Workplace injury or “part of the job”?: Towards a gendered understanding of injuries and complaints among young workers

Development and Cognitive Testing of Occupational Safety and Health Questions for a Youth Survey: Addressing the Research Needs for a Vulnerable Working Population

BACKGROUND

While more than 2.5 million U.S. high students worked in 2020, data to assess how work affects this group are sparse. To facilitate such research, a set of occupational safety and health questions for inclusion on the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) and other youth-focused surveys was developed.

METHODS

Survey questions about occupational experiences of young workers were adapted from other surveys or created de novo. Key audiences were engaged to define priority topic areas and develop draft questions, which were further refined through cognitive interviews with working youth.

RESULTS

Twenty-one resulting questions spanned multiple work-related topics: employment status; health outcomes; psychosocial exposures; and safety climate. Cognitive testing revealed that youth (aged 14-19) had difficulty with temporal concepts. Some difficulties reflected the propensity of youth to engage in multiple, online, and informal jobs. During 3 rounds of interviews, questions were adjusted to better reflect youth employment circumstances and language. Four states added at least 1 work-related question to their 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey questionnaire, and the full set of questions has been disseminated to federal agencies and partners.

CONCLUSION

Including tailored questions about employment in surveys of youth will facilitate occupational health surveillance for this group. Analysis of resulting data can help to close knowledge gaps, provide current prevalence data, inform policy, and allow development of focused prevention and intervention strategies to reduce adverse outcomes among young workers.

Young workers and safety: A critical review and future research agenda

INTRODUCTION

Research on young worker safety often relies on inconsistent definitions of young workers and poorly delineated indicators of occupational safety. This review aims to reconcile these fundamental issues by critically integrating research across disciplines and providing clear directions for future research on young worker safety.

METHOD

We critically review the extant research on young worker safety.

RESULTS

We first reconcile the inconsistent definitions of young workers and specify the indicators of occupational safety used in young worker safety research. We next describe the prevalence of workplace injuries and population-level predictors of these injuries among young workers and then outline other factors that increase young workers' susceptibility to workplace injuries. Finally, we discuss the convergence of many of these issues on family farms-a context commonly studied in young worker safety research.

CONCLUSIONS

Clearer definitions of young workers and indicators of occupational safety can improve the interpretation and comparability of extant research findings. Furthermore, the prevalence of workplace injuries and population-level predictors of injury among young workers are subject to the interactions among age, gender, minority status, and job characteristics. Other factors that increase young workers' susceptibility to injury include young workers' responses to hazardous work, individual differences stemming from young workers' biological and psychological development, managerial attitudes about young workers, and the limited safety training young workers are thus provided, the types of work that young workers typically perform, and the range of social influences on young workers.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Safety campaigns and safety training should consider interactions among young workers' age, gender, minority status, and job characteristics, rather than considering these features independently.

Development of a reflective learning method to support health and safety of adolescents with learning difficulties enrolled in a pre-work practicum

The challenges of youth employment include providing appropriate job training and safe working conditions for women and men. Adolescents enrolled in the Work-oriented Training Path (WOTP) complete a practicum as part of their vocational preparation, notwithstanding learning difficulties or disabilities. This research-action study among this subpopulation used a method called the self-reflection interview (SRI). Developed in the field of ergonomics, it combines interviews and worksite observations to establish discussion prompts. This method is based on the principles of situated learning. The objective is to analyse the process of conducting SRIs with WOTP's students in order to suggest adaptations for this specific population considering their challenges. SRIs were used to address gender stereotypes and occupational health and safety (OHS) risks, two learning targets. The study found that these dimensions are accurately addressed with this method. The findings confirm that the prompts and the method must be adapted to the population.Practitioner summary: The challenges of youth employment require appropriate job training and safe working conditions for women and men. The study used a reflective method called the self-reflection interview as a learning resource, based on situated learning. The study found that OHS and gender differentiation are accurately addressed with this method.Abbreviations: SRI: selfreflection interview; WOTP: Work-oriented Training Path; OHS: occupational health and safety.

Protecting Young Agricultural Workers: The Development of an Online Supervisor Training

Adolescents and young adults working in agriculture are at greater risk of injury. We describe the development of an online safety and health training for people who hire, teach, or supervise young agricultural workers. The online training targeted specific skills supervisors can use to effectively supervise, train, and communicate with young workers about health and safety hazards that impact injury risk. Consistent with NIOSH's evidence-based Total Worker Health® approach, the training integrated safety and health promotion and was also informed by behavioral change theories. An iterative approach was used to develop and evaluate the training. A content review provided feedback on topics and organization of material. Safety and health experts assessed the revised training content and rated the training topics on clarity, accuracy, and completeness. Finally, a pilot study with employers and health and safety professionals was used to evaluate the training materials. The content review suggested ways to reorganize the material to improve flow and reduce redundancy. Ratings of clarity, accuracy, and completeness were high, ranging from 5 to 7 (mean ratings from 5.8 to 7.0) on a scale of 1 ("does not do this at all") to 7 ("does this very well"). The pilot study led to changes in wording and items used to assess knowledge. A theoretically-informed approach was used to develop an online supervisor training to increase awareness and build skills. An iterative process that included expert review, evaluation of learning competencies, and a pilot study with the end-users is described.

Risk Factor Recognition for Automatic Safety Management in Construction Sites Using Fast Deep Convolutional Neural Networks

Many industrial accidents occur at construction sites. Several countries are instating safety management measures to reduce industrial accidents at construction sites. However, there are few technical measures relevant to this task, and there are safety blind spots related to differences in human resources’ capabilities. We propose a deep convolutional neural network that automatically recognizes possible material and human risk factors in the field regardless of individual management capabilities. The most suitable learning method and model for this study’s task and environment were experimentally identified, and visualization was performed to increase the interpretability of the model’s prediction results. The fine-tuned Safety-MobileNet model showed a high performance of 99.79% (30 ms), demonstrating its high potential to be applied in actual construction sites. In addition, via visualization, the cause of the model’s confusion of classes could be found in a dataset that the model did not predict correctly, and insights for result analysis could be presented. The material and human risk factor recognition model presented in this study can contribute to solving various practical problems, such as the absence of accident prevention systems, the limitations of human resources for safety management, and the difficulties in applying safety management systems to small construction companies.

The prevalence, seriousness, and causes of teenage work accidents: A gender difference?

BACKGROUND

Teenage workers are prone to a higher injury risk than adult workers, and adult men are prone to a higher risk of work injuries than adult women.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to examine whether gender differences exist in teenage work accidents, the level of the accidents, their causes, and the types of the injuries.

