In a move designed to help promote worker safety and health, the United States Department of
Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Austin and El Paso area offices have
renewed an alliance with the Consulate General of Mexico. This alliance is designed to provide
safety and health outreach and training to Mexican nationals working in these areas of Texas.
This alliance will focus on assistance and outreach materials in Spanish, and will help spread
knowledge regarding workers’ rights and OSHA standards. In addition, there will be an
emphasis on certain high risk safety and health issues, including falls from elevated work
surfaces, electrocution, heat illness, exposure to hazardous chemicals, struck-by and caught-in or
–between hazards. This alliance will last for two years.
“The alliance with the Mexican consulate provides OSHA with a great opportunity to provide
safety training and outreach in a native language in an effort to keep Spanish speaking workers
safe in the workplace,” R. Casey Perkins, OSHA’s area director in Austin. “Knowledge is the
first step of workplace safety and health, and OSHA is committed to ensuring training is
provided in a language that workers can understand.”
Though a renewal, this still emphasizes the importance of worker safety for all employees. If you
employee Mexican Nationals or other Spanish speaking employees, it is important that you
understand your responsibilities, otherwise you face potential fines and citations from OSHA.
If you have any questions about how this alliance might impact your companies, please contact
us. If you have anything to add about this alliance and its importance in Texas, please leave a
comment.
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