Language and education can become barriers to workers’ participation.

Leaders have to remove barriers to participation. Workers must feel their opinions and concerns are valuable to participate meaningfully in the program. Participation will be disturbed if factors like language, education, and skill levels are not considered or if workers face the fear of retaliation or discrimination for speaking up. To remove barriers: • Ensure workers from all levels can participate, regardless of skill level, education, or language; • Regularly provide feedback to show employees their concerns are heard and addressed; • Allow enough time and resources to make worker participation easier; • Ensure that the program protects workers from retaliation for reporting hazards, participating in the program, or exercising their rights; • Post the 11(c) fact sheet in the workplace or make it available for easy access by workers: https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/OSHA3812.pdf Source: OSHA, 2016. Photo by vectorjuice on freepik