Occupational Safety and Health of Riders Working for Digital Food Delivery Platforms in the City of Milan, Italy
Main Article Content
Keywords
Gig economy, algorithmic management, atypical employment, migrant labor, road safety, workload, work environment, commercial cyclists
Abstract
Background: The rapid growth of the digital economy has transformed various labor markets, including the food sector. The transient nature and the peculiar work environments of food delivery workers raise concerns about occupational safety and health (OSH). This study aims to better understand these issues by conducting a comprehensive exploratory survey on OSH among food delivery riders in Milan, Italy.
Methods: The study employed structured interviews based on a validated questionnaire developed through a literature review, expert interviews, and input from riders and health and safety professionals. The survey was performed from July to November 2022 by interviewing riders at their main gathering points. Results: We interviewed 240 riders, 97% males, 81% less than 35 years old, and 83% with extra-European origin. Delivery was performed mainly by traditional bicycles (40%) and e-bikes (46%), with 44% working seven days per week and 23% working more than 8 hours daily. Road accidents were reported by 39% of riders, influenced by type of vehicle, fatigue, and number of daily deliveries. Physical and verbal assaults (12% and 28%, respectively) were reported, as well as health-related issues, particularly musculoskeletal disorders. Conclusions: The findings underscore food delivery riders' complex challenges, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions. The study calls for collaborative efforts between policymakers, employers, OSH professionals, and stakeholders to enhance OSH standards and promote decent working conditions, aligning with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Methods: The study employed structured interviews based on a validated questionnaire developed through a literature review, expert interviews, and input from riders and health and safety professionals. The survey was performed from July to November 2022 by interviewing riders at their main gathering points. Results: We interviewed 240 riders, 97% males, 81% less than 35 years old, and 83% with extra-European origin. Delivery was performed mainly by traditional bicycles (40%) and e-bikes (46%), with 44% working seven days per week and 23% working more than 8 hours daily. Road accidents were reported by 39% of riders, influenced by type of vehicle, fatigue, and number of daily deliveries. Physical and verbal assaults (12% and 28%, respectively) were reported, as well as health-related issues, particularly musculoskeletal disorders. Conclusions: The findings underscore food delivery riders' complex challenges, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions. The study calls for collaborative efforts between policymakers, employers, OSH professionals, and stakeholders to enhance OSH standards and promote decent working conditions, aligning with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
References
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40. Johnson M, Newstead S, Oxley J, Charlton J. Cyclists and open vehicle doors: Crash characteristics and risk factors. Saf Sci. 2013;59:135-140.Doi: https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2013.04.010
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2. Assodelivery. Hearing at the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Session of 03/30/2022. Available online: https://www.camera.it/leg18/1347?shadow_organo_parlamentare=2811&id_tipografico=11. Last ac-cess: July 2024.
3. Aloisi A. Platform work in Europe: lessons learned, legal developments and challenges ahead. Eur Labour Law J. 2022; 13(1): 4–29. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/20319525211062557
4. Deliveroo, https://riders.deliveroo.it/it/news/freelogin, last access: July 2024
5. Wolt, https://explore.wolt.com/en/swe/couriers/faq, last access: July 2024.
6. Just Eat, https://it.takeawayriders.com/en/knowledge-base/shifts-and-schedules/, last access: July 2024.
7. Foodora, https://riderhub.foodora.dk/guide-to-the-batch-system/, last access: July 2024.
8. Glovo, https://delivery.glovoapp.com/ng/blog/excellence-scores-what-are-they/, last access: July 2024.
9. Tran, Molly MD, MPH, MA; Sokas, Rosemary K. MD, MOH, MS. The Gig Economy and Contingent Work: An Occupational Health Assessment. J Occup Environ Med. 2017;59(4):pe63-e66. Doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000000977.
10. Griesbach K, Reich A, Elliott-Negri, Milkman R. Algorithmic Control in Platform Food Delivery Work. Socius. 2019;5. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/2378023119870041
11. Crain TL, Brossoit RM, Robles-Sainz F, Tran M. Fighting fatigue: A conceptualmodel of driver sleep in the gig economy. Sleep Health. 2020;6:358-365. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2020.02.004
12. Bérastégui P. Exposure to psychosocial risk factors in the gig economy. ETUI, The European Trade Un-ion Institute. January 20, 2023, 12:21 Europe/Brussels. Available at: https://www.etui.org/publications/exposure-psychosocial-risk-factors-gig-economy. [Last Accessed July 2024.]
