In the document Revitalising Health and Safety Strategy Statement (DETR 2000), the government set out national targets for health and safety. This 10-year strategy seeks significant improvements in workplace health and safety by, for the first time, setting a number of over
arching targets for Great Britain. These targets are to reduce working days lost per 100 thousand workers from work related injury and ill-health by 30%, to reduce the rate of fatal and major injury accidents by 10% and to reduce the incidence rate of cases of work related ill
health by 20%. The Health and Safety Commission has identified 8 priority areas for contributing to the delivery of the RHS targets. These focus on sectors or hazards where improvements are vital if the targets are to be met: (sectors) construction, agriculture, and the health services, and (hazards) falls from height, workplace transport, stress, musculoskeletal disorders and slips and trips.
The analysis of Elias et al. (2001) indicated that it is the occupation of employment that has the dominant influence upon the risk of workplace injury. While the general level of economic activity will have some effect upon the incidence rate of workplace injuries, changes in workplace injury rates over time are most likely to be driven by changes in the occupational composition of employment. The effects of real improvements in health and safety upon workplace injury rates could be offset by a growth of employment in occupations that are
associated with an increased risk of workplace injury. Alternatively, more favourable shifts in the occupational composition of employment could lead to reductions in workplace injury rates.
In the context of the present study it is important to consider whether these projected changes in employment are likely to be of particular significance to the occupational health and safety of Britain’s ethnic minority population.
To consider these issues we utilize projections of employment taken from the Projections of Occupations and Qualifications 2000-2001 (CE/IER, 2001). A variety of detailed employment projections are available by gender, occupation and industry sector. Due to the importance of occupation in contributing towards the risk of workplace injury, we focus upon employment projections that incorporate a high level of occupational detail. Specifically, the projections provide a forecast of employment at the Sub-Major Group level of SOC90 (see CE/IER, 2001, pp63). Due to this high level of occupational detail, the projections are not able to simultaneously allow for changes in employment across other dimensions such as industry or gender.
Occupational projections are presented in Table 1.9. Considering these projections in the context of HSC priority areas, it is projected that there will be a large growth in employment between 1999 and 2010 in occupations that relate to the Health Care Sector. Employment among Health Professionals is projected to increase by 40%, while employment in Personal Service Occupations is projected to increase by 35%. While Personal Service Occupations cover a variety of jobs, the growth in employment within health related occupations is regarded as being the underlying cause of employment growth in this area. Health care jobs falling within this area of employment includes nursing auxiliaries, ward assistants, ambulance staff and care assistants. In contrast, employment in those occupations that relate to the Agricultural Sector is projected to decline between 1999 and 2010. Employment within Managers/Proprietors in Agriculture and Services is projected to decline by 18%. Employment in Other Occupations in Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (comprising general agricultural workers and fisherman) is projected to decline by 38% between 1999 and 2010. Only a small growth in employment within Skilled Construction Trades is projected over the period of analysis.
The employment projections therefore support the view that the HSC is correct to prioritize the Health Care Sector in order to meet over-arching targets for Health and Safety. High rates of projected growth in occupations within this sector indicate that any real improvements in health and safety should contribute to reductions in rates of workplace injury and occupational ill health. However, it is unlikely that real improvements in safety within the construction or agriculture sectors will lead to significant reductions in the overall rate of workplace injuries and ill-health, due to the small and declining incidence of employment in these sectors.
In terms of the occupational health and safety of ethnic minorities, Table 1.9 also indicates that occupations within the Health Care sector are associated with a relatively high incidence of workers from ethnic minority backgrounds and workers who were born outside of the UK. For example, information from the LFS indicates that during the period 1993 to 2000, 17% of those employed as Health Professionals and 7% of those employed as Health Associate Professionals (encompassing occupations such as state registered nurses, midwives, physiotherapists and medical technicians) were ethnic minorities. This is compared to a population average of 4.8%.
It is not clear that the projected growth in jobs available within the Health Care sector will be filled by workers who have the same ethnic composition as that demonstrated within the LFS for the period 1993-2000. For example, many Black Caribbean immigrants who filled jobs within the Health Care sector during the 1950s and 1960s would have been approaching retirement age during the 1990s. However, continued measures to recruit health care workers
from abroad indicates that the prioritization of this sector by the HSC will remain of particular pertinence to the health and safety of ethnic minorities and immigrant workers.
Table 1.9 Occupational projections and ethnicity 1999-2010
Projected Employment (thousands) Ethnicity (1993-2000)1 Sub-Major Groups of 1990 Standard
Occupational Classification 1999 2005 2010 % growth 1999-2000
1.2 Managers/proprietors in 1507 1364 1236 -18.0% 6.7% 10.5%
agriculture and services
3.3 Other associate professional 1366 1617 1874 37.2% 4.7% 8.9%
occupations
1. Prevalence of ethnicity derived from Labour Force Survey, 1993 to 2000