Workers who respond to disasters are disproportionately at risk of injury, illness, and death, resulting in devastating effects on communities. This policy statement aims to address the health and safety concerns workers face in disaster response and clean-up scenarios and underscores the need for equity, resilience, and capacity building through education and training. Opportunities to strengthen local, state, and federal responses to disasters are needed to ensure the equitable protection of workers across all occupations and backgrounds. Public health professionals must advocate for (1) the establishment of protocols for the proper enforcement of policies and programs related to the health and safety of disaster workers; (2) the provision of high-quality and effective health and safety training to disaster workers, including mental health curricula; and (3) the adoption of a systematic approach to training that includes resources to prepare workers for risks in all stages of disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The inclusion of all people affected in the impacted communities will ultimately benefit the broader public health.
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