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| Frequently Asked Questions |
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| Answers |
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What causes it? Mechanical
problem, network problem, switch problem? |
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The basic cause is a sudden, unexpected noise, often delivered at
a very intense frequency. Call Centre operatives are subject to this
noise from a variety of sources. The telephone equipment used in call
centres produces electrical feedback, latent sonic energy spikes,
together with faulty telephone lines, non compliant switchboards,
turrets and headsets. The HSE have also made reference to other sources
of acoustic damage as caller abuse (shouting, screaming, blowing whistles
etc), background interference at the caller's location or ambient
noise in the operator's location. |
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Is it serious? |
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It is a very serious issue, as symptoms not only vary from temporary
impairment to permanent deafness and physical damage, but also, whilst
these effects are often instantaneous, long term disabilities may
take some time to surface. |
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Why haven't I heard about it
before? |
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The call centre industry itself is still relatively young (15 to
20 years) and has sustained massive changes in technology and practices.
The establishment and acknowledgement of the problem has naturally
taken some time to come about. In addition, whilst cases of acoustic
shock have entered litigation, the employers involved have all settled
out of court before a precedent judgement can be made, and this has
allowed the public profile to remain very low. |
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Will it affect my business
even if I have the latest technology? |
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Yes. The technology to eradicate this problem has not yet been developed.
In addition, call centre technology, legislation and industry practices
are constantly changing. |
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Whose responsibility is it
to avoid Acoustic Shock happening in my organisation? |
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Everyone in every organisation is responsible for the health and
safety of themselves and all others in the working environment. There
are, however, people within every organisation that are responsible
for overseeing the well-being of its employees. These individuals
are; Health & Safety Officer, Human Resources Manager, Call/contact
centre Manager, Call Centre team manager/Supervisor. |
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What is the legal position? |
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Every employer must comply with; The Health & Safety at Work
Act, The Noise at Work Regulations, and the Health & Safety Executive
guidelines. |
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What can I do about it? |
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The Health & Safety Executive recommend that you attend an educational/awareness
programme in order to ensure that the well-being of telephone operators
is protected. |
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What are the risks if I do
nothing? |
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Thousands of cases of Acoustic Shock have been reported around the
world with over 200 cases of compensation entering litigation, resulting
in over £10,000,000 paid by employers to date. |
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How can I tell if it is happening?
There's no evidence my business gets it. |
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This is the biggest concern. Whilst some call centre equipment has
been fitted with filters or limiters, this will not eliminate acoustic
shock, or prevent it, or minimise it, and, therefore, two specific
courses of action are required. The organisation's current systems
need to be checked and verified, and a permanent recording device
installed so that any claims of Acoustic Shock can be verified. |
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Is my business obliged to
train an employee to handle an Acoustic Shock situation? |
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As with all Health & Safety issues, yes! The EU directive 86/188/EC
and regulation subsequently 2003/10/EC require sufficient competency
in this area that training is inevitable. |
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Does the trade union representative
at my organisation need to be involved or trained? |
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Certainly. |
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My headset vendor says it
hardly ever happens so why do I need to do anything? |
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CCMA (UK) Ltd has invited all the UK's headset manufacturers to
present their range of equipment and other solutions at the Acoustic
Safety Programme events, and their attendance clearly recognises that
this is a very clear and present danger, regardless of what salespeople
may say in the marketplace. |
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Doesn't my headset already
protect me from Acoustic Shock? |
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It is a commonly held misconception that; whilst the noise limitation
technology in modern telephone headsets goes a long way toward protecting
operators from extreme volumes, this will not necessarily prevent
acoustic shock, and it certainly won't record the event or alert an
employer that the health and safety of a member of staff has been
compromised.
Whilst volume is clearly a contributory factor, it is only one of
a number of factors that make up the issue as a whole. It is the lack
of knowledge and awareness of all these factors and their interaction
with each other that the Acoustic Safety Programme will address. |
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What do I get from the Acoustic
Safety Programme? |
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The world's first end to end awareness, education and training programme,
presented by the world's foremost authorities on the issues; such
as Keith Broughton (former HM Principal Specialist Inspector - Noise
& Vibration), and Dr Andrew Graham-Cumming (Occupational Health
Physician) together with representatives from telephony manufacturers. |
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What about ongoing support
after the event, course and workshop? |
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Naturally an event of this nature is not all encompassing, and its
scope goes well beyond the day itself. Attendees, once in receipt
of the material delivered, will need to go back to the workplace and
apply the education and training. To help identify problems and potential
threats, and to suggest the proper and compliant courses of action
to deal with them, the ASP post event support team will be available. |
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What if I'm being taken to
court, can I get any help then? |
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The Acoustic Safety Programme is designed to offer help and support
to every employer and employee in all circumstances. |
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Is the Programme Accredited
by an authorised body? |
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Yes. Apart from being delivered by CCMA (a not-for-profit organisation),
the Acoustic Safety Programme endorses the HSE Acoustic Shock Guidelines
which is supported by Communications Workers Union (CWU), Institute
of Acoustics (IOA) and the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI). |
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