Sign Language Interpreters At High Ergonomic Risk
ScienceDaily (Apr. 19, 2008) — Sign language interpreting is one of
the highest-risk professions for ergonomic injury, according to a new
study conducted by Rochester Institute of Technology. The research
indicates that interpreting causes more physical stress to the
extremities than high-risk tasks conducted in industrial settings,
including assembly line work. It also found a direct link between an
increase in the mental and cognitive stress of the interpreter and an
increase in the risk of musculoskeletal injuries such as carpal tunnel
syndrome and tendonitis.
The research, conducted through RIT’s Department of Industrial and
Systems Engineering, is one of the first to catalog the effect of
signing on interpreters and show a correlation between mental and
cognitive stress and increased ergonomic risk. The results of the
study are available in the March 2008 edition of the peer-reviewed
journal Ergonomics and were also presented at the 2007 biennial
conference of the Registry of Sign Language Interpreters.
“The impact of repetitive stress in industrial and office settings
has been well documented, but there is less data on the risk of
ergonomic injury to sign language interpreters,” says Matthew
Marshall, associate professor of industrial and systems engineering at
RIT and a leader of the research group. “Our findings indicate that
interpreters may actually be at a higher risk of injury than other
professions.”
Marshall notes that the impact of injury on interpreters and its
effect on retention is a major issue in the deaf community because any
reduction in the interpreter population would have an adverse effect
on the full societal participation of deaf and hard-of-hearing
individuals.
“Gaining a better understanding of the factors contributing to
interpreter injury can show us ways to intervene and reduce the
risks,” adds Steve Nelson, director of access services for the
National Technical Institute for the Deaf. “Informed intervention can
help drastically reduce injuries and keep much-needed skilled
interpreters at work.”
In developing its findings, the RIT team studied a group of
interpreters and measured the physical impact of signing over a fixed
time period, utilizing metrics developed for industrial settings. The
team found that wrist velocity and acceleration during interpreting,
factors used to measure physical impact, were more acute than the high
risk limits for industrial workers. In addition, an increase in mental
and cognitive stress led to a 15-19 percent increase in wrist velocity
and acceleration during interpreting.
Marshall will next look to enhance this data through additional
studies placing interpreters in a wide variety of settings. The
information will assist in furthering understanding of the impact of
sign language interpreting on repetitive stress, while also assisting
organizations in developing better training programs to reduce
ergonomic risk.
“The ultimate goal is to enhance knowledge of the impacts of
interpreting and help make the profession more conducive for workers,”
notes Marshall.
Adapted from materials provided by Rochester Institute of Technology.
Web address:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417105449.htm
—
BETTER IP RELAY – EVERYWHERE! i711.com makes all your relay calls better.
Better web calls. Better wireless calls. Better AIM calls. Why settle for
ordinary IP relay? Go beyond! Try http://www.i711.com for free today!
NEW! Try out our Deaf Network of Texas Calendar! Go to
http://calendar.deafnetwork.com
NOTE: deafnetwork.com does not endorse any of the products, vendors,
consultants, or documentation referenced in this message or. Any mention of
vendors, products, or services is for informational purposes only.
Powered by http://www.CrazyWebHosting.com
If you do not want to receive any more newsletters,
http://deafnetwork.com/list/?p=unsubscribe&uid=23e6b0ac27edebd2b6f52f1354859234
To update your preferences and to unsubscribe visit
http://deafnetwork.com/list/?p=preferences&uid=23e6b0ac27edebd2b6f52f1354859234
Forward a Message to Someone
http://deafnetwork.com/list/?p=forward&uid=23e6b0ac27edebd2b6f52f1354859234&mid=1612
—
Powered by PHPlist, www.phplist.com —