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Introduction
Background of the study
Workplace safety has been an issue of regular discourse, especially in the building and construction industry, which normally entails several precarious engagements (Roelofs, Martinez, Brunette, & Azaroff, 2011). American immigrants have persistently been complaining about social prejudice and workplace discrimination, with majority of them working in a more risk environment than the Native Americans do.
Similar to several other minority groups in the United States, Latino men have continued to engage in the construction industry as a construction workforce. According to Roelofs et al. (2011), a research, which was done in the construction industry in the United States, reveals that “Hispanic workers have higher rates of injury and death on construction worksites than workers of other ethnicities” (p.1).
Based on the investigations of their research, Latino workers in the construction industry experience the highest rates of workplace-related injuries. Roelofs et al. (2011) state that approximately 3.7 incidents of these fatal injuries per 100,000 full-time workers are associated with the Latino workers, which is very high in the construction industry.
Investigations into the rising workplace injuries among the Latino male constructors have unveiled several underlying factors that contribute to disparities in injuries between the Latino workers and non-Latino workers. Roelofs et al. (2011) assert that cultural disparities, language barriers, and Latino traditional values, contribute to construction workplace discrimination that further forces Latino men to engage in risky occupations in the United States.
Pertaining to language barriers, Latinos frequently speak Spanish that creates language bias, as most of the top constructors are Native Americans who communicate in fluent English (Roelofs et al., 2011). The construction workplace discrimination emerges because employers perceive Latino constructors as ‘hard’ and committed workers, and therefore, assign them dangerous and risky tasks to the working and job commitment, which predispose them to accidents.
Additionally, Latino male constructors come from the minority groups with limited political and economic resources; hence, compelling them to perform dangerous and risky tasks in the construction industry as a means of survival (Roelofs et al., 2011). The economic instability of the Latino, coupled with limited political supremacy, influence their engagement in risky undertakings.
Problem Statement
Occupational health and safety in the United States is an issue that continues to attract workplace discourse, with employee safety continuing to be a controversial matter. According to Roelofs et al. (2011), construction workplace discrimination among the minority groups in the United States is still widespread notwithstanding the prevailing policies and regulations that prohibit such practices.
Construction workplace discrimination occurs because employers perceive Latino male constructors as ‘hard workers’ and assign them dangerous and risk duties in the construction industry. In recent research on the American construction industry, Roelofs et al. (2011) reveal that approximately 3.7 incidents of workplace fatal injuries per 100,000 fulltime constructors happen among the Latinos, when compared to 3.4 incidents and3.0 incidents that happen among White workers and Black American workers respectively.
Moreover, medical records of the Latino men reveal that 30% of the medical conditions experienced by these men result from work-related injuries (Roelofs et al., 2011). While the American regulations forbid workplace discrimination and seek to promote socioeconomic justice, the case of Latino men constructors violates these regulations. Hence, to understand the underlying issues, it is essential to explore the issue of construction safety and accidents among male workers in the Latino community.
Rationale for the Research
Workplace safety and occupational health among organizations are universal concerns that continue to elicit incessant reactions from the public and workplaces. However, it is essential to understand that these issues are diverse and occur in different ways across the globe. Given the rising cases of workplace discrimination among Latino men, which puts them in the desperate situation by engaging in risky construction employment, there is need to explore this problem.
Compared to other ethnic groups, occupational death rates among Latino constructors continue to augment, with labor authorities and their policies continuing to prove ineffective. Workplace injuries and fatalities among Latino male constructors adversely affect the socioeconomic status of their relatives and families.
This paper intends to examine the problem of construction safety and accidents among males in the Latino community, preferably from the perspective of those individuals working in the construction industry. Also, it explores the prevailing status of the problem, examines predisposing factors that contribute to the reducing workplace safety among Latino male constructors, and provides possible remedies.
Statement of the Research Objectives
As the issue of construction safety and accidents among Latino men continue to raise concerns, this paper will use the following research objectives to inspect the problem comprehensively and expansively. The study seeks to:
- Examine the prevailing status of construction safety and accidents among male workers in the Latino community, especially in the construction industry.
- Investigate the underlying facts regarding the notion that male constructors from Latino community are at greater risk for workplace accidents than other ethnicities.
- Explore the major assumptions about the predisposing factors that reduce workplace safety of Latino male constructors.
- Provide recommendations on how to improve the working conditions of the Latino male constructors as possible remedies to their workplace issues.
