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ASSE: Explain the concept of overlapping vulnerabilities as
they relate to some construction industry workers.
Mike: Not all workers have the same risk of being injured at
work, even when they are in the same industry or have the same job. Social
dynamics such as race, class and gender; economic trends such as the growth of
the temporary workforce; and organizational factors such as business size can
all contribute to the greater vulnerability of some workers to workplace
illness or injury than others. A growing body of research explores how a
particular characteristic, such as being an immigrant, a young worker or an
employee of a small business, can increase an individual’s risk for
occupational injury or illness.
However, workers frequently belong to more than one of these
vulnerable groups, as such, they embody the vulnerabilities associated with
these characteristics, all at the same time. Practitioners and researchers
often address these characteristics in isolation rather than in combination. The
concept of overlapping vulnerabilities refers to the combination of risk factors
that a worker may face by virtue of belonging to several vulnerable groups at
the same time. By way of example, my presentation at ASSE’s symposium will
focus on the combination of risk factors, or “overlapping vulnerabilities,”
that young, immigrant workers in small construction firms may have, and the
implications for safety professionals whose goal it is to help these
communities. However, these are not the only vulnerable groups and similar
analysis could be done exploring the overlap in other vulnerabilities such as
temporary workers, recent hires or older workers.
ASSE: What are the major risks construction workers with
overlapping vulnerabilities face?
Mike: Hispanic immigrants (individuals born in Latin America
who currently live in the U.S.), small business employees of small businesses
(firms with fewer than 20 employees), and young workers (<25 years old) are
all at greater risk for workplace injuries in the construction industry than
construction workers on whole. Each vulnerability has characteristics that add
unique barriers to a worker’s OSH (for example, an immigrant worker’s fear of
deportation for reporting unsafe conditions) or that intensify existing
barriers to safety that are common for all workers (e.g., lack of training in
small businesses due to financial constraints).
As these vulnerabilities are independently associated with
additional risk of workplace injury or illness, the interaction between risk
factors may create even more risk for groups experiencing multiple
vulnerabilities than for those who have only one risk factor. However, more
work is needed to clarify how these overlapping vulnerabilities interact and
may intensify the risk for occupational injury and illness and how OSH
professionals can effectively reduce these risks.
ASSE: What steps can employers take to help protect these
workers?
Mike: Employers should become more aware and seek assistance
on how to address the increased risks of occupational injury and illness among
the vulnerable populations they employ. Many employers are likely already aware
of specific challenges such as language barriers or lack of access to training,
but they may benefit from additional information about the risks associated
with each vulnerability factor that may affect their workforce, as well as
training on how to effectively communicate safety information. A growing body
of proven interventions have been tailored to workers of different backgrounds.
Employers could take advantage of these materials and incorporate them into the
safety trainings.
Assisting small employers with basic workplace safety and
health activities. Small employers need assistance to implement activities such
as hazard recognition and control and writing safety plans in a manner that is
both culturally and resource-appropriate for their workplaces.
ASSE: Should this topic be a concern for employers outside
of the construction industry? If so, why?
Mike: The concept of overlapping vulnerabilities is
applicable to all industries in that it simply suggests we need to look at
which workers are at higher risk for injury and what overlap may exist among
these populations. In addition, the model also works with vulnerabilities
beyond immigrant, young workers and small business employees that are the focus
of this presentation.
ASSE: What are some key takeaways attendees will gain from
attending your general session?
Mike: Here are five:
- The need to look at the whole person and the various groups to which s/he may belong to when trying to identify and address the barriers to safety that this individual faces.
- The need for community and professional organizations to culturally tailor safety certifications and training programs, and deliver these trainings through resource-appropriate channels that work for small employers.
- While there are unique barriers related to each vulnerability, some of these barriers (e.g., difficulty raising safety concerns at work) are often shared by more than one group. Vulnerable workers would likely benefit from gaining not only basic OSH skills, such as the ability to identify hazards and understand how they can be controlled, but also leadership skills such as being able to problem solve and speak up in the workplace.
- Many professional organizations such as ASSE, academic institutions and community-based organizations have and continue to produce tailored interventions to address the barriers many workers face. More needs to be done but that should not prevent us from taking advantage of the resources that currently exist.
- ASSE is working with its members to address these issues. As a first step, they are working to better understand current OSH training practices relating to immigrant workers in construction.