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An article in a recent edition of the "Occupational Hazards" e-mail newsletter discussed the challenge of communicating with Spanish-speaking workers. Living in Montgomery County in Maryland has made me extremely sensitive to the need to communicate in languages other than native English.
The historical destination that the United States has become for people around the globe is a challenge that has become a prominent barrier in the workplace. As more workers at all levels immigrate to this country from Latin America, Asia, Eastern Europe, the Mid-East, and Africa, the need to train and educate them has become increasingly more difficult, but essential.
Looking back on years of managing package printing and converting plants, and then consulting with firms that employed a number of ethnic groups, I appreciate the need to find a means of conveying a message to employees who do not speak English as their first language, or who do not speak English at all.
Spanish-speaking employees have been a constant factor through the years. With immigrants coming to the New York Metro region from almost every country in Latin America and the islands in the Caribbean, they have had to learn how to communicate and get the job done safely.
In one instance, my company was hired to train press personnel, all of whom were Spanish speaking; the response was terrific. The mere fact that the employer felt that they would benefit from a training program was motivation to learn. Even without the services at times of a translator, we found we were able to convey our message and have the press personnel learn the lesson of the day.
Posting Safety Requirements
At the other end of the spectrum was a safety program for a Japanese company. Everyone could speak English in the plant, however all the labels on products and signage for safety compliance were written in Japanese. That was fine for the Japanese management and workers, but hardly of any value to the majority of the people who worked in the plant.
Additionally, there are the accidents that occur when language is a barrier. A number of years back, I was asked to be an expert witness in a plant where they made inks for the gravure and flexographic market. Most of the employees were Portuguese, many of them immigrants who had a cursory knowledge of English.
Despite training in the Hazard Communication standard, and in the safe handling of flammable solvents, a worker with an open can had Toluene poured from a tank spout without grounding the can. The spark, and explosion that resulted, killed the two men, injured others, and caused considerable damage to the building. The company had conducted classes in the use of chemicals, but obviously the presentation was not understood. The lesson learned was too late for the two men who perished.
A polyethylene bag printer and converter solved this problem for the many Chinese workers they employed. The Material Safety Data Sheets, training documents, and educational materials were translated into Chinese, and prominently posted for all to see, in addition to holding training sessions in Chinese.
The key element of your approach has to be the subject at hand; do not wait until you learn Spanish or other languages. Find the means of communicating now in order to prevent unwanted exposure and harm to the people who work in the plant:
- Get to know your workers by name and as individuals;
- Accept differences in culture and recognize a need for flexibility;
- Provide positive responses to workers' questions;
- Hands-on training surpasses sitting in the classroom and lecturing;
- When instructing, use slang as well as correct dialects and idioms;
- Remember that fewer words and more pictures or actual equipment facilitates learning;
- Offer classes in English for non-English-speaking workers.
The Importance of Body Language
Perhaps the most important tip in the article is the use of body language. When the spoken word is a barrier, the emotions you show and the physical movement of your face and body convey messages that words cannot match. Use body language to gain trust from a worker who has a limited knowledge of English.
From my experience, I can tell you that the mere look in someone's eyes and the smile or frown of a mouth can convey satisfaction or displeasure quicker than any words.
Safety is based on adequate communication. When that communication is limited by vocabulary and understanding of a common language, steps must be taken to assure management and the work force that all measures are being taken to get the message across.
Speak safety, regardless of the language. Management must assure that the safety message gets across to every worker no matter how low or high they are in the efforts of the firm, or how little or how much they understand the English language.
Fred Shapiro is president of P-F Technical Services Inc., Silver Spring, Md., a technical and environmental management consulting firm to the graphics arts industry. He is also a member of the PIA/GATF "Solutions on Site" consulting network. Contact him at (301) 598-7949.
author: By Fred Shapiro