Hypotheses of the Study
In examining the identified research problem, the study will assume the following hypotheses.
- Safety issues and workplace-related accidents are common among Latino male constructors.
- Latino male constructors are more susceptible to construction accidents than non-Latino male constructors are.
- Major factors that predispose Latino male constructors to accidents include incompetent skills, poor education, traditional values, language barriers, and economic instability.
- Latino male constructors should embrace education, acquire safety skills, adopt English, and shun their traditional values.
Definition of Terms
Latino community – Is an immigrant community that resides in the United States, which is considered as a minority ethnic group because it has limited political, social, and economic powers that compel them to perform risky jobs.
Construction industry- It refers to a social-economic sector that deals with construction, modification, and repair of houses, commercial buildings, roads, estate development, and other infrastructure.
Construction safety – It is a condition of being free from any risks, hazards, accidents, and fatalities within the construction environment.
Construction accidents – refers to unintentional events that cause injuries among workers during construction.
Construction workplace discrimination – employers perceive Latino men as ‘hard workers’ and thus discriminate against them by assigning risky and dangerous tasks to them.
Summary
Workplace safety of employees in America is a critical issue that calls for immediate attention as people continue to incur injuries, while some accidents are resulting in serious fatalities. Although workplace discrimination remains an illegal practice in the workplace, the rising cases of injuries among Latino men working in the construction industry contrast the national public interest. The purpose of this study is to examine the issue of construction safety and accidents among Latino male constructors.
To examine the problem objectively, the study wants to provide a deeper understanding of the prevailing situation of workplace safely among Latino male constructors. The study also explores the conceptions that Latino men are at a higher risk for workplace injuries than other ethnic groups. Moreover, the paper will also investigate the predisposing factors that reduce safety of Latino male constructors and provide recommendations that would act as remedies to the problems experienced by Latino male constructors.
Literature Review
Researchers have focused on occupational safety of male Latino constructors and have continued to build their interest on workplace discrimination and safety issues, but they have failed to provide a substantial connection to the existing statistics of occupational accidents and injuries Although occupational injuries and fatalities are common in the construction industry, a number of factors mediate their occurrence.
Richardson, Loomis, Bena, and Bailer (2004) assert that empirical evidence continues to support the notion that division of labor across the United States remains grounded on ethnicity and race, as minority groups experience discrimination (Richardson et al.,2004). Research about occupational injuries and accidents indicates that the construction industry in the United States is the most hazardous; however, it is a low-paying industry that utilizes human resources from ethnic minorities (Menzel & Gutierrez, 2010).
Generally, the construction industry in the United States is among the largest industries, the largest employer, and the most hazardous industries, which contribute to approximately 20% of the annual occupational fatalities reported across the United States (Brunette, 2004). Such statistics are useful in explaining the prevailing situation regarding professional safety issues among Latino constructors.
While researchers regularly examine occupational safety among Latino constructors, their perceptions about the problem remain undervalued. A body of evidence indicates that Latino men, who work in the construction industry, continue to experience higher rates of occupational injuries and related fatalities than other workers do in the United States.
In a specific contemporary study, Roelofs et al. (2011) undertook a qualitative investigation about the perspectives of Hispanic workers in the construction industry regarding factors influencing occupational hazards and safety.
Consecutively, using two focus group interviews with Hispanic construction workers, Roelofs et al. . (2011) reveal that Hispanic workers usually have higher risks of occupational injuries than other ethnicities, as 3.7, 3.4, and 3.0 are incidents of injuries per 100,000 workers among the Hispanics, the Whites, and the Blacks respectively.
Moreover, according to Brunette (2014), the Hispanics generally constitute the highest population of the workforce in the construction, which is estimated at 18% of workforce with evidence indicating that Hispanic constructors are steadily rising disproportionately when compared to other ethnicities in the construction industry.
Similar investigations have persisted in several studies to justify the claims of vulnerability of Hispanic construction workers to injuries and fatalities. By using the national census surveillance system to determine workforce fatalities, Richardson et al. (2004, p. 1756) “investigated fatal occupational injury rates in the United States by race and Hispanic ethnicity during the period 1990-1996.”
In the Southern parts of the United States, 7.9 cases of fatal injuries in every 100,000 worker-years associated with the Hispanic construction workers, while only 6.9 cases of fatal injuries in every 100,000 worker-years related to the White construction workers. Hispanic construction workers do not choose to engage in risky activities of the construction industry as research has investigated the predisposing factors that expose these constructors to such conditions.
