Symposium: Safety training of migrant workers in construction

The health and safety of workers remains paramount across the globe. In spite of progress made, there are still 374 million non-fatal work-related accidents or illnesses every year and more than 2.78 million workplace fatalities (International Labour Organization [ILO], 2018). The construction sector in particular has been identified as one still lagging behind in terms of safety and, therefore, at increased risk of accidents and injuries (e.g., Buckley, Zendel, Biggar, Frederiksen, & Wells, 2016). For instance, the Statistical Office of the European Union report more than one in five (20.9%) fatal accidents at work in a European Union Member State [EU-28] in 2015 took place within the construction sector (Eurostat, 2018).

The construction industry has traditionally relied heavily on migrant workers, defined as persons who are engaged or have been engaged in remunerated activity in a State of which they are not national (United Nations [UN], 1990). During their first year in a new country, male migrants are predominantly employed in the construction sector, and are 1.4 times more likely to work in construction than are native-born men (Eurostat, 2011). The prevalence of migrant workers, particularly those with low levels of skill, has major implications for safety in the construction industry. They are a particularly vulnerable group, facing additional challenges to their safety as a result of language barriers, cultural differences, documentation status, and lack of knowledge of the host country’s safety standards and regulations (Donaghy, 2009; Moyce & Schenker, 2018). These challenges lead to higher reported rates of accidents and fatal injuries in comparison with native workers (e.g., Dong, Choi, Borchardt, Wang, & Largay, 2013; Dong, Fujimoto, Ringen, & Men, 2009; Dong, Men, & Ringen, 2010. Thus, there is a critical need to enhance safety in the construction industry, principally for low-skilled, migrant workers who are particularly at risk.

In the present symposium, we present the results of a European project on safety training migrant workers in construction in Italy, Spain and the UK. First, we will present the results of a comprehensive systematic literature review on the training transfer and effectiveness of safety training of migrant workers in construction and put forward a research agenda for the future. Second, we present the results of a qualitative study exploring the current state of the art of safety training in the construction industry and its focus on the needs of migrant workers. We will also present the needs identified. Third, we will present a training course developed specifically to address the challenges faced by migrant workers in terms of language barriers, cultural differences, and a lack of knowledge of the host country’s safety laws and regulations. Finally, we will present a model for how we may evaluate the safety training based on realist evaluation with a view to answer the questions of “what works for whom in which circumstances”.

CHAIR
Karina Nielsen
University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom

IN THIS SYMPOSIUM

What is know on safety training of construction migrant workers and the main challenges for future research
José M. Peiró, Karina Nielsen, Rose Shepherd, Michela Vignoli, Felisa Latorre
University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
IVIE, Valencia, Spain.
University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.
University of Trento, Trento, Italy.
Universidad Juan Carlos I, Madrid, Spain

The challenges of training migrant workers in the construction industry: A qualitative study
Rose Shepherd, Laura Lorente, Michela Vignoli, José M. Peiró
University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.
University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
University of Trento, Trento, Italy

A theory-based model for evaluating safety training of migrant workers in construction
Karina Nielsen, Rose Shepherd, Michela Vignoli
University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.
University of Trento, Trento, Italy