How to Manage Safety for a Multilingual Workforce

In any labor-intensive industry like construction, having a multilingual workforce is common – just walk out on any job site and you’ll likely meet workers of all cultures and creeds. This presents a unique challenge for safety managers – how do you guarantee everyone is on the same page when they don’t all share the same language? 

The short answer – that gap needs to be bridged to avoid any Tower of Babel situation. Non-English-speaking workers AREN’T a lost cause, but extra care will probably need to be taken to help assimilate the whole frontline into your safety culture. Translation tools, responsive management software and multilingual resources can all play an important part in getting everyone on the ball. 

This is a challenge that should be met quickly too, if you haven’t addressed it. According to a 2019 survey by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 46.7% of United States laborers are Hispanic, with over 75% of the construction workforce estimated to be primarily Spanish speaking.  

With immigration and work visa programs bringing new laborers from other countries to the United States, the number of Spanish-speaking workers in high-risk industries will likely continue to increase over time. Construction Dive notes 53% of construction managers expect a growing need to accommodate foreign languages on the jobsite. If you’re a safety manager anywhere on the planet, odds are you’re working with at least a few crew members who speak a different language.  

Ultimately, by embracing the challenge a language difference can pose, you’ll build a more inclusive work environment, improve safety and efficiency and benefit the company’s bottom line. 

Multilingual Safety Challenges 

If you feel like language gaps are a challenge to hurdle, you wouldn’t be wrong. That said, they also present an opportunity to refine your safety culture, safety program and prepare for opportunities other organizations may not be able to take advantage of. At face value, communication enables frontline workers to properly engage with your safety program, which can help identify risk and prevent accidents. But if your system is set up in English, those small, day to day safety tasks can become monumental challenges. Just submitting an observation form, understanding a Pre-Task Plan, or completing an equipment inspection can be a struggle when you don’t speak a common language on thejob site.  

The bottom line – if your front line is multilingual, you’ll need to overcome a few challenges to keep things running safely and smoothly. Let’s break down a few common challenges you might face. 

Communication Barriers 

As we previously mentioned, it’s not a no-brainer that the biggest challenge for any safety program is communication. When two individuals don’t speak the same language, it’s significantly more difficult to achieve the same goal. From verbal to written communication, this barrier limits the speed, efficiency and accuracy with which a safety program can operate.   

When workers speak different languages, it can be difficult to gather critical safety observations, conduct safety meetings, and solve problems quickly. Even simple instructions may be misunderstood, leading to inefficiencies or safety risks. If your safety program asks frontline workers to submit daily safety observations (it should if you want strong data analytics), offering forms in a non-native language can make it difficult for workers to complete them. 

That isn’t the only practical issue communication issues can cause on the job site. Here are a few everyday problems you might encounter. 

  • A foreman might issue a critical safety directive during a meeting, but workers who don’t fully understand English may miss the nuances or misunderstand the urgency of the issue. This disconnect can cause accidents and slow down work progress.  
  • When employees can’t collaborate effectively with their peers or supervisors due to a language barrier, it leads to frustration and potential delays. Tasks that should be simple may become complicated, increasing the likelihood of errors.  

Safety Culture Struggles

Your organization’s safety culture is representative of safety conditions on all projects. If you have a strong safety culture, you’re less likely to see accidents because everyone is working together to stay safe. Safety culture thrives on strong engagement – it shows everyone on the job truly believes in making working conditions as safe as possible.  

But it also requires everyone to be on the same page.  

In a multilingual workforce, getting the frontline aligned on safety procedures can take more time and effort. Language barriers can cause delays in safety reporting and may result in incomplete or inaccurate incident reports, further complicating compliance with safety regulations. These issues can lead to frustration and fatigue, which can affect overall morale and safety.  

Another layer of complexity is that safety training, safety signs, and manuals need to be accessible for all workers, regardless of their language. If a significant portion of your frontline doesn’t have access to these resources in a way they understand, they may struggle to grasp crucial safety instructions. As a result, the risk of accidents or injuries could increase.

Prejudices and Cultural Sensitivities

In addition to logistical and communication hurdles, workplace prejudices could rear their head and cause more issues. If two workers speak different languages, it can lead to misguided judgment and resentment. These issues can lead to the misconception that a non-native English speaker is less intelligent, less trustworthy or less competent. Nothing could be further from the truth! 

Racism, unconscious bias, and casual ignorance can creep into interactions, affecting team morale and overall work environment. Hispanic or non-English-speaking workers might feel isolated or undervalued if their contributions are overlooked simply because of a language barrier. This can lead to tension among team members, affecting productivity and increasing employee turnover.  

It’s essential to keep an eye out for these issues and snuff them out before they can take hold. Nothing will divide your organization faster than these prejudices and biases. Set an example of respect and take allegations of racism or hate seriously to stop any further issues before they happen. 

Tips for Overcoming Language Barriers 

Safety managers must take proactive steps to overcome language challenges and create an inclusive environment that prioritizes safety for all workers. Fortunately, most organizations are required by law to A) not discriminate against workers for several factors, including language, and B) provide reasonable accommodations to ensure all employees understand their tasks and associated safety procedures. Ideally, safety managers should have full support, but it’s never a bad idea to go above basic compliance! 

While learning multiple languages or hiring exclusively multilingual staff might not be feasible (but recommended), here are several effective strategies that can help bridge the language gap. 

Face-to-Face Communication 

One of the simplest ways to overcome communication barriers is to prioritize regular, in-person check-ins with your workers. By making the effort to personally ensure that workers understand safety guidelines, you not only reduce the risk of miscommunication but also show your commitment to their safety and well-being. Body language and gestures can be effective communication tools in these face-to-face interactions. 

