Young Workers’ Access to and Awareness of Occupational Safety and Health Services: Age-Differences and Possible Drivers in a Large Survey of Employees in Italy

Nico Dragano, Claudio Barbaranelli, Marvin Reuter, Morten Wahrendorf, Brad Wright, Matteo Ronchetti, Giuliana Buresti, Cristina Di Tecco and Sergio Iavicoli
Additional contact information
Nico Dragano: Institute of Medical Sociology, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, University of Duesseldorf, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany
Claudio Barbaranelli: Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Marvin Reuter: Institute of Medical Sociology, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, University of Duesseldorf, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany
Morten Wahrendorf: Institute of Medical Sociology, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, University of Duesseldorf, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany
Brad Wright: School of Psychology, & Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
Matteo Ronchetti: Italian Workers’ Compensation Authority (INAIL), Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Monte Porzio Catone, 00078 Rome, Italy
Giuliana Buresti: Italian Workers’ Compensation Authority (INAIL), Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Monte Porzio Catone, 00078 Rome, Italy
Cristina Di Tecco: Italian Workers’ Compensation Authority (INAIL), Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Monte Porzio Catone, 00078 Rome, Italy
Sergio Iavicoli: Italian Workers’ Compensation Authority (INAIL), Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Monte Porzio Catone, 00078 Rome, Italy

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 7, 1-10

Abstract: Young workers are in particular need of occupational safety and health (OSH) services, but it is unclear whether they have the necessary access to such services. We compared young with older workers in terms of the access to and awareness of OSH services, and examined if differences in employment conditions accounted for age-differences. We used survey data from Italy (INSuLA 1, 2014), with a sample of 8000 employed men and women aged 19 to 65 years, including 732 young workers aged under 30 years. Six questions measured access to services, and five questions assessed awareness of different OSH issues. Several employment conditions were included. Analyses revealed that young workers had less access and a lower awareness of OSH issues compared with older workers. For instance, odds ratios (OR) suggest that young workers had a 1.44 times higher likelihood [95%—confidence interval 1.21–1.70] of having no access to an occupational physician, and were more likely (2.22 [1.39–3.38]) to be unaware of legal OSH frameworks. Adjustment for selected employment conditions (company size, temporary contract) substantially reduced OR’s, indicating that these conditions contribute to differences between older and younger workers. We conclude that OSH management should pay particular attention to young workers in general and, to young workers in precarious employment, and working in small companies in particular.

Keywords: young workers; occupational safety and health services; occupational health; age-differences; awareness; access to OSH services (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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