Occupational Health Challenges for Immigrant Workers

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Q. Ahonen
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Migrant Worker ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Structural Factors ◽  
Immigrant Worker ◽  
Worker Health

Occupational health and safety concerns classically encompass conditions and hazards in workplaces which, with sufficient exposure, can lead to injury, distress, illness, or death. The ways in which work is organized and the arrangements under which people are employed have also been linked to worker health. Migrants are people who cross borders away from their usual place of residence, and about one in seven people worldwide is a migrant. Terms like “immigrant” and “emigrant” refer to the direction of that movement relative to the stance of the speaker. Any person who might be classified as a migrant and who works or seeks to work is an immigrant worker and may face challenges to safety, health, and well-being related to the work he or she does. The economic, legal, and social circumstances of migrant workers can place them into employment and working conditions that endanger their safety, health, or well-being. While action in support of migrant worker health must be based on systematic understanding of these individuals’ needs, full understanding the possible dangers to migrant worker health is limited by conceptual and practical challenges to public health surveillance and research about migrant workers. Furthermore, intervention in support of migrant worker health must balance tensions between high-risk and population-based approaches and need to address the broader, structural circumstances that pattern the health-related experiences of migrant workers. Considering the relationships between work and health that include but go beyond workplace hazards and occupational injury, and engaging with the ways in which structural influences act on health through work, are complex endeavors. Without more critically engaging with these issues, however, there is a risk of undermining the effectiveness of efforts to improve the lot of migrant workers by “othering” the workers or by failing to focus on what is causing the occupational safety and health concern in the first place—the characteristics of the work people do. Action in support of migrant workers should therefore aim to ameliorate structural factors that place migrants into disadvantageous conditions while working to improve conditions for all workers.

Managing Workplace Safety and Health

2013 ◽  
pp. 512-536
Author(s):  
Thomas Kniesner ◽  
John D. Leeth
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Workplace Safety ◽  
Economic Incentive ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Market Forces ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Worker Health ◽  
Safety And Health

This entry explicates how market forces incent managers to be concerned with worker health and safety. It also notes how supplementing market forces are government actions intended to improve work-related health and safety. These include the legal system under tort laws, states’ workers’ compensation insurance Programs, research into the causes of health hazards at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the federal government’s workplace regulations under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). An important empirical conclusion emerging is that the labor market, via the additional compensation workers require for exposure to health and safety risks, provides the largest economic incentive for managers making workplace decisions involving worker health-related well being.

scholarly journals What Could Total Worker Health® Look Like in Small Enterprises?

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S34-S41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane S Rohlman ◽  
Shelly Campo ◽  
Jennifer Hall ◽  
Erin L Robinson ◽  
Kevin M Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Small Enterprises ◽  
Worker Health ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Total Worker Health

Abstract Small enterprises have fewer resources, are more financially precarious, and have higher rates of occupational injury and illness compared with larger enterprises. Interventions that address the promotion of health and well-being in addition to traditional occupational safety and health hazards, a Total Worker Health® (TWH) approach, may be effective in reducing injuries and preventing illness. However, little research has examined the impact of TWH interventions in small enterprises. The aim of this research was to explore and characterize health and safety practices, policies, and programs in small Midwestern enterprises from a TWH perspective. Utilizing a case studies approach, site visits were conducted with small business, between 10 and 250 employees, from 2014 through 2016 and included workplace audits and interviews with multiple employees in varying roles within each organization. Both open and closed coding were used to identify specific themes. Eight themes emerged from the site visits: value and return on investment, organizational factors, program design, engaging employees, low-cost strategies, evaluation, and integration. These themes overlapped with both the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Essential Elements of TWH and the NIOSH Fundamentals. Industry sector and enterprise size also affect resources and integration of these resources. As TWH expands to organizations of all sizes, it is necessary to address the unique needs of smaller enterprises.

scholarly journals Protection for Migrant Workers under Evolving Occupational Health and Safety Regimes in China

