Voice BPO workers risk Ear Attacks and Acoustic Shocks!
The average worker who takes voice calls for over 7 hrs each day – is prone to Ear Attack and Acoustic Shock. Both the terms are used by medical practitioners for very serious ailments which affect the ear when it is subject to voice abuse.
We are shocked to find out that (and its according to our limited search) India does not have any ‘noise at work law’. The UK has it, and so does the US. But considering that we have a huge young workforce at work in call centers straining their ears for long hours we definitely need one. Or at least some kind of regulation on it.
It has been recorded in many medical journals and in the media, based on research by ENT experts that Call Center employees run the most risk of hearing defects. The scariest things, among many others, that one might encounter are:
- Ear infection caused by use of the same headset by multiple users.
- Chronicle headaches with a constant buzzing sound in the ear leading to an ‘acoustic attack’.
- Stoppage of blood flow in the ear blood vessels leading to an ‘ear attack’.
The UK has a law for ‘noise at work’ and you may wish to follow the links to know more:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2005/20051643.htm
http://www.isvr.co.uk/reprints/ac_shock.pdf
High time that this matter is taken up by the Govt Authorities, Health Departments, Unions, Associations and the Employees themselves. We most definitely urge our friends to contribute articles on the subject so that a proper document can be prepared and sent to the Govt Authorities as well as others concerned.
regards,
Chief
(BPO Union 2.0)
