Research Library

Open access: Yes

Future research / gaps identified:

This study focuses on legal immigrants who are highly educated, and findings may not be relevant to undocumented workers and/or immigrants with varying levels of education.

Key recommendations:

• Create stronger penalties as well as incentives that make employers accountable for creating a safe workplace environment for all workers and, specifically, for new immigrant workers because of their high risk of sustaining workplace injury.
• Organize job and worksite-specific safety training for all new workers and this training must be provided by competent staff. Culturally appropriate modes of delivery, including the use of pictograms, illustrations, and hands-on exercises that transcend cultural, educational, and linguistic differences, should be included in this training.
• Implement a policy that makes comprehensive OHS training a legal requirement for all workers before or soon after they are employed.

Integration timeline: Less than 10 years in Canada

Key populations: Highly educated, racialized immigrant workers ages 18 or older

Locations: Calgary & Edmonton, AB

Community organizations: n/a

Key findings:

• The aim to increase new immigrant workers′ awareness of OHS and of their rights and responsibilities are not enough to empower them to refuse unsafe work or to report their OHS concerns. For example, many study participants were aware of their right to refuse unsafe work but did not assert it because of fears of reprisal and termination.
• Negative attitudes of some employers/supervisors toward new immigrant workers may cause a tendency to take advantage of the workers′ marginalized financial and social situations by asking them to perform additional work and unsafe work.
• 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.