Every year on April 28, the global community observes the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, an initiative established by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2003. This critical observance emphasizes the prevention of occupational accidents and illnesses worldwide and coincides with Workers’ Memorial Day, honoring those who have lost their lives on the job.
Historical Context and Black Women’s Contribution
Historically, Black women have faced significant occupational safety and health (OSH) challenges. Due to systemic inequalities, they often occupied hazardous roles in agriculture, domestic services, and industries like meatpacking.
Trailblazers such as Dorothy Bolden have significantly contributed to improving working conditions. In the 1960s, Bolden established the National Domestic Workers Union, successfully advocating for better pay and safer working environments for domestic workers, a group predominantly composed of Black women.
Similarly, Rev. Addie Wyatt became the first African American woman to hold a senior position in an international union, the United Food and Commercial Workers. Her relentless advocacy improved conditions, wages, and safety standards for meatpacking workers.
Present-Day Challenges for Black Women
Today, occupational segregation still disproportionately places Black women in high-risk, undervalued sectors such as healthcare, domestic care, and cosmetology.
Gig economy roles and climate-related hazards also increasingly expose Black women to risks with little to no formal protections, especially in caregiving, delivery, and service industries.
Canadian Context
In Canada, Black women disproportionately occupy frontline and essential roles, including healthcare, eldercare, and personal support work. According to Statistics Canada, visible minority women, including Black women, report higher rates of workplace discrimination and occupational hazards. Additionally, advocacy groups like the Canadian Labour Congress emphasize that systemic racism amplifies health risks for racialized women, underscoring the need for targeted workplace protections, inclusive health and safety training, and anti-discrimination measures.
Notable Black Canadian women advocating for workplace safety include:
- Jan Simpson, the first Black woman president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, actively advocating for worker safety and improved conditions.
- Dr. Onye Nnorom, a public health physician addressing systemic health disparities through the Black Health Education Collaborative.
- Clotilda Douglas-Yakimchuk, a pioneering nurse advocating for environmental justice and better healthcare access.
- Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa, a psychiatrist advocating for inclusion and anti-racism in Canadian healthcare.
- Stephanie Benay, a founder of the Women in Occupational Health & Safety Society, promoting gender equality in workplace safety.
Best Practices for Inclusive Occupational Safety and Health
To enhance safety and health for Black women, workplaces must adopt inclusive practices, guided by the ILO’s Gender-sensitive OSH Toolkit:
- Inclusive Risk Assessment: Tailor personal protective equipment (PPE) and workplace design to women’s physiological needs and caregiving roles.
- Representation in Safety Committees: Ensure diverse participation, specifically including women of color, to accurately identify and address workplace hazards.
- Targeted Training: Develop community-led training programs, especially in high-risk fields like cosmetology and healthcare.
- Transparent Data Collection: Collect and publicize injury and illness data broken down by race and gender to highlight and rectify inequities.
- Tech-Enhanced Safety: Leverage artificial intelligence, wearable tech, and real-time monitoring to proactively manage risks and prevent workplace incidents.
- Strong Collective Bargaining: Support union representation to ensure ongoing advocacy and protection of workers’ rights.
- Global Standards Compliance: Participate in initiatives like the ILO’s Vision Zero Fund to embed gender equality in global safety standards.
- Community-Based Programs: Fund grassroots safety programs that address local concerns in high-risk professions like domestic care and salon work.
Real-World Examples
- Healthcare: A 2022 Health Affairs study found Black women comprise almost 14 percent of the U.S. health‑care workforce yet remain concentrated in the lowest‑paid, highest‑risk roles.
- Cosmetology: OSHA and NIOSH field evaluations have detected formaldehyde and solvent levels that exceed federal exposure limits during popular smoothing and acrylic‑nail services in salons serving Black clientele (OSHA Hazard Alert • NIOSH report). Salons can protect workers by ensuring proper ventilation, supplying PPE such as fitted respirators and nitrile gloves, choosing safer products, and providing regular chemical‑safety training.
- Home Care: Black women represent a growing portion of home‑care workers, facing long hours, heat exposure, and musculoskeletal injuries with minimal OSHA protections. Community‑based safety programs and ergonomic training are critical first steps.
Action Steps
- Employers: Integrate gender and race-specific safety protocols into workplace OSH strategies, ensuring real-world applicability through employee feedback.
- Policymakers: Enforce laws requiring detailed reporting on workplace injuries and illnesses by gender and race. Mandate protections for gig and domestic workers.
- Workers and Advocates: Use World Day for Safety and Health at Work to host safety training sessions, audits, or vigils. Share stories online using hashtags such as #SafeDay and #BlackWomenAtWork.
- Researchers: Conduct focused research on occupational hazards facing Black women, particularly chemical exposures, gig economy risks, and climate-induced dangers.
Call to Action: Celebrate the World Day for Safety and Health at Work by advocating for better protections, elevating Black women’s voices, and demanding equitable, transparent safety practices. Together, we can ensure every workplace honors the dignity, health, and potential of every worker.
