Morning Raywood21766 This is a very timely question see the following article about language in the workplace. We offer different translations as an organisation although I would steer clear of Google translate it can end up with hilarious or embarrassing outcomes... http://www.safetynetwork...p;utm_source=twitterfeed Also ask the persons involved, if they can't understand HS requirements can they understand the processes in your organisation? We have good relationships with the recruiting agencies and this goes a long way, if you are reciting direct then get your HR department in on the act asking them how they over come the recruitment process if the persons can understand the application form!! Hope this helps and good luck. Jo

I have fallen foul using google translate on my first trip years ago...manual handling turned out to be more personal than expected!! It did break the ice tho'... :) Looking at it from another point of view...I am currently working in a country and I don't have fluent command of the country language...for medical emergencies I have authorised translation cards (36 from NHS/Red Cross) so that I can take a patient history...if anyone wants a copy for their first aiders then give me a shout/pm.. For safety the hardest bit is to ensure understanding...of the safety rules.. I have used simultaneous translators when doing training and for the basics I have used the HSE translations the link is below...they aren't brilliant at moving safety forward but they give the basic messages... I have always managed to ensure that the guys on the ground give me the basics to be able to challenge behaviours..(only place I couldn't do that was South Africa 11 different languages and Zulu just blew my mind!.) If we just hide behind the fact that English is the first language it is a little like sticking your fingers in your ears/head in the sand...it won't help. I'm not saying learn every language...I haven't but we live in a multilingual work environment (well at least I do...I work next to German, Dutch, Danish, Romanian, Polish and English (being a Scot I call them foreign workers :))...I have to not only provide safety oversight...but medical response and when you are in pain..you revert to mother tongue!. I was being inducted onto a UK construction site a few weeks ago and was able to challenge the Polish supervisor who was telling his guys the answers to the tests (which is a point you have to watch with translators putting their spin on your message) . In my experience if you go half way to learn some of their language…they come the other half. For me it shows respect and also helps to ensure you get the message across…it is the same in English really…we have to use the correct phrases or pieces of language to get the right message across.

Learning a language is grand if you only have to learn one. The site I referred to above was a construction site, with an Indian concrete gang, a Turkish kitcken fitter, Chineese window fitters, Polish and Romanian workers to name but a few!

The grammar in my post is frankly awful, which is perhaps more embarrassing given that English is my Native language, followed by something which barely 75,000 people in the UK speak, though ironically is more indigenous to these Isles than the romantically Germanic tongue of English. This language bears little relation to my surname which is from one of those countries stated in the above thread, as no doubt my family are as well.

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