OSHA Steps Up Enforcement of Worker Training Requirements

According to a recent announcement from Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, OSHA will step up enforcement of worker training requirements, especially for non-English speaking workers,

Source: Gonzales Group

According to a recent announcement from Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, OSHA will step up enforcement of worker training requirements, especially for non-English speaking workers,

Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis announced a number of major new OSHA enforcement initiatives during her April 14 speech at the National Action Summit for Latino Worker Health and Safety. OSHA currently requires that training provisions under OSHA standards be provided in a language or a form workers can understand. OSHA has already developed a training language policy.

Trainers need to find ways to hurdle language barriers. While English is a second language for an increasing percentage of the workforce, employers are still obligated to make sure Hispanic worker training and other immigrant worker training is understood by employees. It's not enough to make a presentation if you know that members of your audience may not be able to comprehend or use the information effectively.

One tool that can help trainers break the language barrier is Sed de Saber™-Construction Edition. This ESL tool can be a vital solution for the construction industry to help overcome language barriers at construction work sites. Developed by Home Builders Institute, the workforce development arm of National Association of Home Builders, this ESL meets the learning standards of the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Labor.

In about 20 weeks, Spanish-dominant construction worker users understand and speak conversational English at a third-grade level.

 

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