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October 15, 2008 DOL Home > Newsroom > News Releases |
Fact Sheet OSHA Programs to Help Hispanic Workers Go to Spanish version (Español) The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) mission is to assure the safety and health of workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual improvement in workplace safety and health. In 2001, OSHA created a Hispanic Task Force, which continues to meet regularly, to identify ways to reduce injuries, illnesses and deaths among Spanish-speaking employers and workers. To increase public awareness of best practices in assuring safety and health for Hispanic workers, the OSHA Hispanic Safety and Health Summit, to be held July 22, 2004, in Orlando, will showcase successful efforts drawn from a variety of industries and settings around the country. Communication To enhance communication, OSHA's task force recently created an English-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English glossary of more than 200 words related to safety and health, which is available on the agency's web site at www.osha.gov. More than 15 million listeners have heard OSHA radio public service announcements made available to 650 Spanish radio stations emphasizing the importance of safety on the job. Translations Training
Partnering Efforts Wenner Bread in Bayport, New York, one of OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs participants, has an overall injury and illness rate about half that of others in its industry. The company believes its success is due to an effective safety and health program that includes making training and all educational, operational and regulatory information available in both Spanish and English. Daily safety briefings and weekly safety meetings are held in both languages. The company uses bilingual employees to translate materials and interpret workplace presentations. Wenner's efforts have also led to improved employee relations, increased productivity and higher product quality. Family safety days draw workers for safety training while providing education and entertainment for other family members. In Dallas, OSHA partnered with the Hispanic Contractors and the Mexican Consulate to host a family safety fair earlier this year. Some employers also paid workers who attended at least 10 of the 12 safety sessions. On March 27, 2004, 200 construction and landscaping workers came to the Family Health and Safety Fair in Hialeah, Florida, co-sponsored by OSHA, DOL's Wage and Hour Division and four additional groups. The fair featured eight safety classes, taught exclusively in Spanish. Enforcement
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