2017 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mankui Li
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
State Regulation ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Regulation Model ◽  
Employment Legislation

Migrant workers in China are a distinctive group due to the existence of the hukou system under which they continue to face restrictions on housing, education, and health care in urban areas. The equal employment legislation does not solve the discrimination problems. Compared with their urban counterparts, migrant workers are more vulnerable, in terms of both precarity of employment and the occupational hazards that they are exposed to, and badly need OHS protection. Any weakness of OHS regime will have a disproportionately adverse effect on migrant workers. China’s OHS regime has been through constant evolution. The old prevention structure, which separated occupational health from occupational safety, was proved to be less effective in protecting migrant workers. In recognition of its deficiencies, China’s top legislature made adjustments to the OHS legal framework by enacting and updating a series of laws. The new prevention structure, unifying the occupational health administration and the occupational safety administration, represents a step forward in terms of OHS protection for migrant workers. According to worker citizenship theory, China’s OHS regime can be categorized as a direct state regulation model. It carries with it both the strengths and weaknesses of direct state regulation models. On the participation rights dimension, the lack of consultative joint OHS committees and the lack of effective collective bargaining shut migrant workers out from the decision-making process on OHS matters. On the social rights dimension, the gendered and aged-based approach becomes a hindrance for female migrant workers and young migrant workers. Furthermore, levels of enforcement vary considerably across different periods and areas, subject to the ever-changing priorities on the government’s agenda. Migrant workers are still facing tremendous obstacles and challenges in obtaining access to adequate protection under the current OHS regime in China. Future reform measures should focus on delivering OHS protection for migrant workers in the informal sector, strengthening participation, and centralizing OHS administration, especially enforcement.

scholarly journals Employer Preparedness: A Total Worker Health Conceptual Framework and Model

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cora Roelofs
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Worker Health ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
The Face ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Total Worker Health

Background: Recent disasters have demonstrated gaps in employers’ preparedness to protect employees and promote their well-being in the face of emergencies and disasters affecting the workplace and their communities. Total Worker Health (TWH), a comprehensive perspective developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, is a helpful framework for addressing employer preparedness. It includes attention to health and safety at work, and the promotion of the health and well-being of the employee in the context of social determinants of health, such as work-life balance. Methods: TWH concepts, including the domains of TWH and the TWH Hierarchy of Controls, were investigated for their relevance to protecting employees and promoting their well-being during and after crises such as weather disasters, pandemics, and acts of terrorism. Building upon TWH concepts, an employer preparedness framework and model is proposed. Findings: The Model emphasizes upstream prevention, workplace-community linkages, social and economic impacts, and employer leadership through a cyclical planning process. Conclusions/Application to Practice: The Model can assist employers in advancing their preparedness for all hazards through self-assessment and planning agendas based upon the proposed domains.

scholarly journals RIGHT OF MIGRANT WORKERS TO OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY UNDER MALAYSIA LAWS

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (26) ◽  
pp. 48-60
Author(s):  
Aminuddin Mustaffa ◽  
Cherifi Noura ◽  
Md. Mahbubul Haque
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Fundamental Rights ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Occupational Accidents ◽  
The Right

The migration of people to other countries in search of employment is a common phenomenon that has occurred throughout history. While migration is a positive and empowering experience, migrant workers can be vulnerable to human rights violations. In this context, international laws have provided the international legal framework on the rights of migrant workers. Among the fundamental rights of migrant workers is the right to occupational health and safety within which a worker is expected to perform his job. This paper aims to examine the right of migrant workers to occupational health and safety in light of international standards and Malaysian laws. It adopts qualitative research of doctrinal and comparative nature. It will examine the adequacy of current laws in recognizing and protecting the rights of migrant workers to occupational safety and health with reference to the standards set by the international instruments. The paper also attempts to identify factors that contributed to the high number of occupational accidents. The paper concludes that the current Malaysian laws provide a specific legal framework that aims to protect the right of migrant workers to occupational health and safety. However, non-compliance with law requirements and lack of enforcement has contributed to the high number of occupational accidents. In conjunction with that, the paper provides recommendations towards improving the Malaysian legal framework on occupational health and safety.

