Helping Protect Spanish-Speaking Construction Workers

Words: Margaret FosterMANCOMM, a national safety and compliance publisher, is now the official, exclusive distributor of Reglas Press, LLC, a provider of safety materials for bilingual English/Spanish trainers and companies that employ Spanish-speaking workers. With this development, MANCOMM has strengthened its commitment to the safety of America’s Spanish-speaking construction workforce.

“MANCOMM wants to help America’s construction industry protect Spanish-speaking workers,” said Benjamin W. Mangan, founder and president of MANCOMM. “The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Construction Regulations from Reglas Press are published in Spanish, so the increased availability of these books will greatly benefit members of the construction industry who communicate in that language.”

A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that in 2006, an estimated 19.6 million workers in the United States were Hispanic, 56% of whom were foreign born (Spanish-speakers). During 2003—2006, the occupational-injury casualty rate for foreign-born Hispanic workers was 5.9 per 100,000 workers, compared with a rate of 3.5 for U.S.-born Hispanic workers. Also, 67% of the deceased Hispanic workers were foreign born.

The report also states that during 2003—2006, the construction industry employed the most Hispanics who died from work-related injuries. Foreign-born Hispanic workers were at especially high risk. The report noted that “Preventing work-related injury deaths among Hispanics will require … employers to take additional responsibility for providing a safe work environment”, and that such an initiative would require “materials that are culturally appropriate and effective for workers who speak different languages.”

“The fatality statistics for Spanish-speaking construction workers are truly alarming,” said Isidro Nieves, Senior Manager of Reglas Press. “MANCOMM’s extensive distribution system can help to get these books into more hands nationwide. These books make reading the regulations easier than ever for people whose primary language is Spanish.”

“Dispersing knowledge that will help to prevent accidents is a highly effective form of risk management,” said Mangan. Previously, MANCOMM has published OSHA Construction Fieldbooks that contain safety-compliance content in both English and Spanish.

“Through the distribution of Reglas Press books, we hope to reduce injury and casualty rates for Spanish-speaking workers in the construction industry,” Mangan said. “When it comes to safety, we’re all in this together.”
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