US Department of Labor, Mexican Consulate in Dallas sign alliance to protect safety, health of Spanish-speaking workers

Participants:  U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational    

Safety and Health Administration

Mexican Consulate, Dallas, Texas        

Alliance description: On June 14, 2023, OSHA’s area offices in Dallas and Fort Worth and the Dallas Mexican Consulate entered into a two-year alliance to provide Spanish-speaking employers and workers in North Texas with information, guidance and access to workers’ rights resources.                                                                               

The alliance provides workplace safety and health outreach and training materials to the area’s Mexican nationals, including construction and general industry employees and employers, providing information, guidance and training resources that will help protect the health and safety of workers. The alliance is also focused on helping employers understand worker rights and their responsibilities under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Background: OSHA’s Alliance Program works with groups committed to worker safety and health to prevent workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses. These groups include unions, consulates, trade or professional organizations, businesses, faith- and community-based organizations, and educational institutions. OSHA and the groups work together to develop compliance assistance tools and resources, share information with workers and employers and educate workers and employers about their rights and responsibilities.

Quote: “OSHA’s alliance with the Mexican Consulate in Dallas will prevent many Spanish-speaking people working in North Texas from needless injuries or worse,” explained OSHA Area Director Basil Singh in Dallas. “Every U.S. worker, regardless of their immigration status, has the right to a safe workplace and to receive information in their own language.”

“Working with the Mexican Consulate in Dallas will help us reach out to many workers who we might not otherwise have access to,” explained OSHA Area Timothy Minor in Fort Worth, Texas. “By breaking down the language barrier, we can help these workers understand the rights to be protected from needless harm.”