Hospital support services and the impacts of outsourcing on occupational health and safety

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.

Keywords:

• Outsourcing
• Occupational health and safety
• Cleaners
• Food service workers
• Contracting
• Re-organization
• Underreporting
• Healthcare worker

Acknowledgments

The authors of this article would like to thank Paul Demers for his guidance during the early days of the project and to Marcy Cohen, Jennifer Efting, and Lou Black for their assistance with research on behalf of the Hospital Employees’ Union.