OHS |
Domestic workers perform essential services in the most intimate realm of the home by providing clean, safe spaces for families to enjoy and by caring for children, seniors and those with illnesses or disabilities. Workers are often integrated into the daily rhythms and routines of households, enabling families to function and thrive since domestic work “is the work that makes all other work possible” [Poo, 2015].
In 2017, the University of California Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program (UCLA LOSH), in collaboration with the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) and the California Domestic Workers Coalition (CDWC) released a study, Hidden Work, Hidden Pain: Injury Experiences of Domestic Workers in California. The report offered insight into the various occupational injuries and illnesses experienced by the domestic workforce like housekeepers, childcare providers and caregivers. The report highlighted the need for all domestic workers to be included under California’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (CalOSHA) protection.