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Working Safe in Aboriginal Communities
RS2006-IG07
Final Report Date: December 2008
| Principal Applicant: | David Johnson (United Native Nations) |
| Co-Applicants: | Charles Horn - Author (University of Victoria), Danielle Levine (Royal Roads University) |
For more information about this project, please contact Charles Horn.
Issue
Aboriginal enterprises work in a unique political, social and economic context. This research project was designed to assess how that unique context influences the development and implementation of workplace injury prevention programs in Aboriginal enterprises.
Key findings
- The study identified the following issues that may affect the ability of Aboriginal enterprises to work safely:
- A lack of an engagement process or involvement in a policy community relating to workplace injury prevention for Aboriginal communities and enterprises
- The recognition of the role of community as a factor in Aboriginal decision making
- Challenges with the large amount of technical and program documentation required for workplace injury prevention programs
- A lack of management and community capacity in developing, operating, and monitoring workplace safety and accreditation programs
- The need for relevant skills development and training programs for managers, contractors and owners
- The researchers recommend several ways that WorkSafeBC, Industry and Aboriginal communities and organizations can begin to address these issues and support safer and healthier workplaces, policies and practices in Aboriginal communities.
Objectives
- To discover if the contexts in which Aboriginal enterprises work result in workplace injury prevention programs being developed, implemented and operated differently than in non-Aboriginal firms, and if so, what implications this might have for the ability of Aboriginal enterprises to work safely
- To assess whether any of the socio-demographic, political, and cultural differences between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities act as barriers to the successful implementation of those programs
Method
This project was a qualitative research study, using in-person interviews with business managers and owners and participant observations to capture respondents’ experiences. The interviews used a mix of semi-structured and open-ended questions. Eleven firms were surveyed, including some non-Aboriginal firms with significant Aboriginal contract workforce. The researchers also conducted a review of the literature on workplace safety in Aboriginal firms, cultural influences on occupational safety, and injury prevention programs in Aboriginal communities.
Results
Respondents identified a number of themes or issues in their responses to questions about workplace injury prevention programs and how they address risk in their work settings. Common themes include:
- A lack of an engagement process or involvement in a policy community relating to workplace injury prevention for Aboriginal communities and enterprises
- The recognition of the role of community as a factor in Aboriginal decision making
- Challenges with the volume and technical complexity of program documentation required for workplace injury prevention programs
- A lack of management and community capacity in developing, operating, and monitoring workplace safety and accreditation programs
- The need for relevant skills development and training programs for managers, contractors and owners
Conclusions
The researchers made the following conclusions:
- Community relations are an integral part of the operating environment for Aboriginal enterprises. These relations pose barriers to effective program implementation, but also provide opportunities for building safe work practices, for instance, among young workers.
- Reducing barriers to developing and using the program documentation for high risk industries would help owners and managers to gain a better understanding of the principles and practices of working safely.
- Managers and owners of some enterprises face barriers in terms of their capacity to provide dedicated expertise and direction to injury prevention programs.
- Aboriginal communities have not established any larger policy support, or a structure, that can support individual enterprises, and are not involved in policy development.
Researchers’ Recommendations
Aboriginal enterprises work in a complex social and political environment, in which their understanding of their options, strategies, decision-making scope, obligations, and opportunities are shaped by their connection to the Aboriginal community. Successful workplace safety programs must recognize and take into consideration the role that community and culture plays in encouraging better risk management practices amongst workers.
Aboriginal enterprises require supports and resources to deal with barriers or issues arising from these unique features. The researchers recommend that WorkSafeBC and Industry take steps to engage Aboriginal organizations in developing and shaping policies that seek to address their unique Aboriginal experiences and issues, including the following:
- WorkSafeBC can take the lead role in developing policy and best practices forums with Aboriginal organizations mandated to represent business development, injury prevention and other related topics. Engaging in this process will help to fill the existing gaps in policy.
- WorkSafeBC, in collaboration with Aboriginal organizations, can undertake an initiative that recognizes the complex social and political environment in which Aboriginal enterprises work and develop strategies to assist youth, managers and owners to find ways to address the issues related to their unique circumstances.
- WorkSafeBC can work with Aboriginal organizations and industry to ensure that Aboriginal enterprises have better access to program materials and training opportunities for Aboriginal contractors and managers to assist them developing, implementing, managing and monitoring workplace injury prevention programs.
- Aboriginal organizations can take a role in identifying their current policy and advocacy capacity, and also identify ways to support Aboriginal enterprises in managing prevention programs.
More detailed recommendations appear in the final report.
Publications and Presentations
Presentation (including Webcasting) of Research Project at University of British Columbia’s School of Environmental Health. January 16, 2009.
Presentation to United Native Nations Annual Assembly, Kelowna. August 2008.
Presentation to WorkSafeBC staff. June 30, 2008.
Presentation to the Western Safety Conference, Vancouver B.C. May 6, 2008.
Presentation to the British Columbia Injury Prevention Conference, Vancouver British Columbia. November 19, 2008.
Presentation at the annual meeting of the Canadian Rural Health Research Conference, Prince George. October 20, 2006.
Poster Presentation to the B.C. Environmental and Occupational Health Research Network, Vancouver B.C. January 26, 2008.
Poster Presentation to the B.C. Environmental and Occupational Health Research Network AGM, Vancouver B.C. November 24, 2006.