Employers could be inviting migrant tragedy, warns safety body
February 5th 2008

Many migrant workers are being put at serious risk by cost-cutting employers who aren't providing sufficient training or suitable supervision to new recruits, the Institution of Occupational Health and Safety (IOSH) has said.

On the eve of the fourth anniversary of the Morecambe Bay disaster, which saw 21 Chinese cockle pickers drown on the Lancashire sands, Ray Hurst, president of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) said that he was worried that more migrant lives could be lost.

"We know that between 2002 and 2004 in the agriculture sector another 11 migrant workers were killed in addition to those who perished at Morecambe Bay. What we don’t know is how many were killed in other industries.

"Migrant workers are entitled to the same protection of health and safety legislation as other workers regardless of whether or not they work illegally. But the reality is, that with many migrant workers keen to earn as much in as shorter time as possible, taking on jobs with existing safety concerns and their lack of understanding of the UK health and safety system, they are a vulnerable group and at greater risk."

A survey by IOSH's Food and Drink Group showed that half of respondents said their organisation's health and safety policy did not address how non-English speaking employees were informed, instructed or trained in health and safety. 46 per cent of companies provided the same health and safety training packages to non-English speaking employees as to English speakers, while 42 per cent offered English lessons to staff, although these were general and not specific to the company or industry.

"These findings show that too many employers are taking risks with their migrant employees. It’s no good teaching someone in English if they can hardly grasp a word of the language. And if you’re not teaching them about the risks they’ll face in their job, then that’s not going to help matters. It leaves migrant workers at perilous risk, not only of having an accident, but of exploitation too.

"We might not suffer another disaster on the scale of Morecambe Bay again, but with 5 million migrant workers in the UK and the apparent lack of action by employers we could be inviting tragedy to the door of our workplaces again. I hope the Gangmasters Licensing Agency (GLA) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will heed our warning, and seek to better protect migrant workers in the workplace."

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