Workplace Accidents Among Nepali Male Workers in the Middle East and Malaysia: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

There are many Nepali men working in the Middle East and Malaysia and media reports and anecdotal evidence suggest a high risk of workplace-related accidents and injuries for male Nepali workers. Therefore, this study aims to explore the personal experiences of male Nepali migrants of unintentional injuries at their place of work. In-depth, face-to-face interviews (n = 20) were conducted with male Nepali migrant workers. Study participants were approached at Kathmandu International Airport, hotels and lodges around the airport. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Almost half of study participants experienced work-related accident abroad. The participants suggested that the reasons behind this are not only health and safety at work but also poor communication, taking risks by workers themselves, and perceived work pressure. Some participants experienced serious incidents causing life-long disability, extreme and harrowing accounts of injury but received no support from their employer or host countries. Nepali migrant workers would appear to be at a high risk of workplace unintentional injuries owing to a number of interrelated factors poor health and safety at work, pressure of work, risk taking practices, language barriers, and their general work environment. Both the Government of Nepal and host countries need to be better policing existing policies, introduce better legislation where necessary, ensure universal health (insurance) coverage for labour migrants, and improve preventive measures to minimize the number and severity of accidents and injuries among migrant workers.

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

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Health and well-being issues of Nepalese migrant workers in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Malaysia: a systematic review

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Support networks in the Middle East & Malaysia: A qualitative study of Nepali returnee migrants' experiences

“…After securing written informed consent, a topic guide was used as a prompt for questioning. The fi rst author conducted the face-toface in-depth interviews using a semi-structured guide in venues suitable for the participants 10 . The guide was developed in English and translated into Nepali for all participants.…”

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