Emergency Contact Form

Question

Hello, everyone!

Sometimes my job requires me to help Spanish-speaking new hires fill out their "New Hire Paperwork". One such form that employees must fill out is an "Emergency Contact Form". The employee must write down the name & phone number of someone the office can contact just in case there is an emergency (the employee becomes injured on the job, gets sick on the job, there is a natural disaster, etc.).

Anyway, all I need is someone to proofread what I have been saying to the employees while explaining the form to them. They are always able to understand me, but I know that grammatically speaking, this must be a mess:

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• This is an emergency contact form for the office to use in case something were to happen to you on the job, such as an injury or illness. Please fill in the name and phone number of the person you would like the office to contact on your behalf in case this were to happen.
• Este formulario contiene información de contacto en caso de emergencia que se puede usar la oficina si algo pase con usted mientras está trabajando, como, por ejemplo, una enfermedad o una herida. Por favor, escriba el nombre y número de teléfono de la persona que la oficina debe contactar si eso ocurriera.

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Thank you in advance for your corrections to my sentences. I appreciate it. =]

Alyssa

Answer 1

Alyssa, I presume you work in the personel office of a company. In your particular sentence structure I would not use indicative with referrence to the actions of possible emergency because to do so creates a nuance that an emergency is going to happen, so for this part I would use subjunctive and conditional:

Este formulario contiene información de contacto en caso de emergencia que puede usar la oficina si algo le pasara mientras trabajando, así por ejemplo, una enfermedad o una herida. Favor de escribir el nombre y el número telefónico de la persona con quien la oficina debería ponerse en contacto si tal ocurriera.

Perfect, exactly what I was looking for. Thank you so much!! - AlyssaLTerry, Jan 14, 2014

Answer 2

Si fuera ocurir - If it were to occur.

Si eso fuera ocurrir - if that were to occur.

That is what I have heard said from native Spanish speakers when they want to say "if it were to".

mientras esté

Mientras is a conjunction of time that requires the subjunctive.

Hopefully a native speaker with good grammar skills will proofread it.

It seems perfectly understandable to me.

Gracias Denny!! - AlyssaLTerry, Jan 14, 2014

Answer 3

I believe that "si eso ocurriera" can be changed to just "si eso ocurre."

I know that "if this happens" also works, but I'm hoping to learn how to say "if this were to happen". Any ideas? Thank you! =] - AlyssaLTerry, Jan 14, 2014