According to this report, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development and El Refugio of Newton, N.J., signed an alliance to develop workplace safety and health training programs to promote construction safety among Hispanic workers and employers.
El Refugio is a nonprofit outreach center for Hispanic families.
Under the alliance, OSHA will work with El Refugio to develop workplace safety and health training programs to educate the organization’s clients about fall, amputation, electrical, struck-by and crushed-in hazards and emergency response issues.
OSHA also will deliver its 10-hour construction and general industry courses to Hispanic employers and employees in both English and Spanish.
The agreement will remain in effect for two years.
“This alliance will expand our ability to protect employees who are often at risk because of a language barrier,” OSHA Parsippany, N.J., area office director Phil Peist said.
“OSHA looks forward to working with El Refugio and the state of New Jersey to accomplish this critical goal,” Peist added.
Safety and health alliances are part of the Department of Labor’s efforts to improve the health and safety of employees through cooperative partnerships with trade associations, labor organizations, employers and government agencies.
OSHA currently has more than 450 alliances throughout the nation with organizations committed to promoting safety and health in the workplace.