5 keys to Hispanic safety training
1 Aug, 2005 By: Shannon DeCamp Landscape ManagementTake advantage of resources available for Spanish-language safety training
The responsibility for providing a safe and healthy workplace for all employees rests with every employer. They face specific challenges when it comes to the safety of the estimated 17.5 million Hispanic workers in the United States, particularly in the bilingual training area.
While overall workplace injury and illness rates in the private sector dropped by more than one third in the decade between 1992 and 2001, the same rates have increased for Hispanic workers. Nearly 15% of the workers who died in 2002 were Hispanic, even though Hispanics comprise less than 13% of the workforce. Increased health and safety risks are due to a lack of safety training, specifically due to language and cultural barriers.
Untrained workers have a decreased ability to identify hazards, understand proper safety precautions and wear protective equipment. Compounding the problem is the fact that many Hispanics are not aware that they are entitled to a safe and healthy workplace without regard to citizenship/legal status, and are afraid to ask questions about safety or "make waves" that may call attention to themselves. Many have never even heard of OSHA, nor are they aware that they have recourse in the case of an accident.
OSHA has a new emphasis on Hispanic safety and related training, which has already had positive effects. Many companies have experienced a substantial decrease in recordable injuries and have reduced their "Days Away, Restricted or Transferred" (DART) rate. For the first time in seven years, workplace fatalities among Hispanic workers declined in 2002, the last year these statistics are available. The following are some suggestions to assist Hispanic workers in grasping key safety concepts more quickly:
1. Make training material more direct and visual, rather than oral and verbal. For example, photograph work processes, and stage both safe and unsafe practices. Label photos in both English and Spanish to indicate whether or not the practice is safe, and why. Keep the labels simple.
2. Make use of newer OSHA materials, which are often published in both English and Spanish. Some state programs, like Oregon's, also have bilingual training materials.
3. Use bilingual employees to translate handouts and manuals and interpret for medical appointments and workplace presentations. Whenever possible use bilingual employees to develop materials and to perform training presentations.
4. Conduct Spanish-language job interviews and safety orientation. Conduct periodic bilingual safety meetings, and hold employees accountable for attendance.
5. Take a pro-active, bilingual approach in your comprehensive safety program. Make all educational, operational and regulatory information, site safety orientation, medical insurance information booklets, health and safety posters, emergency evacuation procedures, and safety training videos available in both Spanish and English. Make sure that Spanish materials are in the appropriate dialects.
Additional positive side effects to better Hispanic outreach at your workplace include improved employee relations, increased productivity and product quality, and greater client satisfaction. Hispanic workers who were formerly reluctant to speak may become more confident in voicing their concerns and offering suggestions and opinions. The cost of managing an injury or replacing a fatality is considerably higher than the cost of effective bilingual training.
— The author is client services manager with TechneTrain. Contact her at 800/852-8314.
The company offers a Nursery and Landscape Federal OSHA Compliance Manual.
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