Putting a Superdiversity Framework on health and safety
Putting a Superdiversity Framework on health and safety and injury prevention
The Superdiversity Institute for Law, Policy and Business has applied a Superdiversity Framework to health and safety and injury prevention in New Zealand in their latest research report, National Culture and its Impact on Workplace Health and Safety and Injury Prevention for Employers and Workers, launched today in Wellington.
“The 2018 Census data shows that superdiversity in New Zealand is deepening. The statistics shows that the biggest increase in ethnic group is the Asian population; 27.4 per cent of people were not born in New Zealand; and over 100,000 do not speak English, Māori or New Zealand sign language. These are just some of the statistics, but it shows that it is more important than ever to understand how to protect the health and safety of, and avoid injury to, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) workers who are making up a larger proportion of New Zealand’s workforce”, said Mai Chen, Chair of the Superdiversity Institute.
The National Culture report asked whether the national culture of workers impact health and safety and injury prevention, and if so, how. It also asked what mechanisms other superdiverse countries use to ensure the heath and safety of CALD workers, and which ones were most effective.
ACC claims data shows that there are significantly elevated incidence rates of work-related claims for injury and illness among Maori, Pasifika, and people identifying as Middle Eastern, Latin American or African (MELAA), as compared to European people. Asians experience barriers to accessing ACC services which may explain the low claim rate among Asians rather than a lower incidence of injury.
The National Culture report found that there are several vulnerability factors which are common to CALD workers across the eight jurisdictions surveyed (Canada, United States of American, United Kingdom, Singapore, Germany, Kuwait and Malaysia) including:
• language barriers;
•
lack of awareness of health and safety (risk perception
issues);
• cultural attitudes and behaviours
that result in unsafe practices;
• cultural
attitudes and behaviours preventing active engagement,
participation and representation; and
•
increased susceptibility to mental health issues owing to
the stresses of discrimination, and for migrants, of
settlement.
The Superdiversity Framework applied to
health and safety and injury prevention highlights a range
of tools, tactics and strategies used overseas that
employers can use to improve workplace health and safety for
culturally diverse workers, including training and
orientation for CALD workers, including on workers’
rights, using peers/family to deliver injury prevention
information, ensuring proper data collection and
coordination across the system.
Ms Chen said “New
Zealand can be a world leader in ensuring the health and
safety of diverse workers, and the application of the
Superdiversity Framework to health and safety and injury
prevention takes us one step closer to improving the lives
of every New Zealanders.”
The Superdiversity
Institute’s report was developed with the support of
Accident Compensation Corporation.
The report will be
available at www.superdiversity.org at 12pm, 11
October 2019.