Enhancing the Infrastructure to Safeguard the Health of America's Work Force

1994 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 76-85
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New Jersey ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Research Training ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Well Being

This document presents a plan for safeguarding the health of America's workers. This plan was developed by the Occupational Health and Safety Forum of New York and New Jersey, a coalition of health and safety specialists from trade unions, industry, government and academia… The Forum is organized around the New York-New Jersey Educational Resource Center, a consortium of six universities in the New York metropolitan area whose educational and research training endeavors form the primary means through which the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) fulfills its mandate to support professional training in the region. This document provides a blueprint for improving the health and safety of workers in New York, New Jersey, and across the nation and, thus, for strengthening national productivity. The views in the report are non-partisan. They reflect the consensus opinion of specialists from industry, labor and academia, each of whom has worked for many years in the field of occupational health and safety. This document and its recommendations are not intended to be comprehensive. Important issues about which it may be difficult to find consensus, such as reform of OSHA, the overhaul of workers' compensation and others, are, therefore, not included in this document. Rather, this plan focuses on revitalizing the infrastructure of occupational health through which new approaches to addressing the health of workers might be undertaken. Through implementation of this plan, the region and the nation can expect to reduce its health care costs and increase the well-being of this and future generations of Americans.

scholarly journals Compatibility as guiding principle for ergonomics work design and preventive occupational health and safety

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helmut Strasser
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
System Performance ◽  
Occupational Diseases ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Work Design ◽  
Human Organism ◽  
Machine System ◽  
Human Capacity

AbstractMutual adaptation and inter-changeability of system elements are very important prerequisites for machines, technical devices and products. Similar to that technical compatibility which can be achieved by standards and regulations, optimum design of human-oriented workplaces or a man-machine system cannot be attained without, e.g., a compatible arrangement of connected displays and controls. Over and above those stimulus/response relations, all technical elements and interfaces have to be designed in such a way that they do not exceed human capacity in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance. Compatibility between the properties of the human organism on the one hand, and the adaptable technical components of a work system on the other hand, offers a great potential of preventive measures. Examples of ergonomically designed working tools show that compatibility is capable of reducing the prevalence of occupational diseases and repetitive strain injuries as well as leading to lower physiological cost in such a way that the same output results from a lower demand of human resources or even a higher performance will be attained. Compatibility also supports the quick perception and transmission of information in a man-machine system, and as a result of lower requirements for decoding during information processing, spare mental capacity may enhance occupational safety. In the field of software, compatibility also helps to avoid psychological frustration. All in all, the center core competency, which reflects the major significant function of the ergonomist in work design, consists in determining the compatibility of human capacity and planned or existing demands of work. In order to provide efficient working tools and working conditions as well as to be successful in occupational health and safety, ergonomics and industrial engineering in the future are expected to pay more attention to the rules of compatibility. Applied in an appropriate way, these rules may convince people that ergonomics can be a powerful means for reducing prevalence of occupational diseases and complaints, and has a positive effect on overall system performance. Besides presenting examples of work design according to the principle of compatibility, also methods will be shown which enable the assessment of the ergonomic quality of hand-held tools and computer input devices.

scholarly journals Foreword and Introduction to This Issue on Contemporary Safety Topics in Animal Research

ILAR Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-126
Author(s):  
John Bradfield ◽  
Esmeralda Meyer ◽  
John N Norton
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Animal Research ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
The Status ◽  
Safety Considerations ◽  
Animal Care ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Institutions with animal care and use programs are obligated to provide for the health and well-being of the animals, but are equally obligated to provide for safety of individuals associated with the program. The topics in this issue of the ILAR Journal, in association with those within the complimentary issue of the Journal of Applied Biosafety, provide a variety of contemporary occupational health and safety considerations in today’s animal research programs. Each article addresses key or emerging occupational health and safety topics in institutional animal care and use programs, where the status of the topic, contemporary challenges, and future directions are provided.

