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Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 11:14 am
by Thehandmadegarden
I just read this
Is the answer to this not bloody obvious, other than do every bit of H&S related; sign, method statement, COSH assessment, risk assessment....and on and on. In every possible language imaginable.
I find not being able to speak basic English to be a major risk factor, but some sites laugh it off to get the cheaper bods in.
Edited By Thehandmadegarden on 1353323722
Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 11:28 am
by lutonlagerlout
my mate emigrated to holland
for his first 3 years he had to show an increased understanding of written and spoken dutch
if he failed this he had to leave the country
a simple system that works
too many polish and other european immigrants keep themselves to themselves and often the mums and dads cannot speak or read any english
the kids pick it up very quickly at school
but my daughter has friends who look and sound to all intents and purposes english but their parents can barely utter a word
LLL
Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2012 10:40 am
by Tony McC
For me, the key sentence is...
"Mr Kosmacz ..... was unable to understand safety warning signs."
...in my book, that renders him unemployable. I only want employees able to follow instruction. If I have an employee of whatever nationality who cannot rerad instruction or follow basic procedure, then that person is of no use to me and is a liability to fellow employees.
It's all well and good providing safety signs in all sorts of languages, but it can't and shouldn't be compulsory: there are just too many languages to cover. We have four recognised languages in Britain (English, Welsh, Irish Gaeilge and Sottish GÃ idhlig) not to mention others such as Lowland Scots, Manx and Cornish, plus dialects from all parts. There are 23 offical languages in the EU, and then we have significant Asian and African populations in Britain.
FFS! If we had signs to cover every language, there'd be no bloody space to do any actual building work as the entire site would be taken up with signage!
It's not fair to lay all responsibility on the employer. The employee has a responsibility too, and for me, the ability to communicate and follow instruction in the main tongue of the nation in which work is undertaken is paramount. If a worker can't communicate, then they can't be employed.