The Construction Safety Council developed a training kit in an easy-to-understand format for non-English speaking workers. The kit addresses four major construction hazards and methods to avoid those hazards.
The demographics of the construction worker population in the United States. has been shifting markedly in the last several decades from one with substantial skills sets and experience in the respective construction trades (laborers, carpenters, operators, electricians, plumbers, iron workers, etc.) to a growing population of untrained and inexperienced workers. Along with a deficiency in skills training and work experience among this growing population has come a lack of knowledge of relevant basic safety and health information. This has contributed to the persistence in the relatively high number of workplace fatalities, especially among those workers underserved by traditional apprentice training, those lacking in English language skills and those whose immigration status has caused them to avoid government-, corporate- or union- sponsored training programs in occupational skills, as well as health and safety training.
The Construction Safety Council (CSC) has created a basic construction safety training and education kit in English, Spanish and Polish that addresses the recognition and prevention of safety and health hazards, including pertaining to fall hazards, electrical hazards, struck-by hazards, caught-in-between hazards and health hazards.
The learning modules are designed for facilitation by faith-based groups and community organizations that have already garnered the trust and respect of the at-risk populations, as well as contractors who employ these populations. The modules fit into a system that is delivered to the facilitators with training notes that make delivery of the modules possible for people with some construction background, but who are not health and safety professionals. The modules promote an interactive discussion about the subjects introduced in the pictograms.
The learning system is in the form of an 11'' x 17'' flip chart stylebook, made from thick stock and laminated for durability. The large size accommodates for the delivery method of the program, where a facilitator holds up one side of the book revealing a pictorial of hazards and control measures while reading instructor notes on the reverse side of the book. A take-home book with all lessons is also provided for each student under the grant. The materials are free. The only requirement is that trainers must turn in a simple sign-in sheet and evaluation for each class to the council. Return envelopes will be provided.
Training topics include:
If these bilingual training materials could be helpful in your safety training efforts, call the Construction Safety Council at 800-552-7744, ext. 202.
Source: Construction Safety Council
EMC Insurance Companies
717 Mulberry Street
P.O. Box 712
Des Moines, Iowa 50306-0712
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