Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

Public Health Councils Program

A person spends on average a third of their life at work: what we do for a living and where we do it can have major implications on our health. The Public Health Councils Program is part of the Los Angeles County’s Department of Public Health’s Office of Worker Health & Safety which supports the advancement of safe and healthy workplaces for all workers in LA County.

Explore Resources Contact the Program Contact the Program
Workers frequently lack the “language” necessary to speak up for themselves... Worker centers help close this gap by providing education and information that empowers workers to take control of their work conditions.
Warehouse Workers Resource Center
This program has allowed us to reach and empower the most vulnerable workers in our communities... It has also strengthened our ability to resolve worksite issues diplomatically and effectively.
Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy
Expand the worker-led Public Health Councils Program. Workers must continue to play an active role in monitoring and enforcing public health standards without fear of retaliation.
UCLA Labor Center & KIWA
Program overview

Advancing Safe and Healthy Workplaces Across Los Angeles County

The Public Health Councils (PHC) Program supports partnerships between local government and trusted worker and community-based organizations to address public health inequities in essential and low-wage industries across Los Angeles County.

The program trains and supports these organizations in delivering outreach and education on key public health topics, distributing personal protective equipment (PPE), hosting mobile vaccine clinics, and coordinating directly with public health officials and other county departments to address workplace health and safety hazards and other related issues.

The program empowers workers to form PHCs at their worksites and across industries to promote compliance with local and state labor regulations while improving workplace health and safety.

Our history

How the Public Health Councils Program Began

In November 2020, with advocacy from labor and community-based organizations, the LA County Board of Supervisors launched the Public Health Councils initiative within the LA County Department of Public Health.

The PHC pilot program was an innovative response to serious workplace health challenges that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, when traditional enforcement mechanisms struggled to reach workers facing the greatest risks of infection and transmission.

During this time, organizations were trained on Health Officer Orders to encourage compliance, slow the spread of COVID-19, and support the safe reopening of businesses. The model also recognized workers as key partners in identifying hazards and promoting safer workplaces.

The pilot has since evolved and helped pave the way for the establishment of the Office of Worker Health and Safety (OWHS) in May 2024.

Our approach

A Worker-Centered Public Health Model

The Public Health Councils (PHC) Program model adopts a collaborative learning approach and recognizes workers as subject-matter experts in identifying hazards and elevating concerns within their workplaces.

As part of the PHC program, trusted worker and community-based organizations are trained to become Certified Worker Organizations (CWOs), who share information with workers to respond to public health threats, develop strategies that strengthen workplace health and safety, and support the formation of Public Health Councils (PHCs).

Issues we address:

  • Injury and illness prevention and compliance
  • Anti-retaliation
  • Disaster and emergency preparedness and response
  • Emerging workplace hazards, such as extreme heat, silicosis, and wildfire
  • Human trafficking
  • Wage and hour rights

This program enables the Department of Public Health to respond to emerging public health threats, including H5N1, Mpox, Dengue, and wildfires throughout Los Angeles County, while offering a blueprint for protecting essential workers that can be applied by jurisdictions everywhere.

Our industries

Priority Work Sectors

The PHC Program focuses on industries where workers often face elevated health and safety risks and where worker-led public health engagement can make the greatest difference.

Industries prioritized by the PHC Program include:

Car Wash
Construction
Domestic & Household Services
Food Manufacturing
Gardening
Garment Manufacturing
Grocery & Retail
Massage
Nail Salons
Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly
Restaurants
Warehouses & Storage
Recognition

Awards & Recognition

Contact Us

We’re here to help

Reach out with questions about Public Health Councils, workplace resources, reporting information, or general inquiries.

DPH-PHCouncils@ph.lacounty.gov Copied!

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Reach out with questions about Public Health Councils, workplace resources, reporting information, or general inquiries.

DPH-PHCouncils@ph.lacounty.gov Copied!

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