Microphones spaced out after another interpreter is injured

The federal government is being forced to adjust the set-up in the House of Commons and committee rooms after another language interpreter suffered a significant hearing injury.

The Canadian Association of Professional Employees says the worker has been off for weeks, and the union is blaming inadequate equipment on Parliament Hill for multiple injuries.

The latest incident involved the Larsen effect, which occurs when a microphone and an earpiece get too close, resulting in sharp, sudden feedback that can be loud or frequent enough to permanently injure someone.

The federal Labour Program issued an April 25 order written in French, noting that a health and safety officer visiting the Hill the week before found exposure to the Larsen effect “constitutes a danger” for staff wearing headphones.

“Repeated exposure to the Larsen effect can cause permanent damage to the hearing health of interpreters,” reads the order, which called for changes to how meeting spaces are set up to prevent it from happening again.

House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus notified MPs on Monday morning that tables in committee rooms were rearranged to keep microphones and earpieces farther apart.

Signs are now posted where MPs can place unused earpieces.

Fergus also reminded MPs not to touch the microphone or its stem when it’s on, lean in and out from the microphone while speaking or adjust their earpiece volume when sitting near a live microphone.

“The House of Commons works with the Translation Bureau to ensure the best possible working conditions for interpreters,” Fergus’ office wrote in a statement, noting that this includes measures “at the technological, behavioural and physical levels.”

Experts have told Parliament that the staff who translate meetings between English and French are being put at risk of injury because they are straining to hear some voices and are exposed to sudden, loud noises.

“Despite an unacceptably high number of workplace injuries, the Translation Bureau has been slow to implement proper measures to protect their employees,” the union said in a statement on Saturday.

So many interpreters were placed on injury leave in 2022 that the public service hired contract workers to make up for the staff shortages.

The issue has constrained committee travel, since a certain number of interpreters are required to ensure MPs’ meetings abroad can be conducted in both official languages.

Sudden feedback that can be loud or frequent enough to permanently injure someone.