Table of Contents
On what page can you find information about . . .
Grievance procedures? __________
Hours of work and overtime? __________
Earned time? __________
Family and Medical Leave Act? __________
Health and welfare? __________
Committees? __________
Skim each of the sections and pages above. Which section is specifically
about worker health and safety? ______________________________
Health and Safety Committee (union contract pages 44 – 45)
Section 1. What does the hospital have to provide?
Section 2. Who has to be on the Health and Safety Committee?
What topics can the committee meet about (3 examples)?
59 of 73
Handout 12, page 2. Union Contract Health and Safety

Information
Section 2. What happens to recommendations from the Health and Safety

Committee? What other committee looks at the recommendations?
Section 3. If the union asks, what results will the Hospital provide?
Section 4. What can workers do with their complaints about unsafe or

unhealthy working conditions?
Can the Hospital punish a worker who complains about unsafe

or unhealthy working conditions?
Section 5. What kind of training does the Hospital have to provide?
Section 6. If workers ask for it, what does the Hospital have to provide for
workers going to the parking lot?
Section 7. What does Section 7 mean?
60 of 73
Handout 13. Union Contract Pages
Exerpted from Collective Bargaining Agreement between Boston Medical Center and Local 285, Service
Employees International Union, AFL-CIO/CLC and American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees, AFL-CIO, Council 93. October 1999-September 2002.
61 of 73
Handout 13, page 2. Union Contract Pages
62 of 73
Handout 13, page 3. Union Contract Pages
63 of 73
Handout 14a. Have to or Don’t Have to
1. Employers ____________________ provide a workplace that has no

known hazards.
2. Employers ____________________ obey all OSHA regulations.
3. Employers ____________________ put up the OSHA “Job Safety and
Health” poster where all workers can see it.
4. Employers ____________________ tell OSHA about a minor
workplace accident that involves only 1 or 2 workers.
5. Employers ____________________ keep records of job-related injuries
and illnesses.
6. Employers ____________________ put up a summary of job-related
injuries and illnesses every month.
7. Employers ____________________ let a worker representative go with
the OSHA inspector during an inspection.
8. Employers ____________________ fix any violations within 3 days.
9. Employers ____________________ fix violations within the time
period set by OSHA.
10. Employers ___________________ let workers make complaints to
OSHA, without punishing them.
11. If workers refuse to do dangerous work, employers
_________________accept the refusal.
12. If workers ask for it, employers ____________________ give them
information about health and safety hazards on the job.
64 of 73
Handout 14b. Has to or Doesn’t have to
1. The hospital ____________________ provide a safe and healthy

workplace.
2. The hospital ____________________ set up a health and safety
committee with the union.
3. The committee ____________________ have equal numbers of
representatives from the union and hospital management.
4. The committee ____________________ meet every week.
5. The committee ____________________ talk about health and safety
issues like infectious diseases, chemical hazards or radiation.
6. The committee ____________________ give its recommendations to
the Hospital Health and Safety Committee.
7. The committee ____________________ fix any health and safety
violations within 3 days.
8. If the union asks for it, the hospital ____________________ provide
the results of air quality tests.
9. If a worker has a health and safety complaint, the worker
____________________ give the complaint to the union /
management health and safety committee.
10. The hospital ____________________ give workers training on special
precautions and safety features of any new technology.
11. The hospital ____________________ give workers a ride home if they
ask for it.
65 of 73
Handout 15a. The Safety Net
Mario and Juan work for a construction company. The company is constructing a
new building. The company has hung a net to catch any falling parts during
construction. During their break, Mario and Juan start to talk about a dangerous
situation . . .
Juan: You know the net that the company hung up there?
Mario: Yeah. They hung it up to catch stuff that falls during

construction.
Juan: Well, did you notice that it has some holes?
Mario: You’re kidding. That’s no good!
Juan: Last week, a big piece of metal fell through a hole and hit Mike.
He was really hurt. And yesterday, somebody up on the
building dropped a hammer. It fell through a hole in the net
and almost hit me!
Mario: Did you tell the foreman?
Juan: Of course. I asked him to get a new net. But he just told me to
stay away from the areas under the holes.
Mario: But we have to go into those areas for our work! We can’t just
stay away from them.
Juan: I know. I’m afraid that something else is going to fall through
the holes.
Mario: If that happens, somebody else could really get hurt! What do
you think we should do?
Created from content in the Handout “Your OSHA Rights” in the Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum,
University of Massachusetts Labor Extension Program, 2003, www.cpcs.umb.edu/lep.
66 of 73
Handout 15b. The Safety Net, Part 2
Imagine that you are Mario and Juan. You decide to go together to talk the foreman
again about the holes in the net. What will you say to the foreman? What will the
foreman say? Or, You decide to talk to your union representative. What will you
say? What will the union representative say? Write your dialogue below.
Mario + Juan:
Foreman:
(Or Union Representative)
Mario + Juan:
Foreman:
(Or Union Representative)
Etc.
67 of 73
Handout 16a. Body Map (front)
68 of 73
Handout 16b. Body Map (back)
69 of 73
Handout 17. Coworker Interview
Work site: _____________________________ Department: ____________

