GLASGOW —
In the past two decades, mortality rates due to accidents have decreased 20 percent in the general workforce population, according to Juan Gutierrez, Western Kentucky University health program specialist, but the number of deaths for Latino workers increased by 76 percent during that same time period.
Gutierrez, who also works for T.J. Samson Community Hospital and developed and implemented the interpreting program there, cited an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigation that tied at least 25 percent of workplace injuries in the Latino population to language/communication barriers.
Out of concern for these alarming statistics, area health and educational agencies wanted to find a way to address the issue.
“I was finishing my master’s in Public Health and I needed a project for my internship,” Gutierrez said. “The (local) health department was concerned about workplace accidents among Latinos and wanted to do something about it. I jumped right into the idea. I collected information from T.J. Samson Community Hospital ... and found the majority of injuries were low severity, high frequency such as crushed fingers, limb injuries, amputations, falls, ergonomic injuries, car accidents.”
When he contacted OSHA, he found this was a “widespread problem” and much of it could be attributed to the workers not fully understanding how to do their jobs safely.
The result was the implementation of a Latin Safety and Health Fair that will take place Saturday from 1 to 6 p.m. at Glasgow Bible Church.
Workers will be able to get tips, recommendations and free advice on how to avoid injuries on and off the job from professionals in various fields.
“This fair will be the first time in Glasgow where you have a specifically Latino focus,” Gutierrez said.
The event is a collaborative partnership between the Barren River District Health Department and South Central Kentucky Area Health Education Center, a federal program housed at WKU, and several other community stakeholders including state agencies and pastors from different denominations of local churches.
A state-of-the-art mobile training unit from the Kentucky Labor Cabinet named KYOSH IMPACT and a Latino outreach coordinator will be on hand as well as WKU Spanish-speaking students to aid in the training process.
Gutierrez wants to create a more stable, continuous training program for local Latino employees and migrant workers who come to the area because of agriculture.
“Many times they are exposed to non-existent or incomplete training (because of the language barrier) and are more at risk of suffering an accident,” he said.
Gutierrez said he is unsure what kind of attendance to expect for the first-time event because of the complex conditions surrounding the issue such as work schedules and immigration status.
“It’s very difficult to foresee what the turnout will be. We are expecting, based on previous events, 50-130 people,” he said.
Along with the other services available, there will also be gifts, door prizes and free educational materials.\
Information
For more information, contact Juan Gutierrez at (270) 659-3362 or e-mail juan.gutierrez@wku.edu.
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