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Call CentresThe rapid expansion of the call centre industry in Australia has largely been driven by the need for organisations to adopt more cost-effective strategies for delivering services. Call centres have a unique working environment characterised by working practices that can present hazards, and systems of work that differ from those of other computer-based office jobs.
They are intended to: Ø Provide guidance on
health and safety issues specific to call centres
Ø Assist employers
and employees to meet some of their occupational health and safety, workers
compensation and injury management
obligations.
The Guidelines outline how to: Ø Incorporate safety
into daily operations
Ø Improve current
systems for eliminating or controlling risks
Ø Help an ill or
injured worker to get back to their job quickly and safely.
What is a Call Centre?A ‘call centre’ (or ‘contact
centre’) is a work area or workplace specifically dedicated to the use of
telephone and/or computer technology that provides value-added services to
clients. It is comprised of people whose primary function is to respond to
inbound and/or outbound telephone traffic.
Call centres can operate in many industries. Some are separate entities whose core function is to provide call centre services to client organisations. Others exist as a division within an organisation, undertaking call centre functions specific to that organisation's requirements. e.g. information provision, account enquiries, sales, marketing, surveys etc. It’s The Law!In NSW, health and safety of people at work is regulated
by the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 (the OHS Act 2000) and the
Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001 (the OHS Regulation 2001). These
set out the legal obligations for various parties (in particular, employers and
employees) in the workplace.
The purpose of the legislation is to prevent injury and illness in the workplace. Legislation and other information can be downloaded from the WorkCover NSW website, www.workcover.nsw.gov.au Clause 45 of the NSW OHS Regulation 2001 states that employers must ensure that: Ø Sufficient
workspace is provided to allow persons to work safely;
Ø Floors and surfaces
are constructed and maintained to minimise the possibility of slips, trips and
falls; and
Ø Persons are not
hindered and able to move safely around a place of
work.
In relation to employees, the OHS Act 2000 requires you to provide: Ø A safe workplace,
and safe means of entry to and exit from the workplace
Ø Equipment,
machinery or chemicals that are safe, when used properly
Ø A safe and healthy
working environment, and safe and healthy methods and procedures (systems) for
working
Ø Adequate
information, instruction, training and supervision for all workers
Ø Adequate facilities
and first aid for employees
Ø A process for
consultation with workers
Ø Processes for
identifying hazards, assessing risks and eliminating or controlling those
risks.
Potential HazardsAny workplace may present hazards to a worker's physical
and/or psychological health and safety. Although these Guidelines do not address
every hazard within call centres, they provide a framework for identifying and
managing workplace hazards. Each workplace may present hazards unique to that
workplace.
The following list, developed through consultation with industry and a review of call centre literature, reflects the nature of the work carried out by call centre operators, the work environment of call centres, and workers compensation claims data. The list identifies factors that may give rise to hazards in the workplace, due to poor design or other causes. They include: Ø Workstation design
(including its relationship to poor posture)
Ø Working
space
Ø Lighting
Ø Ventilation
Ø Telephone headset
use
Ø Background
noise
Ø Manual handling
tasks (including repetitive keyboard tasks)
Ø Psychological
environment.
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTWORKSTATIONSProviding employees with ergonomically designed and correctly adjusted workstation furniture/equipment can reduce the risk of a range of occupational injuries caused by overuse, poor posture and poor lighting. You should also provide appropriate training in the correct use of ergonomic workstation equipment and furniture. Australian Standard AS 3590.2-1990: Screen-based workstations-Workstation Furniture provides guidance in correct set-up of workstations that can be applied to call centre employees. ChairsCall centre operators should have ergonomic chairs that are adjustable, comfortable and have good back support. Correctly adjusted chairs help the worker to: Ø Maintain correct
body posture
Ø Maintain good blood
circulation
Ø Reduce muscular
effort
Ø Decrease pressure
on their back.
Chairs should: Ø Swivel
Ø Have a five-leg
star base for stability
Ø Have breathable
fabric on the seat
Ø Have a rounded
front edge
Ø Have adjustable
seat height and backrest for lumbar support.
