Research Project Summary

Year Funded: 2010 Budget: $29,760.00 Funding Agency: Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario
Title: Developing an intervention to reduce occupational health and safety risk among vulnerable workers: Pictograms and training for low-literacy hotel/motel workers
Category: Intervention Research
Subcategory: Intervention Research
Keywords: Pictograms, Training, Hotel/motel workers, Prevention/interventions
Link to research website: www.iwh.on.ca

Issue:

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) continue to be a major burden in Ontario, accounting for over 40% of lost time claims. Additionally, the Ontario workforce is made up of many immigrant and low literacy workers. However, many prevention initiatives are developed without consideration of worker literacy levels or language competencies. To communicate effectively relevant occupational health and safety (OHS) information to all workers of Ontario, including these vulnerable populations, such OHS initiatives must consider the literacy levels of the end users.

Objectives:

The objectives of this project are:
1. To develop an intervention (pictograms and both management and worker trainings) that is appropriate for low literacy worker in the hotel/motel industry;
2. To develop appropriate outcome measurement tools for low literacy workers and English as a second language workers;
3. To develop an appropriate behavioural observation tool and observer training for hotel/motel work;
4. To develop a strong collaboration with hotels and motels and propose a cluster randomized field trail.

Anticipated Results:

The outcomes should be three pictograms for use in the hotel/motel sector, worker appropriate trainings and measurement tools and a proposal for a cluster randomized field trial for a new grant application.

Investigators:

Benjamin C. Amick III (Institute for Work & Health), Kim Grant (Ontario Service Safety Alliance), F. Curtis Breslin, Lynda S. Robson, Kiera Keown,
Ivan A. Steenstra, Dwayne Van Eerd (Institute for Work & Health)
Michelle M. Robertson (Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety)