Sign Language Interpreters At High Ergonomic Risk<\/p>\n
ScienceDaily (Apr. 19, 2008) \u2014 Sign language interpreting is one of
\nthe highest-risk professions for ergonomic injury, according to a new
\nstudy conducted by Rochester Institute of Technology. The research
\nindicates that interpreting causes more physical stress to the
\nextremities than high-risk tasks conducted in industrial settings,
\nincluding assembly line work. It also found a direct link between an
\nincrease in the mental and cognitive stress of the interpreter and an
\nincrease in the risk of musculoskeletal injuries such as carpal tunnel
\nsyndrome and tendonitis.<\/p>\n
The research, conducted through RIT’s Department of Industrial and
\nSystems Engineering, is one of the first to catalog the effect of
\nsigning on interpreters and show a correlation between mental and
\ncognitive stress and increased ergonomic risk. The results of the
\nstudy are available in the March 2008 edition of the peer-reviewed
\njournal Ergonomics and were also presented at the 2007 biennial
\nconference of the Registry of Sign Language Interpreters.<\/p>\n
“The impact of repetitive stress in industrial and office settings
\nhas been well documented, but there is less data on the risk of
\nergonomic injury to sign language interpreters,” says Matthew
\nMarshall, associate professor of industrial and systems engineering at
\nRIT and a leader of the research group. “Our findings indicate that
\ninterpreters may actually be at a higher risk of injury than other
\nprofessions.”<\/p>\n
Marshall notes that the impact of injury on interpreters and its
\neffect on retention is a major issue in the deaf community because any
\nreduction in the interpreter population would have an adverse effect
\non the full societal participation of deaf and hard-of-hearing
\nindividuals.<\/p>\n
“Gaining a better understanding of the factors contributing to
\ninterpreter injury can show us ways to intervene and reduce the
\nrisks,” adds Steve Nelson, director of access services for the
\nNational Technical Institute for the Deaf. “Informed intervention can
\nhelp drastically reduce injuries and keep much-needed skilled
\ninterpreters at work.”<\/p>\n
In developing its findings, the RIT team studied a group of
\ninterpreters and measured the physical impact of signing over a fixed
\ntime period, utilizing metrics developed for industrial settings. The
\nteam found that wrist velocity and acceleration during interpreting,
\nfactors used to measure physical impact, were more acute than the high
\nrisk limits for industrial workers. In addition, an increase in mental
\nand cognitive stress led to a 15-19 percent increase in wrist velocity
\nand acceleration during interpreting.<\/p>\n
Marshall will next look to enhance this data through additional
\nstudies placing interpreters in a wide variety of settings. The
\ninformation will assist in furthering understanding of the impact of
\nsign language interpreting on repetitive stress, while also assisting
\norganizations in developing better training programs to reduce
\nergonomic risk.<\/p>\n
“The ultimate goal is to enhance knowledge of the impacts of
\ninterpreting and help make the profession more conducive for workers,”
\nnotes Marshall.<\/p>\n
Adapted from materials provided by Rochester Institute of Technology.<\/p>\n
Web address:<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2008\/04\/080417105449.htm<\/p>\n
—<\/p>\n
BETTER IP RELAY – EVERYWHERE! i711.com makes all your relay calls better.
\nBetter web calls. Better wireless calls. Better AIM calls. Why settle for
\nordinary IP relay? Go beyond! Try http:\/\/www.i711.com for free today!<\/p>\n
NEW! Try out our Deaf Network of Texas Calendar! Go to
\nhttp:\/\/calendar.deafnetwork.com<\/p>\n
NOTE: deafnetwork.com does not endorse any of the products, vendors,
\nconsultants, or documentation referenced in this message or. Any mention of
\nvendors, products, or services is for informational purposes only.<\/p>\n
Powered by http:\/\/www.CrazyWebHosting.com<\/p>\n
If you do not want to receive any more newsletters,
\nhttp:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/list\/?p=unsubscribe&uid=23e6b0ac27edebd2b6f52f1354859234<\/p>\n
To update your preferences and to unsubscribe visit
\nhttp:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/list\/?p=preferences&uid=23e6b0ac27edebd2b6f52f1354859234
\nForward a Message to Someone
\nhttp:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/list\/?p=forward&uid=23e6b0ac27edebd2b6f52f1354859234&mid=1612<\/p>\n
—
\nPowered by PHPlist, www.phplist.com —<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sign Language Interpreters At High Ergonomic Risk ScienceDaily (Apr. 19, 2008) \u2014 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…<\/p>\n