title: From Awareness to Action: The Community of Sarnia Mobilizes to Protect its Workers from Occupational Disease.
abstract: An exploratory qualitative case study investigated how different sectors of a highly industrialized community mobilized in the 1990s to help workers exposed to asbestos. For this study, thirty key informants including representatives from industry, workers, the community, and local politicians participated in semi-structured interviews and focus groups. The analysis was framed by a "Dimensions of Community Change" model. The informants highlighted the importance of raising awareness, and the need for leadership, social and organizational networks, acquiring skills and resources, individual and community power, holding shared values and beliefs, and perseverance. We found that improvements in occupational health and safety came from persistently communicating a clearly defined issue ("asbestos exposure causes cancer") and having an engaged community that collaborated with union leadership. Notable successes included stronger occupational health services, a support group for workers and widows, the fast-tracking of compensation for workers exposed to asbestos, and a reduction in hazardous emissions.
authors.affiliation: Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Cancer Care Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada desre.kramer@occupationalcancer.ca.
authors.forename: Desre
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.affiliation: Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Cancer Care Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McMillan
authors.affiliation: Occupational Cancer Research Centre, Cancer Care Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.affiliation: Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Anna J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Kone Pefoyo
authors.affiliation: City of Sarnia, City of County of Lambton, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.affiliation: Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Occupational and Environmental Health Clinic, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Dorothy Linn
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Holness
mesh_terms: D001364:Awareness; D002170:Canada; D057191:Capacity Building / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003142:Communication; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D007857:Leadership; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000139:chemically induced; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016272:Occupational Health; D012922:Social Change
keywords: community-based research; knowledge to action; knowledge transfer; occupational cancer