How Supporting English Learning Improves Safety and Business Outcomes

This page explains why local employers should support the Portage County Literacy Council in Stevens Point, WI. Investing in English language learning for non-English-speaking employees reduces safety risk, lowers costs, and strengthens the local workforce.

Fewer Injuries and Fatalities

Immigrant workers face a fatality rate nearly 50% higher than other workers, largely due to language barriers. Improving language access and communication reduces misunderstanding of hazards and procedures, lowering injury and fatality risk.

Source: NIOSH – Safety & the Diverse Workforce

Lower Costs and Improved Productivity

Workplace injuries cost U.S. businesses billions annually; reducing language barriers directly lowers these costs. Fewer accidents mean savings on workers’ compensation, reduced downtime, and fewer productivity losses. Better communication improves task accuracy and throughput.

Source: NIOSH – Economic Burden of Injuries

Stronger Compliance and Lower Legal Risk

OSHA requires safety training to be understandable to all employees, making language access a legal necessity. Training and safety information that employees actually understand reduces the chance of OSHA citations and demonstrates employer due diligence.

Source: OSHA Spanish Training Resources

Demonstrable Impact from Native-Language Training

Evaluations show that safety awareness and use of protective measures increase dramatically when training is provided in workers’ native languages. After receiving safety training in their native language, workers’ understanding of Safety Data Sheets (SDS) jumped from 2% to 93%.

Sources: CDC NIOSH Blog, CPWR – Training Research

Why Support the Portage County Literacy Council?

Supporting the Portage County Literacy Council helps local businesses by:

• Reducing workplace risk through improved worker comprehension of safety practices.
• Building a more reliable, skilled local labor pool—helpful for hiring and retention.
• Demonstrating corporate responsibility and strengthening community relationships.
• Generating measurable returns via lower injury-related costs and improved productivity.
• Tax-Deductible Contributions: The Portage County Literacy Council is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax-deductible.