Language is a substantial barrier to safety and health for Hispanic construction workers in the United States. In recognition of this, The Center to Protect Workers Rights (CPWR), in cooperation with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), sponsored the development and presentation of 10-hour safety and health training in Spanish for residential construction. Spanish- speaking trainers were available with class materials and handouts in Spanish (in addition to English materials), to reach out to some of the hundreds of thousands of construction workers in the United States who have trouble understanding, reading, and speaking English | Spanish-Speaking Construction Workers Discuss Their Safety Needs and Experiences Residential Construction Training Program Evaluation Report Ruth Ruttenberg Maria Lazo Ruth Ruttenberg and Associates, Bethesda, Maryland February 2004 The Center to Protect Workers’ Rights Suite 1000 ● 8484 Georgia Ave. ● Silver Spring, MD 20910 301-578-8500 ● Fax: 301-578-8572 ● ● © 2004, The Center to Protect Workers’ Rights. All rights reserved. This research was made possible by the Center to Protect Workers’ Rights (CPWR) as part of a small-study research agreement with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH (NIOSH grant CCU317202). The research is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of NIOSH. CPWR — the research and development arm of the Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO — is uniquely situated to serve workers, contractors, and the scientific community. A major CPWR activity is to improve safety and health in the . construction industry. CPWR, Suite 1000, 8484 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910, 301-578-8500, Acknowledgments Thanks to the many individuals who gave of their time and shared their experiences, so that this research and evaluation follow-up could be completed. Thanks to the Spanish-speaking construction workers in Maryland who volunteered to pre-test the questionnaire. Abbreviations OSHA . Occupational Safety and Health Administration PPE Personal protective equipment Spanish-Speaking Workers Discuss Their Safety Needs and Experiences Summary I think that, in the future, training in one’s own language will be available and, when that day comes, many accidents and deaths will be prevented. – A 20-year-old Hispanic laborer Language is a substantial barrier to safety and health for Hispanic construction workers in the United States. In recognition of this, The Center to Protect Workers Rights (CPWR), in cooperation .
