How to ensure the safety of all your workforce, including those employees who are not native English language speakers, during the Covid-19 pandemic

The UK Government has and continues to issue guidelines to help employers, employees and the self-employed understand how to work safely during the coronavirus pandemic. Whether your business operates a fleet of vehicles, runs a warehouse or a factory or represents a construction sector, there are different guidelines designed to keep your workforce safe. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires employers to take reasonable steps to look after their employees whilst at work. This responsibility must be taken seriously and during the COVID-19 pandemic employers should follow the government guidelines set out to protect people in an environment which is changing daily. To achieve this, the employees must be advised of the precautions they must take to help reduce the spread of the infection and, where possible, given reasonable resources required to do this. To comply with this requirement, many businesses produce several documents and notices or specific Health and Safety training for their employees. Understandably, these are produced in English. But what if your employees are not fluent in English or unable to read it that language? Translation would solve the problem.

Why translate Covid-19 information for your employees?

·      Translation ensures that all employees understand the risks.

·      Translation ensures that all employees understand the rules.

·      Translation ensures that all employees are treated equally.

·    Translation ensures that the risk of spreading the disease in the workplace  is reduced, thus benefitting the entire workforce.

·    Translation ensures compliance with the law, i.e. it would constitute taking reasonable steps   to look after all the employees whilst at work.

What type of documents could you get translated?

·      Covid-19 Safety Policy

·      Covid-19 Risk Assessment

·      Covid-19 Method Statement

·      Covid-19 Employee Health Declaration

·      Covid-19 Notices for Employees

·      Covid-19 Safety Presentation Slides

·      Any Other Covid-19 Training Materials

Can I use a free online translation tool?

Not advisable! The limitations of computer-generated translations are widely known. The raw computer output is often inaccurate, inarticulate, and sometimes simply incomprehensible. Languages belong to language families and some are more similar than others. In my experience, the less the languages are related in their language family tree, the worse machine translation output is. If a UK business wants to translate an English sentence into Polish, a computer-generated translation is likely to be poor, because English belongs to the Germanic family of languages and Polish belongs to the Slavic family governed by different grammatical rules. To ensure a professional image and complete understanding of the message you want to convey, use the services of a human translator!

Points to be aware of when getting documents translated: -

·   Typography varies from language to language so for printed notices the text might be     adjusted by the professional translator to comply with their language norms.

·   An inquisitive translator is the best translator – translators read source texts very carefully before translating it to ensure complete understanding. Sometimes they find typos, inconsistencies, or unclear wording. They might ask for clarification or further information, which could benefit the original text as well as result in a clear, accurate translation.

· Bilingual employees are not translators. A bilingual foreign employee working on a factory floor is as qualified to translate a method statement or a new safety policy presentation as a native factory worker is to write one. HR Specialists and Health and Safety Officers produce documentation for the company workforce and the same level of skill and competency is required for the translation. People who can communicate in two languages do not necessarily possess the ability to convey the information in writing, but translators are equipped with skills, experience, knowledge and training to provide texts with appropriate style and terminology.

How to arrange a translation: -

·   Find a translator directly online! It is cheaper to hire a translator directly than through a translation company, who will charge up to 100% mark up on top of the translator fee. Many translators have their own websites and social media presence. Professional translators in the UK carry MITI or MCIL designations, which signify they are qualified members of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting and/or of the Chartered Institute of Linguists. Affiliation to a professional organisation denotes adherence to highest professional standards. Both institutions provide a free search facility in their online directory of members. You should also consider reviewing client testimonials on individual translator websites and recommendations on their LinkedIn profile. Most translators will be happy to provide references on request.

·   Documents for translation can be emailed to a chosen translator in any format. Most translators use software to convert the files if necessary or use translation tools working in different formats.

·  Quotation and timescale are provided upon receipt of the files for translation. It is important for the translator to be able to see the documents beforehand to assess their own suitability for the project and time required to complete the task. It also guarantees accurate and exact pricing.

·   The translation is timely delivered and accompanied by an invoice on the agreed terms; usually 30 days.

The process of getting essential HR and H&S documents translated is relatively pain free. Choosing the right translator is the most time-consuming element of the whole process. However, this is the time well invested, as with any good suppliers, once they provide you with a good service, you are likely to want to use them again thus establishing a long-term cooperation. I have collaborated with some of my business clients for over 10 years now, encouraging them to approach me with various language requirements, enquiries or even requests for a simple advice on a regular basis. I have translated documentation, interpreted in disciplinary or grievance meetings in person or over the phone and even provided some tailored language training for their foreign staff to help improve communication in the company. If you employ Polish staff and need any help with getting your Covid-19 safety message across, please feel free to email me agata@thelinguist.co.uk.