Toxic contaminants inadvertently brought from the workplace to the home, known as take-home or paraoccupational exposures, have often been framed as a problem that arises due to unsanitary worker behavior. This review article conceptualizes take-home exposures as a public health hazard by (i) investigating the history of take-home contaminants and how they have been studied, (ii) arguing that an ecosocial view of the problem is essential for effective prevention, (iii) summarizing key structural vulnerabilities that lead populations to be at risk, and (iv) discussing future research and prevention effort needs. This article reframes take-home exposures as one of many chronic pathways that contributes to persistent health disparities among workers, their families, and communities. Including the role of work in community health will increase the comprehensiveness of prevention efforts for contaminants such as lead and pesticides that contribute to environmental disparities.

Death certificates are a crucial tool in public health, yet American Indians and Alaska Natives have long been misclassified after death, most often as white. During the COVID-19 pandemic, rapid provisional death counts have used data from death certificates to identify outbreaks and allocate resources. This paper interrogates common practices of funeral directors—who complete the demographic portion of the death certificate—as well as the social context in which they operate. The paper then reviews how these determinants of American Indian and Alaska Native misclassification may have changed during the pandemic and discusses implications for the quality of COVID-19 mortality data and opportunities for improvement.

Workers can accidentally transport chemical hazards from the workplace to the home, known as “take-home exposures.” Recent take-home lead-poisoning cases highlight the need for effective prevention training. A one-hour take-home prevention training was developed in partnership with a nonprofit. The training was administered and evaluated during two training sessions with twenty-one trainees. The training was composed of a lecture and interactive activities. An illustrated poster was used with different prevention actions within a story line to reduce take-home exposures under three categories: facilities with formal health and safety programs, small businesses, and outdoor work. The effectiveness and acceptability of the training was measured by a survey and pre- and posttraining exams. The second training exam responses showed a 14 percent (84 percent to 98 percent) increase in take-home prevention knowledge. Community-based prevention training could reduce the burden of chemical exposures on vulnerable workers and their families.

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