English causes trouble at Norwegian work places

English in the workplace.Photo: Ned Alley / Scanpix
English as a working language causes safety problems, four out of ten representatives of the Norwegian industry and the construction sector thinks. This is revealed in  a new study from the Norwegian Language Council.
The study shows that the use of English is increasing the risk of adverse events, both in the industry and in the construction sector, writes the local newspaper Klassekampen.
A total of four out of ten representatives believes that the use of English is affecting the health, safety and environment (HSE). In the industry ,half of the respondents replied that English also creates problems with the internal communication and internal efficiency.
– When the union representatives say that English can be an issue, one should  choose this as a working language without first thinking through the consequences , says Åse Wetaas.
The director of the Language Council hopes the survey can help companies to be more conscious of when and why they speak English.  The Language Council has previously interviewed managers about how English is used in these industries. Compared with union leaders they report less use of spoken and written English.
– This may indicate that the choice of working language all too often is a passive choice instead of being an active choice, Wetås says.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today