Position: _____________________________ Date: ___________________
Below is a list of symptoms. Which symptoms do you experience during

your workday and with what frequency?
never sometimes frequently

headaches ___ ___ ___
irritated or burning eyes ___ ___ ___
irritation in your nose ___ ___ ___
irritation in your throat ___ ___ ___
ringing ears ___ ___ ___
persistent cough ___ ___ ___
chest pains ___ ___ ___
difficulty breathing ___ ___ ___
frequent colds ___ ___ ___
itching skin or skin rashes ___ ___ ___
stomachaches ___ ___ ___
dizziness ___ ___ ___
nausea ___ ___ ___
vomiting ___ ___ ___
backache ___ ___ ___
weakness ___ ___ ___
fatigue or drowsiness (sleepiness) ___ ___ ___
cuts, bruises or scratches ___ ___ ___
70 of 73
Handout 17, page 2. Coworker Interview

never sometimes frequently
burns ___ ___ ___
strained or sprained muscles ___ ___ ___
anxiety or nervousness ___ ___ ___
depression ___ ___ ___
Have you experienced discomfort or pain in:
pain tingling numbness

neck ___ ___ ___
shoulders ___ ___ ___
arms ___ ___ ___
forearms ___ ___ ___
wrists ___ ___ ___
hands ___ ___ ___
back ___ ___ ___
waist ___ ___ ___
hips/buttocks ___ ___ ___
thighs ___ ___ ___
knees ___ ___ ___
calves ___ ___ ___
ankles ___ ___ ___
feet ___ ___ ___
71 of 73
Handout 17, page 3. Coworker Interview
Additional Questions
What else would you like to ask your coworkers about health and safety on the job?
Write questions below.
This interview is adapted from an activity created for the Training Institute for Spanish-Speaking Health
and Safety Workplace Advocates held at SEIU Local 285 in 1997. The idea for this activity came from
Susan Moir.
72 of 73
Selected Resources
Arnold, R., Burke, B., James, C., Martin, D., and Thomas, B. (1991). Educating for a
Change. Toronto, Canada: Doris Marshall Institute for Education and Action Between
the Lines.
Auerbach, E. (1992). Making Meaning, Making Change: Participatory Curriculum

Development for Adult ESL Literacy. McHenry, IL: Delta Systems. Washington, DC:
Center for Applied Linguistics.
Auerbach, E. and Wallerstein, N. (2004). Problem-Posing at Work: English for Action.

Edmonton, Alberta: Grass Roots Press.
Barndt, D., Belfiore, M.E. and Handscombe, J. (1991). Teaching English at Work: A Toolkit
for Teachers. Syracuse, NY: New Readers Press.
Belfiore, M.E. and Burnaby, B. (1995). Teaching English in the Workplace. Toronto: OISE
Press.
Bigelow, W. and Diamond, N. (1988). The Power In Our Hands: A Curriculum on the
History of Work and Workers in the United States. New York: Monthly Review Press.
Burke, B., Geronimo, J., Martin, D., Thomas, B. and Wall, C. (2002). Education for
Changing Unions. Toronto, Canada: Between the Lines Press.
Canadian Labour Congress (2001). Seeds for Change: A Curriculum Guide for Worker-
Centered Literacy. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Labour Congress.
CASA of Maryland (2004). English in the Lives of Day Laborers: Workbook; Teacher’s Guide.
Silver Spring, MD: CASA of Maryland.
CASA of Maryland (2004). English for Organizing: Workbook. Silver Spring, MD: CASA
of Maryland.
Delp, L., Outman-Kramer, M., Schurman, S.J. and Wong, K. (Eds.) (2002). Teaching for
Change: Popular Education and the Labor Movement. Los Angeles: UCLA Center for Labor
Research and Education.
Gordon, J. (Ed.) (1991). More Than a Job: Readings on Work and Society. Syracuse, NY: New
Readers Press.
Mar, W. and Webber, A. (2003). Winning at Work: English for Workers’ Rights. Berkeley,
CA: University of California Berkeley, Center for Labor Research and Education.
73 of 73
Metro Labour Education Centre (1990). It’s Our Union Too! Handbook for Immigrant
Workers in Unions in Ontario. Toronto, Ontario: Metro Labour Education Centre.
Metro Labour Education Centre (1990). Unseen Healers: A History of Hospital Workers.
Toronto, Ontario: Metro Labour Education Centre.
Metro Labour Education Centre (1990). Working in the Hospital. Toronto, Ontario: Metro
Labour Education Centre.
Nash, A. (1999). Civic Participation and Community Action Sourcebook for Participatory
Adult Educators. Boston: New England Literacy Resource Center.
Nash, A., Cason, A., Rhum, M., McGrail, L., and Gomez-Sanford, R. (1992). Talking Shop:
A Curriculum Sourcebook for Participatory Adult ESL. McHenry, IL: Delta Systems.
Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics.
National Immigration Law Center (1996). Workers’ Rights Curriculum Resource Manual
Second Edition. Los Angeles: National Immigration Law Center.
Smith, J.H. and Ringel, H. (1991). The Working Experience 1-3. Syracuse, NY: New
Readers Press.
Schwartz, Robert M. (2000). Your Rights on the Job: A Practical Guide to Employment Laws
in Massachusetts. Quincy, MA: Labor Guild of Boston.
University of Massachusetts Labor Extension Program (2003). Workers Rights Pilot

