Looking out for Latino workers

GAINESVILLE - Federal officials are teaming up with a Gainesville advocacy group to launch a campaign to improve safety training for Latino workers in construction and other fields.

The U.S. Occupational Safety Health Administration's (OSHA) Atlanta East Area office is partnering with El Puente to create a brochure that explains work-related death investigations, ensures workers that witnesses are kept anonymous, and details various safety hazards that should be reported.

In Gainesville, according to the 2000 Census, Latinos make up 33% of the population.

With only one fluent Spanish-speaking staff member, OSHA has teamed up with El Puente to have Latino workers contact it to help facilitate communication between both parties.

Bill Grimes, assistant area director for OSHA's Atlanta East Area office, said one major problem for the agency in dealing with Hispanic workers is a fear that OSHA is going to report them to immigration authorities.

"We don't want them to be afraid of us," Grimes said. "Our job is to make sure they are safe."

The collaboration grew out of the on-the-job death of a Latino work at a Hall County poultry processing plant recently.