Premium
Vulnerability of employees in businesses with fewer than five workers (micro‐enterprises) to occupational safety and health problems
Author(s) -
Park Jungsun,
Park Jongshik,
Han Boyoung,
Kim Yangho
Publication year - 2017
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.22783
Subject(s) - medicine , occupational safety and health , vulnerability (computing) , environmental health , occupational medicine , occupational exposure , pathology , computer security , computer science
We assessed the characteristics of micro‐enterprises (businesses with fewer than five workers) focusing on occupational safety and health (OSH) issues. Methods We performed a secondary analysis of data from the Economically Active Population Supplementary Survey and the fourth Korean Working Conditions Survey of 2014. Results Relative to larger businesses, micro‐enterprises employ more women, temporary workers, and older workers (>55 years). In addition, more workers in micro‐enterprises held “elementary occupations” (unskilled or under‐skilled) or “sales and service jobs.” Key sectors of such employment included the sectors of “wholesale and retail trade” and “hotel and restaurants.” Furthermore, lower skilled workers in such micro‐enterprises more frequently reported exposure to ergonomic risk factors and subsequent musculoskeletal disorders, and they also experienced a much higher fatality rate due to occupational injuries. Conclusion Our results indicate that Korean workers in micro‐enterprises are more vulnerable to OSH problems than workers in larger businesses.