Working Conditions, Occupational Injuries, and Health Among Filipino Fish Processing Workers in Dutch Harbor, Alaska

Details

• Personal Author:
  de Castro B ; Garcia GM
• Description:
  This study explored how unique environmental conditions in Alaska influenced occupational health and safety for Filipino fish processing workers, many of whom migrated from warm locations (e.g., the Philippines, California, and Nevada). In-depth interviews were conducted with 26 Filipino workers in one commercial fish processing company in Dutch Harbor. Results indicated that cold weather interferes with workers' job performance, increasing their risk for injury and illness, whereas the community's isolation and rural nature causes loneliness and boredom, resulting in more high-risk behaviors. Other non-environmental factors affecting worker health include roommate and supervisor concerns and culture-specific practices. Findings suggest the importance of job rotation to avoid long exposures to cold temperatures, the value of a designated individual to inform workers about company and community resources that promote healthy lifestyles, and the possible utility of a joint worker-management safety committee. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Behavior Emigration And Immigration Hunting Mental Health Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Temperature Workplace
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Occupational Injuries Filipino Fishing Industry Health Health Effects Immigrant Immigrant Workers Injuries Psychological Effects Risk Factors Temperature Effects Work Environment Workforce Working Conditions

  More +
• ISSN:
  2165-0799
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement ; Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Alaska ; OSHA Region 10 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  219-226
• Volume:
  65
• Issue:
  5
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20050755
• Citation:
  Workplace Health Saf 2017 May; 65(5):219-226
• Contact Point Address:
  Gabriel Macasiray Garcia, PhD, MA, MPH, University of Alaska Anchorage, 3211 Providence Dr, Bragaw 220, Anchorage, AK 99508
• Email:
  gabrieljmgarcia@uaa.alaska.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2017
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Washington
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20010930
• Source Full Name:
  Workplace Health & Safety
• End Date:
  20270929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:1fbb5fbbb9ca3c03b8158af9a7a191665b99f31875434fffaa96ef1cb45027a007444c28e370a7ca3813985bead2340fce1ad350207cf78df0645af10113a4a2
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/210978/cdc_210978_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 119.03 KB ]