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Using community‐based methods and a social ecological framework to explore workplace health and safety of bloqueros on the olympic peninsula
Author(s) -
Campe Joseph,
Hoare Lesley,
Hagopian Amy,
Keifer Matthew
Publication year - 2011
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.20933
Subject(s) - medicine , peninsula , occupational safety and health , environmental health , environmental planning , ecology , pathology , environmental science , biology
Background Occupational health and safety issues among Latino immigrants are increasingly important as increased immigration has led to a burgeoning workforce with limited English language skills or lack of documentation status. Foreign‐born Latino immigrants are consistently the ethnic group with the highest occupational mortality rates in the United States. We aimed to understand and document the occupational safety and health hazards faced by a particularly at‐risk Latino immigrant workforce—cedar block cutters, or bloqueros —on the Olympic Peninsula. Methods Key informant interviews were conducted using community‐based participatory methods. Qualitative analysis was guided by grounded theory and a social ecological framework. Results Thirteen interviews were conducted lasting 1–2 hr each. Three prominent findings arose: (1) bloqueros face occupational risks similar to those found in other forestry occupations, (2) bloqueros face unexpected risks that are likely unique to block cutting, and (3) bloqueros face four overlapping marginalization forces (societal, economical, political, and occupational) that undermine workplace health and safety. Conclusions Bloqueros work low‐paying, high‐risk jobs with little health and safety regulation, documentation, or coverage. Workers' precarious socio‐economic position and various structural factors compound workplace risks and contribute to a lack of ability to advocate for safer and healthier working conditions. Am. J. Ind. Med. 54:438–449, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.