At an American Public Health Association annual meeting session a couple of years ago, I learned from the panelists that green jobs aren't always safe jobs -- for instance, energy-efficient buildings and wind turbines can be designed without proper consideration for how workers constructing or servicing them will be protected from falls or assured adequate ventilation in confined spaces. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's Prevention Through Design program is addressing these issues and others related to green jobs, but there's still a lot of progress to be made.
Occupational health and safety at the manufacturing stage are also important. In the case of solar photovoltaics, manufacturing solar panels currently involves using toxic compounds that can harm workers' health and the environment if not handled properly. As You Sow, a nonprofit that promotes corporate responsibility, has released a new report on best practices in the photovoltaics industry. Clean & Green: Best Practices in Photovoltaics. Here are some highlights from their best practices, which resulted from a survey sent to 100 solar companies around the world and consultation with cientists, engineers, academics, and industry consultants.
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