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Occupational health and safety experience of day laborers in seattle, WA
Author(s) -
Seixas Noah S.,
Blecker Hillary,
Camp Janice,
Neitzel Rick
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.20577
Subject(s) - medicine , occupational safety and health , occupational injury , environmental health , injury prevention , immigration , work (physics) , human factors and ergonomics , occupational medicine , suicide prevention , poison control , hazardous waste , occupational exposure , mechanical engineering , archaeology , pathology , engineering , history , ecology , biology
Background Day Labor is a growing part of the informal economy in the US, and in Seattle, and may entail a high risk of injury and illness at work. Methods We surveyed 180‐day laborers, at two worker centers and an unregulated “Street” location concerning their job‐specific exposures and injury experience. Results Exposures to both health and safety hazards were common at all three sites. After controlling for type of work, immigrant workers were 1.5–2 times more likely than non‐immigrant day laborers to report exposure to hazardous conditions. Among the 180 participants 34 reported injuries were classified as “recordable.” We estimated an injury rate of 31 recordable injuries per 100 full time employees. The three hiring locations had differing job experiences and exposures. Those hired through worker centers had a lower risk of exposures, while the Street workers were more likely to refuse hazardous work. Conclusions Day laborers are exposed to numerous hazards at work, resulting in high injury rates. Multiple approaches including community based organizations which may provide some employment stability and social support for protection at work are needed to reduce occupational injury and illness risk among these vulnerable populations. Am. J. Ind. Med. 51:399–406, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.