BREEAM assessments may be submitted with supporting evidence in a language other than English. Where this is the case, it must be clearly stated within the covering email/upload notes whether all documents are in English and, if not, which language they are in. If translation is required BRE Global will source this service and fees will be charged to the assessor company in accordance with FS036.
If this is not confirmed by the assessor upon submission, it will be assumed that all documentation is in English and the BRE Global translator service is not required. Once QA commences, if it subsequently transpires that the translation service is required, the QA will be halted and a delay of up to a 2 further weeks is likely, as BRE Global will need to book and wait for a translator to be available.
This applies even where only a proportion of the evidence documents require translation.
Where the assessor/assessor organisation are undertaking translation or appointing a third party to undertake translation on their client’s behalf, they must use an ‘appropriate translator’. Please refer to SD5070, ‘BREEAM Operations Manual’ for the options available and requirements for meeting the definition of an ‘appropriate translator’. Confirmation of the type of translator used and their qualifications must form a part of the licenced assessor’s evidence submission. This correspondence must be signed/confirmed by the ‘appropriate translator’ and the licenced assessor.
The validation statement within the assessment/reporting tool, where the assessor clarifies how compliance is achieved, must always be completed by the assessor in English and not in the local language.