Occupational Injuries of Latinx Child Farmworkers in North Carolina: Associations With Work Safety Culture.

Abstract

This paper examines the association of occupational injuries with work safety culture among Latinx child farmworkers. Interviews were conducted in 2017 with 202 Latinx farmworkers aged 10 to 17 years. Occupational injuries were common among the child farmworkers: for example, 66.8% reported any work injury and 45.5% reported heat-related illness. Work safety culture was inadequate; for example, most did not receive safety training, one-third reported having worked piece-rate; only a few field sanitation services were available, and perceived work safety climate was low. Work safety culture had a mixed association with occupational injuries, with safety training and a better perceived work safety climate having a direct association with occupational injuries. Policy is needed to reduce child farmworker injuries. Strategies to improve the predictive value of the work safety culture model are required.