workers followed the Poisson’s probability distribution, the same occurrences in case of temporary workers did not follow the same distribution [Table 4].
DISCUSSION
Frequency and severity rates have been significantly higher in the temporary workers, which reflect higher risk of occupational injury in the temporary workers. Significantly higher (P < 0.001) mean number of injuries/person in temporary workers and significantly higher percentage of temporary workers’ involvement
in two or more occupational injuries also depicts the higher risk of injuries in temporary workers. Calculated relative risks on the basis of frequency and severity rates are also significant. This finding of higher injury risk of the temporary workers is similar to the experience of earlier published reports.[10],[11] The two types of workers had similar trend in age distribution, habit of tobacco use, educational status, experience, and job. Even then distinct difference of injury status is observed between the two worker groups. This may be attributed to the temporary status of the working group having significantly more number of injuries. Lack of job security may have played a role in such workers. Other factors frequently associated with temporary workers (more risky job given to them, no choice of shifting to safer job even after an injury, less effective experience) might have contributed to such increased occurrence of injuries in temporary workers. The factory where this study was undertaken had no established safety training system. Only way for gaining knowledge of safety was on the job experience. In this respect, the permanent workers may have been in a better position than the temporary workers because of the fact that the temporary workers do not get chance to work always in the year like the permanent workers. Accordingly, effective experience may have been less in the temporary workers.
Occupational injury data of permanent workers followed the Poisson’s probability distribution but in case of temporary workers it did not follow such distribution. The number of workers committing three or more accidents is clearly in excess of the expected numbers. This also is an indirect evidence of the fact that occupational injuries have taken place in excess in case of temporary workers.
Although very few studies are carried out till date to make a comparative analysis of temporary and permanent workers, there are studies that have reported about the significant contribution of different factors (usually associated with nonpermanent workers) in the causation of occupational injuries. Lack of job training, [14] job characteristics like job
dissatisfaction, [15] work environmental condition[16] (in many occasions temporary workers have to face relatively more adverse environmental conditions) and sleep deprivation[17] (many times nonpermanent workers are engaged in other part time activities) are such factors that are found to be responsible for occupational injuries in these studies.
This study has made an attempt to highlight the fact that temporary nature of employment has got some adverse effects so far as the causation of occupational injuries are concerned. To take care of completeness of
injury data only reportable injuries are analyzed in this study so that the factor of nonreporting can be eliminated. Even then this study has suffered from some limitations. Workers could not be followed for the entire period like a classical retrospective cohort study. A multivariate analysis involving the possible contributing factors like age, duration of employment, etc., could have thrown more light on this issue.
However, this study has not only concluded that the temporary workers have a different profile of occupational injuries but also it has stressed the need of further exploration of the role of job security (psychological effect) in the causation of occupational injuries in temporary workers taking care of the confounding effect of other characteristics of temporary workerhood.
workers followed the Poisson’s probability distribution, the same occurrences in case of temporary workers did not follow the same distribution [Table 4].
DISCUSSION
Frequency and severity rates have been significantly higher in the temporary workers, which reflect higher risk of occupational injury in the temporary workers. Significantly higher (P < 0.001) mean number of injuries/person in temporary workers and significantly higher percentage of temporary workers’ involvement
in two or more occupational injuries also depicts the higher risk of injuries in temporary workers. Calculated relative risks on the basis of frequency and severity rates are also significant. This finding of higher injury risk of the temporary workers is similar to the experience of earlier published reports.[10],[11] The two types of workers had similar trend in age distribution, habit of tobacco use, educational status, experience, and job. Even then distinct difference of injury status is observed between the two worker groups. This may be attributed to the temporary status of the working group having significantly more number of injuries. Lack of job security may have played a role in such workers. Other factors frequently associated with temporary workers (more risky job given to them, no choice of shifting to safer job even after an injury, less effective experience) might have contributed to such increased occurrence of injuries in temporary workers. The factory where this study was undertaken had no established safety training system. Only way for gaining knowledge of safety was on the job experience. In this respect, the permanent workers may have been in a better position than the temporary workers because of the fact that the temporary workers do not get chance to work always in the year like the permanent workers. Accordingly, effective experience may have been less in the temporary workers.
Occupational injury data of permanent workers followed the Poisson’s probability distribution but in case of temporary workers it did not follow such distribution. The number of workers committing three or more accidents is clearly in excess of the expected numbers. This also is an indirect evidence of the fact that occupational injuries have taken place in excess in case of temporary workers.
Although very few studies are carried out till date to make a comparative analysis of temporary and permanent workers, there are studies that have reported about the significant contribution of different factors (usually associated with nonpermanent workers) in the causation of occupational injuries. Lack of job training, [14] job characteristics like job
dissatisfaction, [15] work environmental condition[16] (in many occasions temporary workers have to face relatively more adverse environmental conditions) and sleep deprivation[17] (many times nonpermanent workers are engaged in other part time activities) are such factors that are found to be responsible for occupational injuries in these studies.
This study has made an attempt to highlight the fact that temporary nature of employment has got some adverse effects so far as the causation of occupational injuries are concerned. To take care of completeness of
injury data only reportable injuries are analyzed in this study so that the factor of nonreporting can be eliminated. Even then this study has suffered from some limitations. Workers could not be followed for the entire period like a classical retrospective cohort study. A multivariate analysis involving the possible contributing factors like age, duration of employment, etc., could have thrown more light on this issue.
However, this study has not only concluded that the temporary workers have a different profile of occupational injuries but also it has stressed the need of further exploration of the role of job security (psychological effect) in the causation of occupational injuries in temporary workers taking care of the confounding effect of other characteristics of temporary workerhood.
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