System Failure: Work Organization and Injury Outcomes among Latino Forest Workers

Abstract

Objectives: Forestry services is a hazardous industry with high job-related injury, illness, and fatality rates. The Northwest workforce is largely Spanish-speaking, Latino, and immigrant, working in poor conditions with insufficient attention paid to safety and health. Institutional racism fundamentally shapes the structural vulnerability of Latino immigrant workers. Given this context, we sought to understand how workplace organizational factors and safety climate affect job-related injuries in this industry. Methods: We developed 23 case studies from personal interviews after selecting from an initial participant survey pool of 99 Latino forest workers in southern Oregon who had been injured at work in the previous 2 years. Workers were recruited through snowball sampling and door-to-door canvassing. Questions spanned work conditions, tasks, employer safety practices, injury experience, medical treatment, and workers’ compensation benefits. Results: Workers reported broken bones, chainsaw lacerations, back pain, heat and pesticide illnesses, and other occupational injuries. One-third of the cases fell into a Systems Functional category in which they reported their injuries to their supervisors and received medical treatment and workers’ compensation benefits. The remaining two-thirds experienced System Failures with difficulties in receiving medical treatment and/or workers’ compensation benefits, employer direction to not report, being fired, or seeking alternative home remedies. Conclusion: Workers employed by companies with more indicators of safety climate were more likely to obtain adequate treatment for their injuries and fully recover. Workers for whom interpretation at medical exams was provided by someone unaffiliated with their employers also reported better treatment and recovery outcomes.

NOSACQ-50 for Safety Climate Assessment in Agricultural Activities: A Case Study in Central Italy

“…Examining the text of the above documents, it emerged that most of them consist in community-based analyses, aimed at investigating SC in relation to other aspects such as: musculoskeletal discomfort, depression and stress. In fact, they took into account specific groups of farmers especially among migrants, who have more problems in dealing with occupational issues because of difficulties related to language, education level, and habits [ 46 , 47 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 ]. Other studies analyzed SC among operators in specific agricultural activities, such as aquaculture [ 44 ], grain elevators’ management [ 4 ], and viticulture [ 45 ].…”

“…In a similar manner, Kongsvik et al [ 44 ] implemented a specific SC questionnaire based on previous studies in the maritime domain, which consists of 17 items (statements). Wilmsen et al [ 46 ] developed a specific SC questionnaire based on a set of questions that take into account the following main aspects: training, safety meetings, rest breaks, site inspections. Based on the approach proposed by Neal et al [ 60 ] within a hospital setting, Irwin and Poots [ 32 ] used a SC questionnaire aimed at investigating the following three main aspects: safety motivation, safety compliance, and risk tolerance.…”

Occupational Hazards and Health and Safety Risks for Latino Tree Trimmers in the Pine Forest Industry

“…1 Despite exploitation, maltreatment, and dangerous and physically demanding working conditions, the largely unregulated forest service industry offers undocumented immigrant workers inconspicuous work and monetary opportunities. 1,2 The southeastern United States is significantly forested and represents one of the most important timberproducing and intensively managed forest regions in the country. 3,4 A combination of a favorable growing climate, cheap nonunionized labor, and low property taxes have been economic incentives which have greatly contributed to making the southern United States the "wood basket" of the world.…”

“…1 Despite exploitation, maltreatment, and dangerous and physically demanding working conditions, the largely unregulated forest service industry offers undocumented immigrant workers inconspicuous work and monetary opportunities. 1,2…”

Forestry – Integrating Safety in a Time of Rapid Change

“…Meanwhile, those working in the logging industry struggle to maintain their workforce that heavily relies on immigrant labor. 5,6 This fissured organizational system complicates addressing worker safety needs and may inadvertently exacerbate hazardous conditions. Enumeration of the forestry workforce is challenging due to the high number of independent contractors and farm foresters, undocumented immigrant workers, and crossover with other occupations.…”