Posted By Homer I am sure this has been asked many a time but how have sites managed the conveying of safety information to non English speaking migrant workers. We have a legal duty to ensure conveyance and understanding but struggling to find a sensible solution with the exception of multi-lingual induction DVD's

Posted By Chris Harrison there is some reasonable guidance available from the House Builders Federation. I personally have not found this to be an issue on any of my 16 sites but I have heard of many a horror story from collegues working in and around the London area. apart from translators as mitch suggested the only other alternative as the HBF have recommended is that if a translator is not available then the more hazardous occupations are banned from non English speaking people. although I did try last year using pictogram's to get the meaning across to some french speaking construction students who we had come and visit us for 2 weeks on an exchange. it only worked with some things, and was not as easy as I had hoped. the reality is sites don't use them and certainly our site managers turn them away at the site induction stage if they turn up unannounced and get other workers in. its not legal but I am afraid to say that until challenged in court, safety takes paramount to being PC.

Posted By Glyn Atkinson Please also bear in mind that it's not just the instructions that you are giving out for them to understand - it can be also understanding of the actual principles behind H&S that migrant workers cannot comprehend as it is totally different working condition in their home countries! Try explaining "duty of care", and "safe manual handling techniques" to people who are used to being sacked on the spot if they do not comply with any (not reasonable ) request from their boss!