This article deals with multilingualism and translation practices in written institutional communication in the fields of health, work and occupational safety in Italy. Particularly, it focuses on an empirical investigation of linguistic and communicative features observed in Italian texts and their correspondent English and French translated versions. By analysing the ways in which translation practices emerge on the linguistic and textual surface of analysed texts, some useful insights are gained about institutional ideologies concerning language accessibility, multilingualism in written communication and institutional language policy.
Keywords: Institutional written communication; informational and instructional texts; policy regarding the translation process; multilingual communication planning