Monday, October 18, 2010

"Help Wanted" says Government Agencies...


Government Agencies "We are Hiring" continues...

Check out a recent post from our friends at BLR:

OSHA's requirement that training be comprehensible to employees is nothing new. What is new, however, is the enforcement angle. Says Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, "OSHA compliance officers will verify not only that training has been provided, but that it was provided in a format that workers being trained can understand."

An OSHA memorandum provides examples of what is required:

· If an employee does not speak or comprehend English, training must be provided in a language the employee does understand.

· In the case of an employee with a limited vocabulary, the training must account for that limitation.

· If an employee is not literate, an employer will not satisfy its training obligation by telling the employee to read training materials.

"As a general matter," says the memo, "employers are expected to realize that if they customarily need to communicate work instructions or other workplace information to employees at a certain vocabulary level or in a language other than English, they will need to provide safety and health training to employees in the same manner."

While meeting this requirement may present difficulties and extra costs, it can also improve safety performance and reduce the risk of accidents. Employees who don't understand safety instructions or safety training information are much more likely to have accidents and be injured on the job.