According to Roelofs et al. (2011), several interrelated factors contribute to a predisposition of Hispanic construction workers to injuries and fatalities in the construction industry. Thus, the statistics provide evidence regarding the differences in worksite injuries and fatalities between Latinos and other ethnicities.
While most studies provide statistics about safety issues, they fail to investigate the factors that predispose the Latino male constructors to occupational injuries and accidents. Roelofs et al. (2011) postulate that “language barriers, cultural differences, lack of safety training, economic disadvantage, lack of construction experience, and relegated to the most dangerous jobs within construction are major predisposing factors” (p. 1).
Concerning language barrier as a predisposing factor to occupational injuries and fatalities, Latino men akin to other immigrant communities have little linguistic skills in the use of English (Ochsner et al., 2012). Due to their inability to communicate fluently in English and master safety workplace precautions, their chances of incurring injuries remain relatively high. Menzel and Gutierrez (2010) confirm such notions in an investigation of 30 Latino constructors.
Even though companies sometimes provide employees with safety training and some required materials, the translation of the language is ordinarily poor and thus Latino constructors hardly comprehend instructions (Menzel & Gutierrez, 2010). Out of the 30 participants, seven mentioned that they felt ashamed of their accent. This shows that perceptions of the Latino male constructors are essential in understanding their vulnerability to occupational accidents and injuries.
Although many studies have investigated safety issues are prevalent in the construction industry, limited studies have examined the impact of cultural ideologies on the predisposition of Latino male constructors to accidents and injuries. Culturally, Latino workers are very industrious, an attribute that makes employers in the construction industry to target them. The notion that Latino workers value and embrace hard work puts them in an intolerable environment in the construction industry that is prone to accidents (Ochsner et al., 2012).
Traditional values of Latinos embrace hard work and thus predispose Latinos to hazardous work, which is the economic activity of supporting their families. According to Brunette (2004), low education and lack of appropriate and effective safety training are significant issues that dispose of Latino male constructors to occupational injuries and fatalities.
Socioeconomic inequalities are among the major factors that force the Latino male constructors to engage in risky undertakings solely to provide for their families. In the view of literature, the proposed research seeks to provide an in-depth investigation into the problem of worksite safety of male Latino constructors, while analyzing the prevailing status, and the predisposing factors that increase their vulnerability to accidents and injuries in construction sites.
Methodology
Research Design
The intended research will use a methodology of qualitative case study as its research design. According to Maxwell (2008), qualitative research normally uses primary research methods such as participant observation or case studies to investigate and conclude certain inquiry. Qualitative research is a form of research methodology that involves a situated activity that establishes a problem basing on observers point of view (Baxter & Jack, 2008).
The methodology of qualitative research mainly deals with the perception of people about real-life phenomenon or simply examining how people make sense of the world around them (Baxter & Jack, 2008).
The foremost interest of the study is to investigate the notion that Latino constructors in the United States construction industry are more susceptible to worksite accidents and high rates of injuries and fatalities than other ethnicities. Therefore, the research is a qualitative case study of American Latino constructors regarding their worksite safety.
Research Participants and Sampling
A qualitative research methodology is a research approach that normally seeks to utilize primary data gathered through participants involved in the main study. According to Maxwell (2008, p. 231), “in many qualitative studies, the real interest is in how participants make sense of what has happened and how this perspective informs their actions.” The main participants of the intended study are Latino male constructors, who are working with the American construction industry.
The study will target approximately 50 Latino male constructors from different construction companies that operate in the United States. The sample population of 50 is appropriate size because it represents study population may not require sampling techniques to acquire a sample size.
However, the research seeks to identify participants through purposeful sampling techniques, as it will be targeting specific Latino constructors. According to Maxwell (2008), most qualitative researchers prefer utilizing probability sampling method of convenience sampling because it is easy to apply. This form of sampling involves deliberate selection of particular persons, geographical settings, or particular events for important information associated with the research inquiry.
Instrumentation and Data Collection
Primary research involves data collection processes and instruments that allow researchers to gather valuable data concerning the problem under inquiry. Applied qualitative research strives to enhance understanding of the research problem through gathering and generating primary information using questionnaires and interviews (Shenton, 2004). For the purpose of the proposed research, the study will utilize structured questionnaires, which will be self-administered, to collect data from the identified participants.
In a qualitative research investigation, questions and interviews are generally useful in revealing individual perceptions and experiences about the investigated problem (Shenton, 2004).