METHODS

A survey was sent to a sample of 2,800 13-19-year-olds, randomly selected from Registers Iceland. The response rate was 48.6%. A chi-square test, CI 95%, was applied to measure gender differences.

RESULTS

In total, 16.3%of the respondents had at least one work accident, and 1.2%, an accident that lead to more than one week's absence from work. No gender differences were observed in the level of the accidents, but appeared in the types of injuries and their causes. Cuts were the most common injuries of the boys, but burns of the girls. Bone fractures were the most serious injuries of the boys, but sprains of the girls.

CONCLUSION

Work accidents among teenagers are a particular threat to public health. Therefore, all stakeholders need to work together to prevent teenage work accidents in the future; and to keep in mind the gender diversity of the group.

Assessing disabling and non-disabling injuries and illnesses using accepted workers compensation claims data to prioritize industries of high risk for Oregon young workers

INTRODUCTION

Young workers are especially vulnerable to occupational injuries and illnesses. There is a continued need to investigate injury burden among young workers across demographics and industry to inform targeted interventions. Workers compensation (WC) claims are important for quantifying work-related injuries and illnesses, however published studies have focused on disabling claims. This study extended previous research on Oregon young workers by including the most recent WC claims data to identify patterns of injury and high risk industries.

METHODS

We obtained all accepted disabling claims (N = 13,360) and a significant portion of non-disabling claims (N = 24,660) on workers aged 24 years and under from 2013 to 2018. Claim count, rate and cost were calculated by year, age, gender, industry, and injury type. A prevention index (PI) method was used to rank industries in order to inform prevention efforts.

RESULTS

Average annual disabling and non-disabling claim rates were 111.6 and 401.3 per 10,000 young workers. Workers aged 19-21 (disabling: 119.0 per 10,000 and non-disabling: 429.3) and 22-24 years (115.7 and 396.4) and male workers (145.3 and 509.0) had higher claim rates than workers aged 14-18 (80.6 and 297.0) and female workers (79.8 and 282.9). The most frequent injury types were "struck by/against" (35.6%) and "work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs)" (19.5%). High risk industries included agriculture, construction, and manufacturing for both genders combined. For female young workers, the highest risk industry was healthcare.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated the added value of non-disabling WC claims data. Using both disabling and non-disabling data and PI method, agriculture, construction, manufacturing and healthcare industries were identified as priority workplaces to prevent common and costly injuries among Oregon young workers. Practical Applications: While the industries identified are considered hazardous for all workers, findings in this study can guide targeted research and prevention efforts specific to young workers.

Factors associated with unsafe work behaviours in an Iranian petrochemical company: perspectives of workers, supervisors, and safety managers

BACKGROUND

The petrochemical industry is hazardous, in part because of the inherently dangerous nature of the work conducted, and incidents frequently result in significant financial and social losses. The most common immediate cause of incidents and injuries in this industry is unsafe worker behaviour. Identifying the factors encouraging unsafe work behaviours is the first step in taking action to discourage them. The aim of this study was to (a) explore workers', supervisors' and safety managers' attitudes and perceptions of safety in a petrochemical company in Iran, and (b) identify the factors that discourage safe work behaviours.

METHODS

A qualitative study was conducted by applying the steps described by Graneheim and Lundman (2004). Twenty participants were recruited from an Iranian petrochemical company using a multi-stage approach, with initial purposive sampling followed by snowball sampling to enhance recruitment. Individual face-to-face and semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain an in-depth understanding of factors acting as barriers to safe behaviour. The interviews were recorded and transcribed in Persian and then translated into English. Conventional content analysis was performed.

RESULTS

The main themes emerging from the interviews were: (i) poor direct safety management and supervision; (ii) unsafe workplace conditions; (iii) workers' perceptions, skills and training; and (iv) broader organisational factors.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings give insights into practical organisational measures that can be implemented by management to promote workers' commitment to safety and engage in safe behaviours in their workplace.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials: IRCT20170515033981N2 . Retrospectively registered 19 June 2018.

Findings and views on occupational safety and health teaching at universities

BACKGROUND

Young employees have often poorer occupational safety and health (OSH) skills and knowledge than older employees. Efforts should be made at different educational levels to strengthen young employees' OSH skills and knowledge.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze OSH perceptions and attitudes among university students and to examine OSH professionals' views on OSH teaching.

METHODS

This explorative study employs an iterative multi-method approach, including a paired comparison questionnaire for university students (N = 104) and OSH professionals (N = 40), an OSH questionnaire for university students (N = 130) and a Delphi survey for OSH professionals (N = 26).

RESULTS

OSH perceptions and attitudes were found to vary widely among the students and some expressed somewhat stereotypical views about OSH. The results confirm the need to improve OSH education. To that end, the study reports concrete practical ideas from OSH professionals.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings confirm the need to augment both the quality and quantity of OSH teaching at university level. Ideas are presented for future OSH teaching, along with recommendations for future studies.

A qualitative investigation of factors affecting school district administrators' decision to adopt a national young worker curriculum

INTRODUCTION

Even though the majority of youth in the U.S. work, and workers under the age of 18 are seriously injured on the job at higher rates when compared to adults, most adolescents lack instruction on workplace safety and health.

METHOD

This qualitative study examines the extent to which selected U.S. school districts provide workplace safety and health instruction to students and explores the factors that influence districts' decision to adopt a free, foundational occupational safety and health (OSH) curriculum.

RESULTS

Results from key informant interviews conducted with a purposive sample of 34 school administrators revealed that only a third of the districts have at least 75% of their students receive some instruction on workplace safety and health, while 15% indicated they provide no instruction on this topic. District staff who indicated that they provide OSH instruction stated that it is most often taught through career and technical education (CTE; 65%) and/or health classes (26%). They believed the benefits of providing this instruction include assisting students to get jobs (38%) and helping students learn about safety (32%), while competing demands (44%) and time constraints (41%) were identified as barriers to providing OSH education to students.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the importance of work to teens and their increased risk of work injury, interested stakeholders-including parents, teachers, employers, and the public health community-should promote the inclusion of workplace safety and health instruction in U.S. secondary schools. Practical Applications: This research fills a gap in current knowledge about the extent to which OSH is currently taught within U.S. secondary schools, enumerates barriers and facilitators to the inclusion of workplace safety and health instruction in schools, presents a free, foundational curriculum in workplace safety and health, and provides directions for future research on the vital role schools can play in preparing the future workforce for safe and healthy employment.

