Hidden Hands: Safety and Health of Latino Immigrant Forestry Services Workers in the Pacific Northwest

Details

• Personal Author:
  Barton-Antonio D ; Breckwich Vasquez V ; Bush D ; de Castro AB ; Harrington M ; Wilmsen C
• Description:
  Background: A large number of forestry services workers are immigrants from Latin America, placing them at disproportionately high risk for work-related injury and illness. While performing work essential for U.S. forest management, workers in this industry encounter injury and illness rates 2-3 times higher and fatality rates 9 times higher compared to the general U.S. workforce. To address this occupational health disparity, a partnership between academic research centers (University of Washington's Pacific Northwest Agriculture Safety & Health Center and University of California Berkeley's Labor Occupational Health Program) and a community-based organization (Northwest Forest Worker Center) was formed to create training resources on workplace safety and health and workers' rights awareness. Study design: Using a participatory approach and mixed-methods design, cross-sectional surveys and qualitative interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of employers and supervisors in the forestry services industry, as well as workers recruited from among community connections using chain-referral and census-type sampling. All participants operated or worked in the Medford, OR, area. Methods: Data collection with employers and supervisors (n=8) included interviews and worksite observations of job tasks being performed by workers. A total of 99 forestry services workers who were immigrants and of Latino descent were interviewed. Of these, 25 participants were re-contacted and completed more in-depth worker case studies about their injury/illness experience and how it was handled. These case studies served as the basis for the development of training resources, including first-person digital story narratives. The formative development of these materials included 247 trainees/audience evaluators. This project was guided throughout the three years by the Technical Advisory Group (forestry and safety professionals) and the Expert Working Group (workers and promotoras). Results: Employers/supervisors identified the following occupational risk factors: worker behaviors, cutting methods, and transportation and external factors such as the institutional environment and structure of the industry. To reduce risks, employers/supervisors emphasized worker training, creating a culture of safety, slower work pace and learning from accidents and near misses. Workers' reported injury/illness experiences were consistent with employer/supervisor perceptions of hazards and injury statistics. Principle injury causes were being struck by an object; slips, trips and falls; chainsaw kickback; and, over exertion/repetitive stress. Most injury/illness incidents occurred while workers were thinning, planting and brushing, and piling. Data also indicate that injury risk is exacerbated by fast-paced work, working too close together, reaching too high with the chainsaw, dull chains, worker inattention, antagonistic and bullying treatment of workers, fatigue, low visibility, poor communication, lack of safety training, and lack of personal protective equipment (PPE). Despite a prevailing fear of retaliation, some workers did request changes to improve safety, most often better maintained work tools or PPE, and, notably in circumstances where they could not perform job tasks or had clear concerns for their own safety. An underlining theme in the worker injury cases were of oppressive supervisory behaviors, which affected worker experiences with being injured, treatment for their injuries, and attempting to improve safety and health at work. Findings were used to develop educational materials, including first-person digital stories and bilingual "Safety Talk" training materials for supervisor to use at work sites. Discussion: Results from employer and supervisor interviews showed an awareness of the hazardous tasks in forestry services. These hazards were consistent with worker reports, as well as with federal and state injury statistics. This valuable workforce has a significant need for training and support at many levels, from local medical care to land management contracts. One area of need and common ground between employers and workers is to develop training solutions for supervisors and employers with a goal to improve workplace safety climate. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Emigration And Immigration Forestry Healthcare Disparities Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Staff Development
• Keywords:
  Health Disparities Immigrant Workers Injury Prevention Risk Factors Safety Climate Safety Culture Training
• Series:
  Grant Final Reports
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Final Cooperative Agreement Report
• Place as Subject:
  California ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 9 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OEP - Office of Extramural Programs
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-29
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20055620
• NTIS Accession Number:
  PB2019-100842
• Citation:
  Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, U01-OH-010814, 2017 Nov; :1-29
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2018
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Washington, Seattle
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20140901
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• End Date:
  20170831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:144114a759b355fe712986464096a2b91ab27d9c40bc8032eb2b2ed53f7e5a2a065f9d25447a5c1abedb091e6ca618f2910d90794df198f88c5dd8b8f57f6c96
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/218856/cdc_218856_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 586.67 KB ]