Safety for a Diverse Workforce

The influx of employees whose first language is Spanish has expanded the construction workforce and added skills to many contracting companies. But ensuring that these employees are trained in safety procedures and accident prevention requires more than simply handing them a Spanish-language handbook.

June's "Overcome the Language Barrier" article discusses how to ensure that messages are conveyed to Spanish-speaking workers. But additional steps must be taken to make certain safety programs are understood.

"Hispanic workers are involved in a disproportionate amount of construction accidents," says Rob Matuga, director of labor safety and health for the National Association of Home Builders.

It's not uncommon for foreign-born workers—in any industry—to equate speed with competence and some don't take the time to follow safety procedures, even if they're putting themselves in harm's way. This is especially troublesome in the construction industry, where even minor mistakes can result in serious injury. When communicating your company's safety procedures, consider your audience and how to convey the message so it's easily comprehended.

"You have to put it into terms they'll understand," says Julie Pace, a partner in the Phoenix office of Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP. Make sure that they understand that it's in their best interest to learn. Pictures, gestures, videos and on-site training have more impact than words.

Five key steps can ensure Spanish-speaking employees receive the information they require:

1. Handbooks. NAHB has partnered with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) to create several workbooks. These include the bilingual NAHB-OSHA Jobsite Safety Handbook and Scaffold Safety Handbook, which use pictures and bullet points in English and Spanish. "The guides explain the key needs," Matuga says. The NAHB also has produced Jobsite Phrasebook, English-Spanish to help managers communicate with Hispanic workers.
2. Videos. The Josbite Safety Video, to be released in July by NAHB, addresses key safety needs, with a 20-minute English section and a 24-minute Spanish section. It reviews housekeeping needs, fall protection, scaffolding concerns, fire prevention, tools and equipment, working with hazardous materials and other areas. The video is available on DVD so it can be played on jobsite laptop computers or in the office.
3. On-site training. NAHB also offers a six-hour hands-on course through its local offices that goes into detail on the "big four" areas of concern: falls, electrical accidents, trenching and being struck by falling materials or machinery. The program is targeted to owners and superintendents so they can teach safe procedures to their employees at the site, Matuga explains.
4. Weekly updates. Pace recommends using NAHB's series of Toolbox talks, available in both English and Spanish, to create quick weekly training meetings. The programs are geared to 15-minute presentations and include questions that can be asked to solicit workers' own experiences. She also suggests handing out a photocopy of the material so employees can read it and connect the words with what they saw and heard. "These programs ensure that contractors don't have to re-invent the wheel to give safety programs while keeping the information compact," Pace says.
5. Documentation. Even with a diversity of nonwritten programs, it's vital to document what workers have been taught, Pace says. Certification is required for each employee who works more than 6 feet off the ground, proving he has received fall-protection training. Similarly, employees who drive forklifts also must have certification for this training in their files. "Most contractors miss this, and it's a big hole," she says.

More programs are in the works from NAHB, including a 10-hour program created with OSHA that can be broken into 20 half-hour sessions. "We're attempting to diversify how we get information to workers to ensure everyone understands what is needed on the job site," Matuga says.