Outcomes of a Safety and Health Educational Intervention in Auto Body and Machine Tool Technologies Vocational College Programs: The Technical Education Curricula for Health and Safety (TECHS) Study

Technical Education Curricula for Health and Safety (TECHS) is a research collaboration between safety and health professionals and vocational instructors in three Minnesota colleges. Curriculum materials, including full and refresher modules with of classroom presentations, lab activities, homework, and quizzes, were developed for auto body collision technology (ABCT) and machine tool technology (MTT) programs. Curricula were implemented during the 2015-2018 academic years. Graduates' safety-related knowledge, skills, work practices, and workplace safety climate were assessed 1 year postgraduation using an electronic survey. Responses were received from 71 ABCT and 115 MTT graduates. Classroom presentations were used consistently throughout the study. Instructors cited a lack of time as the main barrier to using other materials (lab activities, homework, and quizzes). Graduates with TECHS instruction had significantly greater safety-related knowledge overall (both trades) as well as in two topic areas: eye and respiratory protection (ABCT) and hearing protection and machine guarding (MTT). Our data confirm that nearly all graduates consistently engage in practices such as use of safety glasses, hearing protection, and respirators, use of machine guards, material handling strategies. At 1 year postgraduation, MTT graduates' work practices related to machine guarding improved significantly. Graduates with TECHS instruction had improved in about half of the work practices, but statistical significance was not achieved. Graduates' self-reported work practices were not significantly correlated with their knowledge or skills. Work practices variability was best explained by graduates' attitudes toward safety rules and their rating of the workplace safety climate. TECHS findings confirm that classroom instruction alone has little impact on graduates' work practices. We propose institutions formalize their commitment to safety and health education by ear-marking teaching time for this subject and providing assistance to instructors to facilitate curricula integration. Instructors would benefit from learning more about trade-specific safety and health, and adult education teaching methods. Additional research is needed to understand how students' attitudes toward safety change during vocational college attendance and the first year of employment in the trade, explore implementation supports and barriers at institutional and instructor levels, and assess educational effectiveness beyond the end of the academic program. The entire curricula are available on the study website www.votechsafety.net.

OHS education and safety training of teenage workers in Iceland

BACKGROUND

We sought to investigate the extent and quality of occupational health and safety (OHS) education and safety training of Icelandic teenagers.

METHODS

Mixed methods were used to obtain data. Initially, 12 group and 7 individual interviews with a total of 45 teenagers were conducted. Supplemental qualitative data was collected to corroborate the interviews. Following this, a survey was sent to a sample of 2800 13 to 19-year-olds, randomly selected from Registers Iceland.

RESULTS

The response rate was 48.6% (N = 1339). Severe inadequacy in the quality and quantity of both OHS education and safety training was found. In total, 30% received OHS education at school and 14% obtained safety training at work. OHS education was considered unsystematic, and the safety training low engagement. Participants noted that safety training was especially inadequate in jobs in the retail sector and restaurants.

CONCLUSIONS

OHS education needs to be taught systematically within all levels of the Icelandic school system, and authorities should be more active in educating employers on their responsibilities on health and safety at work.

An application of a modified theory of planned behavior model to investigate adolescents' job safety knowledge, norms, attitude and intention to enact workplace safety and health skills

INTRODUCTION

For many reasons, including a lack of adequate safety training and education, U.S. adolescents experience a higher rate of job-related injury compared to adult workers. Widely used social-psychological theories in public health research and practice, such as the theory of planned behavior, may provide guidance for developing and evaluating school-based interventions to prepare adolescents for workplace hazards and risks.

METHOD

Using a structural equation modeling approach, the current study explores whether a modified theory of planned behavior model provides insight on 1,748 eighth graders' occupational safety and health (OSH) attitude, subjective norm, self-efficacy and behavioral intention, before and after receiving instruction on a free, national young worker safety and health curriculum. Reliability estimates for the measures were produced and direct and indirect associations between knowledge and other model constructs assessed.

RESULTS

Overall, the findings align with the theory of planned behavior. The structural equation model adequately fit the data; most path coefficients are statistically significant and knowledge has indirect effects on behavioral intention. Confirmatory factor analyses suggest that the knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention measures each reflect a unique dimension (reliability estimates ≥0.86), while the subjective norm measure did not perform adequately.

CONCLUSION

The findings presented provide support for using behavioral theory (specifically a modified theory of planned behavior) to investigate adolescents' knowledge, perceptions, and behavioral intention to engage in safe and healthful activities at work, an understanding of which may contribute to reducing the downstream burden of injury on this vulnerable population-the future workforce. Practical application: Health behavior theories, commonly used in the social and behavioral sciences, have utility and provide guidance for developing and evaluating OSH interventions, including those aimed at preventing injuries and promoting the health and safety of adolescent workers in the U.S., who are injured at higher rates than are adults.

Cross-National Comparisons and Correlates of Harms From the Drinking of People With Whom You Work

BACKGROUND

While research in high-income countries (HICs) has established high costs associated with alcohol's harm to others (AHTO) in the workplace, scant attention has been paid to AHTO in the workplace in lower- or middle-income countries (LMICs).

AIM

To compare estimates and predictors of alcohol's impacts upon coworkers among workers in 12 countries.

METHODS

Cross-sectional surveys from 9,693 men and 8,606 women employed in Switzerland, Australia, the United States, Ireland, New Zealand, Chile, Nigeria, Lao PDR, Thailand, Vietnam, India, and Sri Lanka. Five questions were asked about harms in the past year because of coworkers' drinking: Had they (i) covered for another worker; (ii) worked extra hours; (iii) been involved in an accident or close call; or had their (iv) own productivity been reduced; or (v) ability to do their job been affected? Logistic regression and meta-analyses were estimated with 1 or more harms (vs. none) as the dependent variable, adjusting for age, sex, rurality of location, and the respondent worker's own drinking.

RESULTS

Between 1% (New Zealand) and 16% (Thailand) of workers reported that they had been adversely affected by a coworker's drinking in the previous year (with most countries in the 6 to 13% range). Smaller percentages (<1% to 12%) reported being in an accident or close call due to others' drinking. Employed men were more likely to report harm from coworkers' drinking than employed women in all countries apart from the United States, New Zealand, and Vietnam, and own drinking pattern was associated with increased harm in 5 countries. Harms were distributed fairly equally across age and geographic regions. Harm from coworkers' drinking was less prevalent among men in HICs compared with LMICs.

CONCLUSIONS

Workforce impairment because of drinking extends beyond the drinker in a range of countries and impacts productivity and economic development, particularly affecting men in LMICs.

