Employers have an obligation to provide safe and healthy work spaces for their employees, as well as training on risks at work, how to protect themselves.
Immigrant workers represent 17.4% of the workforce in the United States, and in West Coast states they represent 27.8%. A large part of immigrant workers work in sectors such as construction, hospitality, commerce, agriculture or domestic service.
All workers, regardless of their immigration status, have the right to a safe and healthy workplace. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has created programs to identify and eliminate hazards in workplaces where there are migrant workers.
For example, the NIOSH Control Assessment and Death Rate Analysis (FACE) program has identified and studied causes of death related to work injuries. The objective is to identify the optimal prevention measures and create optimal conditions to work regardless of the sector to which they belong.
The International ORP Foundation (Occupational Risk Prevention) seeks the professionalization of immigrant workers through specific actions. For this, it is necessary to train workers on customs and work habits and coexistence; improve their knowledge of the language, if they are not fluent in English; and take actions that promote basic safety standards in all jobs.
According to the ORP, this would promote the safety of immigrant workers and would bring benefits such as the regularization of labor relations and improvement of working conditions; increased social protection; respond to housing needs, day care among others; and the health, educational and cultural integration of immigrant workers.
