SALEM — Language can often be a barrier to understanding safe practices on the job. Oregon Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) took yet another step toward breaking down that barrier with its first Spanish-language safety conference on November 19 in Salem.
“This event represents so much more than just workplace safety and spreading information,” said Oregon OSHA Administrator Michael Wood. “At its core, this conference is about reaching out to underrepresented groups and making sure that they have the same access to proper resources and tools as anyone else.”
This is about reaching out to underrepresented groups and making sure that they have the same access to proper resources and tools as anyone else.
The conference had more than 180 attendees and participants from across the West Coast.
The conference covered a variety of topics that affect the daily routines of workers. While some workshops focused on physical safety and best practices for workers, others helped attendees to better understand their rights as workers and what the law requires of their employers. All workshops were presented in Spanish.
The conference also provided a space where bilingual representatives from state agencies and vendors could provide information to attendees.
“Everything that happened here today was the result of 15 years of hard work,” said Ricardo Rodríguez, public education program developer for Oregon OSHA. “We wanted to make sure that we had everything we needed to help as many people as possible within this community.”
You can find more information on upcoming Oregon OSHA conferences at https://osha.oregon.gov/conferences/Pages/index.aspx