13. Reanu-Cano M, Espelt R, Morell MF. Flexibility and freedom for whom? Precarity, freedom and flexibility in on-demand food delivery. WOLG. 2021;15(1):46–68. Doi: https://doi.org/10.13169/workorgalaboglob.15.1.0046
14. Mbare B. Psychosocial work environment and mental well-being of food delivery platform workers in Helsinki, Finland: A qualitative study. Int J Qual Stud Heal. 2023;18:1:2173336. Doi: 10.1080/17482631.2023.2173336
15. Dennerlein JT, Meeker JD. Occupational injuries among Boston bicycle messengers. Am J Ind Med. 2002; 42(6):519-25. Doi: 10.1002/ajim.10144.
16. Heyer JH, Sethi M, Wall SP, et al. Drawing the Curtain Back on Injured Commercial Bicyclists. Am J Pub-lich health. 2015;105(10):2131–2136. Doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302738.
17. Christie N, Ward H. The health and safety risks for people who drive for work in the gig economy. J Transp Health. 2019;13:115-127. Doi: 10.1016/j.jth.2019.02.007
18. Lachapelle U, Carpentier-Laberge D, Cloutier MS, Ranger L. A framework for analyzing collisions, near misses and injuries of commercial cyclists. J Transp Geogr. 2021;90,102937. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2020.102937
19. McKinlay A, Mitchell G, Bertenshaw C. DINED (Delivery‐related INjuries in the Emergency Department ) Part 1: A Scoping Review of Risk Factors and Injuries Affecting Food Delivery Riders. EMA. 2022;34.2: 150–156. Doi:10.1111/1742-6723.13927
20. Li Z, Bo X, Qian C, et al. Risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders among takeaway riders: Up-to-date evidence in Shanghai, China. Front. Public Health. 2021; 10:988724. Doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.988724
21. Van Doorn N, Ferrari F, Graham M. Migration and migrant labour in the gig economy: an intervention. WES. 2023; 37(4): 1099–1111. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/09500170221096581
22. Perkiö M, Mbare B, Svynarenko A, Kokkinen L, Koivusalo M. Occupational Safety and Health Risks amongst Food Delivery Workers. Tampere University, 2023. https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-03-2926-6.
23. Hours M, Fort E, Charbotel B, Chiron M. Jobs at risk of work-related road crashes: An analysis of the casualties from the Rhône Road Trauma Registry (France). Saf Sci. 2011;49:1270-1276.
24. Moyce SC, Schenker M. Migrant Workers and Their Occupational Health and Safety. Annu Rev Public Health. 2018;39:1,351-365. Doi: https://doi-org.pros2.lib.unimi.it/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040617-013714.
25. Fasano L, Natale P. I riders milanesi, ovvero gli sfruttati del postcapitalismo. Lavoro diritti Europa, Rivi-sta nuova di diritto del Lavoro. 2019. Available at: https://www.lavorodirittieuropa.it/dottrina/lavori-atipici/263-i-riders-milanesi-ovvero-gli-sfruttati-del-post-capitalismo. Last Accessed: July 2024.
26. Ente bilaterale nazionale Terziario. La salute e la sicurezza sul lavoro nella new economy. 2020, Roma. Available at: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.ebinter.it/ebinter-site/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Ebinterricerca2020neweconomy.pdf. Last Accessed: July 2024.
27. European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, 2010, Delivery and Despatch Riders' safety and health: A European review of good practice guidelines. Luxembourg: Publication Office of the European Union. Doi: 10.2802/31332
28. Lynn MR. Determination and quantification of Content Validity. Nurs Res. 1985;35(6):382–385. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1097/00006199-198611000-00017
29. Polit DF, Beck CT. The content validity index: are you sure you know what's being reported? Critique and recommendations. Res Nurs Health. 2006;29(5):489-97. Doi: 10.1002/nur.20147
30. RStudio Team. RStudio: Integrated Development for R. RStudio, PBC, Boston, MA. 2020. URL: http://www.rstudio.com/.
31. Van Buuren S, Groothuis-Oudshoorn K. Mice: Multivariate Imputation by Chained Equations in R. J Stat Softw. 2011;45(3):1-67. Doi: 10.18637/jss.v045.i03.
