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Highly Educated Immigrant Workers’ Perspectives of Occupational Health and Safety and Work Conditions That Challenge Work Safety

Author

Listed:
  • Janki Shankar

    (Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada)

  • Daniel Lai

    (Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Social Work, Hongkong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China)

  • Shu-Ping Chen

    (Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada)

  • Tanvir C. Turin

    (Department of Family Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
    Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada)

  • Shawn Joseph

    (Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada)

  • Ellen Mi

    (Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada)

Abstract

This study explored the perspectives of new immigrant workers regarding occupational health and safety and workplace conditions that increase workers’ vulnerability to sustaining injury or illness. Using an interpretive research approach and semi-structured qualitative interviews, 42 new immigrant workers from a range of industries operating in two cities in a province in Canada were interviewed. Seventy-nine percent of the workers were highly qualified. A constant comparative approach was used to identify key themes across the workers’ experiences. The findings revealed that new immigrant workers have an incomplete understanding of occupational health and safety. In many workplaces, poor job training, little worker support, lack of power in the workplace, and a poor workplace safety culture make it difficult for workers to acquire occupational health and safety information and to implement safe work practices. This study proposes workplace policies and practices that will improve worker occupational health and safety awareness and make workplaces safer for new immigrant workers.

Suggested Citation

  • Janki Shankar & Daniel Lai & Shu-Ping Chen & Tanvir C. Turin & Shawn Joseph & Ellen Mi, 2022. "Highly Educated Immigrant Workers’ Perspectives of Occupational Health and Safety and Work Conditions That Challenge Work Safety," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-18, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:14:p:8757-:d:865891
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Andrea C. Dunlavy & Mikael Rostila, 2013. "Health Inequalities among Workers with a Foreign Background in Sweden: Do Working Conditions Matter?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-17, July.
    2. James P. Smith, 2006. "Immigrants and the Labor Market," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 24(2), pages 203-234, April.
    3. Pia Orrenius & Madeline Zavodny, 2009. "Do immigrants work in riskier jobs?," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 46(3), pages 535-551, August.
    4. Basak Yanar & Agnieszka Kosny & Peter M. Smith, 2018. "Occupational Health and Safety Vulnerability of Recent Immigrants and Refugees," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-16, September.
    5. Jason Foster & Bob Barnetson & Jared Matsunaga-Turnbull, 2018. "Fear Factory: Retaliation and Rights Claiming in Alberta, Canada," SAGE Open, , vol. 8(2), pages 21582440187, June.
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