Abstract
International university students are a growing section of the workforce and are thought to be at greater risk of injury. Qualitative studies have highlighted vulnerabilities, but there is a shortage of quantitative research exploring the injury experience and associated risk factors of this emerging issue. In this study, a total of 466 university student workers across a range of study programs in a single Australian university completed an online survey, with questions relating to their background, working experience, training and injury experience. Risk factors for injury were explored in a multivariate statistical model. More than half had not received any safety training before they started work, and 10% reported having had a work injury. About half of these injuries occurred after training. Statistically significant risk factors for injury included working more than 20 h per week (adjusted odds ratio 2.20 (95% CI 1.03–4.71) and lack of confidence in discussing safety issues (AOR 2.17; 95% CI 1.13–4.16). The findings suggest the need for a more engaging and effective approach to safety education and a limit on working hours. This situation is a moral challenge for universities, in that they are effectively sponsoring young workers in the community. It is recommended that longitudinal studies of international student workers be conducted.
Highlights
International students represent a significant and rising proportion of young workers in many countries
This study found that heavy workload, work stress, and physical hazards exposure were the main contributing factors to injuries among university student workers
The online survey allowed participants to skip questions for which they were unwilling to share information Secondly, the online information indicated that the survey was only for those with working experiences, international students could participate in the online survey whether they had this experience or not
Summary
International (foreign) students represent a significant and rising proportion of young workers in many countries. International students may be at greater risk for occupational injury than their domestic peers [2]. Their vulnerability may be due to cultural and language barriers, fewer work choices, relatively poorer working conditions and, in many cases, financial pressures [3,4,5]. As such, they pose an emerging challenge for occupational health and safety (OHS) regulators. Nyland and coworkers [4] have highlighted exploitation (not attributed to racism), limited understanding by students of rights and support services, the need for education suppliers to provide relevant information and appropriate regulation
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