Not being able to read a warning
sign at a construction site or telltale on a piece of
machinery can have deadly consequences. - by Roger
Brooks, Jr.
On a cold November evening in Michigan last year, a
20-year-old Hispanic worker was killed while removing
bridge formwork as he stood atop an elevated truck bed.
When he and a co-worker attempted to lower the platform,
which could also serve as a dump truck, the bed malfunctioned
and would not go down.
A supervisor instructed the pair to attempt to raise
the platform for a moment and then try lowering it
again. The truck bed bulkhead was thrust upward, crushing
the two workers against a bridge beam. They slid down
the truck bed and dropped to the ground 3 feet below.
They were rushed to the hospital, where the Hispanic
worker died from multiple injuries.
Months of investigation by the Michigan Fatality
Assessment and Control Evaluation (MIFACE) program led
to nine serious rule violations concerning aerial lift
platforms and one serious violation for not having a
certified first aid provider on the work site. Among
the major recommendations made by MIFACE were to ensure
that multilingual workforces "comprehend instructions
in safe work procedures for the tasks to which they
are assigned," and that "employers should
ensure that all aerial lift controls are properly labeled
in a language understood by the operator."
The MIFACE investigation points to one of the most
critical problems facing industry today: How do
safety professionals go about training their non-English-speaking
workers? In the MIFACE case, the worker in question
spoke Spanish as his primary language. The investigation
found the controls of the truck bed were not labeled
(in English or any other language), and no supervisor
working on site could communicate in Spanish. While
the company did have a documented safety program that
included weekly training, none of it was conducted in
Spanish.
The problem is attracting attention around the nation,
and not just because of the rise of Spanish-speaking
people entering the workforce. According to several
unions and worker organizations, other languages,
such as Russian, Polish, and Asian languages, are
increasingly being heard at heavy construction sites,
asbestos abatement projects, and road construction
locations.
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51.7 percent of all immigrants responding to the 2002
Census came from Latin America. In all, the tally
noted more than 31 million immigrants.
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"
We're almost repeating history,"
says Thomas Haun, administrator for the Insulation Industry
International Apprenticeship and Training Fund, which
is affiliated with the Asbestos Workers' International
Union, referring to America's acclimation to the large
number of immigrants from Europe in the 19th Century.
"
Obviously, there's a huge
influx. With the skills shortage in the construction
industry we are starting to see, it's opened the door
to immigrants that can work with their hands."
While the U.S. working population may be growing
more diverse, the primary obstacle employers face
is how to train the growing number of Spanish-speaking
individuals entering the workforce. The 2000 U.S.
Census noted one in 10 Americans over the age of five,
or a little more than 28 million people, speak Spanish
at home while speaking English "less than very
well." That trend should only continue because
51.7 percent of all immigrants responding in 2002
came from Latin America. In all, more than 31 million
immigrants were noted in the latest tally. The question
facing employers, government enforcement agencies,
and unions is how to communicate effectively to these
new Americans their rights, their job duties, and
the safety measures they need to follow in order to
return home safely at shift's end.
The answers are being developed quickly.
Outreach on Many Fronts
NIOSH, EPA, and OSHA have extensive Spanish Web sites
designed to help employers and employees communicate
more effectively. OSHA's Spanish site, www.osha.gov/as/opa/spanish/index.html,
initially focused on an overview of OSHA and its mission,
how to file complaints electronically in Spanish,
worker and employer rights and responsibilities, and
a list of resources for employers and workers. More
features have been added to the site since its launch
last year, including the "eTools" section
of important OSHA documents and releases, as well
as links to other Spanish safety sites.
Some feel OSHA could be doing more.
"[I'd
like to see] bilingual training for every worker who
has a language barrier," says Scott Schneider,
director of occupational safety and health for the Laborers
Health and Safety Fund of North America (LHSFNA). "
If
every worker got an OSHA 10-hour in their native language,
that would be very helpful."
Spanish-speaking workers who are new to a job need
safety training just like any other new employee.
While waiting for a Spanish version of the OSHA 10-hour,
many organizations are taking matters into their own
hands. Schneider notes that LHSFNA is translating
many of its materials into Spanish. (LHSFNA also is
translating materials into Polish, mostly for the
New York area.) The organization recently completed
a road safety orientation safety-training module for
road construction workers. The program, available
in CD-ROM, can switch between English and Spanish
with the click of a button.
