Bridging the Language Divide - with Yara Carrillo

Continuing our celebration of National Safety Month, in this episode, host Dr. I. David Daniels will speak with Yara Carrillo, a Chemical Engineer by training and a credentialed safety professional specializing in providing services to workplaces needing safety-related documents, information, and training in Spanish. The number of Hispanic workers in the labor force has grown from 10.7 million in 1990 to 29.0 million in 2020 and is projected to reach 35.9 million in 2030. Hispanics are projected to account for 78% of net new workers between 2020 and 2030. The Hispanic proportion of the workforce has increased from 8.5% in 1990 to 18.0% in 2020. In 2030, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects Hispanics to account for one out of every five workers in the labor force, at 21.2%. Hispanic workers are not only a significant percentage of the workforce but the majority in many of the most hazardous occupations. The sector with the highest concentration of Hispanic workers is farming, fishing, and forestry, at 43.0%. In second place is building and grounds cleaning and maintenance, at 37.9%, followed by construction and extraction, at 35.7. One of the important keys to perception is the language that one understands. It is difficult to feel psychologically safe when the language used to transmit safety information does not match the language you understand best. While it would be a stereotype to suggest that all Hispanic workers don’t speak or understand English, it would not be an exaggeration to suggest that many workplaces assume that everyone speaks and understands English. This bias can have catastrophic consequences for workers and organizations that care about safety. Yara will share her thoughts and experiences regarding bridging this divide and the value and importance of language in ensuring psychological health and safety.