Moreover, many qualitative researchers have established that questions are cost-effective in collecting data, easy for novice researchers to construct, and straightforward for the participants to comprehend and respond to the questions asked (Maxwell, 2008). In the context of this qualitative research, the researcher understands well that Latinos are immigrants, who have little linguistic skills, and therefore, questionnaires are the most appropriate instruments of research.
The qualitative case study methodology involves a systematic and practical process of gathering primary data or information from the identified research participants and investigation of the complex phenomenon (Shenton, 2004). Specific data collection procedures and techniques are essential to any qualitative research.
Before utilizing the questionnaires as research instruments designed for the actual data collection process, reliability of the data instruments, validity of collected data, and ethical principles are critical components of research (Curry, Nembhard, & Bradley, 2009). Reliability determines specificity of a research instrument, while validity determines the accuracy of results.
To ensure validity of the questionnaires, the researcher will discuss the questions with supervisors and other research experts to enhance construct validity. For the reliability, the researcher will undertake a pilot study to examine whether participants will comprehend the questions before the actual research (Shenton, 2004). The results will have low external validity as one cannot extrapolate the findings beyond Latinos, who are in America.
While quantitative research techniques concentrate on numbers and relationships between research variables, qualitative researchers have their interest in identifying relationships between concepts through thematic and descriptive accounts (Maxwell, 2008). Qualitative research techniques typically examine why specific issues are as they are in a certain event or phenomenon.
Qualitative researchers usually build their interest in collecting data that involve social and behavioral research without concentrating on identifying relationships between variables (Maxwell, 2008). Instead of research variables, as in the case of quantitative analysis, the interest of this paper will be to investigate and develop an understanding of the socially constructed reality.
The study aims at identifying issues of workplace safety within the American construction companies in comparison to other ethnicities, the probable causes of high rates of injuries and fatalities.
Rather than numerical values guiding the research, the proposed research will analyze the perception of male Latino constrictors through evaluating the hypothesized relations between initial presumptions and findings. In this case, the dependent variable will be perceptions of accidents and injuries that construction workers experience, while the independent variable is the ethnic background of the constructors.
Data Collection Process
As aforementioned, 50 Latino men working in the American construction industry with at least twenty years experience in the job will participate. The researcher will prepare approximately 70 pieces of questionnaires in readiness for the data collection process. The researcher will consult Latino male constructors from ten different construction companies and prepare meetings based on the comfort of the participants.
The study may not involve or even inform the management of these construction companies as any contact with the management may hamper the participation of these constructors. The researcher will seek informed consent from the participants before arranging a data collection meeting. As many companies do not operate on weekends, the study will choose Saturday as an appropriate to engage the participants in the data collection process for they are free.
The researcher will contact all the fifty respondents to converge in one meeting, assure them of their confidentiality, find an appropriate place to gather and distribute the questionnaires to the respondents. Interpreters will be present so that they can help the participants to comprehend the study questions.
Proposed Analysis of the Data
Qualitative research is a rigorous and pragmatic process that is normally incomplete without the data analysis, which is a process that involves organizing and interpreting the data to provide meaningful information about the findings (Curry, Nembhard, & Bradley, 2009). The process of data analysis, as recommended by qualitative analysis, occurs in tandem with the data collection processes.
The research will employ both qualitative and quantitative approaches, as the possibility of getting quantitative data following the closed-ended questions is high. In analyzing qualitative data that researchers consider it complex (Maxwell, 2008), the research will prefer using inductive thematic approaches that combine arguments from responses of participants into coherent explanations.
Qualitative data comprise of perceptions, ideas, opinions, and judgment about a practice or an event, thus allows analysis to present the conceptual and descriptive themes that enrich arguments (Tobin & Begley, 2003). The closed-ended questionnaires may produce responses that are in the form of qualitative data that require certain quantitative approaches. Where necessary in this mixed analysis approach, the researcher will utilize the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software to analyze the quantitative data.
Implications and Limitations
The proposed research expects some implications regarding the sample procedure employed. According to Kelly, Clark, Brown, Sitzia (2003), “it is important to use the right method of sampling and to be aware of the limitations and statistical implications of each” (p. 264).
The first implication of the proposed research associates with the sample that represents the population under study. The sampling technique may have a particular selection bias that might not represent the study population well (Tobin & Begley, 2003). The sampling technique that the study employs as qualitative research recommends is purposive sampling, which usually has a high probability of selection favoritism.
