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Occupational injury and work organization among immigrant Latino residential construction workers
Author(s) -
Grzywacz Joseph G.,
Quandt Sara A.,
Marín Antonio,
Summers Phillip,
Lang Wei,
Mills Thomas,
Evia Carlos,
Rushing Julia,
Donadio Katherine,
Arcury Thomas A.
Publication year - 2012
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.22014
Subject(s) - medicine , occupational injury , immigration , occupational safety and health , injury prevention , incidence (geometry) , environmental health , poison control , human factors and ergonomics , gerontology , suicide prevention , demography , pathology , history , physics , archaeology , sociology , optics
Background Rates of occupational injury among immigrant workers are widely believed to be underestimated. The goal of this study was to enhance understanding of the burden of occupational injury and the work organization factors underlying injury among immigrant Latino residential construction workers. Methods Prospective data were obtained from a community‐based sample of Latino residential construction workers (N = 107) over a 3‐month period. Results Twenty‐eight participants were injured, resulting in an injury incidence rate of 55.0/100 FTE (95% CI = 41.4–71.6) during the 3‐month observation period. The injury rate involving days away from work during the observation period was 3.9/100 FTE (CI = 0.2–7.2). Injuries were elevated among roofers relative to framers and general construction workers. Roofers had elevated exposure to a variety of deleterious work organization factors. Conclusions Although imprecise given the small sample, our results suggest a threefold to fourfold underestimate of the injury burden to immigrant Latino construction workers. Work organization may contribute to elevated rates of non‐fatal occupational injury, particularly among roofers. Am. J. Ind. Med. 55:698–706, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.