Publisher Strengthens Commitment to Safety of Spanish-Speaking Workers

MANCOMM, 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.

A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that in 2006, an estimated 19.6 million workers in the United States were Hispanic, 56 percent 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 percent 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.”

Previously, MANCOMM published OSHA Construction Fieldbooks that contain safety-compliance content in both English and Spanish. To order Reglas Press products or find out more about MANCOMM, call 800-626-2666, or visit Mancomm.com.