Assessing an educational safety training solution for Latino construction workers

Abstract

Latino construction workers are at a higher risk of occupational injury than any other ethnic group in the United States. Inappropriate safety training is one of the leading causes behind the alarming number of workplace accidents suffered by Latinos. As the total number of Latino construction worker deaths continues to trend upwards the need for culturally appropriate training is also increasing as workers of all ethnicities have equal rights to obtain the knowledge necessary to prevent on the job injuries. This study investigated 45 Latino construction workers in northern Colorado to determine the effectiveness of an educational video in enhancing viewer knowledge on fall protection safety, to verify that the video content and presentation was a culturally appropriate training technique and to analyze the participants' reactions. The researcher compared the participants' pre and post-video surveys on scaffolds knowledge and their reactions to the video. The results indicate that the use of an educational video in Spanish using non-descript characters is a culturally appropriate means to educate Latino construction workers.