Parliament spaces out microphones after another interpreter is injured
OTTAWA — The federal government is being forced to adjust the setup 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 injured employee has been off work for weeks, and it blames both this incident and other injuries on inadequate equipment on Parliament Hill.
The latest incident involved the Larsen effect, which occurs when a microphone and an earpiece get too close, resulting in a sharp, sudden feedback that can be loud or frequent enough to permanently injure someone.
A federal regulator last week ordered changes to how meeting spaces are set up to prevent it from happening again.