In our last blog post, we talked about the role of interpreting services in the nuclear industry. Interpreters make multilingual audits possible and reliable. The audits themselves play a critical role in ensuring the safety of a nuclear installation.
In this post, we’ll discuss how you can hire professional interpreters for nuclear industry audits, what qualifications they must have, and how they can prepare for the audits.
Requirements for interpreters for nuclear industry audits
Many a time, nuclear industry audits are carried out without a common language between the staff of the nuclear plant and the auditors. That’s why interpreters play an important role in making sure the communication flows between the two parties and is clear.
Look for these attributes when you wish to hire interpreters for the nuclear sector:
Proficiency in both languages. The interpreter must be highly proficient in the two languages spoken by the auditors and the staff of the nuclear plant, as there will be constant communication from one language to the other.
Knowledge of the subject matter. The interpreter hits the ground running when an audit is being carried out. There’s no room for errors, nor there is any time to look up the meanings of industry-specific terms. So, prior knowledge of the nuclear sector is essential for the interpreter to ensure quick and accurate interpretations.
Professional interpreting skills. Whether the interpreter provides simultaneous (real-time) interpretation or consecutive (interpreting after the speaker has finished speaking), they must be very good at what they do, as the audit of a nuclear installation involves high stakes.
Neutrality and confidentiality. The interpreter must remain neutral with the subject matter they are interpreting. They must remain outside the conversation and not contribute their own viewpoints. They must also maintain strict confidentiality regarding whatever they have seen and heard during the audit. As it involves public safety, the information that an interpreter is privy to must not fall in the wrong hands at any cost.
Readiness. The interpreter must prepare themselves for the audit, by reviewing any documents that are made available to them. They must familiarize themselves with the technical terms and acquire an understanding of the specific issues involved in the audit.
Ability to handle pressure. The interpreters must be able to work under pressure, because audits may involve complex technical discussions and stressful situations.
Qualifications. Each country may stipulate its own set of qualifications that a nuclear industry interpreter must possess. For example, a major operator in the French market requires RP1 authorization for any person working in a controlled area. In Belgium, security authorization must be obtained from the Belgian Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (AFC). Interpreters may be subjected to security checks and may be required to obtain specific security authorizations.
How to hire professional interpreters
It’s clear that interpreters carry a lot of responsibility and are critical to the success of a nuclear plant audit. Hiring them can be a time-consuming process, as you must run several types of checks on the interpreters.
It’s also a best practice to hire one interpreter per auditor, so that conversations can proceed smoothly and efficiently. The interpreter/auditor pairing should be maintained for the entire audit whenever possible. Note that a nuclear facility audit may involve up to 15 auditors, so an equivalent number of interpreters will be required. One of them should be appointed as the mission coordinator so that interpreters and auditors are appropriately paired.
When you need to hire an entire team of interpreters and make sure they meet all the criteria you’re looking for, it’s a safe bet to go with a translation and interpretation agency. Here’s why:
1. Selection of qualified professionals. Translation and interpretation agencies often maintain rigorous procedures for choosing and recruiting qualified interpreters. They have the resources to evaluate each candidate’s linguistic, technical, and professional skills, so you don’t have to go through a tedious vetting process.
2. Central coordination. Agencies can effectively coordinate the entire interpretation process, including the search for appropriate interpreters, scheduling, and supply of interpreting equipment.
3. Quality assurance. Agencies have processes in place to ensure a high quality of work by their interpreters.
4. Flexibility. Agencies can scale the size of the interpreting team up or down as required. They can also provide interpreters with diverse skill sets. They can provide backups in a short time if one or more interpreters is absent.
5. Safety and compliance. Agencies can ensure their staff have the necessary security clearances to work in a nuclear plant.
In the previous blog post as well as this one, we have looked at the critical role that interpreters play in a nuclear industry audit. They must be selected carefully, ideally with the support of a translation and interpretation agency. The interpreters must themselves be highly qualified and prepare for the audit to enable its success.
All these steps go a long way in ensuring the success of the audit and maintaining public safety.
Vijayalaxmi Hegde