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Getting information and
training to the many Spanish-speaking workers
is helpful, but real progress must be made at
individual work sites to ensure each employee
understands training, warning signs and signals,
and the instructions of his or her supervisor.
Joe Walker, the marketing communications advisor
for the International Safety Equipment Association,
says ISEA is working to help employees understand
how to use safety equipment. "We
are working on producing materials in Spanish
to meet the needs of employers. Our intention
is to do that."
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"Workers have been told to work a machine they
weren't trained for, and they can't read the signs
and labels. That leads to accidents."
--Rocio Jimenez, Laborers Health and Safety Fund of
North America research assistant
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Safety information and initial training that every
worker can understand is critical, but many point to
the need for the continued ability to communicate with
Spanish-speaking workers. The need for supervisors who
can speak both languages is so great, many employers
are handpicking some of the best Spanish-speaking workers
for supervisor training. As someone who can relate to
the cultural differences facing many co-workers, a bilingual
manager can bridge the gap between employer and employee.
"
We are trying to get trainers
from the ranks who are interested in training,"
Schneider says. "
They've
been through it, and that helps."
Haun agrees with that approach and is willing to take
it a step further, pointing out bilingual supervisors
also prove to new workers that hard work in this country
pays off for new immigrants. "
The
quickest way to solve the problem is to find bilingual
supervisors. If you've got a foreman who does not speak
Spanish and a quality worker who speaks Spanish and
English, many times he will become an assistant foreman
to help bridge the gap. He becomes the spokesperson
and sets the example. That shows people that there is
a golden opportunity to move up in the company."
Sharing the Workplace Culture
Offering a way for workers new to the country to become
more familiar with English and the American culture
also can go a long way toward solving the communication
problem, Haun points out. His organization strongly
advocates the growing number of English as a Second
Language (ESL) programs around the country. "
These
programs will help on down the line," he
says. "
[The Spanish-speaking
workers'] kids will speak English, so this is a problem
that can be solved in time."
ESL programs are designed to develop English-speaking
skills, but they also help to acclimate participants
to a whole new culture. Many Spanish-speaking workers
are not aware of their rights as employees. Many fear
they will not be allowed to stay in America if they
cause a "problem" on a job site, even if they
are legally documented immigrants. All of these factors
just confound the safety issue, says Schneider. "
The
biggest problem with Spanish-speaking workers is that
they don't know their rights. They're just concerned
that if they speak up they'll be fired--and that's a
real concern."
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How large is the problem?
That depends on whom you ask, but most unions
and organizations will tell you miscommunication
leads to accidents far too often. Not being
able to read a warning sign at a construction
site or telltale on a piece of machinery can
have deadly consequences. "Workers
have been told to work a machine they weren't
trained for, and they can't read the signs and
labels. That leads to accidents,"
says Rocio Jimenez, a research assistant for
LHSFNA.
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Many companies post signs in both English and Spanish,
regardless of whether it is required, because they
have such a high number of Hispanic employees.
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Voluntary Use of Bilingual Signage
While OSHA does not mandate that signs be posted in
both English and Spanish, it does require that workers
be informed and educated about workplace hazards in
an effective manner, which could include bilingual
signage, according to one OSHA official. Even without
an explicit rule, many companies are choosing to post
signs in both languages because they have such a high
number of Hispanic employees.
More ways of ensuring every worker can understand signs,
signals, and instructions are likely to surface. The
Insulation Industry International Apprenticeship and
Training Fund's Haun hopes to see even more ESL programs
in the next five years. "
I
hope ESL programs will be as common as a high school
education," he says. "
We
all need to know about, and promote, the resources we
have now." He says many employers just don't
know about many of the helpful programs that are out
there.
One thing everyone agrees on--whether it is through
acclimation projects such as ESL, bilingual trainers,
or better enforcement and directions from government
agencies--is that something must be done to protect
non-English-speaking employees who work hard and try
to follow safety guidelines. When the difference between
a safe day on the job and a work-related fatality
is a universally understood sign or symbol, that's
not too much to ask.
Roger Brooks Jr. is Managing Editor of Occupational
Health & Safety magazine.
