NW BT UNION HEALTH & SAFETY
 
 
     


HS Labs Issue Long Awaited Revised Call Centre Advice

 


HS Labs Issue Long Awaited Revised Call Centre Advice

This Local Authority Circular (LAC) replaces LAC94/1 (rev) ‘Advice regarding call centre working practices’. This is a major revision of the earlier document adding more comprehensive information than in LAC94/1(rev). The revisions are:

  • Updating of legal requirements and HSE policy relating to a number of issues.
  • Modification of the key sections relating to health and safety issues for call centre workers, to include findings from relevant new literature after the date of 2001.
  • A reformat of good practice recommendations to ensure the information is easy to access for the reader.
  • The introduction of more comprehensive information on the topics of: training, musculoskeletal disorders, violence and alternative ways of working (home-working and agency/temporary workers).
  • The document has been redesigned to allow each section to be used as a stand-alone document for specific topics as well as a comprehensive guide to working practices in call centres.

The aim of this document is to help all call centre industry stakeholders interpret the relevant regulations and guidance within the context of call centre working practices in order to protect the health and safety of those employed in the industry. Stakeholders include local authority enforcement officers, call centre managers, call centre health and safety officers, union and health and safety representatives, occupational health and human resources personnel and call centre employees. Examples of good practice examples have also been included, as they potentially offer further enhancement of health and well-being.

The CWU and it's safety reps took part in the consultation over the new revision and expressed in particular the need for Acoustic Safety to be addressed appropriately in the document.

In the North West, CWU safety reps involved with the North West Contact Centres Project had direct access to the authors of the original and reviewed document, though a number of the projects working parties.

Dave Joyce, CWU National Health and Safety Officer, wrote to it's Branches welcoming the new document, but said, ".......we still have concerns regarding a number of shortcomings within the document which we feel could be improved and strengthened. We were not consulted on this revision and have raised that matter with HELA."

Dave points out in LTB710/06 that the union placed a detailed submission with HS Labs in September 2001, of which some of the points made have been included in the newly issued document.

There will be those who see this new form of what was the call centre industry 'bible' for those concerned about health and safety, not so much for its content but for its reduced size by 30 pages, and consequential reduction in information. For example, the whole issue of Acoustic Shock has now been added, but in a single page that gives no justice to the real and debilitating effects that acoustic shock can have on the individual. It takes the stance that the HSE itself does and that is that as far as noise induced hearing loss is concerned, there is little to worry about in the contact centre industry.

Readers comparing it to the previous 112 page document will have to make their own minds up.

Download complete (pdf form - 70 pages) HELA 94/2 here


 


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