CASINO WORKERS'
HEALTH AND SAFETY RESEARCH PROJECT



RESEARCH PROJECT
Gaming workers in Windsor, Ontario and Winnipeg, Manitoba worked together to research the health and safety hazards they face on the job.  The workers and their unions, CAW Local 444 in Windsor and the Manitoba Government Employees Union in Winnipeg, joined with the Windsor Occupational Health Information Service, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers, and the Manitoba Federation of Labour Occupational Health Centre to carry out the research.  Very few research projects have addressed the health and safety problems in the fast-expanding gaming industry.
 

THE GAMING FACILITIES
Casino Windsor, which is run by a private consortium, has been operating out of two temporary facilities since its opening in 1994.  It employs about 3,600 people.  A large permanent facility is scheduled to open in 1998 and is expected to add an additional 1,500 employees to its workforce.  The Winnipeg gaming facilities are operated by the Manitoba government.  There are three gaming sites: the Crystal Casino, Club Regent and McPhillips Street Station.  There are approximately 800 gaming workers at the three facilities.  Planned changes include the closing of the Crystal Casino and expansion of the other two facilities, adding 325 new jobs.  Full licensed beverage services and entertainment are planned.

The gaming facilities in both locales provide similar services.  But there are a few differences--Winnipeg offers Bingo and Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs); Windsor does not.  Coins (actual currency) are used for Winnipeg's slot machines; tokens are used for Windsor's.  Alcohol is not yet permitted in Winnipeg but is available in all gaming areas of Windsor's casinos.
 
 

"Being physically sore and the emotional toll of work affects family life."
                                                                             Dealer, Winnipeg










WORK ENVIRONMENT
There may be more to the gaming facility environment than meets the eye.  In fact, in both communities, there is a history of health and safety concerns dating back to the opening of the facilities.  The flashing lights, music, slot machine noise, and overcrowding help to provide a stimulating atmosphere for the patrons.  But it can be very stressful to the workers who must endure it for an entire shift, day-in, day-out.  Second-hand smoke fills the air.  Patrons smoke in the breathing zones of workers.

Hazards associated with working with the public such as exposure to body fluids and germs, harassment, and threats of violence appear to be widespread in the gaming facility environment.  Gaming workers may also be faced with fast-paced, repetitive work, prolonged standing, lifting, pushing or pulling heavy weights.
 

FOCUS GROUPS
The research team decided that the best way to approach the research was to set up focus groups to find out what health and safety problems were of greatest concern to the gaming workers.  Thirteen focus group sessions were held in Windsor; six in Winnipeg.  A total of 51 Windsor gaming workers, members of CAW Local 444, and 20 Winnipeg gaming workers, members of MGEU, participated in the three-hour focus group sessions.  The sessions were led by trained union facilitators and observed and recorded by staff from the three occupational health centres.
 

RESEARCH TOOLS - MAPPING
The focus group participants used "mapping" exercises to report their health problems, the hazards they face on the job and the impact that work has on their lives.
 

BODY MAPPING
Body mapping is a research tool that is used for gathering information regarding the health problems (illnesses, injuries, aches and pains, etc.) of workers.  This exercise was carried out in each of the focus groups.  Large images of the body (front and back) were posted on the wall.  The gaming workers were encouraged to place self-sticking dots on the body map to indicate their own health problems.

They reported, one at a time, to the group, what health problems their dots represented.
This information was recorded.

BODY MAPPING RESULTS
The following health problems were reported by the focus group participants:

The completed body maps showed clusters of dots in the joint areas (elbows, wrists, knees, ankles, shoulders). There were also concentrations of dots on the hands and feet. Large numbers of dots were placed in the upper, middle and lower back areas and in the neck and head areas.

"Customers cough in your face...when you've got a cold you feel run down;
it's hard to concentrate and be nice to customers."
                                         Slot Attendant, Winnipeg
 
 
 

"I thought I was the only one having all these pains"
                                                           Cook, Windsor











HAZARD MAPPING
The gaming workers were asked to draw a rough diagram of their work area(s) on large sheets of craft paper which were mounted on the wall.  Some participants drew their own maps; others were done collectively.  Collective maps were encouraged when there was more than one person from a particular work area or occupation.  They were instructed to draw themselves, the physical lay-out of their work area, their co-workers, and any hazards which exist.

They were also asked to group the hazards as: Biological, Chemical, Physical, Stress and Work Design Hazards. Colour-coded, self-sticking labels were provided. They were then asked to describe their drawings to the rest of the group. This information was recorded.

HAZARD MAPPING RESULTS
Some of the most commonly reported hazards were:

Some issues, such as second-hand smoke, stress and harassment from patrons were almost universal.  Not surprisingly though, different occupational groups did emphasize specific concerns.
 

The dealers considered repetitive strain injuries to be one of their greatest concerns. They also feared retaliation from patrons who were losing money.
 

The porters were concerned about ergonomic issues (pushing, pulling and carrying equipment), use of certain cleaning agents, noise and overcrowding, along with concerns about biological hazards from body fluids and bacteria.  They mentioned spills of blood, urine and vomit.  Body fluids and germs were identified by many of the participants as being of concern.  This was also considered to be a cause of stress, along with fear of needle-stick injury.
 
