First Meeting: January 18^th 2000

On January 18^th 2000, representatives from various workers-related and/or Hispanic organizations met at the Washington DC office of the National Safety Council in order to discuss the most pressing health and safety issues that the Hispanics faced in the workplace and in their community at large. To summarize somewhat, the conclusions of this first working group were that:

• The Hispanics living and working in the U.S. are the first and often the worst victims of environmental and occupational health problems. As a case in point, between 1996 and 1998 there was a 40 percent increase in Hispanic fatalities in the construction industry, with less than 20 percent increase in the Hispanic construction workforce, according to the U.S. Census data.

• The Latinos' health and safety are under-served in a number of areas: workplace, home, community and even the highway (e.g. absence of seat belt law for farm workers).

• Hispanics lack information and training about several workplace issues ranging from their rights at work to the prevention of workplace injuries and fatalities.

• Traditional and innovative ways to channel occupational health and safety information must be used. Such information needs to be translated from English to Spanish in a culturally sensitive way, which would account for the diversity of the Hispanic population in the U.S. Further, the relatively high level of illiteracy of the Hispanic population -especially of first generation immigrants- must be taken into consideration and alternative ways to disseminate information must be used (e.g. verbal, in churches and community centers).

• The promotion of environmental and occupational health & safety (EOSH) issues must extend beyond the workplace and reach the community at large.

• The Hispanic workforce, and especially the children, must be educated about their health and safety.

• Some advocacy and lobbying will be needed because the root of the problem is not only confined to information shortages but also to the lack of adequate safety regulations protecting the Latino workers that are the most at work.

• The absence of national specific data on occupational morbidity/mortality by race or ethnic background, in addition to the under-reporting of injuries, make it almost impossible to know the true scope of the problem.

• The most serious issues concerning the Latino workforce were identified as being (but were not restricted to): construction, agriculture, cleaning and sanitation, vehicular transportation, meat poultry, maritime and fishing, mental health, smoking and substance abuse, and border issues.

• The NSC and the EPA will look for funding opportunities and will identify key players and stakeholders within International Organizations, NGOs, government, community and grassroots based organizations in order to determine the feasibility and value of conducting a National Hispanic Symposium on safety, health and environmental issues.