The second implication is one that involves the validity of data collection instruments used in the proposed research. The nature of data collected from the selected participants through the predetermined devices may prompt issues of research validity (Kelly, Clark, Brown, & Sitzia, 2003).
The setting of questionnaires in an open-ended manner may provide challenges as the respondents may produce varying responses that may not relate to the research problem. Moreover, fear of intimidation and prejudice among respondents before participating in the study might compel participants to have some reservations, which make them to answer questions in a biased manner, thus reducing the validity of findings.
In the limitation, the study expects some few limitations associated with the data collection processes. Qualitative researchers have regularly claimed that identifying the most appropriate participants and locating them to participate in the actual study has often been challenging (Kelly, Clark, Brown, & Sitzia, 2003).
Three essential factors may contribute to research limitations associated with the participants. Firstly, male Latino constructors have always lived in fear of racial prejudice and the participants may be unwilling to participate in the study. Secondly, language bias that results from the inability of Latinos to communicate fluently in English may be a potential limitation to the researcher.
The study also has methodological limitations is that participants might have different situational experiences regarding the problem; hence, different working experiences that may influence the ability of the research to garner appropriate data (Golafshani, 2003).
The notion of experience of researchers may, therefore, determine the general outcome of the research. According to Kelly, Clark, Brown, & Sitzia (2003), the researcher’s perception, especially which depends on theoretical connection, may affect the outcome as the researcher may manipulate the findings.
Conclusion
Workplace safety has arguably been one of the most debated issues in the construction industry of America, especially in activities that are prone to accidents and injuries. Among workers in the construction industry, Latino men experience higher incidences of occupational injuries and fatalities than other ethnicities. A continuum of studies continues to affirm this notion through empirical evidence, but the situation does not seem to improve.
Due to such perceptions, the primary intent of the proposed research is to investigate the current situation regarding occupational safety of the Latino men working in the construction industry, identify predisposing factors to such situations, and outline possible remedies to avert the problem.
The study will use the qualitative research design of approximately 50 participants of Latino origin working with the American construction companies. Questionnaires will be the data collection instruments, while both qualitative and quantitative analysis methods may apply in the analysis process due to the nature of the questionnaire, which contain both open-ended and closed-ended questions.
References
Baxter, P., & Jack, S. (2008). Qualitative Case Study Methodology: Study Design and Implementation for Novice Researchers. The Qualitative Report, 13(4), 544-559.
Brunette, M. (2004). Construction safety research in the United States: targeting the Hispanic workforce. Injury Prevention, 10(4), 244–248.
Curry, L., Nembhard, I., & Bradley, E. (2009). Qualitative and Mixed Methods Provide Unique Contributions to Outcomes Research. Circulation, 119(1), 1442-1452.
Golafshani, N. (2003). Understanding Reliability and Validity in Qualitative Research. The Qualitative Report, 8(4), 597-607.
Kelly, K., Clark, B., Brown, V., & Sitzia, J. (2003). Good practice in the conduct and reporting of survey research. International Journal for Quality in Healthcare, 15(3), 261-266.
Maxwell, J. (2008). Designing a Qualitative Study. In Maxwell J.A. (Ed.), Qualitative Research Design: An Interactive Approach (pp.214-253).London: Sage Publications.
Menzel, N., & Gutierrez, A. (2010). Latino Worker Perceptions of Construction Risks. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 53(2), 179–187.
Ochsner, M., Marshall, E., Martino, C., Pabelon, M., Kimmel, L., & Rostran, D. (2012). Beyond the classroom-a case study of immigrant safety liaisons in residential construction. New Solutions, 22(3), 365-386.
Kelly, K., Clark, B., Brown, V., & Sitzia, J. (2003). Good practice in the conduct and reporting of survey research. International Journal for Quality in Healthcare, 15(3), 261-266.
Richardson, D., Loomis, D., Bena, J., & Bailer, J. (2004). Fatal Occupational Injury Rates in Southern and Non-Southern States, by Race and Hispanic Ethnicity. American Journal of Public Health, 94(10), 1756-1761.
Roelofs, C., Martinez, L., Brunette, M., & Azaroff, L. (2011). A qualitative investigation of Hispanic construction worker perspectives on factors impacting worksite safety and risk. Environmental Health, 10(84), 1-9.
Shenton, A. (2004). Strategies for ensuring trustworthiness in qualitative research projects. Education for Information, 22(2), 63-75.
Tobin, G., & Begley, C. (2003). Methodological rigor within a qualitative framework. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 48(4), 388–396.
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