Project status: Complete

How do we work with Community to properly address WHS challenges faced by Aboriginal workers and businesses?

Research has shown that the types of work-related injuries and illnesses experienced by Aboriginal people differs from the general population (Mayhew & Vickerman, 1996).

Aboriginal people are overrepresented in number of areas like musculoskeletal disorders, respiratory diseases, and mental disorders, and endure a number of issues around job security, racism, misunderstanding of WHS rights and underreporting of workplace incidents.

Despite being a key part of the working population, the research around the WHS risks specific to Aboriginal workers and businesses was limited. So, we set out to work with community to uncover the gaps.

Working with Community to guide better outcomes

In partnership with Monaghan Dreaming and the Behavioural Insights team, we worked with an advisory group of Aboriginal representatives to unpack current and emerging issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers and businesses.

We found that a significant amount of the population could be classified as vulnerable to risk of harm at work.

This helped to guide recommendations for future areas of research, including:

• Mechanisms for reporting and handling racism and bullying in the workplace
• The individual, organisational, and community effects of lateral violence
• The importance and effects of community obligations
• The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experience of work-related stress and burnout

With a view to inform the Department of Customer Service’s Better Regulation Division Aboriginal Engagement and Education Strategy, these recommendations will help build a body of evidence to create safer working environments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.

Further reading

• Mayhew, C., & Vickerman, L. (1996), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander occupational health and safety: A pilot study in Queensland

Want to know more?

To work with the Centre, or stay up to date with our research, head to our Engage with us page.