The Language of Safety: Why True Communication Saves Lives

This conversation really opened my eyes, and I’ve spent my whole career talking about safety.

On the latest episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sat down with Monique Lewis, Founder and CEO of Next 2 Native Language Learning, to talk about something that doesn’t always make it into our toolbox talks or compliance audits: language access.

Because if your people can’t understand what keeps them safe, no checklist or training certificate in the world can protect them.

And that’s exactly what Monique helps us unpack: how language barriers can literally mean the difference between life and death, and what we can do as safety leaders to close those gaps once and for all.

When Miscommunication Turns Deadly

Monique shared a story that hit me hard. A fatality investigation revealed that a tragic construction site accident occurred because someone misheard “fourteen feet” as “forty feet.”

Just pause and think about that.

That’s not a missed email or a misplaced form. That’s a human life, gone because of a communication breakdown, in a high-risk and high-noise environment.

As Monique put it, language isn’t just about words. It’s about dignity, belonging, and trust. When workers can’t clearly express concerns or understand warnings, they’re operating in constant uncertainty.

And on a loud, chaotic job site, uncertainty is deadly.

We talk a lot about hazard controls and engineering solutions, and those matter. But this episode is a reminder that one of the most powerful safety tools we have is our ability to communicate clearly across languages.

Beyond Translation: Understanding the Preliterate Worker

Now, here’s where it gets even more interesting and challenging.

Most companies think, “We’ve translated our safety manuals into Spanish, we’re good.”

But Monique explained that translation alone doesn’t cut it, because many workers are preliterate in their native languages. That means even if you hand them a perfectly translated document, it might not mean anything. Since their world is based on verbal-to-verbal communication.

Let that sink in.

These are people who are highly skilled, deeply experienced, and critical to our workforce, but who may have had limited access to formal education growing up. They can operate machinery, pour concrete, or climb scaffolds with incredible precision, but a written paragraph about fall protection? That’s not their learning style.

So, Monique challenges us to rethink how we communicate safety entirely.

We need to go beyond words, to visuals, demonstrations, peer-led conversations, and culturally grounded learning models.

Because if the goal is true understanding, then our safety systems have to meet people where they are, not where our manuals expect them to be.

The Danger of the “Thumbs Up”

If you’ve ever been on a busy job site, you’ve seen it: you give instructions, the worker nods or gives a thumbs-up, and you move on.

Monique told a story about a worker who did exactly that, nodded along during English-only training, then moments later performed a task in a completely unsafe way.

That “thumbs up” wasn’t understanding; it was survival.

Non-native speakers often fear losing their jobs if they admit they didn’t understand something. And as leaders, we sometimes mistake politeness for comprehension. That’s where we have to take ownership.

We can’t rely on gestures and assumptions to verify training. We need interactive, scenario-based assessments, teach-backs, and safe spaces for workers to say, “I don’t get it yet.” Because pretending to understand safety is more dangerous than admitting confusion.

If we’re serious about creating a culture of safety, then our people need to feel safe asking questions, in any language.

Language Access as a Business Strategy

Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room, the cost.

Whenever language access comes up, someone says, “It’s too expensive.”

Monique flips that idea on its head. The real cost isn’t in providing language access, it’s in not providing it.

Here’s the truth: every time a company neglects language training, skips interpretation at safety briefings, or assumes “someone will translate later,” they’re creating liability, legal, financial, and moral.

And when something goes wrong, OSHA doesn’t care whether that worker was a subcontractor or full-time staff. The responsibility always traces back to the company overseeing the site.

That’s why Monique positions language access as not just an ethical choice, but a smart business decision.

Companies that invest in multilingual safety programs see:

• Higher retention — because workers feel valued and understood.
  
  
• Lower incident rates — because everyone’s truly on the same page.
  
  
• Stronger reputation — because inclusive safety practices signal leadership and care.
  
  

In Monique’s words, “When you upskill workers in language, safety, and belonging, where are they going? I wouldn’t go anywhere.”

That’s loyalty. That’s culture. That’s business sense rooted in human sense.

From Compliance to Communication

Too often, language access gets lumped into compliance checklists.

Did we translate the safety posters?
Did we provide an interpreter at orientation?

But Monique pushes us to go deeper, to see language as the foundation of psychological safety. Because safety isn’t just about hard hats and harnesses. It’s about being seen and heard. It’s about giving every worker, no matter their background or literacy level, the tools to protect themselves and their team.

When we reduce communication to translation, we lose the heart of what safety really means: connection, clarity, and care.

The Takeaway: Communication Is the Ultimate PPE

If there’s one thing I hope everyone takes from this episode, it’s this:

Safety communication isn’t a side task; it’s the job.

It’s what keeps your crew coming home at night. It’s what builds trust in teams. And it’s what separates a culture of compliance from a culture of care. Language access isn’t about political correctness or paperwork; it’s about protecting people.

So, next time you walk a job site, ask yourself:

• Do my workers truly understand the safety briefing?
  
  
• Do they feel safe admitting confusion?
  
  
• Have I created an environment where communication flows in every direction?
  
  

Because that’s where real safety leadership starts.

Why This Matters Now

In a world where workforces are more diverse than ever, our ability to speak each other’s language,  literally and figuratively, defines our future.

We can build smarter systems, stronger frameworks, and safer sites. But until every worker has the language tools to protect themselves and their peers, we’re not done yet.

And that’s what I love about Monique’s work. It’s not just about teaching words, it’s about building bridges. Between people, between cultures, and between understanding and action.

This episode reminded me that every “lost in translation” moment is an opportunity to save a life.

👉 Tune in to the full conversation with Monique Lewis, CEO of Next to Native Language Learning, on The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management.

🎧 Listen now:
Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3JFUSRq

Spotify: https://bit.ly/3LN5jTS

YouTube: https://youtu.be/GoGVmyO3IWA