The parent project aimed to reduce negative health outcomes in small businesses that primarily employed high-risk Latinx workers by characterizing their exposures to hazardous chemicals and assessing if a community health worker (CHW) intervention could decrease these exposures.

Workers in small businesses faced an increased risk of COVID-19 exposure and severe economic impacts due to social distancing and shelter-in-place guidelines. In addition, small businesses were often unable to obtain needed personal protective equipment and significantly increased their cleaning practices, which in turn increased their chemical exposures. Small businesses were more likely to employ low-wage Latinx workers and used hazardous solvents, including volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), that could cause asthma and cardiovascular disease—risk factors for COVID-19 complications. Yet, their workers lacked access to culturally and linguistically appropriate occupational health information, including for COVID-19. Due to social distancing and shelter-in-place guidelines, chemical exposures could not be measured, nor could face-to-face CHW interventions be conducted.

The primary goal of the supplement application was to enhance relationships with small business partners by responding to their immediate needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and helping them through the crisis, while promoting worker safety through a novel tele-promotora program. CHWs were an innovative method to bridge the gap between small businesses and other stakeholders.