The Linguist

FEATURES Chartered Institute of Linguists SUMMER 2026 The Linguist 19 So what are the risks? The small internal dimensions of even standard-sized mobile booths (1.50m x 1.50m x 1.90m for two interpreters) and the need to keep the door closed for soundproofing, to the benefit of both interpreters and the audience, create a confined atmosphere entailing a number of hazards. Among these are temperature and air quality, including pollutants such as dust and micro- organisms, as well as oxygen and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. The only parameter mentioned in ISO standards for both built-in and mobile booths is the concentration of CO2, which must not exceed 1,000 ppm (more than double the average concentration in the atmosphere). High CO2 levels have been shown to reduce workers' concentration and performance, but despite the relevance of the booth environment to interpreters' health and wellbeing, there is no research on this aspect except for a series of studies by Kurz in the 1980s. 3 Poor air quality and air dryness can also harm the voice, as can draughts produced by the ventilation system. If the latter is noisy, interpreters may turn it off, preventing proper air circulation and change. Interpreters similarly tend to switch off lamps that produce heat, as it can get too hot in the close environment, even though this can be detrimental to their sight, especially when they have to read paper documents. Wrongly positioned fixed lighting can also produce annoying glare and reflection of the interpreter's own image on the booth window, rather than allowing them to see the rostrum or screen. Table-top lamps may take up space needed for documents or devices, or use a socket needed to recharge PCs or tablets instead. Seating arrangements and view on the room constitute another big issue, as posture has direct effects on health and wellbeing. ISO prescribes ergonomic chairs with armrests, footrests and levers for adjustment, but often the chairs found at conference venues are too high, too low, bulky, creaky or simply uncomfortable. It is well known that bad seating posture in sedentary jobs entails a serious risk for back strain and headache. It is also associated with unhealthy breathing patterns that can have negative effects on concentration and induce muscular tension in the neck, shoulders and back. These effects are much more difficult to tackle for interpreters than other sedentary workers, because they do not tend to stay in the same booth environment for long. An additional problem is created by inappropriate booth positioning in the conference room, which forces interpreters to stand up, lean sideways or adopt an uncomfortable posture in order to get a glimpse of the speaker and/or slides. Visibility is sometimes impossible because of columns, plants or room decorations placed in front of the booth. There may also be architectural barriers (e.g. spiral staircases) that make it difficult for interpreters with walking difficulties to access the booth. 4 Why self-care is the ethical choice Looking at these issues, some reasons for concern emerge. Firstly, there is a possibility of cross-effects and long-term consequences on interpreters' health. Straining posture caused by inadequate seating or bad workspace ergonomics can increase cognitive exhaustion deriving from working in a confined, oxygen-depleted and/or carbon dioxide-loaded environment for hours. This may cumulate with the effects of poor sound quality, which, in turn, correlate with hearing impairments, neck pain, headache and many other symptoms reported by interpreters. 5 Providing evidence of a causation link between health outcomes and specific components of interpreters' working environments is a difficult task, and since adverse health impacts due to booth environment may only appear in the long term, precautions and prevention should be implemented as much as possible. Many of these aspects are out of the direct control of interpreters and cannot be addressed on the spot, even by the most cooperative technicians. However, even when interpreters have some leeway to intervene, they often seem to attach more importance to factors perceived as influencing the quality of their work than to aspects benefiting their health. An example of this attitude includes keeping mobile booth doors closed despite high temperatures and deterioration of air quality to avoid disturbing the audience in small conference rooms. Another is turning off ventilation units because the noise may disturb listening and therefore affect performance. These behaviours suggest high CLOSE QUARTERS The view from the interpreting booth at a conference in Argentina © SHUTTERSTOCK

• Cover