New Worksafe project to study workplace health status of Aboriginals and Torres Strait islanders
The first wide-ranging study of the occupational health and safety aspects (OHS) of jobs done by Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders in Queensland has begun.
The health status of Australia's indigenous people was identified as a priority by the [then] Federal Health Minister in 1994.
The project is being funded by Worksafe Australia which has made a research grant of $38,000 to a team led by Dr Claire Mayhew of the School of Environmental Sciences at Griffith University, Brisbane. Details are reported in the August issue of Worksafe NEWS, published today.
Dr Mayhew describes the OHS status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers as a neglected area of research.
"They are vulnerable to occupational injury and illness because of their race, and labour market position. And English may not be their first language," she says.
Dr Mayhew's pilot study will examine exposures to dangerous tasks, hazardous substances, patterns of work-related injury and illness, the provision of OHS information, and injury- reporting trends in Queensland.
"People in this position traditionally have weak bargaining power and either through coercion or choice do not report workplace injuries or illnesses," she says.
"Among reasons are a fear of losing their often hard-won -- and, particularly, in remote areas -- scarce jobs."
Dr Mayhew adds she has first-hand reports of "some horrendous stories" of what workers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait descent told her in earlier research into occupational injuries and ilness patterns. This prompted her to undertake a comprehensive look at these problems and assess causes.
She suspects anecdotal evidence will be substantiated by the research.
"At present, no-one knows what the patterns of work-related injury and disease are for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers," Dr Mayhew comments.
Those most vulnerable were in remote areas, getting older, with less formal skills -- and restricted alternative options for employment.
The study, which got under way recently, is expected to be completed early next year.
A team of five researchers from Aboriginal and Torres Strait backgrounds will be appointed to work with three groups:
- workers in the fishing and diving communities in North Queensland, based at Mackay, Townsville or Cairns.
- those working in pastoral areas.
- white and blue-collar workers in Brisbane, including white-collar stevedoring and construction industry jobs.
The Brisbane aspect of the study will include a look a stress-related problems.
A total of 250 Aboriginals and Torres Strait people will be involved in face-to-face interviews, supplemented by a series of questionnaires.
Issued: August 28
Page last updated: 06/07/2008