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New Crane & Derrick Guide Created to Help Protect Spanish-Speaking Workers

July 21, 2011 – A new training guide written in Spanish is designed to help trainers teach Spanish-speaking workers about OSHA’s new Cranes & Derricks in Construction regulation

“For the most effective results, construction workers need to be trained in their native language,” said Benjamin Mangan, founder and president of Mancomm, Davenport, Iowa. “In fact, OSHA requires it. But this requirement can lead to difficulties for construction industry safety trainers who instruct Spanish-speaking workers. They need to be able to provide their trainees with the materials needed to address the specific changes in the crane and derrick regulations.”

Working with Reglas Press LLC, a provider of safety materials for Spanish-speaking trainers and companies that employ Spanish-speaking workers to develop the materials, Mancomm will distribute the new Spanish-language book, Grúas y Cabrias en la Industria de la Construcción, which contains the new OSHA construction regulations addressing the use of cranes and derricks.

The book is formatted in RegLogic Premium, a graphical approach which makes navigating, reading and understanding regulations easier. RegLogic Premium was created by Mancomm and is used with Mancomm’s permission.

"The safety of America’s Spanish-speaking construction workforce is a top priority for both of our companies," said Isidro Nieves, senior manager of Reglas Press. "The availability of these vital regulations in Spanish will greatly benefit members of the construction industry who communicate in that language.”

A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that from 2003 to 2006, the construction industry employed the most Hispanics who died from work-related injuries, and foreign-born (Spanish-speaking) workers were at especially high risk. The report indicates that preventing work-related injury deaths among these workers requires materials that are effective for workers who speak Spanish.