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ZSU controller voiced concern regarding frequent use of spanish in the control environment limiting non spanish speaking controllers from understanding in house coordination; noting the environment is unsafe.

Narrative:

I am using this report to inform about a situation which I consider unsafe. I work at san juan approach control. The majority of the personnel are hispanic. It is routine here for the personnel to speak spanish in the control room. I have brought this up many times and have been told many things from the controllers and from management. I have been told to go learn spanish. The radio transmissions and the land lines are in english. Offline communication in the control room is in spanish. Tonight I am working the R7/R3 sector and we are IFR. The R1 and R5 sector are speaking to each other in spanish. It is routine daily. I was trained in the FAA to have situational awareness. I listen to what goes on around me; but I can not understand because of the language. I consider this to be an unsafe situation and not an environment to promote teamwork. I also believe I have the right to work in a workplace and to have access to all information as any other employee. They may be discussing a particular procedure; LOA; etc. Spanish is also used when talking to a trainee. Therefore I cannot understand what is being said. I request the FAA to make a policy of english only in the control room. I believe this should be an english zone; my workplace. Recommendation; I suggest an all english zone in the control room. English is required to become an air traffic controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZSU controller voiced concern regarding frequent use of Spanish in the control environment limiting non Spanish speaking controllers from understanding in house coordination; noting the environment is unsafe.

Narrative: I am using this report to inform about a situation which I consider unsafe. I work at San Juan Approach Control. The majority of the personnel are Hispanic. It is routine here for the personnel to speak Spanish in the control room. I have brought this up many times and have been told many things from the controllers and from management. I have been told to go learn Spanish. The radio transmissions and the land lines are in English. Offline communication in the control room is in Spanish. Tonight I am working the R7/R3 Sector and we are IFR. The R1 and R5 Sector are speaking to each other in Spanish. It is routine daily. I was trained in the FAA to have situational awareness. I listen to what goes on around me; but I can not understand because of the language. I consider this to be an unsafe situation and not an environment to promote teamwork. I also believe I have the right to work in a workplace and to have access to all information as any other employee. They may be discussing a particular procedure; LOA; etc. Spanish is also used when talking to a trainee. Therefore I cannot understand what is being said. I request the FAA to make a policy of English Only in the Control Room. I believe this should be an English Zone; my workplace. Recommendation; I suggest an ALL English Zone in the Control Room. English is required to become an Air Traffic Controller.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.