 

"Its very stressful to get into areas where patrons are (you get) elbowed, spit on, kicked, yelled at, stepped on and threatened with violence."
                                                                    Porter, Windsor











Workers in the slot machine department reported the problems of noise and abuse from patrons.  Participants from the security department reported that standing for long periods of time and fear of patron violence were important issues for them.  They reported a number of instances in which angry patrons tried to assault them - for example, one security officer told of an incident in which a patron tried to run him over with his car.
 

"YOUR WORLD" MAPPING
The "Your World" mapping exercise was designed to bring out the effects of work and its hazards on the gaming workers' lives.  A large sheet of drawing paper with a human figure drawn in the centre was fixed to the wall.  Participants were asked to add symbols or words to the map to represent the areas of their lives affected.  For example, family problems might be represented by drawing figures of children.  Participants then explained their drawings to the group and the information was recorded.

"I like to go for walks but if my feet or knees are
bothering me from work, I can't walk."
                                      Slot Attendant, Winnipeg
 
 










"YOUR WORLD" MAP RESULTS
The most frequently cited social and personal life disruptions were in the areas of:

There were general complaints of: They mentioned: A number of the participants spoke of how much they liked their jobs.  Yet they talked, almost without exception, about the exhaustion or stress symptoms they experienced after work.  Most said relationships and leisure activities were affected.  They spoke of mood, stress and irritability problems.  Some had sleep problems.  They talked about disruptions to their lives from shift work and scheduling on weekends and holidays.  A number discussed the need to be alone after returning home from work, feeling unable to face family and friends.

"I'm not able to enjoy my grandchildren due to the pain."
                                                                     Pit Clerk, Windsor












ESTABLISHING PRIORITIES
Each participant was asked to name their top priority workplace health and safety concern. These concerns were recorded on a chart along with details regarding causes, effects, and some proposed solutions.

Participants were then asked to cast votes for the top priority issues using self-sticking dots. They each had three votes, giving them a chance to vote not only for their top issue but other participants' issues as well.

Finally, the participants offered a number of solutions to the problems which were believed to be of high priority.  It is interesting to note that employees from each city raised the same top three priority issues, albeit in different order -- stress, indoor air quality, and ergonomics (see below).
 
 

SOME PROPOSED SOLUTIONS
These are some of the solutions suggested by the focus group participants:

Stress could be reduced with consistent policies, management training in the area of employee relations, reducing noise levels, improved shift schedules, better policies regarding abusive patrons, adequate staffing, rotation of holidays, more team work, improved communication, consistency between gaming commission and company policy, joint mental health committee, sensitivity training, Human Rights Code training and reducing overcrowding.
 

Ergonomics and Work Design problems could be remedied by replacing machines with updated equipment, asking for worker input on work station design, improving work station design, having more space per worker, increasing staff & floaters, removing "shuffle masters", changing booth locations, widening aisles, bolting stools and chairs to the floor, limiting the number of customers, using smaller/lighter chairs, having a massage therapist/physiotherapist on site, better job rotation, longer rest/break periods, shorter work weeks, planning traffic flow, implementing exercise/stretch/gym programs, more variations in job, sharper knives, providing ergonomically designed tools, lifting devices, anti-fatigue mats, step-ups, risers, chairs, stools, light weight, adjustable carts, proper shoes and clothing/uniforms.
 

Indoor Air Quality problems could be decreased by eliminating or restricting smoking, improving and maintaining ventilation (cleaning filters), maintaining comfortable temperatures, higher ceilings, improving work design to avoid smoke, installing filtered smoking tables, providing education about proper use of chemicals, testing the air regularly, regulating the "command centre", having government inspections every month, improving vacuuming of the coin machines to suck up dust, injecting oxygen, doing random inspections, changing the design for doors and windows, extracting fumes and dust, installing local suction on jet sorts and hoppers, offering smoking cessation programs for co-workers, providing medical check-ups, and cleaning machines in banks when there are no people present.
 
 

Priority Issues Identified by Focus Group Participants in
Windsor and Winnipeg


Each section of the pie represents the proportion of votes cast by participants for each priority issue.   Each participant had three votes.   Note: "Indoor Air Quality" includes second-hand smoke;  "Biological" includes body fluids and infectious patrons.










PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH
 

CAW Local 444 and MGEU will bring any issues that have been raised during the research project to their joint health and safety committees. They will discuss, as well, suggested solutions.

Now that the priority health and safety issues have been determined, further research will be carried out on the specific problems identified.
 
 
 
 

If you would like more information about this project, please contact:


Shirley Egan
CAW Local 444
1855 Turner Road
Windsor, ON   N8W 3K2
Ph: 519-258-7878 ext.20762
Margaret Day
MGEU
601-275 Broadway
 Winnipeg, MA R3C 4M6 
Ph: 204-982-6444

All of the data included in this report was provided by the gaming workers themselves.
To protect their confidentiality no personal identifiers have been included.
 


Prepared by Windsor Occupational Health Information Service, Occupational Health Clinic for Ontario Workers - Windsor,
Manitoba Federation of Labour Occupational Health Centre
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