Work injuries among migrant workers in Denmark

Abstract

Objectives Work migration into Denmark has increased during the recent decades, especially after the enlargement of the European Union (EU) in 2004. Whether or not migrant workers experience more work injuries than the native workforce has been debated and results are conflicting, most likely due to methodological difficulties and cultural disparities. We set out to meet these challenges using population-based work injury registers, targeting a specific and representative region in Denmark. Methods This population-based study used data on work injuries from an emergency department (ED) and reported injuries from the ED's catchment area to the Danish Working Environment Authority during 11 years. We calculated incidences of work injury for groups of migrant workers compared with native Danes and adjusted incidence rate ratios based on information on the complete working population. Results The incidences of work injuries among migrant workers from the new EU countries and from the rest of the world were higher compared with Danish workers and workers from the old EU countries and other Western countries. Especially migrants older than 30 years and in low-risk industries were at higher risk. Workers who had migrated recently were at even higher risk. Conclusions We found increased risk of work injuries among migrant workers. Studying migrants in registers is a methodological challenge as some migrants are not registered, for legal or illegal reasons; thus, only a selected group is studied, but this may most likely underestimate the risk.

Considerable risk of work-related injury and illnesses among seasonal and migrant farm workers in Ethiopia: A Community-based Cross-sectional Study

“…Migration has been known for centuries all over the world, where people have moved to other areas for different purposes including work [1,2]. According to the International Labour Organization's estimates, there are 150 million immigrant workers throughout the world [3].…”

“…However, many migrant workers are employed as unskilled workers and, often more willing to work harder, work for less pay, for longer hours and perform unattractive tasks, often referred to as 3D-jobs; 'Dirty, Dangerous and Demanding'. Many of the jobs are in the category of precarious work; often temporary, part-time, with changing employers and a high degree of uncertainty in the job [1,[4][5][6][7][8]. Most importantly, these precarious workers may take greater risks on the job, and do not complain about unsafe working conditions for the threat or fear of wage or job loss.…”

“…Most importantly, these precarious workers may take greater risks on the job, and do not complain about unsafe working conditions for the threat or fear of wage or job loss. These conditions put migrant workers at increased risk for occupational fatalities and injuries, although some results are conflicting [1,[9][10][11][12][13][14].…”

Work injuries in internal migrants to Alberta, Canada. Do workers' compensation records provide an unbiased estimate of risk?

“…Many studies have been carried out of injuries in those who have moved to another country to work, as permanent residents, seasonal contracted employees or as legal or undocumented immigrants, most (for example) but not all find immigrant workers to be at greater risk of workplace injury. Studies not finding an excess have largely been those comparing migrant and local workers in the same work or migrants who have come to skilled jobs or have been settled in the host country over many years .…”

Injury at work and migrant workers: a priority for a global agenda in occupational health

“…The study by Biering et al 1 contributes to this discussion by examining the incidence of occupational injury in non-native workers compared to Danish workers. The authors report elevated adjusted rate ratios for injury in foreign-born workers from certain regions of the world, in certain industries, and in certain age groups.…”