Factors that Sustain Health and Safety Management Practices in the Food Industry

Due to the significant change in business organizations, scholarly interest has diverted from studying the determinants of financial performance to understanding the environmental activities, sustainability practices, and health and safety management practices. Despite the extensive literature, it is yet to understand either internal or external factors that improve health and safety management practices in SMEs. This research examines the influence of the internal factors—intellectual capital, information technology capabilities (ITC), and entrepreneurial orientation, and the external capabilities—government financial support, institutional pressure, and managerial networking on six health and safety management practices: management commitment, staff training, worker involvement, safety communication and feedback, safety rules and procedures, and safety promotion policies. We researched 410 Pakistani SMEs from the food business industry. The results indicate that intellectual capital significantly improves management commitment, safety communication and feedback, and safety rules and produces; ITC significantly improves management commitment and safety communication and feedback; and entrepreneurial orientation significantly facilitates safety training and worker involvement only. In the external capabilities, government financial support has a significant influence on management commitment, worker involvement, safety rules and policies, and safety promotion policies. Institutional pressure has a significant influence on management commitment, safety training, safety communication, and feedback and safety promotion policies. Managerial networking significantly influences safety training, worker involvement, safety rules and procedures, and safety promotion policies of SMEs. Focusing only on the food industry is the major limitation of this research, this study recommends SMEs to give sufficient attention to their internal and external factors to enhance health and safety management practices. Further implications are discussed.

Using a Modified Theory of Planned Behavior to Examine Teachers' Intention to Implement a Work Safety and Health Curriculum

BACKGROUND

Workplace safety and health is a major public health concern, but largely absent from the school health curriculum. Little is known about teachers' perceptions of teaching workplace safety and health topics.

METHODS

We administered a 41-item questionnaire reflecting the theory of planned behavior, modified to measure knowledge, to 242 middle and high school teachers in career and technical education and academic subjects. We conducted confirmatory factor analysis to assess the measures' psychometric properties and factorial ANOVAs to compare differences among participants' knowledge, attitude toward, self-efficacy, and intention (to teach) workplace safety and health by sex, prior work injury, and main subject taught.

RESULTS

Confirmatory factor analyses indicated the measures reflected the theory. Factorial ANOVAs suggested female teachers had statistically significantly lower mean self-efficacy scores than did male teachers to teach workplace safety and health. Male occupational career and technical education teachers demonstrated higher mean knowledge scores than male teachers in other subjects. Participants not injured at work had higher knowledge scores than those who had been injured.

CONCLUSION

Self-efficacy (influenced by sex) and knowledge (influenced by subject taught and previous workplace injury) revealed factors that may affect teachers' provision of workplace safety and health education, a critical yet overlooked component of school health.

Incident Surveillance in New Jersey Career and Technical Education Programs, 1999 to 2008

Through school-sponsored career and technical education programs in New Jersey, students work part-time during or after school in paid and unpaid structured learning experiences regulated by the New Jersey Department of Education. Schools submit information on “reportable incidents,” injury or illness resulting in physician treatment. Incidents including reported use of personal protective equipment (PPE) were assessed; 1,600 incident reports (1999 to 2008) were received. Attributes such as type and severity, body parts affected, and PPE use for incidents occurring at school among students grades 9 to 12 or labeled as “adults” during school hours ( n = 285) were analyzed. Older teens incurred more injuries. PPE use was consistently low across age and gender. Students most frequently experienced knife injuries involving fingers and hands. Results identified potential injury determinants and training and intervention topics such as PPE, and support development of an enhanced reporting form.

Essential Elements for Effective Safety and Health Education in Postsecondary Construction Career Technical Education

Because Career Technical Education (CTE) programs at the community/technical college level are among the few places new construction workers receive training or preparation, they are an important vehicle for educating new and young workers about occupational health and safety (OSH). We developed recommendations for (1) OSH "core competencies" that all postsecondary construction students should achieve and (2) "essential elements" for OSH education in construction training programs. Based on a review of the literature, subject matter expert focus groups, and iterative engagement with an expert advisory group, we identified fourteen core competencies and a list of essential supporting elements at the school, program, and instructor levels. Knowledge and recognition of the importance of effective safety and health management systems served as the foundation for elements and competencies. Findings provide an important starting point for systematically improving the preparation of construction CTE students that can help keep them safe on the job.

Enhancing safety competencies of young adults: A randomized field trial (RCT)

INTRODUCTION

Young workers are exposed to various occupational hazards, often with limited experience and skills. In this study, we investigated the effects of the Attitude to Work Program on the safety competencies of young workers. Based on the social cognitive theory, the intervention was developed to help young people adopt an active role in preventing occupational hazards and overcoming barriers to safe work.

METHOD

The program was implemented in eight upper secondary-level vocational schools in Finland during 2015. A total of 464 students participated in the cluster randomized field trial. Those in the intervention group (n = 229) participated in the Attitude to Work Program. During the program, students identified and practiced behavioral strategies to prevent occupational hazards. Students in the control condition (n = 235) received written material about the same safety-related topics.

RESULTS

The short-term follow-up showed that the intervention significantly increased safety preparedness and the internal safety locus of control among the students in the intervention condition in comparison to those in the control condition. Students in the intervention condition also showed reduced risk-taking attitudes relative to those in the control condition. Furthermore, those who benefited most from the program were high conscientiousness students. The sensation-seeking level or vocational track did not moderate any of the intervention effects.

CONCLUSION

The results demonstrated that safety competencies can be modified by intervention techniques based on a social-cognitive framework.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

This study provides tools for school-based safety training and future intervention development. Further research is needed to study the relationships between cognitive factors, safety behavior, and accidents.

Metrics to assess injury prevention programs for young workers in high-risk occupations: a scoping review of the literature

INTRODUCTION

Despite legal protections for young workers in Canada, youth aged 15-24 are at high risk of traumatic occupational injury. While many injury prevention initiatives targeting young workers exist, the challenge faced by youth advocates and employers is deciding what aspect(s) of prevention will be the most effective focus for their efforts. A review of the academic and grey literatures was undertaken to compile the metrics-both the indicators being evaluated and the methods of measurement-commonly used to assess injury prevention programs for young workers. Metrics are standards of measurement through which efficiency, performance, progress, or quality of a plan, process, or product can be assessed.

METHODS

A PICO framework was used to develop search terms. Medline, PubMed, OVID, EMBASE, CCOHS, PsychINFO, CINAHL, NIOSHTIC, Google Scholar and the grey literature were searched for articles in English, published between 1975-2015. Two independent reviewers screened the resulting list and categorized the metrics in three domains of injury prevention: Education, Environment and Enforcement.

RESULTS

Of 174 acquired articles meeting the inclusion criteria, 21 both described and assessed an intervention. Half were educational in nature (N=11). Commonly assessed metrics included: knowledge, perceptions, self-reported behaviours or intentions, hazardous exposures, injury claims, and injury counts. One study outlined a method for developing metrics to predict injury rates.

CONCLUSION

Metrics specific to the evaluation of young worker injury prevention programs are needed, as current metrics are insufficient to predict reduced injuries following program implementation. One study, which the review brought to light, could be an appropriate model for future research to develop valid leading metrics specific to young workers, and then apply these metrics to injury prevention programs for youth.