32. Istituto Nazionale di Statistica (ISTAT). Cittadini non comunitari in italia | anni 2022-2023. Statistiche Report, 17 Ottobre 2023. Available online at https://www.istat.it/it/archivio/289255. Last access: July 2024.
33. Laursen CS, Nielsen ML, D.yreborg J. Young workers on digital labor platforms: Uncovering the double autonomy paradox. Nordic J Work Life Stud. 2021;11(4). Doi: https://doi.org/10.18291/njwls.127867
34. Jarrahi MH, Sutherland W, Nelson SB, Sawyer S. Platformic management, boundary resources for gig work, and worker autonomy. CSCW. 2020;29(1-2):153-189. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10606-019-09368-7
35. Chen CF. Investigating the Effects of Job Stress on the Distraction and Risky Driving Behaviors of Food Delivery Motorcycle Riders. Saf Health Work. 2023;Vol.14,2:207-214. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shaw.2023.03.004
36. Chen TX, Tian DZ, Deng PH, Zhou E, Huang JJ. Study on Instant Delivery Service Riders' Safety and Health by the Effects of Labour Intensity in China: A Mediation Analysis. Front Public Health. 2022;10:907474. Doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.907474
37. Jing Z, Yuru L, Yue Z. More reliance, more injuries: Income dependence, workload and work injury of online food-delivery platform riders. Saf Sci. 2023;167:106264. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2023.106264
38. Azaroff LS, Lax MB, Wegman DH. , Wounding the messenger: the new economy makes occupational health indicator to good to be true, Int J Health Serv. 2004;34(2):271-303. Doi: https://doi.org/10.2190/4H2X-XD53-GK0J-91N
39. Kyung M, Lee SJ, Dancu C, et al. Underreporting of workers' injuries or illnesses and contributing factors: a systematic review. BMC Public Health. 2023:23:558. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15487-0.
40. Johnson M, Newstead S, Oxley J, Charlton J. Cyclists and open vehicle doors: Crash characteristics and risk factors. Saf Sci. 2013;59:135-140.Doi: https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2013.04.010
41. Bonifacio F. Cycling as a food-delivery rider. Or the difficult negotiation among speed, safety and accu-racy. Media, Society and Cycling Cultures. 2022;5(1). Doi: https://doi.org/10.6093/2611-6693/9627
42. Salmon PM, Kc B, Irwin BG, Brennan CJ, Read GJB. What Influences Gig Economy Delivery Rider Behavior and Safety? A Systems Analysis. Saf Sci. 2023;166. Doi: 10.1016/j.ssci.2023.106263
43. Wood, Alex J. Algorithmic management consequences for work organisation and working conditions. JRC Working Papers Series on Labour, Education and Technology No. 2021/07.
44. Vignola EF, Baron S, Abreu Plasencia E, Hussein M, Cohen N. Workers' Health under Algorithmic Man-agement: Emerging Findings and Urgent Research Questions. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jan 10;20(2):1239. Doi: 10.3390/ijerph20021239
45. European Parliament. E.U. Road Safety Policy Framework 2021-2030 - Recommendations on next steps towards 'Vision Zero'. European Parliament resolution of October 6 2021 on the E.U. Road Safety Policy Framework 2021-2030. Available at https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2021-0407_EN.html. Last access: July 2024.
46. United Nations (U.N.). Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Resolu-tion Adopted by the General Assembly on September 25 2015, 42809, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13398-014-0173-7.2.
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Boniardi L, Campo L, Prudenzi S, Fasano L, Natale P, Consonni D, et al. Occupational Safety and Health of Riders Working for Digital Food Delivery Platforms in the City of Milan, Italy. Med Lav [Internet]. 2024 Oct. 24 [cited 2025 Feb. 22];115(5):e2024035. Available from: https://mattioli1885journals.com/index.php/lamedicinadellavoro/article/view/16278
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How to Cite
1.
Boniardi L, Campo L, Prudenzi S, Fasano L, Natale P, Consonni D, et al. Occupational Safety and Health of Riders Working for Digital Food Delivery Platforms in the City of Milan, Italy. Med Lav [Internet]. 2024 Oct. 24 [cited 2025 Feb. 22];115(5):e2024035. Available from: https://mattioli1885journals.com/index.php/lamedicinadellavoro/article/view/16278
