According to the National Council of La Raza, as of August 2013, nearly one in four (24.4%) U.S. construction workers was Latino. To help their clients bridge potential communication gaps and more effectively deliver construction safety lessons to Latino workers, XL Group’s North America Construction insurance business is teaming up with Red Angle, producer of construction and safety materials in Spanish.

“Communication can be a weak point in even some of the best risk management programs, and that’s not even when a second language is at issue,” said Brian Poliafico, XL Group’s Construction Risk Engineering Team Leader. “No matter how many years of Spanish we might have had, we more than likely did not learn the translation of terms that are specific and unique to the construction industry. Through Red Angle’s services, we are helping our clients deliver safety messages effectively, in Spanish, so that nothing about these lessons is lost in translation.”

Red Angle provides Spanish lessons that are all content relevant and specific to the construction industry. Two available modules, “Construction Spanish” and “Safety Spanish,” convey industry-specific Spanish lessons in short, 8-minute videos delivered every day for six weeks along with additional reference materials.

Training may reduce injury rate

According to Bradley Hartmann, president of Red Angle, “In an industry that already has a high injury rate, there is no room for ineffective communication. Nationally Hispanics are disproportionately more likely to be injured or killed on the job. Plus, given the growing economy, many contractors are seeing a benefit in improving their language skills. They are leveraging Spanish skills to help retain their skilled Latino workers amidst a labor shortage.”

“Red Angle’s lessons do not take up much time day-to-day but deliver a lot of long term value,” said XL Group’s Poliafico. “We’re excited to offer our clients access to tools like Red Angle’s ‘Construction Spanish’ and ‘Safety Spanish.’ Effective communication is such an integral part of effective risk management and we want to make sure everyone goes home.”

Red Angle’s videos are available via on-demand delivery through laptop, tablet and smartphone. To learn more, visit redanglespanish.com

If you’re a contractor or subcontractor in the construction industry, you also should speak with your broker about adding safety training in Spanish and the possible effect on your premiums.

Special Reports /

XL Group and Red Angle partner to help contractors manage risk with Spanish safety lessons

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