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Kristine Molina Professor Math Trafton English 122 30 October 2013 Safety First - Seguridad en Pri er !ugar " # elting $ot% is &hat " erica has been na ed' a nation founded on the $rinci$les that all are &elco e( The di)ersity in ethnicity and culture is &hat a*es our country interesting and has gi)en us any ore freedo s

than other countries( +n the $ast t&o decades there has been an influ, of i igrant &or*ers that ha)e $er eated the construction industry( This any construction contractors' as they ta$$ed

influ, has been &elco ed by

into a source of hard &or*ing indi)iduals at a disturbingly lo&er &age rate( Many of these i igrants do not s$ea* English- and are not fa iliar &ith our

nation.s la&s regarding a healthy and safe &or* en)iron ent( /ue to this lac* of *no&ledge- and a lac* of concern by the e $loyer- an e$ide ic of 0ob site fatalities and in0uries in)ol)ing i s$urred igrants is unfolding( This in turn has

any in)estigations and changes to our /e$art ent of !abor.s

$olicies regarding training and education in the construction industry &hen it co es to non-English s$ea*ing i igrants(

" 1e& 2or* /aily 1e&s article &ritten in October 2013- tells the tale of 3 se$arate constructions site accidents that resulted in death( " &or*er &as

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$ouring concrete &hen the fourth floor of the building colla$sed to the second and *illed the concrete &or*er( "nother &or*er fell 10 feet to his death &hile trying to carry hea)y $i$e fro a building( The third accident

in)ol)ed a &or*er on a ladder- ironically installing safety e3ui$ ent' he &as *illed &hen he ca e in contact &ith high )oltage &ires and $lunged 42 feet to his death( Each of these accidents ha$$ened in 1e& 2or*- in 2011( +t &as re$orted that ulti$le &or* $lace )iolations &ere cited after in)estigations(

+t &as also re$orted that each indi)idual &as identified as !atino and5or i igrant( +n 1e& 2or*- only 617 of the construction &or* force is identified a*e u$ 967 of construction site fatalities

as 8is$anic( 2et 8is$anics

:Pearson;( The 967 statistic is co $arable to the rest of the country as &ell( <or* $lace accidents are $ossible in any occu$ation( "n office &or*er can ta*e a fall do&n a fe& ste$s and sustain a serious in0ury as can an e,$erienced construction &or*er( The Occu$ational Safety and 8ealth "d inistration :OS8"; is a federal institution that is res$onsible for $ro)iding safety education- training- and regulations for all ty$es of industries( =arious industries include the construction- shi$yard- and general industry :&hich could re$resent an office en)iron ent;( These guidelines include identifying and $re)enting $otentially ha>ardous conditions( E,a $les of a ha>ardous situation can be? fall areas- o)erhead $o&er lines that ay cause

electrocution- to a si $le li3uid s$ill on a floor( The enforce ent standard of OS8" is 3ualified by this state ent? #@nder the OS8" "ct- e $loyers are res$onsible for $ro)iding a safe and healthful &or*$lace( OS8"As ission is

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to assure safe and healthful &or*$laces by setting and enforcing standards and by $ro)iding training- outreach- education and assistance :OS8";%( 1e)ertheless- e)en the /e$art ent of !abor cannot sto$ e)ery accident fro occurring( The construction industry is ho e to one of the $laces( OS8" has ost dangerous &or*

any regulations set in $lace that construction co $anies

are directed to follo&( 8o&e)er- neither OS8" nor the construction industry $ro$erly $lanned for the influ, of non-English s$ea*ing construction &or*ers that ha)e occurred o)er the $ast t&o decades( Many of these &or*ers &ere not $ro$erly trained in safety standards due to the language barrier- and therefore ha)e suffered the highest fatalities and in0uries a ong construction &or*ers( The $o$ulation of the 8is$anic construction &or* force is a ong the fastest gro&ing in the nation( "ccording to a study conducted by the Benter for Bonstruction Cesearch and Training- #8is$anic e $loy ent in construction e,$erienced considerable gro&th fro fro D6D-000 to nearly 3 1442 to 2009 :increasing

illion &or*ers;- then shran* dra atically in 200E-

2004 by 914-000( Foreign-born 8is$anic &or*ers accounted for al ost all of the gro&th :Fuan&en;%( <ith regards to the language barrier- it is esti ated that at least one-third of all 8is$anic construction &or*ers s$ea* only S$anish( <ith an incursion of this ine)itable( any untrained laborers- accidents are

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The language barrier- &hich is a lin* to in0ury-

ust be acco $anied by

cultural differences- and undocu ented status( "ccording to a study by the Benter for /isease Bontrol and Pre)ention- 8is$anic construction &or*ers are ore &illing to $erfor dangerous tas*s than non-8is$anic &or*ers( ay also

Busto arily- 8is$anics do not &ant to say #no% to a su$er)isor- and

fear losing their 0ob if they s$ea* out( This could be due to undocu ented status- and fear that they &ill lose their 0obs or be forced out of the country( Organi>ations that hire $o$ulations of non-English s$ea*ing 8is$anic &or*ers tend to be s aller $ri)ate sector co $anies :/ong;( Statistics sho& that ore fatalities and in0uries occur in this en)iron ent :/ong;( S all co $anies ay ta*e ad)antage of this lac* of $ersonal attention to safety(

