Seth Sandler, CEO of Florida-based Superior Skilled Trades, which helps contractors staff projects, said many of his construction firm clients don’t employ non-English speakers because of safety concerns. Communication about a potential jobsite hazard needs to happen in the moment, he said, and a language barrier prevents that quick exchange of information.
An alternative is to to also employ bilingual workers who can provide translation between English-speaking and non-English-speaking workers on sites. “It’s almost a necessity to have bilingual people today in the construction industry,” Sandler told Construction Dive.
