New translation app connects employers, workers and Cal/OSHA
Photo: filo/gettyimages
Sacramento, CA — A new interpretation app that can instantly translate more than 200 languages and dialects can be used by employers and workers in California to communicate more easily.
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health recently deployed the app as part of a pilot program. The tool was adapted by creator TranslateLive to meet the specific needs of Cal/OSHA.
Users of the app can speak into a smartphone, tablet or computer, and the technology instantly translates the words into the selected language. Cal/OSHA’s Enforcement Division is using the app to communicate with workers across the state, with a focus on industries in which communication barriers are common, including agriculture.
Cal/OSHA says it will monitor the pilot program to determine the technology’s effectiveness and potential broader use within the agency.
“California is home to one of the world’s most diverse workforces, which drives the world’s fifth-largest economy,” Cal/OSHA Chief Debra Lee said in a press release. “By embracing this technology, we are committed to breaking down barriers and upholding the safety and rights of every employee, regardless of language or background.”
Post a comment to this article
Safety+Health welcomes comments that promote respectful dialogue. Please stay on topic. Comments that contain personal attacks, profanity or abusive language – or those aggressively promoting products or services – will be removed. We reserve the right to determine which comments violate our comment policy. (Anonymous comments are welcome; merely skip the “name” field in the comment box. An email address is required but will not be included with your comment.)