Ep. 6 - Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Workers

Join host Lish Fejer with regular guest, Work Health and Safety Commissioner Jacqueline Agius, in this episode of The Safety Spotlight as they talk to Siti Mustaffa, the former Co-President of the ACT Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction, about how cultural and linguistic diversity impacts workplaces. This episode delves into the specific workplace health and safety challenges faced by culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) workers, covering language barriers, training gaps, cultural differences, and the overrepresentation of CALD workers in high-risk job sectors like construction and cleaning. Lish, Jacqui and Siti highlight the importance of face-to-face interactions, practical demonstrations, and integration of safety information in multiple languages, as well as stress the impact of microaggressions and the need for health and safety representatives to advocate for CALD workers in the workplace. 

Chapters

• 0:58 Intro To Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Workers
• 2:48 Safety Risks that CALD Workers Face
• 8:33 Facing Discrimination in the Workforce
• 12:03 The Challenge of Language Barriers on the Job
• 16:55 Risky Communication Breakdown on a Worksite
• 21:09 The ACT's Diverse Workforce
• 25:38 Work Health and Safety Case Studies
• 30:54 Research Data on Microaggressions in Construction
• 35:52 Strategies and Policies to Improve Workplaces for CALD employees
• 46:24 Where to Find Further Information