Multilingual employees can also play an invaluable role in bridging communication gaps. Oftentimes they may be able to translate for coworkers who speak a different language. You could also consider giving them more responsibilities, like helping out during training sessions. That said, make sure they are willing to help and are compensated for their extra work – nothing hurts morale more than extra tasks in a busy day with nothing to show for it. 

For larger sites or long-term projects, you might consider hiring a dedicated translator or bilingual staff member who can assist with communication and translate documents while fulfilling other responsibilities. It may take more work to find a team member who can bridge the gap, but it can help improve efficiency and safety. Besides, having bilingual employees is a feather in the cap of your organization and helps boost its reputation as a great place to work. 

Specialized Training 

Tailoring safety training to meet the needs of non-native English speakers is a crucial step toward improving workplace safety. Trying to train someone in a language they don’t understand is an inefficient process that likely won’t provide as much benefit. Take the time to translate your training courses and manuals to guarantee each employee fully understands what’s asked of them. While you may need more time and assistance to set everything up, the effort will help you onboard all employees more efficiently while improving safety on-site. 

Instead of expecting non-native speakers to adapt fully to your language, provide resources in their language whenever possible. Forms, documents, and training materials should be available in the primary languages spoken by your workforce. Visual aids and hands-on training are powerful tools for teaching, no matter the language your students speak. Demonstrating how to use equipment, perform procedures, or follow safety protocols through practical, in-person instruction can be much more effective than relying solely on verbal instructions.  

You should also familiarize yourself with Picture Process Mapping, a system that implements photos and diagrams as much as possible to teach processes and procedures. Learning with pictures can help workers form stronger connections with processes and safety, remove any room for interpretation, and stimulates the brain’s cognitive reasoning abilities more than a 30-page text document can.  

If you’re still not sure where to start, OSHA also provides resources to help companies comply with basic safety standards for non-English-speaking workers, which can further aid safety managers in their efforts. 

Leverage Technology 

Technology can also be a game-changer when managing a multilingual workforce. Real-time translation apps like Microsoft Translator, Google Translate, and Apple Translate allow for quick communication across language barriers, but often aren’t perfect. It’s important to note that they may require some time to learn and may not always be practical on construction sites where devices aren’t readily available. 

As for safety resources, forms and documentation, safety management platforms like Safety Mojo may offer automatic translation and easy-to-access digital storage. These tools can make it easy to find manuals and guides in any language or contribute to safety no matter the language you speak. 

Do it Yourself! 

We mentioned it might not be possible to learn a different language on the fly, but that doesn’t mean we won’t recommend it! Whether you’re early in your career or have been working in safety a few years, it never hurts to learn Spanish (or any other language!) Doing so can open more doors and opportunities for employment, including job offers, promotions, and increased pay. Aside from personal benefits, you’ll also be able to more easily work with multilingual crews. This can simplify your day-to-day tasks and help increase trust and respect with your coworkers. 

Benefits of Multilingual Safety Management 

While managing a multilingual workforce presents challenges, the benefits will always outweigh the extra effort when done correctly. Increased frontline engagement, stronger morale and fewer accidents are just a few major perks that come to mind. Here are some other key advantages: 

Enhanced Productivity 

Workers who feel understood and respected are more likely to be engaged and productive. Making sure everyone is understood and can grasp safety expectations might take more time up front, but we guarantee you’ll save time by avoiding accidents and confusion caused by miscommunication.   

By addressing language barriers head-on and fostering an inclusive environment, you also give workers the power to perform their tasks efficiently and safely. Clear communication means fewer mistakes, faster problem resolution, and smoother collaboration across the board, which directly translates to increased revenue and  

Reduced Accidents and Safety Incidents 

Risk is reduced and hazards are mitigated when safety protocols are communicated, understood, and followed by all workers. Everyone will also be more likely to stick to the safety plan if they know what it is in the first place, right? Keep in mind that some of the most catastrophic workplace accidents, like the Deepwater Horizon explosion, were caused by communication errors. 

As we previously mentioned, take the time to properly train workers in a language they understand. Provide visual aids and translated reference documents, and work with your crew personally to make sure everyone knows what’s expected of them. This results in a safer worksite, fewer accidents, and a better safety record overall. 

Improved Worker Retention and Satisfaction

If you feel respected and included at work, you’re more likely to stick around and give a shit. The same goes for workers at all levels, no matter their language or culture. Take time to show respect to them by giving them the tools they need to work safely. If you run into communication issues, don’t get frustrated. Calmly figure out the issue and work with them to fix it.  

By investing in worker safety and showing everyone equal respect, you can create a positive work environment that encourages worker retention and reduces turnover costs. In an industry facing labor shortages, retaining skilled workers is critical to project success. 

Manage Multilingual Safety with Safety Mojo 

Whether you have a fully multilingual infrastructure or are starting to test the waters, Safety Mojo is designed from the ground up to streamline safety management. In addition to intuitive, powerful management tools, Safety Mojo offers AI-powered translation to connect everyone on your job site, regardless of their spoken language. Here’s how it works: 

  • Conversational Forms can detect verbal commands in English or Spanish and will fill out fields appropriately. For example, a Spanish-speaking frontline worker can fill out a safety observation form in their native language, and Safety Mojo will automatically translate their inputs to English and put information in the correct form fields. This makes it easy for anyone to engage with safety on the job site! 
  • Ask Mojo can also detect a user’s spoken language and will understand any safety-related question. If a frontline worker asks a question in Spanish, Ask Mojo can search through uploaded English language manuals and documents before delivering an accurate answer in the user’s spoken language. This makes mission-critical information easily accessible to everyone. 

Want to see how Safety Mojo can reduce risk and improve engagement on any project? Visit our Core Features page to learn more today. 

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