Work-related fatal injuries in Brescia County (Northern Italy), 1982 to 2015: A forensic analysis

Work-related deaths represent an important social problem. We report all the occupational fatal injuries recorded by the Brescia Institute of Forensic Medicine from 1982 to 2015. A total of 426 post-mortem examinations due to accidental work injuries were retrospectively analysed according to temporal distribution (year, month and day of the workplace accident); workers' characteristics (sex, age, nationality); type of occupation; cause of death; anatomical region of fatal injuries and timing of death. The accidental occupational events occurred with a mean of 12.5 cases per year. Almost all the workers were male (99%) and Italians (87%), aged between 35 and 49 years old (34.27%). The occupation with more fatalities was construction (36.62%), followed by mechanical industry (19.25%) and agriculture (13.15%). Most of deaths were connected to a mechanical trauma (77.69%) such as falls, machinery-related events, blunt forces or explosions. The predominant site of the lethal wound was the head (33.56%), with a high percentage of death resulting from a traumatic brain injury. In 30.75% of cases death occurred after a short period of hospitalization.

Prevalence, source and severity of work-related injuries among "foreign" construction workers in a large Malaysian organisation: a cross-sectional study

Malaysian construction sector is regarded as critical in the field of health because of the high rates of accidents and fatalities. This research aimed to determine the prevalence, sources and severity of injuries and its association with commitment to safety among foreign construction workers. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 323 foreign construction workers from six construction projects of a large organization in Malaysia, using a simple random sampling method. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire to assess work-related injuries and safety commitment. The collected data was analysed by SPSS 22.0 using descriptive statistics and χ² test. The prevalence of work-related injuries in a one year period was 22.6%, where most of the injuries were of moderate severity (39.7%) and falls from heights represented the main source (31.5%). The majority of the foreign construction workers had perceived between moderate and high safety commitment, which was significantly associated with work-related injuries. The results also showed a significant association of work-related injuries with the company's interest in Safety and Health, Safety and Health training, and safety equipment. Thus, the implementation of new procedures and providing relevant trainings and safety equipment; will lead to a decrease in injury rates in construction sites.

Differences in safety training among smaller and larger construction firms with non-native workers: Evidence of overlapping vulnerabilities

Collaborative efforts between the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) led to a report focusing on overlapping occupational vulnerabilities, specifically small construction businesses employing young, non-native workers. Following the report, an online survey was conducted by ASSE with construction business representatives focusing on training experiences of non-native workers. Results were grouped by business size (50 or fewer employees or more than 50 employees). Smaller businesses were less likely to employ a supervisor who speaks the same language as immigrant workers (p < .001). Non-native workers in small businesses received fewer hours of both initial safety training (p = .005) and monthly ongoing safety training (p = .042). Immigrant workers in smaller businesses were less likely to receive every type of safety training identified in the survey (including pre-work safety orientation [p < .001], job-specific training [p < .001], OSHA 10-hour training [p = .001], and federal/state required training [p < .001]). The results highlight some of the challenges a vulnerable worker population faces in a small business, and can be used to better focus intervention efforts. Among businesses represented in this sample, there are deflcits in the amount, frequency, and format of workplace safety and health training provided to non-native workers in smaller construction businesses compared to those in larger businesses. The types of training conducted for non-native workers in small business were less likely to take into account the language and literacy issues faced by these workers. The findings suggest the need for a targeted approach in providing occupational safety and health training to non-native workers employed by smaller construction businesses.

Youth doing dangerous tasks: Supervision matters

BACKGROUND

Supervisors are partially responsible for ensuring that teens are safe at work. The purpose of this study was to explore whether supervision is related to teens' willingness to do a dangerous task at work.

METHODS

A mixed-methods study consisting of focus groups and a cross-sectional survey was conducted with teens from two public high schools.

RESULTS

If asked by a supervisor, 21% of working teens would do a dangerous task. After controlling for gender and age, teens whose supervisor did not establish weekly goals (AOR = 3.54, 95%CI = 1.55-8.08), teens who perceived their supervisors as not approachable (AOR = 2.35, 95%CI = 1.34-4.13), and teens who were not comfortable talking about safety issues (AOR = 1.97, 95%CI = 1.08-3.61) were more likely to do a dangerous task if asked by their supervisors.

CONCLUSION

This study indicates that how teens perceive their supervisor may be associated with whether teens do a dangerous task when asked by their supervisor.

Effect of occupational safety and health education received during schooling on the incidence of workplace injuries in the first 2 years of occupational life: a prospective study

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to determine the effect of occupational safety and health (OSH) education during formal schooling on the incidence of workplace injuries (WIs) in young people starting their careers. We hypothesised that young people who had received OSH education during their schooling would have fewer WIs than those who received no OSH education. Secondary objectives focused on the effect of 'first aid at work' training during schooling and the conditions encountered on arrival in the company (occupational hazard information, safety training and job task training) on WI occurrence.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS

From 2009 to 2012, French apprentices and students at the end of their schooling and starting their careers were included.

OUTCOMES

Occurrence of WIs.

METHODS

At the time of inclusion, information about school courses and personal characteristics were collected, and subsequent half-yearly contacts gathered information relating to work and personal data. During the 2-year follow-up, WIs were directly reported by participants and were identified by searching the French National Health Insurance Funds' databases listing compulsory WI declarations.

RESULTS

755 participants reported holding 1290 jobs. During follow-up, 158 WIs were identified, corresponding to an incident rate of 0.12 (0.10 to 0.14) WIs per full-time worker. Subjects who reported having received OSH education at school had two times less WIs than those declaring not having received OSH education (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.51, 0.00 to 0.98). A lower WI risk was observed for participants who received the 'first aid at work' training (IRR=0.68, 0.00 to 0.98). The conditions on arrival in company were not associated with WIs occurrence.

CONCLUSION

In France, the OSH education provided to apprentices and students is mostly broader than the specific risks related to future jobs. Our results highlight the advantages of reinforcing this approach.

Foundational workplace safety and health competencies for the emerging workforce

INTRODUCTION

Young workers (aged 15-24) suffer disproportionately from workplace injuries, with a nonfatal injury rate estimated to be two times higher than among workers age 25 or over. These workers make up approximately 9% of the U.S. workforce and studies have shown that nearly 80% of high school students work at some point during high school. Although young worker injuries are a pressing public health problem, the critical knowledge and skills needed to prepare youth for safe and healthy work are missing from most frameworks used to prepare the emerging U.S. workforce.

METHODS

A framework of foundational workplace safety and health knowledge and skills (the NIOSH 8 Core Competencies) was developed based on the Health Belief Model (HBM).

