Sed de Saber Construction Edition is the Right Tool to Help Overcome Hispanic Workplace Fatalities

At Home Builders Institute (HBI), we are aware that Hispanics have the highest construction workplace fatality rates caused in partly by a language barrier.

A recent report by National Council of La Raza (NCLR), "Fractures in the Foundation: The Latino Worker’s Experience in an Era of Declining Job Quality," states that at 4.6 percent per 100,000 workers, the Hispanic worker fatality rate surpasses that of many developing nations as well as the U.S. fatality rate." The report, released September 1, also found that Latinos are the lowest paid, face a higher rate of wage theft, and endure more dangerous working conditions than any other group. The report’s authors found that almost 400,000 Latinos joined the workforce in 2008, according to the U.S. Bureau of the Census. Many are in service industries and operate in a culture of fear because of their immigration status.

One of the areas hardest hit areas has been the state of Texas. A sharp increase in construction-related deaths in Texas - where more workers die than any other state - has caught the attention of federal workplace safety investigators this summer. U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis announced a major construction safety initiative in Texas after three construction workers fell 11 stories to their deaths in June from collapsed scaffolding in Austin. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has dispatched extra inspectors to the Lone Star state to conduct surprise inspections in a concerted effort to try to reduce injuries and fatalities.

"When these inspectors observe unsafe scaffolds, fall risks, trenches or other hazards, they are empowered to launch an immediate investigation," Secretary Solis said, in announcing the additional inspectors. In 2008, there were 67 construction industry fatalities in Texas, and there already have been 33 in 2009, the Labor Department said. The rate of Hispanic fatalities in construction is especially alarming, having increased 125 percent between 1992 and 2005.

The United States Hispanic Contractors Association hopes to change these statistics. The association offered 10 hours of free Occupational Safety and Health Administration training to about 300 construction workers on Saturday. The group hopes to see a decrease in construction deaths through worker education and public awareness. "Three people die a day in our industry across the country," Fred Fuentes, chairman of the United States Hispanic Contractors Association, said. Donnie Edwards attended the training Saturday. He is new to the construction industry.

"It's definitely very intense, stressful. You got to take it day by day," Edwards said. Edwards said he's not surprised by the statistics. "You're on tall buildings and everything's going on at once. There's so many things that you've got to be aware of, things overhead, things down below," Edwards said. That's the kind of environment the OSHA training should prepare workers to handle. "It just shows me the safety, you know, footwear, hard hats, all that good stuff. Keep your eyes open, ears open. Be aware of what's around you," Edwards said.

At HBI, we are working to accommodate a Hispanic workforce that doesn’t understand the English language through our innovative solution - Sed de Saber™-Construction Edition.

 

  [ return to top ]

For more information or to contact us directly,
please visit www.nahb.org l ©2009, National Association of Home Builders