Abstract
BackgroundHispanic workers have higher rates of injury and death on construction worksites than workers of other ethnicities. Language barriers and cultural differences have been hypothesized as reasons behind the disparate rates.MethodsWe conducted two series of focus groups with union and non-union Hispanic construction workers to ask them about their perceptions of the causes for the unequal rates. Spanish transcripts were translated and coded in QSR NVivo software for common themes.ResultsWorkers reported a difficult work environment characterized by supervisor pressure, competition for jobs and intimidation with regard to raising safety concerns. Language barriers or cultural factors were not strongly represented as causative factors behind the rates.ConclusionThe results of this study have informed the development of an intervention trial that seeks to prevent falls and silica dust exposure by training contractors employing Hispanic construction workers in the elements of safety leadership, including building respect for their Hispanic workers and facilitating their participation in a safety program.
Highlights
Hispanic workers have higher rates of injury and death on construction worksites than workers of other ethnicities
Why Accidents Happen/Speed versus Safety Participants were presented with the fact of Hispanic construction workers’ greater risk of falls and deaths on construction sites. They shared their perspective of the reasons for that disparate risk - primarily that Hispanic workers are under greater pressure to work fast, often to assure supervisors’ bonuses for jobs completed early
English language skills may not be inclined to view their own limitation as a reason for accidents, workers did identify their responsibility for hazardous conditions, in particular by not “complaining.” We interpret the findings above to suggest an analytical construct that Hispanic construction workers are more likely to face hazardous conditions that might lead to injury, because Hispanic construction workers, more than other workers, 1) face greater production pressures in a safety-challenged construction work environment, 2) are subject to disrespectful attitudes and intimidation, and 3) are more likely to tolerate unsafe conditions
Summary
Hispanic workers have higher rates of injury and death on construction worksites than workers of other ethnicities. Dong’s study [3] of more than 7,000 construction workers’ medical records found that Hispanics were nearly 30% more likely to have medical conditions due to work-related injuries than white, nonHispanics, after controlling for occupation, gender, age, and education. Their injuries were more likely to be severe enough to cause lost workdays. Hispanic construction workers number almost 3 million and hold 30% of non-management jobs in construction [4] These workers generally have limited-English language ability
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