Curriculum. Boston: University of Massachusetts Labor Extension Program.
Utech, J.L. (1999). Workplace Education Classes and Curriculum Development. In

Massachusetts Workplace Literacy Consortium, 1999 Workplace Education Guide, 31-50.
Malden, MA: Massachusetts Department of Education/ACLS.
Utech, J.L. (2004). Workplace Educator Training: A Guide to Creating Worker-Centered

Education Programs. Boston: Massachusetts Worker Education Roundtable.
Wallerstein, N. and Auerbach, E. (2004). Problem-Posing at Work: Popular Educator’s

Guide. Edmonton, Alberta: Grass Roots Press.
Worker Education Program / SEIU Local 2020. (1996-2003). Working Writers Volumes 1-
V1. Boston: Worker Education Program / SEIU Local 2020.

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Workplace Health and Safety ESOL Curriculum

by Jenny Lee Utech

Massachusetts Worker Education Roundtable, ©2005

To use with the

Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum

To download this curriculum, go to www.umass.edu/roundtable.

• Other Activity Ideas p. 35

What is this curriculum?

We have designed lessons for low-intermediate to intermediate level ESOL students

How can you use this curriculum?

What is the U. Mass. Workers Rights Pilot Curriculum?

While the Pilot Curriculum provides information in a straightforward and simple

What is the Massachusetts Worker Education Roundtable?

The Massachusetts Worker Education Roundtable is a statewide network of unionists,

Who is the author of this curriculum?

What is the University of Massachusetts Labor Extension Program?

Lesson 8. Grammar Practice – Students practice grammar points using workplace

Lesson 11. Coworker Interviews – Students practice using a coworker interview to

Lesson 1. Francisca’s Story

Part 1 – Francisca’s Story

• What are the problems Francisca had in this story?

Lesson 2. Students’ Stories

Lesson 3. What are health and safety hazards?

Part 1 – Definitions of health and safety hazards

• Disease may take years to develop

Part 2 – Identifying health and safety hazards

Part 3 – Health and safety hazards from students’ experiences

An excellent resource for worker rights in Massachusetts is Schwartz, Robert M. (2000).

Lesson 4. Health and Safety Discussion

• Discuss our experiences with health and safety at work.

Lesson 5. What is OSHA?

1. Write “Occupational Safety and Health Administration” on the board or on flip

7. Discuss the following questions with students:

• Are you covered by OSHA at your job?

An excellent resource for workers rights in Massachusetts is Schwartz, Robert M. (2000).

Lesson 6. Worker Rights Under OSHA

• Review worker rights and employer responsibilities under OSHA.

Part 1 – Worker rights and employer responsibilities under OSHA

1. Post students’ responses to Lesson 4 discussion questions (worker rights, worker

• What rights do you have for health and safety at work?

6. Repeat steps 3 through 5 for Handout 10.

Part 2 – Rights and responsibilities sentence practice

Part 3 - Comparing OSHA rights with students’ brainstorm

1. Go back to the students’ responses to Lesson 4 discussion questions (worker rights,

Lesson 7. The Union Contract

• Examine workplace health and safety information in students’ union contract(s).

Part 2 – The union contract

Part 3 – Comparing the union contract and laws under OSHA

Lesson 8. Grammar Practice

• Practice grammar points using workplace health and safety information.

• Handout 14 a. Have to or Don’t Have to

• Discussion questions (below) written on flip chart paper.

Part 1 – Reading the scenario

• Why is this situation dangerous? What are the safety hazards?

Part 2 – Responding to the scenario

An excellent resource for worker rights in Massachusetts is Schwartz, Robert M. (2000).

Lesson 10. Body Maps

Lesson 11. Coworker Interviews

• Practice using a coworker interview to gather workplace health and safety

Part 1 – Coworker interview

They tested me for _. The test came back ______