Migrant Worker Health

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Migrant Worker ◽  
Work Organization ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Forced Migration ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
High Status ◽  
New Host ◽  
Worker Health

More than 150 million international migrant workers and an unknown number of internal migrant workers toil across the globe. More than workplace exposures affect migrant worker health; their health is also affected by exposures in the sociocultural milieu from which they came and in which they currently live. Although some of these migrant workers include professionals in high-status occupations such as doctors, nurses, engineers, and computer scientists, most are low skill workers employed in the most dangerous jobs in the most hazardous industries. The health of these migrant workers has been a long-term concern in public health, and this concern has increased with the rise of greater globalization, the recent growth of displaced and refugee populations that will need to enter the workforce in their new host countries, and the anticipated effects of climate change. The domain of migrant worker health is expansive, and is necessarily limited in this bibliography. This bibliography focuses on workers and not the family members who may accompany them, although other family members also may be workers. It focuses on low-skill migrant workers, rather than on professionals who migrate for work. Low-skill migrant workers are the individuals for whom health and public health are concerns. Additionally, research on the health of migrant professional workers is scant. At the same time, this bibliography attempts to place migrant worker health in a holistic context; because migrant worker health is affected by more than workplace exposures, the bibliography addresses exposures in their current sociocultural milieu. This bibliography has three major sections. The first section summarizes general resources that provide information on migrant workers, including International Agencies, Nongovernmental Organizations, Data Sources, Reference Works, and Journals. The second section addresses the characteristics of migrant workers that affect their health, including their Personal Characteristics, the Circumstances of Migration, Forced Migration, Industries which employ migrant workers, and 3-D Jobs: Dangerous, Dirty, and Demanding. The final section considers the health status of migrant workers, with discussions of Conceptual Frameworks for understanding migrant worker health, Work Organization Exposures, Environmental Exposures, Sociocultural Exposures, Health Conditions, Approaches to Improve Migrant Worker Health, and Policy/Regulations.

scholarly journals Legal Framework as a Determinant of Implementation of Occupational Health and Safety Programmes in the Manufacturing Sector in Kenya.

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priscilla Wanjiku Ndegwa ◽  
Wario Guyo ◽  
George Orwa ◽  
Robert Ng’ang’a ◽  
Elishba Muthoni Murigi
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Hazardous Substances ◽  
Safety And Health

Recent trends in the organization of work have increased the risk of occupational safety and health (OSH) in Kenyan industries through exposure to hazardous substances, work related accidents and increased stress-related illnesses. According to International lab our organization (ILO) everyone is entitled to the right to safe and healthy working conditions and therefore the corpus of law in Kenya dealing with occupational safety and health should be embedded in the international OSH legal instruments. Specifically the occupational health and safety Act (2007) is expected to provide for safety, health and welfare of workers and all persons lawfully present at workplaces. The purpose of this study therefore was to investigate legal framework as a determinant of implementation of occupational health and safety programmes in the manufacturing sector in Kenya. It focused on six legal areas predicted as affecting implementation of OSH. These factors were national OSH policy, OSHA (occupational safety and health Act) familiarity with OSHA, government OSH inspections and audits, ease of implementation of OSHA, Government support in the implementation of OSH and OSHA implement ability. The study adopted descriptive cross-sectional survey design but however intended to gather both qualitative and quantitative data. A self administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 257 OSH officers drawn randomly from 735 manufacturing industries registered by Kenya manufacturers association. 252 questionnaires were received back and analyzed with the help of SSPS window version 21. Both correlation and regression analysis were conducted and the results showed that there was a positive significant relationship between legal framework and implementation of OSH programmes. 

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