Occupational Safety and Health of Foreign-Born, Latinx Dairy Workers in Colorado.

OBJECTIVE: The US dairy industry, which employs foreign-born, primarily Latinx workers, has a two-fold higher injury rate than the national average. Little research has been conducted to understand the factors associated with the occupational safety and health (OSH) among foreign-born, Latinx dairy workers. METHODS: Structured interviews were conducted with 55 workers to assess a variety of OSH variables, including training experiences, health outcomes, and the psychosocial environment of the dairy. RESULTS: Participants reported a high number of work-related injuries, limited awareness of the risks inherent in dairy work, and the perception that work-related injuries are unpreventable. The psychosocial environment of the dairy was found to have a significant influence on OSH outcomes. CONCLUSION: In addition to implementing culturally congruent OSH training for all workers, it is imperative to promote strong leadership and communication skills among dairy managers.

Identifying Ancient Settlement Patterns through LiDAR in the Mosquitia Region of Honduras.

The Mosquitia ecosystem of Honduras occupies the fulcrum between the American continents and as such constitutes a critical region for understanding past patterns of socio-political development and interaction. Heavy vegetation, rugged topography, and remoteness have limited scientific investigation. This paper presents prehistoric patterns of settlement and landuse for a critical valley within the Mosquitia derived from airborne LiDAR scanning and field investigation. We show that (i) though today the valley is a wilderness it was densely inhabited in the past; (ii) that this population was organized into a three-tiered system composed of 19 settlements dominated by a city; and, (iii) that this occupation was embedded within a human engineered landscape. We also add to a growing body of literature that demonstrates the utility of LiDAR as means for rapid cultural assessments in undocumented regions for analysis and conservation. Our ultimate hope is for our work to promote protections to safeguard the unique and critically endangered Mosquitia ecosystem and other similar areas in need of preservation.

Perceptions of Health and Safety among Immigrant Latino/a Dairy Workers in the U.S.

The U.S. dairy industry is increasingly relying on an immigrant workforce to help meet growing demands. Due to scant research, little is known about the factors related to workplace safety among this occupational group. The purpose of this study was to identify dairy worker perceptions of the barriers to and facilitators for enhancing workplace safety. Focus groups (FG) were conducted with 44 immigrant Latino/a workers from 2 dairies in South Dakota and 1 dairy in Colorado to gain firsthand insights into their work experiences. Interviews were conducted in Spanish, audio recorded, transcribed, and translated into English. Results were analyzed through a two-step qualitative coding process. The Contributing Factors in Accident Causation model was used as a guiding framework. Promising points of intervention identified were related to the workers, the work itself, the physical environment, equipment issues, the social-psychological environment, and management/organizational factors. Suggestions for how to improve safety outcomes in the dairy industry are provided. It is likely that the dairy industry will continue to employ a growing number of immigrant workers. Therefore, these findings have significant implications that can be used to guide the development of culturally congruent policies and practices.