Utah Says More Hispanic/Latino Worker Safety Outreach Needed

Utah’s Workers’ Compensation Fund has launched a Hispanic/Latino outreach program to help reduce workplace accidents.

According to the WCF, a USA Today report released earlier this week states the number of Hispanic workers who die on the job has risen, even as the overall number of workplace deaths has declined. The article reports Hispanic worker deaths increased from 533 in 1992 to 937 in 2007 – a 76 percent jump. In that same period, total fatalities in all jobs nationwide fell from 6,217 to 5,657, according to data. The 2007 tally, the latest available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, followed a record 990 Hispanic deaths in 2006.

Hispanic workers are often at greater risk for workplace injuries than their counterparts, and injuries can have a dramatic impact on workers, their families and their employers, DWC said. In 2002, WCF saw a dramatic increase in the number and severity of workplace accidents among Latinos. This prompted the organzation to begin a Hispanic/Latino outreach program to help better protect and train Utah’s growing multicultural workforce.

“As Utah continues to benefit from increased diversity, employers are scrambling to keep up with changes in their workforce. While many companies are trying to do more to protect their multicultural workers, often language barriers, cultural differences, productivity pressures, and other factors contribute to a higher percentage of accidents and fatalities among Hispanic workers,” said Greg Summerhays, Workers Compensation Fund Director of PR and Community Outreach.

From 2003-2005 Hispanics living in Utah represented approximately 20 percent of workplace fatalities. From 2006-2007 Hispanics represented approximately 12 percent of workplace fatalities.

“We like to believe that our efforts have made an impact and we hope to see these statistics continue to drop,” said Summerhays.

Part of WCF’s outreach efforts to the Hispanic community has been an aggressive advertising awareness campaign. Billboards in Spanish encourage workers to work safely in order to return home safe and sound to their families. Spanish safety trainings are given at least quarterly throughout the state and materials have been translated into Spanish and distributed at all Hispanic/Latino community events.

“There needs to be a concerted effort on the part of businesses, workers, insurance companies, and government agencies if we are going to overcome the hurdles we still face,” stated Summerhays.

Source: DWC