Hospital support services and the impacts of outsourcing on occupational health and safety |
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| Authors: | Pearl Siganporia George Astrakianakis Hasanat Alamgir Anne-Marie Nicol Mieke Koehoorn |
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| Institution: | 1. School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada;2. Department of Health Policy and Management, New York Medical College, New York, NY, USA;3. Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada |
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| Abstract: | Background: Outsourcing labor is linked to negative impacts on occupational health and safety (OHS). In British Columbia, Canada, provincial health care service providers outsource support services such as cleaners and food service workers (CFSWs) to external contractors.Objectives: This study investigates the impact of outsourcing on the occupational health safety of hospital CFSWs through a mixed methods approach.Methods: Worker’s compensation data for hospital CFSWs were analyzed by negative binomial and multiple linear regressions supplemented by iterative thematic analysis of telephone interviews of the same job groups.Results: Non-significant decreases in injury rates and days lost per injury were observed in outsourced CFSWs post outsourcing. Significant decreases (P < 0.05) were observed in average costs per injury for cleaners post outsourcing. Outsourced workers interviewed implied instances of underreporting workplace injuries.Conclusions: This mixed methods study describes the impact of outsourcing on OHS of healthcare workers in British Columbia. Results will be helpful for policy-makers and workplace regulators to assess program effectiveness for outsourced workers. |
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| Keywords: | Outsourcing Occupational health and safety Cleaners Food service workers Contracting Re-organization Underreporting Healthcare worker |
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