OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY FOR MIGRANT WORKERS

Occupational Safety and Health for Migrant Workers

V.S.
University of South Florida

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Abstract
The majority of work-related injuries amongst migrant workers is in construction.
Significant attention is given to how well training procedures are followed and to how much of a
difference it makes on the health and safety of migrant workers. Considering their transition to
another country and how they adapt factors into how well they are able to understand their
surroundings. Migrant construction workers experience several disparities compared to native
workers, many of which are analyzed to show how much of an impact they are on both physical
and mental health. All of this information is synthesized to provide patterns seen within the
disparities and how such can be changed so that migrant construction workers can better interpret
different settings from around the world.

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Although construction workers are the most likely to receive safety training, the majority
of injuries are in construction. Many of the injuries were due to heavy lifting puncture
wounds, lacerations, and burns [on the] feet, hands...fingers, shoulders and head (Gany et al.,
2010, p.177). It is presumed that migrant workers often do not report their injuries due to the
fear of losing their jobs since they know that they can be easily replaced with someone who will
not challenge an employer on safety issues (Gany et al., 2010, p.178). This paper seeks to
determine how the lack of thorough training, healthcare and compliance by the companies along
with a changing environment can significantly impact the quality of safety for migrant
construction workers.
Migrant workers have been defined, in regards to risk, to have the highest vulnerability.
This is especially true with those who know little to none of the native language in the country
that they are working in and with those with a fragile residency status. Language and cultural
barriers make it harder for migrant workers to access adequate training, thus making them
susceptible to an occupational disease and/or injury due to overtime work or chronic ill health
(HSE, 2008). For example, the combination of increasing industrialization, poverty, occupational
hazards and overcrowding lead to instances of skin disease (Kuruvila, Dubey, & Gahalaut,
2006). Access to occupational health is compromised since fear and the lack of respect from
doctors prevent these workers from seeking medical attention that they may need.
In order to help migrant workers find alternative means for healthcare, a method was
proposed to distribute leaflets in their own language in places that they would most likely but at
outside of work like community centers and supermarkets (HSE, 2008). Even pictorial aids used
to help communicate hazards and prevent injury can be difficult to develop since different
cultures provide people different means of interpreting certain material. In one case study, signs

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were made in the UK to help workers identify hazards and controls as well as to help them
understand how to react to such a situation. In comparing the interpretations made by the native
workers and migrant workers, workers from European countries identified more images
correctly than workers of African and Indian origin (Hare, Cameron, Real, & Maloney, 2013,
p.824).
While migrant workers are not always at a higher risk compared to others doing similar
work, they are more likely to find work with employers in sectors that pose higher risk and
demands. A majority of job-related injuries, illnesses and fatalities are with small businesses
because of the fact that, from 1992 to 2010, 44% of construction workers that died on the job
were from small firms (NIOSH, 2015). There are many barriers that prevent workers from being
properly trained, especially since many small business owners lack OSH knowledge by
having no return-to-work policies, poor post-injury administration, no safety training, and a lack
of clear management guidance (NIOSH, 2015). Bullying also becomes a problem when many
migrants report discrimination from managers, compared to native workers. Such bullying and
discrimination can lead to extreme cases where migrant workers are stripped of basic human
rights. The lack of sufficient water, food, and healthcare has caused hundreds of migrant workers
to die while constructing the stadium for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar (65th WMGA, 2014).
Workers are not able to leave freely if they feel their health is endangered since their passports
are often confiscated.
Recent surveys and case studies have shown that the current standard of training is
insufficient because of the fairly high percentage of injury and fatalities while on the job. Having
many companies with little regulation and compliance to oversee training further worsens the
issue with occupational safety and health. Since fear of losing employment is given a higher

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priority over general well-being, future research is needed to expose the preconceptions of
authority these construction companies have over these migrant workers. This would help create
better policies for workers who want to keep their jobs, report injuries without fear of losing
work and maintain regular doctor visits when necessary. Doing anthropological research would
also help these workers transition more smoothly due to the fact that migrant workers entering a
new country also enter into a new norm, thus increasing the likelihood of injury or death
resulting from miscommunication and ethnocentrism.

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References
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Hare, B., Cameron, I., Real, K.J., Maloney, W.F. (2013). Exploratory case study of pictorial aids
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10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000658

Kuruvila, M., Dubey, S., Gahalaut, P. (2006). Pattern of skin diseases among migrant
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Health and Safety Executive. (2008). Migrant workers and occupational health and safety:
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