Working at the Call Centre might seem hazard free because it is not a construction site or an oil rig but it has its peculiar safety challenges. Physical injury isn’t the only determinant of safety issues. Most times, the body gets subjected to unfavourable conditions which have a high potential of contributing to future ill-health. This therefore leads to poor quality of life for employees.
The hazards call centre staff experience range from musculoskeletal disorders, stress, voice problems, noise, visual discomfort, violence from angry customers, poor hygiene and poor work environment
Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
Working at a call centre workstation means you are always in front of your computers and its necessary accessories. Engaging in repetitive tasks for long duration exposes you to repetitive strain injuries (RSIs). Also, a badly designed workstation or work design means your body will be in awkward positions for long periods. A combination of repetitive tasks and poor posture leads to a high risk of MSDs in staff at call centres.
Stress
Call centre staff are exposed to a higher level of stress. This is because the pace and flow of work could change rapidly depending on the situation the organisation is facing and they have no control over this. Long periods at work stations, job shifts, monotonous work, boredom, abuse from customers, inadequate sleep are part of factors that lead to work related stress and job dissatisfaction.
Voice Problems
A variety of voice issues occur such as voice loss, breathlessness, sore throat, irritating cough either as a result of having to speak too loud, too fast or too much. This leads to vocal fatigue affecting the voice and throat.
Noise
There is always background noise arising from ringing phones, conversation of other colleagues, customers, office equipment. This might lead to increasing the volume of headsets. Too much noise to the ears could cause various sorts of health complications.
Visual Discomfort
Staring at the screen for long could lead to blurred vision, watery eyes, headache and fatigue.
How then can you protect yourself?
- Always maintain good posture at your workstation. Your seat should support your back
- The workstation should be well arranged. All you need should be within reach without you bending or twisting your body
- Proper allotment and spacing of shift duty reduces the wear and tear of tissues that are a mark of repetitive tasks
- Take frequent “active” breaks from the workstation. Physically step out of the workstation to eat, take water or use the toilet. Moving the body is very helpful on this type of job.
- Where possible employers should introduce variation of tasks to enable you do something different from time to time
- Protect your voice by drinking more water than carbonated drinks. Take vocal breaks of 5 minutes in every hour and write scripts with pauses
- Ensure your computer’s screen is properly adjusted, brightness , contrast and glare to protect your eyes. Take breaks away from the screen to perform other tasks
Employers have a duty to provide a safe place of work and safe systems of work for employees always.
Image credit: Google images, Ulomka
