{"id":32057,"date":"2025-08-29T08:19:37","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T15:19:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/constructions-language-disconnect-creates-safety-risk\/"},"modified":"2025-08-29T08:19:37","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T15:19:37","slug":"constructions-language-disconnect-creates-safety-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/constructions-language-disconnect-creates-safety-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"Construction\u2019s language disconnect creates safety risk"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech\">\n    <button class=\"text-to-speech__button button\"><br \/>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"text-to-speech__button__icon\" src=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/static\/img\/play.svg?500116090725\" alt=\"-\"><br \/>\n        Listen to the article<br \/>\n        <span class=\"text-to-speech__button__audio-length\">7 min<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech__controls\">\n        <audio controls=\"\" class=\"js-text-to-speech\" preload=\"none\"><source src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/dmgi9movl\/video\/upload\/q_1\/v1756399819\/news\/text_to_speech\/spanish-language-safety-construction-communication_kruslh.wav\" type=\"audio\/mp3\"><\/source><\/audio><\/p>\n<div class=\"text-to-speech__controls__text\">\n            This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\">feedback<\/a>.\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>When Jaime Garcia was working on construction jobsites, he saw multiple Spanish speaking tradesworkers on the jobsite who did not receive the proper safety training in their native language.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cThe amount of people that took the training but did not understand the training was massive. It was a huge gap,\u201d said Garcia, who worked as an electrician and safety manager. When he urged leaders and subcontractors to conduct classes in Spanish, he was told there was no time for that.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cI&#8217;m like, \u2018Hmm, we need to train them, big time. We&#8217;re going to get someone hurt or killed out here,\u2019\u201d he said. As a result, in 2020, Garcia founded All-In Safety Professionals, a Raleigh, North Carolina-based firm offering bilingual safety training.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cWe had a lot of subcontractors that I knew that needed training,\u201d Garcia said. \u201cThey were just showing up to these places, somebody would collect their money, sit them in their class talking English. They play one or two videos and sign a card and dip. And I didn&#8217;t like that.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>The number of Hispanic or <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/spotlight\/2023\/workplace-fatalities-among-foreign-born-hispanic-workers\/home.htm\" target=\"_blank\"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Latino workers in all industries who died<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span><span><span><span><span><span> on the job increased 42%, to 727 from 2011 to 2021, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In that time, the percentage of construction workers who were Hispanic or Latino who died at work also steadily increased.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cWe know without a doubt that it&#8217;s massively impactful to the safety of and wellbeing of these workers, but also then to the safety and efficiency of all of these operations as well as from a damage and delay standpoint,\u201d said Loretta Mulberry, a language access consultant.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In addition, that language barrier, or lack of resources, can create a system that holds back great workers, Mulberry said. That\u2019s a disadvantage to both the business and the individual.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cIt&#8217;s either \u2018I don&#8217;t have the language skills to pass this English test,\u2019 or \u2018I am too self-conscious. I&#8217;m too nervous about my lack of English to get after that opportunity,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cSo you see it from both sides. People are holding themselves back, but also the system is holding them back too.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>For a long time, experts say, the \u201cno-time\u201d attitude has pervaded around providing extra education or resources, though that\u2019s beginning to change. However, Garcia and Mulberry still believe more can be done.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Translation and interpretation<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Often, one member of a working crew \u2014 the person who speaks the best English \u2014 steps up as a de facto interpreter. In addition to doing other work on the jobsite, that interpreter communicates with crews about any and all important information from the general contractor. Though that role is vital, it also should require additional training, according to Mulberry.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cSpeaking a language is not the same thing as being qualified to do translation and interpreting,\u201d Mulberry said. \u201cThe skills are not the same.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In fact, translation refers to the act of copying language in written form, while interpretation is done verbally. Each case requires both specificity and nuance.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In addition, not every person who speaks Spanish speaks the same kind of Spanish. A single jobsite could feature workers from Mexico, Cuba, Honduras, Puerto Rico or other Hispanic regions that have differences in dialect, small or large.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Mulberry said she sees firsthand how much people want the most important information to be communicated as familiarly as possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cAnecdotally, you talk to anybody who&#8217;s ever studied a second language, even being very comfortable, fluent in their second language, and you ask them, \u2018If your life were on the line, what would you want this information in English, Spanish, Polish, whatever it may be?\u2019 People will always say, \u2018My native language,\u2019\u201d she said.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Speaking my language <\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>All-In Safety Professionals focuses on meeting with subcontractors that don\u2019t already have a dedicated safety professional, Garcia said. Those roles can be expensive, especially when potentially hiring someone who is bilingual.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>As a result, the firm provides training with physical examples, before it monitors workers in the field to answer questions and ensure the effectiveness of the education.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cMost of these people already work with their hands. They&#8217;re going to learn with their hands as well,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<section class=\"storylines-carousel-wrapper hide-small show-large\" id=\"desktop-carousel\"\/>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Before All-In, Garcia said he pushed for an additional orientation for Spanish speakers. For major projects, a single orientation day can get workers on the same page. Conducting an additional orientation \u2014 one workers would need anyway \u2014 in Spanish provides education without adding too much more time.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>In Mulberry\u2019s experience, safety professionals often take whatever they can get. Most often, that means company training manuals or jobsite signage translated into multiple languages.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cThe number one request we get is for [translated] employee handbooks,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Monique Lewis, CEO and founder of Raleigh-based Next 2 Native Language Learning, takes a different approach to climbing over the language barrier. Lewis\u2019 firm provides English to Spanish construction vocabulary training in each direction, providing superintendents and field workers alike the tools necessary to communicate.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cWhen you have a Hispanic worker on site and they have a near miss, they need to be able to unpack that. They need to be able to say to their supervisor, \u2018This almost happened,\u2019\u201d Lewis said. Otherwise, hazards may go unabated.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Though signs and handbooks may be useful tools for communicating with workers, it\u2019s a one-way street. Giving teams the tools to converse provides a feedback loop and extra methods of sharing vital information around safety.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"standard-heading\"><span><span><span><strong><span><span>Training with baby steps<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Mulberry said she knows requests for additional training come down to budgeting and time. It\u2019s tough for safety leaders to fight for funds. Instead, including another department, like human resources, can be an effective way to start. That\u2019s why translated handbooks can create a place to begin.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cThat\u2019s always a good starting point because the safety folks can agree on it with the HR folks,\u201d Mulberry said. \u201cEverybody can agree that the employee handbook is the best place to start.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<section class=\"storylines-carousel-wrapper show-small hide-large\" id=\"mobile-carousel\"\/>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Lewis says she tells clients to begin with the workshops that use both languages together. Just the effort of trying, paired with the oft-use phrase \u201cI\u2019m going to butcher this word,\u201d on a first try can showcase the effort required to improve culture. That can start progress toward overcoming the stigma or fears workers have of not advancing due to their second language, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>Garcia encouraged people to take it slow. He even suggested shopping for cheap translators \u2014 such as physical gadgets that translate oral phrases into written form \u2014 that may be imperfect or slow. But the method may help contractors understand the problem or their shortfalls more.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span><span><span><span><span><span>\u201cI would really focus on taking just baby steps, using what we have available,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.constructiondive.com\/news\/spanish-language-safety-construction-communication\/758886\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">This article was originally posted at Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] Listen to the article 7 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. When &#8230; <a title=\"Construction\u2019s language disconnect creates safety risk\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/constructions-language-disconnect-creates-safety-risk\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Construction\u2019s language disconnect creates safety risk\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[457],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-construction-dive","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32057","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32057"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32057\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}