Vulnerability at Work: (Un)Safety Culture in Temporary Jobs

Elisa Bellè
Anna Carreri
Francesco Miele
Annalisa Murgia

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DOI: 10.2190/WR.17.2.c

Abstract

In recent years, many studies have highlighted particular changes in working conditions and in the composition of the workforce: among others, the increasing use of temporary contracts and the massive entrance of immigrant workers into Western labour markets. These structural changes imply the redefinition of health and safety standards and the introduction of a new analytical category, called "vulnerable work." In order to contribute to the debate, this article presents the results of a qualitative research project on the health and safety conditions of temporary workers carried out in a province of northeastern Italy. First, the aim of the article is to highlight the hazards and risks faced by temporary workers, which contribute to the production of a specific condition of vulnerability. The culturalist approach adopted here shows that the construction of (un)safety at work is the result of the intersection among different dimensions of vulnerability. Second, the article has an operational goal. On the basis of the research results, in particular on the basis of the interviews conducted with key informants, some recommendations for policymaking and human resource management are provided. In particular, the article points out that injuries sustained by temporary workers are often the consequence of an underestimation both of their specific risks and of a more general state of vulnerability.

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