Fairly sure this query has been asked before but looking if there has been any recent movement on how to deal with the issue when a worker, such as delivery driver or contractor, arrives on site having almost no understanding of either written or spoken English.

Aware we can try to address this using signage with pictograms etc but this has a VERY limited scope. I've seen on a number of occasions when a driver or similar has been given directions of where to offload on site, he nods in agreement or just shrugs his shoulders, then proceeds to drive in the opposite direction.

Mayor of London had been trying to resolve similar issues with cabbies by implementing english tests for all cab drivers as part of them maintaining a valid licence.  CSCS done away with the foreign language HS&E study books. THe number of foreign language signs on sites these days is minimal but the problem still exists.

Its wholly impractical for a company to have someone in place as an interpreter to cover every variant of language if the persons 2nd or 3rd language isn't english.

Grateful for any positive advice on this topic or pointers to where its been raised before. Search engine not coming up with any results.

Thanks in advance

KevinM

Hi Kate,

I think I know what you are referring to but havent seen this for a long time and the trouble is it had very limited applications. I've mentioned drivers but also relevant to any worker coming on to a construction site which is currently heavy with migrant workers. WE remain responsible for their safety as soon as they step through the gate but trying to cover inductions, tool box talks, explaining method statements etc all become almost impossible due to the technical content in most of the documentation. We have no real way of knowing they understand the content. We do have a few Polish workers, who to be fair on them, most have a reasonably good grasp of English and those who are better, help to translate but we can get drivers etc form suppliers arriving from anywhere in the EU.

Most of the free online translation services are pretty good these days (or at least much better than they once were).  Shouldn't cost too much to copy and paste your site rules into one of these (for the most relevant languages you're likely to encounter), then laminate and file the resulting translation.  When drivers come on to site, establish their 1st language, pull out the relevant card et viola (..see it's working already)   :-)

Edited by user 03 August 2018 14:38:58(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

The guide Kate was referring to came via the Chemical Industries:

http://www.transperanto.org/

They do a flip book with all major languages or you can do your own version to suit site activity and anticipated languages

Fully agree a lot of common on-line translation tools can be poor.

This is why the Europen Chemical Industry came together to deliver a consistent well translated message for drivers of all languages delivering potentially very hazardous materials throughout Europe.

I agree, online translations are terrible.  My other language is Latin and I have seen some alleged Latin sentences arrived at through online translation that just make no sense at all, although I can see how they have gone wrong.  There's no reason to think modern languages would be translated any better.

Viola / Voila - Not the fault of any on-line translator, purely down to me and my ham-fistedness I'm afraid.

At least I can laugh at my own stupidity....  :-)