Bo $anies that do not adhere to strict safety standards can scri $ on costs &hen e $loyees do not de and a safe &or* en)iron ent( @nfortunately safety ulti ately falls in the hands of the e $loyee( +f !atino &or*ers are not educated on safety and their rights- these &or* related in0uries &ill continue to occur( Pro$er safety training in the &or*$lace is a *ey co $onent to a safe &or* en)iron ent( Most union and large co ercial construction

co $anies $ro)ide initial and ongoing safety $rogra s for their e $loyees( <ith the current gro&ing rate of 8is$anic &or*ers- OS8" has i $le ented its safety $rogra in both English and S$anish' any union and large non-union

co $anies ha)e follo&ed suit( Pro$er ladder use- scaffold safety- and $ersonal $rotecti)e e3ui$ ent are so e of the to$ics co)ered in safety

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orientations( +t is i $erati)e that these and other safety related issues are taught in the e $loyee.s nati)e language- and that continuing education along &ith testing to ensure co $rehension- also trans$ires( Bultural issues must be breached &hen addressing safety( "s discussed- a $erson.s cultural differences ay deter the fro a*ing a safe choice for the sel)es( "ll a tas* that

&or*ers need to understand that it is their right to not $erfor they feel is unsafe and There are si $le ay cause har

to their body or others around the (

easures that can be ta*en to hel$ alle)iate fatal

falls and in0uries on a construction site( /angerous locations that are not clearly ar*ed &ith &arning signs in both S$anish and English can

accelerate the chance for a fatal accident( Signs that denote 8igh =oltage Po&er !ines- /angerous Fall "rea- and Has !ines- are 0ust a fe& e,a $les of co $onents that need to be identified( +f the signs are &ritten only in English- the )isual re$resentations may de$art the essage( 8o&e)er- these

Occu$ational Safety and 8ealth "ssociation a$$ro)ed signs are a)ailable in both S$anish and English( +t is an OS8" regulation that all $otentially life threatening areas be ar*ed according to OS8" standards( onitor and ins$ect 0ob sites around

One of the functions of OS8" is to

the nation( +t &ould be difficult for OS8" to )isit e)ery construction site nation&ide and ensure that safety regulations are being follo&ed( @nfortunately- OS8" ay only )isit a construction site after an accident has

already occurred( There are hotline $hone nu bers that concerned &or*ers

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can call to re$ort unsafe &or*ing conditions :@S !abor;( " $hone call &ould $ro $t an OS8" official to )isit the 0ob site and $erha$s $re)ent a fatality( +f these instructions and $hone nu bers &ere $osted at 0ob sites in S$anish it &ould $ro)ide an e $loyee the o$$ortunity to alter a $otentially ha>ardous situation- anony ously( These signs could also ser)e as an educational tool to bring a&areness to non-English s$ea*ing e $loyees that they do ha)e rights- and &or*ing in unsafe conditions is not 0ust a &ay of life they ha)e to endure in order to *ee$ their 0ob( There are ti es &hen the language barrier cannot be breached( 8o&e)er- the ost i $ortant duty for e)ery &or*er is to go ho e safe(

There are se)eral &ays construction contractors can facilitate a safer #bilingual% 0obsite? 1( Ensure that 0obsite ha>ardous areas are clearly ar*ed

in both English and S$anish( 2( Pro)ide &or*ers &ith safe e3ui$ ent and tools( 3( Pro)ide ongoing safety training and education that adhere to OS8" standards in a bilingual en)iron ent( These si $le ste$s ay not bridge the

ga$ co $letely &hen it co es to the language barrier( 8o&e)er- it is a ste$ in the right direction to creating a for e)eryone( ore cohesi)e and safe &or* en)iron ent

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<or*s Bited /ong- Sue( IFatal and 1onfatal +n0uries " ong 8is$anic Bonstruction <or*ers(I Electronic Library of Construction Occupational Safety and Health( e!BOS8- n(d( <eb( 9 1o) 2013( Jhtt$?55&&&(elcosh(org5docu ent520ED5d0011015FatalKandK1onfatal K+n0uriesKa ongK8is$anicKBonstructionK<or*ersK1442-200E(ht lL sho&Mte,tN1O( 8utchings- Mar* /( ISafety +ssues a ong 8is$anic Bonstruction <or*ers along the <asatch Front in @tah (I 48th ASC Annual International Conference Proceedings( :2012;? n( $age( <eb( 9 1o)( 2013( Jhtt$?55asc$ro(asc&eb(org5chair5$a$er5BPCT22D002012($dfO( IOS8" reaches out to 8is$anics about((((I ob Safety and Health !uarterly( 13(3 :2013;? n( $age( <eb( 9 1o)( 2013( Jhtt$s?55&&&(osha(go)5Publications5PS8Q5s$ring20025oshahis$(ht O(

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Pearson, Erica. "EXCLUSIVE: Latino, immigrant construction workers more likely to die on o! in "#C." New York Daily News. ".$., %& 'ct %()*. +e!. )( "o, %()*. -.tt$://www.nydailynews.com/new0york/latinos0immigrants0die0ny0construction0study0 article0).)&1&2)34. I@S !abor /e$art entAs OS8" for s alliance &ith Me,ican Bonsulate in(I OSHA "egional #e$s "elease( @nited States /e$art ent of !abor- 2D "ug 2013( <eb( 10 1o) 2013( Jhtt$s?55&&&(osha(go)5$ls5osha&eb5o&adis$(sho&Mdocu entL $MtableN1E<SMCE!E"SESR$MidN26D33O( Fuan&en <ang- Ph/- and Bhristina /a&- Ph/( IFatal and 1onfatal +n0uries a ong(I CP%" &ata 'rief( 2(2 :2010;? n( $age( <eb( 9 1o)( 2013( Jhtt$?55sto$constructionfalls(co 5&$-content5u$loads520125035Fataland-1onfatal-+n0uries-fro -Falls-a ong-8is$anic-Bonstruction-<or*ers1442-200E($dfO(