New Mexico partners with Mexican Consulate to help Spanish-speaking workers

Santa Fe, NM – The New Mexico Occupational Health & Safety Bureau has teamed up with the Consulate of Mexico to provide the state’s Spanish-speaking employees with workplace safety training.

The alliance, which was made official Aug. 21, is intended to provide workers with education and training resources in Spanish that will cover topics such as workers’ rights and OSHA standards. New Mexico Environment Department Secretary Ryan Flynn and Consulate of Mexico Mauricio Ibarra Ponce de Leon signed the two-year agreement.

As part of the pact, both parties vowed to promote safety and health during speeches and appearances at one another’s outreach events. Thirty-six percent of New Mexico’s population speaks a language other than English at home, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau “QuickFacts” survey.

“All workers in New Mexico deserve a safe environment to perform their duties,” Flynn said in a press release. “This first-of-its-kind agreement will allow our Occupational Health & Safety Bureau to offer information and training through the Consulate of Mexico. I’m pleased we can provide opportunities through this agreement that could potentially save lives.”