RESULTS

The proposed NIOSH Core Competencies utilize the HBM to provide a framework for foundational workplace safety and health knowledge and skills. An examination of how these competencies and the HBM apply to actions that workers take to protect themselves is provided. The social and physical environments that influence these actions are also discussed.

CONCLUSIONS

The NIOSH 8 Core Competencies, grounded in one of the most widely used health behavior theories, fill a critical gap in preparing the emerging U.S. workforce to be cognizant of workplace risks.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Integration of the NIOSH 8 Core Competencies into school curricula is one way to ensure that every young person has the foundational workplace safety and health knowledge and skills to participate in, and benefit from, safe and healthy work.

Work-related deaths among youth: Understanding the contribution of US child labor violations

BACKGROUND

Evidence shows that violations of the United States (US) child labor regulations are common. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the magnitude and nature of work-related deaths among youth involving violations of US child labor regulations.

METHODS

We analyzed Census of Fatal Occupational Injury data from 2001 to 2012 using descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests.

RESULTS

Between 2001 and 2012, 406 workers under age 18 were recorded in the CFOI as having suffered a fatal work-related injury. Among these cases, 233 were covered by the US child labor regulations. Forty-three percent of these cases involved at least one violation. The majority of cases that were not covered by the regulations involved decedents working on their family's farms (N = 139).

CONCLUSIONS

Violations of federal child labor regulations are a significant contributor to work-related deaths among youth in the United States. Increased investment in enforcement is needed to prevent further young worker deaths involving child labor violations. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:959-968, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among immigrant Latino farmworkers and non-farmworkers in North Carolina

This paper evaluates the variability in the prevalence of epicondylitis, rotator cuff syndrome, low back pain, and lower extremity pathology among immigrant Latino farmworkers and non-farmworkers. Data were collected from a study among 272 farmworkers and non-farmworkers. Participants were recruited in eastern and central North Carolina. A physical examination was conducted by trained physicians. Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among Latino manual workers is high compared with other workers in similar occupations. Non-farmworkers (49%) had a higher prevalence of MSDs than farmworkers (35%). Epicondylitis (20.2%) and rotator cuff syndrome (19.1%) were most prevalent. Age was found to be significant among those who had epicondylitis (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.04) and lower extremity pathology (AOR = 1.07). Latino immigrant manual workers have high prevalence of MSDs. Further studies are needed to identify possible factors that make these populations more vulnerable to MSDs.

Danger zone: Men, masculinity and occupational health and safety in high risk occupations

The workplace is a key setting where gender issues and organizational structures may influence occupational health and safety practices. The enactment of dominant norms of masculinity in high risk occupations can be particularly problematic, as it exposes men to significant risks for injuries and fatalities. To encourage multi-disciplinary collaborations and advance knowledge in the intersecting areas of gender studies, men's health, work and workplace health and safety, a national network of thirteen researchers and health and safety stakeholders completed a critical literature review examining the intersection between masculinities and men's workplace health and safety in order to: (i) account for research previously undertaken in this area; (ii) identify themes that may inform our understanding of masculinity and workplace health and safety and; (iii) identify research and practice gaps in relation to men's workplace health and safety. In this paper we present key themes from this review. Recommendations are made regarding: (i) how to define gender; (ii) how to attend to and identify how masculinities may influence workers' identities, perceptions of occupational risks and how institutionalized practices can reinforce norms of masculinity; (iii) the importance of considering how masculinities may intersect with other variables (e.g. historical context, age, class, race, geographical location) and; (iv) the added significance of present-day labour market forces on men's occupational health and safety.

Perceptions of Supervision Among Injured and Non-Injured Teens Working in the Retail or Service Industry

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a teen is injured every 9 minutes at work. Workplace supervision may affect whether teens are injured on the job. Because research on workplace supervision among teens is limited, the objectives of this study were to characterize the perceptions of supervision among injured and non-injured teen workers and assess the characteristics and perceptions of supervisors that may be associated with work-related injuries. In 2011, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among high school students. Teens who worked in retail or service industries (n= 270) were included in the sample. Non-injured teens were more likely to have reported that their supervisors cared about their safety, were helpful, listened well, and ensured that teen workers understood workplace safety. Most teens (70%) did not feel comfortable talking about safety issues with their supervisors. The importance of supervision and how supervisors are perceived in the workplace may be significant in creating a safety culture that leaves a lasting impression.

If it bleeds, it leads: the construction of workplace injury in Canadian newspapers, 2009-2014

BACKGROUND

Public perceptions of workplace injuries are shaped by media reports, but the accuracy of such reports is unknown.

OBJECTIVES

This study identifies differences between workers' compensation claims data and newspaper reports of workplace injuries in Canadian newspapers and media sources.

METHODS

This study applies quantitative content analysis to 245 Canadian English-language newspaper articles from 2009 to 2014. Workers' compensation claims data is drawn from the Association of Workers' Compensation Boards of Canada.

RESULTS

Newspapers dramatically overreport fatalities, injuries to men, injuries in the construction and mining/quarrying/oil industries, injuries stemming from contact with objects/equipment and fires/explosions, and acute physical injuries such as burns, fractures, intracranial injuries, and traumatic injuries. Newspaper reporters tend to rely upon government, police/firefighter, and employer accounts, rarely recounting the perspectives of workers.

CONCLUSION

Newspapers overreported fatalities, injuries to men, and injuries in the construction and mining/quarrying/oil industries. This results in a misleading picture of occupational injuries in Canada.

Prevalence and demographic differences in microaccidents and safety behaviors among young workers in Canada

INTRODUCTION

The present study examines the self-reported frequency of non-lost work time workplace injuries ("microaccidents") and the frequency of three types of work-related safety behaviors (i.e., safety voice, safety compliance, and safety neglect) recalled over a four-week period.

METHOD

We analyzed data on microaccidents and safety behaviors from 19,547 young workers (aged 15-25years, Mdn=18years; 55% male) from multiple Canadian provinces.

RESULTS

Approximately one-third of all young workers recalled experiencing at least one microaccident at work in the last four weeks. Comparisons across three age groups revealed that younger workers, particularly between the ages of 15-18, reported more frequent microaccidents, less safety voice, less safety compliance, and more safety neglect than workers aged 19-22. This pattern of results also held for comparisons between workers in 19-22 and 23-25 age groups, except for safety voice which did not differ between these two older age groups. In terms of gender, males and females reported the same frequency of microaccidents, but males reported more safety voice, more safety compliance, and more safety neglect than females did. The results and limitations of the present study are discussed.

CONCLUSION

Frequency of microaccidents and safety behavior vary among young worker age sub-groups.

