March 13, 2002—The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Hispanic Contractors of America, Inc. (HCA) signed an agreement March 5, 2002, to promote safe and healthful working conditions for Hispanic construction workers through effective safety and health training and increased access to safety and health resources in Spanish. Under the alliance, HCA and OSHA will:
- Identify existing safety and health resources available for Spanish speakers and stimulate the development of additional publications and audio-visual products.
- Jointly disseminate safety and health information through conferences, events, community-based activities, and electronic media.
- Work with community and faith-based organizations and other leadership groups to build safety and health awareness within the Hispanic community.
- Encourage bilingual individuals in construction to take OSHA’s train-the-trainer class so they can teach the 10-hour and 30-hour construction safety and health outreach courses in Spanish.
- Promote and encourage HCA members to participate in OSHA cooperative programs such as compliance assistance, consultation, and mentoring.
OSHA and HCA are forming a joint steering committee to implement the alliance. The steering committee will draft procedures for the alliance and develop methods to track, analyze, evaluate, and share information on the alliance’s activities. Jerry Adriano, executive director of HCA, and John L. Henshaw, OSHA administrator, signed the alliance agreement. A copy of the alliance agreement can be found on OSHA’s Web site.
