Some of these require a login please contact info@acousticshock.org to gain access :

• Introduction
• Our Processes and Accessing the Service
• Audiology & Specialist Occupational Health Services (Summary) - MEMBERS ONLY
  
• Acoustic Shocks & Liability
• Health & Safety

• ASP launch new Telecoms consultancy partnership with ElaraTek Ltd
• ASP ‘Sound Safety II’ e-learning for CSRs
• National Definitions of Acoustic Shock for Call Centres
• The Health and Safety (Offences) Act 2008

The Acoustic Safety Programme provides employer support services using our own internal specialists and those of our lead solutions partners, which include:

• Risk Assessments, needs analysis and policy guidance
  • Environmental, noise and personnel
• Telephony equipment testing, management, safety and recommendations
• Acoustic safety e-learning courses
• Screening and Clinical audiology services
• Occupational Health support & medical services
• On-line Incident Reporting System (RIDDOR compliant)
• Noise monitoring and incident management (inc' reporting)
• Telephone & email support service
• EHO and Local Authority liaison
• Management training and lecturing services. In-house or on-site.
• Seminars and corporate conferences
  

ASP ElaraTek Consulting; a new partnership with leading Digital Sound Processing firm ElaraTek Ltd, to deliver specialised systems testing for large telecoms and industrial engineering companies both in the UK and France. The new service is designed to determine the source of acoustic incidents and noise interference within telecommunications infrastructures as well as establish the real characteristics and levels of noise exposure from regular and long-term telephone usage.

Telefónica O2 UK Ltd has endorsed this new partnership and we are proud to release their statement. See Statements page.

Training staff on occupational hazards is a legal requirement. HSE makes a specific statement on acoustic shock, as follows: "...Operators should be trained to recognise such incidents and how to report them...Organisations that operate call centres should follow this advice and keep up to date with developments in this field..."

For the full HSE statement please click this link
Robert Vaughan, HSE, Noise and Vibration Programme Manager 31st August 2006

'Sound Safety II' tackles general issues concerning the Control of Noise at Work Regulations, Acoustic Incidents, Noise Interference, Malicious Calls, Technology, Hearing Conservation and Personal as well as Corporate Responsibility. The course proposes preventative measures and solutions as well as reporting processes to mitigate risks including: Noise Induced Hearing Loss, Acoustic Shock, Tinnitus, Hyperacusis, Dysacusis, Anxiety and Depression as well as other symptoms.

We were delighted to have received 4 out of 4 Stars for content and presentation from 'Health and Safety at Work Magazine' who particularly complimented us for our use of experts in the relevant fields of knowledge to author the content. You can request a course review pass by emailing info@acousticsafety.org.

We are doing our bit in 2010 to help companies afford our World leading Hearing Health & Safety course during this economic downturn by reducing the cost of a course licence to £3/user (ex vat) for all sizes of company (there may be other charges subject to client requirements). The course and test results can be accessed via ASP's Online Learning Management System or on your existing LMS or a new system which can be purchased from the UK's leading LMS provider, Atlantic Link, our e-learning partners.

We applaud the employers in 2008 who adopted the ASP "Sound Safety II" course as 'standard training policy' for all existing and new call centre and office telephony employees. There were organisations from both the public and private sector. Please see O2's statement of support.

Click here to download the document

Asp would like to thank Eversheds LLP for contributing the following:

Please click (here) for the (pdf) article by Eversheds LLP addressing the Act and its implication on hearing related injuries in call centres.

There are suggestions from legal and insurance sources that the annual percentage increase in claims is on the rise due to the instability of job security during this economic climate. With over 1 million people employed in UK call centres, the risk of claims for hearing related injuries should not be ignored; neither should the increased cost associated with bogus claims.

ASP's objective is to effect a change of policy and implementation of real and effective solutions at employer level in order to bring about wide-spread improvements in hearing conservation for the benefit of the approximate 4 million people in UK offices and call centres who use telephony equipment as a day-to-day necessity inherent in their jobs.

The wider issue of how important maintaining a high standard of hearing conservation policy and solutions are to your operational success, performance, customer satisfaction and profitability is a more holistic way to look at health and safety policy in our view. Employers who implement effective policy can demonstrate they have met their corporate responsibility toward their staff. But, let's not forget that healthy hearing is a key requirement to carrying out a CSRs job. This year ASP would like to see employers putting the protection of healthy hearing first and as a result they will see that the cost of doing so will be vastly outweighed by the overall benefits brought about both on an employee level and also at customer level.

If your organisation would like to know more about these independent ASP employer services then please contact us at info@acousticshock.org.