Gender Influences on Return to Work After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

OBJECTIVE

To examine the influence of gender on the return to work experience of workers who sustained a work-related mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).

DESIGN

Qualitative study using in-depth telephone interviews.

SETTING

Community.

PARTICIPANTS

Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants. Participants were adults (N=12; males, n=6, females, n=6) with a diagnosis of mild TBI sustained through a workplace injury.

INTERVENTIONS

Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Not applicable.

RESULTS

Our findings suggest that gender impacts return to work experiences in multiple ways. Occupational and breadwinner roles were significant for both men and women after work-related mild TBI. Women in this study were more proactive than men in seeking and requesting medical and rehabilitation services; however, the workplace culture may contribute to whether and how health issues are discussed. Among our participants, those who worked in supportive, nurturing (eg, feminine) workplaces reported more positive return to work (RTW) experiences than participants employed in traditionally masculine work environments. For all participants, employer and coworker relations were critical elements in RTW outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

The application of a gender analysis in this preliminary exploratory study revealed that gender is implicated in the RTW process on many levels for men and women alike. Further examination of the work reintegration processes that takes gender into account is necessary for the development of successful policy and practice for RTW after work-related MTBI.

Analysis of new workers' compensation claims in the Department of Defense civilian workforce, 2000-2012

OBJECTIVE

This study of Department of Defense (DoD) civilian employees Workers' Compensation (WC) claims for chargeback year 2000 through 2012 aimed to analyze the frequency, rates, and costs of WC claims representing 5% of the DoD annual personnel budget.

METHODS

A multiyear cross-sectional study of WC claims data identified the top five most frequent causes, natures, and anatomical sites; changes in frequency, worker age, costs, and time were evaluated for trends.

RESULTS

The annual frequency and rate of new DoD WC claims decreased over time, whereas costs per new claim have increased. New claim frequencies, rates, and costs aggregated in older age groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The increasing trend in costs of each claim and the overall program costs presents a need for case management. Analysis of WC claims data is necessary to help target injury prevention efforts and reduce program costs.

Gender differences in occupational injury incidence

OBJECTIVES

To describe the frequency and distribution of workplace injury claims by gender, and quantify the extent to which observed gender differences in injury claim rates are attributable to differential exposure to work-related factors.

METHODS

WorkSafe Victoria (Australia) workers' compensation data (254,704 claims with affliction onset 2004-2011) were analysed. Claim rates were calculated by combining compensation data with state-wide employment data.

RESULTS

Mental disorder claim rates were 1.9 times higher among women; physical injury claim rates were 1.4 times higher among men. Adjusting for occupational group reversed the gender difference in musculoskeletal and tendon injury claim rates, i.e., these were more common in women than men after adjusting for occupational exposure.

CONCLUSIONS

Men had higher rates of physical injury claims than women, but this was mostly attributable to occupational factors. Women had higher rates of mental disorder claims than men; this was not fully explained by industry or occupation.

Employment and work safety among 12 to 14 year olds: listening to parents

BACKGROUND

Survey research indicates that a surprising number of 12 to 14 year olds in North America engage in some form of paid work, and work-related injuries for this age group are reported at rates similar to older teens. Parents exhibit significant involvement in many aspects of their teens' work and may influence perceptions of work safety, yet few studies have explored this phenomenon from a qualitative perspective with parents of working 12 to 14 year olds.

METHODS

This paper focuses on parental perceptions and understandings of work safety based on focus groups conducted with urban Canadian parents of young teens who work for pay. Parents discussed the types of job held by their 12 to 14 year olds, the perceived costs and benefits to working at this age, and their understanding of risk and supervision on the job. A grounded theory approach was used to thematically analyze the focus group transcripts.

RESULTS

Parents in this study held favourable attitudes towards their 12 to 14 year olds' working. Parents linked pro-social moral values and skills such as responsibility, work ethic, time management, and financial literacy with their young teen's employment experience. Risks and drawbacks were generally downplayed or discounted. Perceptions of workplace safety were mitigated by themes of trust, familiarity, sense of being in control and having discretion over their 12 to 14 year olds' work situation. Further, parental supervision and monitoring fell along a continuum, from full parental responsibility for monitoring to complete trust and delegation of supervision to the workplace.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that positive parental attitudes towards working overshadow occupational health and safety concerns. Parents may discount potential hazards based on the presence of certain mitigating factors.

Work-related injury underreporting among young workers: prevalence, gender differences, and explanations for underreporting

INTRODUCTION

Although notifying an employer of a lost-time work-related injury is a legal requirement in many jurisdictions, employees frequently do not report such injuries.

METHOD

Based on data from 21,345 young part-time Canadian workers (55% male), we found that 21% of respondents had experienced at least one lost-time injury, with about half reporting the injury to an employer and a doctor.

RESULTS

Respondents provided 10 reasons for avoiding reporting lost-time injuries, with perceived low severity of the injury, negative reactions of others, and ambiguity about whether work caused the injury as the most common ones. Additional analysis of these categories revealed that young males cited concern about their self-identity as a reason for not reporting an injury more often than young females did. We discuss the findings in terms of implications for management practice (i.e., educating young workers about accurate injury reporting) and public policy.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Targeted campaigns should be developed for young workers, especially young male workers, who are less likely to report injuries than young female workers, to understand the importance of and to encourage injury reporting.

Knowledge and Experiences of Risks among Pupils in Vocational Education

Background

Young male and female workers are over-represented in statistics concerning negative outcomes of poor work environment and risky work. Young workers often have low awareness of risk, a lack of safety training, and inadequate introduction to the work. The aim of this study was to identify the knowledge and experiences of pupils of vocational schools concerning potential work environment risks in their future work.

Methods

The study design was a dual one, and included a questionnaire and focus group interviews. The study group consisted of 239 pupils from 10 upper secondary schools, who were graduating pupils in four vocational programs: the Industrial Technology Programme, the Restaurant Management and Food Programme, the Transport Programme, and the Handicraft Programme (in which students specialize in wood products). The upper secondary schools were located in the central region of Sweden.

Results

The pupils had limited knowledge that employers must, by law, conduct risk analyses and prevent risks. Many felt that they themselves are mainly responsible for performing their tasks safely. Pupils in all programs mentioned acute risk as the greatest risk at work. The theoretical education about safety at work was provided in the 1^st year of the 3-year vocational programs.

Conclusion

A systematic approach to pupils' training in work environment, which is a basis for a safe and healthy workplace, is lacking. The study findings indicate that pupils are offered knowledge far from that intended by laws and by state-of-the-art occupational health risk research.

