Addressing workplace safety disparities: Protecting all workers in a changing labor force

Black and Latino workers are dying of work-related injuries and illnesses at higher rates than all other workers.

In 2022, the most recent data available, the fatality rate for Black workers was the highest it has been in nearly 15 years¹. Latino workers faced the greatest risk of dying on the job compared to all other workers¹. The job fatality rate for Latino workers has risen 24 percent over the past decade¹. Of the 1,248 Latino workers killed on the job in 2022, 60 percent were immigrants¹.

The occupational injury, illness and fatality rates across the board continue to get worse for Black and Latino workers every single year at alarming numbers. So, why is this? There is no single decision, person or policy to blame. Research to identify causes is woefully lacking on this important topic. Often, studies do not even include representation of many ethnic groups, including Indigenous people, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and Latinos².

Despite this, here’s what we know:

Racial disparities in occupational health are shaped by a number of interrelated components, including social, economic and environmental factors2. These disparities have been largely driven by:

  • Historical inequalities
  • Systemic racism
  • Differences in access to healthcare, education and employment opportunities²,³.

In addition, minority workers, especially those in non-unionized workplaces, are less likely to report unsafe conditions or speak out about unsafe conditions due to fear of retaliation by their employer¹. Further research shows that Black and Latino workers are overrepresented in high-risk occupations more than other groups¹. This segregation by race into more dangerous industries and occupations plays a substantial role in driving fatality rate disparities. Many workers of color are disproportionately represented in temporary, part-time or contract work, which typically lack benefits like health insurance, sick leave or retirement plans¹. Research on the COVID-19 pandemic suggests that workers of color were more negatively impacted by the virus due to unequal access to personal protective equipment (PPE), paid leave and health insurance².

Lastly, language barriers in the workplace also create significant challenges that directly affect occupational safety and health, particularly among immigrant workers. These challenges include policies/procedures only offered in one language, miscommunication in training, and lack of translated safety and health materials in general.

Tackling these issues requires addressing broader structures of inequality, advocating for targeted policies, utilizing legal enforcement when possible and continuing to organize union members across industries. Future research and policy efforts to advance occupational health and safety should be focused on the groups of workers that are most significantly impacted and investigate more specific reasons as to WHY this continues to happen and worsen in the United States.

In addition, it is essential that the workers most affected by these disparities are included in the conversations surrounding how to address these issues.

United Steelworkers (USW) Director of the Civil and Human Rights Department Amanda Green-Hawkins said, “The conversation surrounding the increases in occupational illnesses, injuries and fatalities must include the voices of Black and Latino workers.”

“Workplace safety and health is only improved when it is based on the perspectives and input of those who are best-informed about the barriers to their own safety and health,” Green-Hawkins said.

The U.S. labor force has increased and diversified over previous decades. Employers must adapt to the growing work force and ensure that ALL workers are protected.

References

¹DEATH ON THE JOB THE TOLL OF NEGLECT A NATIONAL AND STATE-BY-STATE PROFILE OF WORKER SAFETY AND HEALTH IN THE UNITED STATES 33RD EDITION • APRIL 2024. (n.d.). https://aflcio.org/sites/default/files/2024-04/2411%20DOTJ%202024%20DIG%20NB%20REV.pdf

²Shakesprere, Jessica, et al. Racial Equity and Job Quality Causes behind Racial Disparities and Possibilities to Address Them. Sept. 2021.

³Seabury, Seth A., et al. “Racial and Ethnic Differences in the Frequency of Workplace Injuries and the Prevalence of Work-Related Disability.” Health Affairs (Project Hope), vol. 36, no. 2, 1 Feb. 2017, pp. 266–273, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6198680/, https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2016.1185. Accessed 1 July 2020.