At one of our meeting we where disusing MSDS and I won't go into what a joke it was that no one knew what it was other then a few of us supers. Well it was brought up that we have a lot of guys that don't speak or read English sometime no one on the job can... So the safety guy looks into it and there are none anywhere. Mexico doesn't require them (big surprise) and translating them is out of the question per our lawyer. This kind of pisses me off. I'm all for if you come to this country you need to learn English, but what a joke. I can't drive down the road or go to a store with seeing things I can't read because its in Spanish. Yet no one has thought of this yet? Rant over ointhead
http://www.wd40.es/Files/pdf/WD-40_Aerosol_Espana.pdf Now you have two separate volumes of MSDS. Then you hire someone else with limited English, why isn't there a Czech book, or one in the 200 other plus languages. They have taken your company truck away from you, You now have an Auction Hunters bread truck to drive to the job site, Your own personal rolling library of the worlds' languages of MSDS I don't like the multi language labeling, why? One they print it in 2 or 3 languages in the same amount of space. What if you eyes catch this word as you read a label "ONCE" . what does that mean. 1 or 11... maybe a spanish speaking person has a limited reading ability. So then he ingests a fatal dose of medication because of a dual label. Like the movie says " English Dude English "
I would gladly carry another volume if it kept me or one of my guys from getting killed or disabled. I guess that is the next question is does a MSDS actually save lives or are they just an other overreaching gov mandate? Personaly I have never cracked the book open other them for ****s and giggles. However I grew up with most of these chemicals and ain't the dullest tool in the shed. Its not a matter of HAVING to carry a Library of the Worlds Languages of MSDS, but it would be nice if they where available if you decide it necessary. I guess that cost more $$$ and saving that $$$ is the reason the company hired someone that doesn't speak English in the first place.
Why people hire non English speaking workers.Most are illegal and work cheap.I was working for a contractor doing work for a power company.We had to go and take their safety course and it was in english only.Wellpart on the crew was Spanish speakers only.Deal was for safety reasons and to get on the job you had to know English.Well a few bent rules later they was on the job.Like the MSDS why have it if the whole crew can not understand English.To me it's very unsafe.
We got new ones at work the first of the year. The spanish one is still in plastic. I'll post the info on it tomorrow night.
Accidents happen, if I got sprayed in the face with a chemical and everyone around me only speaks spanish, I would hope there would be a spanish MSDS sheet
without having a discussion about illegal immigration i feel it is important to provide both. all of our osha, msha and msds is all in english and spanish. the trainig videos are good because we watch them in english then the guy's that don't speak %100 take them home and watch in spanish. i too feel the same as most. even with the great recession i have not found any new help that just blow me off my feet. i am happy with my guy's and they have to attend english class to reading and writing as well as everyday communication. i do feel it is time for a new deal on immigration- so maybe we can star a thread on that in t.g.i.f or wherever regards,cd
It odd our safety guy said they don't make them so I took his word for it. A quick search shows me they're out there. Maybe they're not recognized under some thing that we can't use them or maybe they cost to much..... Oh well I guess this was a wast of bandwidth.
I think your Safety guy was either too lazy to go look or ignorant of the fact that Spanish MSDS exist. Either option is bad for you. I'm gonna have a wild stab here that he does not speak Spanish himself, right..? We are 100% Spanish-speaking where I am right now. Never had a problem obtaining MSDS in Spanish. In fact it's a requirement on all our Purchase Orders for Spanish MSDS to accompany each shipment. If I'm ever looking for a specific Spanish MSDS I can usually find it on the internet or ask the supplier. If you look on the internet check if the supplier has an operation in South America, because everything for that market will be in Spanish. Downloads are usually Adobe pdf files so cost nothing, and if they are the genuine deal direct from the web site of the product manufacturer then how can they not be recognized..?
I'm pretty disappointed and I'll leave it at that.
1910.1200(f)(9) The employer shall ensure that labels or other forms of warning are legible, in English, and prominently displayed on the container, or readily available in the work area throughout each work shift. Employers having employees who speak other languages may add the information in their language to the material presented, as long as the information is presented in English as well.
May being the key word there and they decided not to...
our safety guy just told me today that there is a new OSHA rule. It is called Global Harmonization. Now everything will have to have to have symbols that will be recognized around the world. so it will be easier for everyone to know the hazards. I wonder how much money this will cost companies to come into compliance.
"The GHS itself is not a regulation or a standard. The GHS Document (referred to as "The Purple Book", shown in Figure 1.1) establishes agreed hazard classification and communication provisions with explanatory information on how to apply the system." From a the quick glance it appears to be the Placards you see on trucks and the product. I think the Red, Blue, Yellow and White MSDS labels due a good job of identifying a hazard. The use of symbols of PPE would identify the required PPE.
I wish they would just pick one standard and stick with it. I'm getting tired of have to test out on new labels and placards all the time. I just learn one then they change it.
I hear you, man. The last thing anybody needs is to be ill-prepared in the case of an accident - I would at least want the non-english speakers around me to have a basic enough understanding of english to be able to read off the MSDS sheet to me or someone else. But I'm pretty sure, there wouldn't be a problem with obtaining a spanish MSDS, maybe it's the rewrite that's the issue.
A very interesting thread. To add perhaps some controversy to the thread, here are my experiences. I work in a workplace in Non English speaking country. However there is a Company Policy, All training and Induction is done in English. Communication and instruction is done in English Even two Way Radio communication between Company vehicles. All done as a common langauge for reasons of Safety and Efficiency. There has never been a problem with this, It is Company Site Policy Like it or leave it. It appears from what I have read here is that the minority are too lazy to learn English, so the rest of you have to bend to thier wishes. Take the lead, Use the same principles that are being applied here in Asia. No English - No Job. We have no problem either recruiting or keeping local staff. Who by the way are great workers. Nor to other large scale Multi National Companies working here and use the same Policy Now that should rekindle the thread
For Spanish MSDS to accompany each shipment, the Search Engine can play a vital role-- Msds database