Of ostriches, pyramids, and Swiss cheese

Abstract

Risk management for translations is a relatively new topic in translation science. Damages caused by translation errors can have grave consequences for all agents involved in the translation process, especially in safety-critical sectors. In these sectors, effective models and instruments for risk mitigation have long been established, with near-misses management being one of the most effective instruments. In this paper, we examine the structure of damages caused by translation errors and compare them to the structure of damages in safety-critical sectors in general. We find that damages caused by translation errors in safety-critical sectors are comparable to damages in safety-critical sectors in general and conclude that near-misses management methods can also be applied to translations. Further examination of damages caused by translation errors is necessary to broaden the empirical base.