# Bilingual Safety



## Safe1 (Aug 2, 2012)

Just joined this community and want to see if I can get a little feedback. I currently work as a Corporate Safety Director for a large construction company in Miami that works on large commercial projects and high-end residential homes. Today, I was discussing with our members of the Safety Alliance for Excellence a good topic for our meeting next month. The conversation today centered around interaction and communication with Hispanic workers and what we can do as an industry to close this gap and better educate everyone? I have been in the construction industry for 30 years and 25 of those years have been dedicated to safety! Thank you in advance for any feedback you can provide! Yours in safety, David

I also manage websites (sites removed-see TOS)


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## bwiab (Mar 17, 2006)

Everything must be bilingual. From signage to toolbox talks to 30 hour OSHA. I don't see any other way if you really want to communicate safety.


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## Astrix (Feb 23, 2009)

If is mandated by law that all written materials such as warning signs and information brochures be bilingual, then that's what has to be done. As a voluntary action, however, I am of mixed opinion on this.

I am good with information brochures being in languages other than English, especially if there is a large population who speak a second language in your community. Best to get a clear message out to those whose English is not stellar. But who's to say that only English and Spanish should be used? What about French, German, Arabic, etc, etc. 

With respect to warning signs like "Danger Above" or basic Emergency instructions, I think it might be safer if these were in English only as opposed to two or more languages. The information brochure could be written in Spanish wherein it explains that a sign reading "Danger" means peligro. Otherwise, in case of emergency, time is wasted and confusion can result if people have to read through several words in different languages all meaning danger as opposed to just reading the one word "Danger". This is worse if now you have to read through several pages of emergency instructions, trying to find which is the English version, which is the Spanish version, which is the French version, etc.

A good example of English only for safety purposes is in the aviation industry. All pilots and air traffic controllers use English exclusively to avoid any miscommunication. Non-English speaking pilots have to learn the required flying and emergency words and be proficient enough in order to qualify to do that job. So, again, the information brochures and safety meetings can be held in a second language, but emphasis should be placed on learning the applicable emergency words in English.


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## bwiab (Mar 17, 2006)

That's a great point and it makes a lot of sense. Training would be crucial.


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## Rich D. (Oct 14, 2011)

Well since there working for an American company they Should learn basic English.


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## summithomeinc (Jan 3, 2011)

Safe1 said:


> Just joined this community and want to see if I can get a little feedback. I currently work as a Corporate Safety Director for a large construction company in Miami that works on large commercial projects and high-end residential homes. Today, I was discussing with our members of the Safety Alliance for Excellence a good topic for our meeting next month. The conversation today centered around interaction and communication with Hispanic workers and what we can do as an industry to close this gap and better educate everyone? I have been in the construction industry for 30 years and 25 of those years have been dedicated to safety! Thank you in advance for any feedback you can provide! Yours in safety, David
> 
> I also manage websites (sites removed-see TOS)


Why would you (or your company) want to hire people that can not communicate with you effectively? I would never hire a worker that only spoke Chinese, or any other language other than English. I speak English. Anyone that works for me can speak any language they want but,one of them better be English.


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## concretemasonry (Dec 1, 2006)

Hiring is up to the employer for the most part.

Fortunately, most foreign people in the U.S. have an advantage because they understand and usually read in at least 2 languages, which puts them a step up. - I learned that quickly when traveling because people could understand what I was saying since it was English/American, which was their second language, so they could understand everything, but I could not understand what they were saying except for a few words and phrases.

Also there is no trick to having multilingual signs since they are very common.

The world does not revolve around the U.S., but some people think the U.S. it does. What if the owner/developer is from another country and he has the advantage rom a language standpoint. My grand children get one language per year (usually Spanish, Chinese, German and in our area, Lao/Vietnamese) because of the cross-section of the residents. After elementary school, the choice of any languages is up to the student.


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

bah that ''one world'' stuff is going to be our down fall:sad:


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## summithomeinc (Jan 3, 2011)

concretemasonry said:


> Hiring is up to the employer for the most part.
> 
> Fortunately, most foreign people in the U.S. have an advantage because they understand and usually read in at least 2 languages, which puts them a step up. - I learned that quickly when traveling because people could understand what I was saying since it was English/American, which was their second language, so they could understand everything, but I could not understand what they were saying except for a few words and phrases.
> 
> ...


The world may not revolve around the US. We aren't talking about the world. We are talking about the US. The US revolves around the US. If you are in the US then I say speak the US language...English:thumbsup:


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## Rich D. (Oct 14, 2011)

summithomeinc said:


> The world may not revolve around the US. We aren't talking about the world. We are talking about the US. The US revolves around the US. If you are in the US then I say speak the US language...English:thumbsup:


Summits has his point. If your going to be working in the US basically that job is revolved around this country :laughing: if somone comes up to me and can't speak English to me I walk away.


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## Red Adobe (Jul 26, 2008)

If you want a yob in the USofA then speak and read english. period


If I was going to germany to work I would learn German, if France then french, and so on.

I refuse to learn MEXICAN or tolerate listening to it being spoke while on US soil, I also try and avoid any doings with those that hire Illegals or harbor them. That is a slap in the face to the millions that imigrated and adapted legaly


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