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Occupational Health and Safety Vulnerability of Recent Immigrants and Refugees

Author

Listed:
  • Basak Yanar

    (Institute for Work & Health, 481 University Ave., Suite 800, Toronto, ON M5G 2E9, Canada)

  • Agnieszka Kosny

    (Institute for Work & Health, 481 University Ave., Suite 800, Toronto, ON M5G 2E9, Canada
    Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, 6th floor, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada)

  • Peter M. Smith

    (Institute for Work & Health, 481 University Ave., Suite 800, Toronto, ON M5G 2E9, Canada
    Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, 6th floor, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada
    Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 553 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia)

Abstract

Recent immigrants and refugees have higher rates of work-related injuries and illnesses compared to Canadian-born workers. As a result, they are often labelled as vulnerable workers. This study explored the factors that contribute to occupational health and safety (OHS) vulnerability of recent immigrants and refugees with a focus on modifiable factors such as exposure to hazards and access to workplace protections, awareness of OHS and worker rights, and empowerment to act on those rights. Eighteen focus groups were conducted with 110 recent immigrants and refugees about their experiences looking for work and in their first jobs in Canada. A thematic content analysis was used to organize the data and to identify and report themes. The jobs described by participants typically involved poor working conditions and exposure to hazards without adequate workplace protections. Most participants had limited knowledge of OHS and employment rights and tended to not voice safety concerns to employers. Understanding OHS vulnerability from the lens of workplace context can help identify modifiable conditions that affect the risk of injury and illness among recent immigrants and refugees. Safe work integration depends on providing these workers with information about their rights, adequate job training, and opportunities for participating in injury prevention.

Suggested Citation

  • Basak Yanar & Agnieszka Kosny & Peter M. Smith, 2018. "Occupational Health and Safety Vulnerability of Recent Immigrants and Refugees," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-16, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:9:p:2004-:d:169769
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Sonja Senthanar & Mieke Koehoorn & Lillian Tamburic & Stephanie Premji & Ute Bültmann & Christopher B. McLeod, 2021. "Differences in Work Disability Duration for Immigrants and Canadian-Born Workers in British Columbia, Canada," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-16, November.
    3. Yujun Liu & Bowen Yang & Linping Liu & Maitixirepu Jilili & Anuo Yang, 2021. "Occupational Characteristics in the Outbreak of the COVID-19 Delta Variant in Nanjing, China: Rethinking the Occupational Health and Safety Vulnerability of Essential Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-9, October.
    4. Janki Shankar & Daniel Lai & Shu-Ping Chen & Tanvir C. Turin & Shawn Joseph & Ellen Mi, 2022. "Highly Educated Immigrant Workers’ Perspectives of Occupational Health and Safety and Work Conditions That Challenge Work Safety," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-18, July.
    5. Federica Caffaro & Giorgia Bagagiolo & Margherita Micheletti Cremasco & Lucia Vigoroso & Eugenio Cavallo, 2020. "Tailoring Safety Training Material to Migrant Farmworkers: An Ergonomic User-Centred Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-14, March.
    6. Ju-Yeun Lee & Sung-il Cho, 2019. "Prohibition on Changing Workplaces and Fatal Occupational Injuries among Chinese Migrant Workers in South Korea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-14, September.
    7. Xiaomin Liu & Steven J. Bowe & Allison Milner & Lin Li & Lay San Too & Anthony D. LaMontagne, 2019. "Job Insecurity: A Comparative Analysis between Migrant and Native Workers in Australia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-14, October.
    8. Patricia Cain & Alison Daly & Alison Reid, 2021. "How Refugees Experience the Australian Workplace: A Comparative Mixed Methods Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-14, April.

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