ISO 4043 – Transportable interpreting booths
The international standard ISO 4043:2016 specifies the requirements for the production and use of mobile booths. In contrast to stationary booths ISO 2603), they can be dismantled, transported and set up in conference rooms that are not equipped with stationary booths.
An amendment to the standard has now resulted in the following changes, which were officially adopted in December 2016: All conference technology is deleted from the present ISO and flows into a separate standard (ISO 20109), only architectural and soundproofing specifications regarding the interpreting booth are maintained.
This standard is aimed at booth manufacturers, rental companies and meeting organizers. A whole series of improvements for the quality of the interpreters' workplace were implemented in the course of the amendment in 2016:
- higher sound insulation of the cabin to the hall as well as of the cabins among each other
- quieter ventilation with simultaneous increase of air circulation per hour
- In the future, CO² measuring sensors will be prescribed in the interpreter booths in order to record this parameter, which is elementary for performance, but also for health protection, and to warn the interpreters if the limit value of 0.1 % (=1000 ppm) specified in the standard is exceeded and to ensure appropriate ventilation. Active control systems for mobile booths are currently being researched and developed.
- the table depth of the mobile booths may now also be more than 50 cm
- 230 volt and USB connections must be provided at table height
- booths must have dimmable overhead lighting that allows interpreters to work without shadows
- Language signs and channel assignments for participants must be clearly displayed on the booths
On the connection with the standards ISO 20108 on "Interpreting Technique" and ISO 20109 on "Transmission quality of audio and video signals during interpreting" should be referred to here.
ISO 4043:2016 can be obtained from the organizations ISO and DIN, among others, in Germany e.g. via the Beuth Publishing House.
