An exploration of Hispanic workers' perspectives about risks and hazards associated with orchard work

Orchard workers are a population at risk for serious and disabling occupational injuries and illnesses. The purpose of this descriptive, exploratory study was to gather information about orchard workers' perceptions and experiences related to their work to better understand factors that contribute to their occupational risk. The sample consisted of 180 Hispanic orchard workers from 3 counties in Washington State; about a third of these reported at least 1 occupational injury. A Likert scale was used to gather workers' perceptions about individual, work-related, and environmental factors that have the potential to contribute to the occurrence of occupational injuries and illnesses. Psychosocial factors emerged as particularly important influences on workers' health and safety. Injured workers were more likely than noninjured workers to feel (1) that they are more likely to be fired, (2) that the "boss cares more about the fruit than the worker," (3) that their employer was demanding, and (4) that orchard work was dangerous. There is a compelling need to develop and test interventions that address factors that adversely affect orchard workers' health and safety.