Outsourcing and precarious work: occupational accidents in the petrochemical industry

Abstract

The spread of outsourcing has had consequences on the quality of employment, generating different working conditions for direct and outsourced workers. This article focuses on a specific dimension of employment: safety at work of outsourced employees. The research investigates the reasons given by petrochemical workers in Argentina for the recurrence of more serious accidents among subcontracted workers. Based on interviews to workers in this sector, four sets of explanations were identified: poor training on risk management and lack awareness-raising on how to take the necessary precautions; deficiencies in the quality of the safety supplies utilized; the very nature of the outsourced tasks; and the lack of union protection.