Associations between employee and manager gender: impacts on gender-specific risk of acute occupational injury in metal manufacturing

Background

Prior research has shown increased risk of injury for female employees compared to male employees after controlling for job and tasks, but have not explored whether this increased risk might be moderated by manager gender. The gender of one’s manager could in theory affect injury rates among male and female employees through their managers’ response to an employee’s psychosocial stress or through how employees differentially report injuries. Other explanations for the gender disparity in injury experience, such as ergonomic factors or differential training, are unlikely to be impacted by supervisor gender. This study seeks to explore whether an employee’s manager’s gender modifies the effect of employee gender with regards to risk of acute injury.

Methods

A cohort of employees and managers were identified using human resources and injury management data between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2007 for six facilities of a large US aluminum manufacturing company. Cox proportional hazards models were employed to examine the interaction between employee gender and whether the employee had female only manager(s), male only manager(s), or both male and female managers on injury risk. Manager gender category was included as a time varying covariate and reassessed for each employee at the midpoint of each year.

Results

The percentage of departments with both female and male managers increased dramatically during the study period due to corporate efforts to increase female representation in management. After adjustment for fixed effects at the facility level and shared frailty by department, manager gender category does not appear to moderate the effect of employee gender (p = 0.717). Manager category was not a significant predictor (p = 0.093) of time to first acute injury. Similarly, having at least one female manager did not modify the hazard of injury for female employees compared to males (p = 0.899) and was not a significant predictor of time to first acute injury (p = 0.601).

Conclusions

Prior findings suggest that female manufacturing employees are at higher risk for acute injury compared to males; this analysis suggests that this relationship is not affected by the gender of the employee’s manager(s).

Racialized and gendered disparities in occupational exposures among Chinese and white workers in Toronto

OBJECTIVE

We examined disparities in hazardous employment characteristics and working conditions among Chinese and white workers in Toronto, Canada.

DESIGN

We used self-administered questionnaire data from a 2005-2006 population-based survey (n = 1611). Using modified Poisson regression, we examined the likelihood for Chinese workers of experiencing adverse exposures compared to whites. Models were stratified by sex and adjusted for differences in human capital. Work sector was conceptualized as a mediating variable.

RESULTS

Chinese workers were generally more likely to report adverse exposures. In many cases, disparities were only evident or more pronounced among women. The shorter length of time in Canada of Chinese relative to whites accounted for some of the observed disparities. Meanwhile, the higher educational level of Chinese compared to whites provided them with no protection from adverse exposures. The risk of experiencing discrimination on the labor market and at work was more than 50% higher among Chinese men and women as compared to whites, and those disparities, though reduced, persisted after adjustment for confounders.

CONCLUSIONS

Discrimination is far more prevalent among Chinese than among whites and may explain their disproportionate exposure to other hazards.

Waiting for safety: responses by young Canadian workers to unsafe work

INTRODUCTION

This study examines young workers' responses to unsafe work through the lens of the exit, voice, patience, and neglect typology (Leck & Saunders, 1992).

METHOD

In Canada, social marketing campaigns and high school curriculum concerning workplace safety for young workers promote the benefits of "speaking out" against dangerous work. We conducted focus group interviews with teenagers in two Canadian cities to understand the types of work-related hazards experienced by this group, how they respond to hazards, and barriers to injury prevention.

RESULTS

Instead of speaking up about hazards, the vast majority of young workers in our sample take a "wait-and-see" approach when they have safety concerns. Their reluctance to raise issues by voicing concerns was related to fear of being fired, status as newcomers, supervisor indifference, and feelings of powerlessness.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the emphasis on "speaking out" against unsafe work, young workers' beliefs about the perils of voicing persist.

Leveraging health capital at the workplace: an examination of health reporting behavior among Latino immigrant restaurant workers in the United States

This article examines the choices made by a sample of Latino immigrant restaurant workers in regard to their health management, particularly in response to illness and injury. I draw on 33 interviews with kitchen staff employed in the mainstream restaurant industry in San Jose, California, and Houston, Texas, in 2006 and 2007. I argue that workers must consider complex power relationships at work in weighing the advantages of calling in sick, using protective equipment, seeking medical care, or filing a workers' compensation claim. These decisions implicate direct and opportunity costs, such as risk of job loss and missed opportunities for advancement. Workers consequently leverage their health capital to meet their economic needs, to assert their autonomy at the workplace, and to ultimately reject the stigma of illness and injury.

Workers' perception of chemical risks: a focus group study

Workers' perceptions with respect to health and safety at work are rarely taken into account when considering the development of prevention programs. The aim of this study was to explore workers' perceptions of chemical risks at the workplace, in order to investigate the prerequisites for a workplace health program. A qualitative study was conducted involving seven focus groups of 5-10 participants (blue-collar workers) each. All groups were homogeneous in terms of sex, work status, language, and company membership. Results showed that several factors have an important influence on workers' perception of chemical risks. Workers assess risks by means of both sensory and empirical diagnosis and are concerned about the long-term health consequences. They perceive the threat of chemical risks as high. Despite this, they are resigned to accepting the risks. Existing formal sources of information are rarely consulted because they are judged to be difficult to understand and not user friendly. Instead, workers tend to obtain information from informal sources. Communication problems with and lack of trust in prevention advisers and hierarchy are frequently mentioned. Workers feel that their specific knowledge of their working conditions and their proposals for practical, cost-effective solutions to improve health and safety at the workplace are insufficiently taken into account. The use of focus groups yielded a useful insight into workers' perceptions of chemical risks. Our findings suggest that training programs for prevention advisers should include topics such as understanding of workers' perceptions, usefulness of a participatory approach, and communication and education skills.

Young worker safety behaviors: development and validation of measures

We conducted four studies to develop and validate measures of workplace safety-related behaviors relevant to young workers. The conceptual basis for this set of measures is a range of behavioral responses to deteriorating conditions (e.g., exit, voice, and loyalty, Hirschman, 1970; exit, voice, loyalty/patience, and neglect, Rusbult et al., 1982). In Study 1, items were generated by young workers (n=39) who participated in focus groups. The representativeness of these items was judged in Study 2 by a separate sample of young workers (n=79). In Study 3, we found support for five factors using exploratory factor analysis with a sample of young workers (n=266). Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted in Study 4 using a separate sample (n=282) and this supported the five-factor model. Self-report data on these participants and other-report (co-worker) data on a sub-sample (n=26) of the same participants provided additional support for the validity of the scales. Overall, these studies support the validity and reliability of this set of safety-related behaviors: intentions to quit an unsafe job (exit), speaking out about safety concerns (voice), adapting to a dangerous job hoping that safety conditions improve (patience), deliberately letting safety conditions worsen (neglect), and following safety policies (compliance). This set is useful for evaluating safety interventions aimed at young workers and studying safety-related behavior in a vulnerable work population.