Disparities in Occupational Health

The workforce in Washington State is becoming increasingly diverse, reflecting the changing social and demographic characteristics of the country. Major changes are also occurring in the types of employment with increasing numbers working in temporary, contract or day labor arrangements. It is likely that some populations within the workforce have greater exposures to physical, chemical and biological hazards in the workplace. These populations are likely to experience an elevated rate of occupational injuries and illness, or have worse occupational health and employment outcomes. Identifying working populations that experience these inequalities is an area of interest for SHARP's occupational safety and health researchers.

Journal Articles

Smith CK, Wuellner S, and Marcum J (2023). Racial and ethnic disparities in workers’ compensation claims rates. PLoS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280307 | Research Findings

Smith CK and Bonauto DK (2018). Improving occupational health disparity research: Testing a method to estimate race and ethnicity in a working population. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22850 | Research Findings

Bonauto DK, Smith CK, Adams DA, Fan ZJ, Silverstein BA, and Foley M (2010). Language Preference and Non-Traumatic Low Back Disorders in Washington State Workers’ Compensation. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. DOI: 10.1002/ajim.20740 | Research Findings

Smith CK, Silverstein BA, Bonauto DK, Adams DA, and Fan ZJ (2010). Temporary workers in Washington State. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. DOI: 10.1002/ajim.20728

Presentations

Comparing Injury Rates Between Employers with and without H-2A Visa Workers