CONCORD - A survey of New Hampshire immigrants concerning occupational health and work safety found a majority of them did not know about worker's compensation, according to a state report.

Of the 366 immigrants who completed questionnaires distributed by the New Hampshire Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (NH COSH), 299 reported working in the U.S. now or at some point in their lives. They were employed in factories, cleaning, food service, farming, service, construction and retail.

The questionnaires found 62 percent of those 299 immigrants who had worked or were working were unaware of workers' compensation and 29 of them, or about 10 percent, had been injured on the job. Injuries were to hands, fingers, wrists, backs, knees, feet, elbows and abdominal regions.

"With the increase in immigrants in New Hampshire, it is important to understand how their experience may be different when it comes to public health issues such as workplace safety and health," said Dr. Jose Montero, director of Public Health at the state Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in a prepared statement. "Little data exists about occupational injury and illness by race, ethnicity, or language so we felt it was important to conduct this survey. This information will help inform future health policies and programs."

Work-related injuries and illnesses have been shown to disproportionately affect racial and ethnic immigrants and minorities, according to NIOSH Occupational Health Disparities (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs/ohd). Low-income, immigrant and minority workers are at risk from occupational hazards because they are more likely to be employed in high-risk jobs or in workplaces where hazards are not adequately controlled, according to the report.

To read the entire report, go to www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/hsdm/ohs/publications.htm.