If your workers are employed in shift-work and, as a result, with the result that chairs are used 24-hours per day and up to seven days per week, the chairs need to be of robust construction, accommodate all potential users, and provide a high level of comfort and good postural support – without frequent maintenance. DESKSConsider adjustable desk heights to accommodate people of various heights who may share workstations, such as shift workers. If the height adjustment mechanism on the desk is mechanical, it should be located within easy reach of the operator. In call centres, where more than one worker uses the desk during the course of a shift (hotdesking), consider electronic adjustment. The size of the desk or workbench must be sufficient for all equipment, task materials/references and the tasks the worker performs. All equipment and task materials on or around the desk should be within comfortable reach. There should be no over-reaching or unnecessary twisting of any part of the body. The diagram below outlines the correct work surface layout, with the most frequently used objects placed within easy reach. OTHER WORKSTATION EQUIPMENTOther equipment used at a workstation should be
ergonomically designed and positioned. This may include:
Ø The computer
monitor
Ø Keyboard
Ø Mouse
Ø Mouse
pad
Ø Document
holder.
See Diagram 1 for the correct workstation set-up. To decrease the likelihood of an injury associated with tasks performed at a workstation, employees should: Ø Change posture
often to minimise fatigue
Ø Avoid awkward
postures at the extremes of the joint range, especially the wrists
Ø Avoid unnecessary
swiveling in their chair, especially when attempting to reach and twist at the
same time
Ø Take frequent short
rests (every hour), rather than infrequent longer rests
Ø Not be subjected to
sudden increases in workload (including keyboard work), particularly after a
prolonged
Ø Absence from work,
or on return to work after injury/illness.
WORKING SPACEChapter 4 of the OHS Regulation 2001 states that employers must ensure that: Ø Sufficient work
space is provided to allow people to work safely
Ø Floors and surfaces
are constructed and maintained to minimise the possibility of slips, trips and
falls
Ø People are not
hindered and are able to move safely around a place of
work.
The WorkCover publication Health and Safety in the Office contains recommendations on personal workspace for office work. LightingAdequate artificial and natural lighting that does not
create excessive glare or reflection must also be considered to ensure the
safety of people at work. Improper lighting may cause workers to adopt incorrect
postures to avoid excessive glare or reflection, and/or
eyestrain.
The basic rule for adequate lighting for call centre employees is that the work must be easy to see and the light comfortable to the eyes. You should avoid workbench or desk surfaces and office fittings with reflective surfaces. Illumination is measured in units of LUX-lumens per square metre. Recommended light levels based on Australian Standard AS 1680.2.2-1994: Interior lighting - office and screen-based tasks are: Ø General background
160 lux
Ø Tasks involving
typing, reading, writing 320 lux
Sharp differences in illumination between adjacent areas should be avoided. Ideally, the area surrounding the work area itself should be slightly less illuminated. Light should fall from the side rather than from the front to avoid reflection on the work surface. VentilationEmployers must ensure that adequate ventilation and air
movement is provided in indoor environments that may become hot. Further
guidance on ventilation can be found in Australian Standard AS 1668:
Mechanical ventilation for acceptable indoor air quality and AS
1668.2-2002: The use of ventilation and air conditioning in
buildings-ventilation design for indoor air contaminant control and Chapter
4, Clause 47 and 53, of the OHS Regulation 2001.
Telephone Headset UseMost, if not all, call centre operators use headsets to
attend to inbound/outbound calls. Lightweight adjustable headsets with a volume
control should be provided for call centre
operators.
Headset use may present some risks to health and safety, relating to: Ø Noise
interference
Ø Infection
control.
Noise InterferenceCall centre operators may hear 'crackling', distorted
sounds, or customers that are difficult to hear or
understand.
In this situation, the operator may need to increase their concentration and listen more attentively, causing mental fatigue and increased muscle tension. For many years, national and international literature has discussed the issue of 'acoustic shock' (or 'acoustic trauma') amongst telephone users. 'Acousticshock' is a term given to unexpected, loud or high-pitched sounds heard through a telephone line. It may be caused by telephone faults, incorrectly dialed fax machines or, in some cases, impatient and irate customers who blow whistles directly into the telephone. Call centres should consider ways to reduce noise levels emitted through the telephone line and have in place systems of work that enable staff to identify and report any hazards that arise. Call centre staff should be provided training on plugging in, volume control, background noise management and other hazards. Infection ControlInfection is the result of a harmful living agent (e.g.
bacteria, viruses etc) entering the body and multiplying. These agents can enter
the body of another person through the skin, mouth, or the nose or mucous
membranes. Infection can be present without any visible symptoms of
illness.
Due to the close proximity of headsets to the mouth and external ear canal, it is important to prevent the spread of ear and respiratory infections among call centre operators. Sharing of headsets should be avoided, and appropriate cleaning and maintenance procedures implemented. Background NoiseIn addition to the noise produced from headsets, the
workplace itself can expose call centre employees to high levels of noise. Call
centres generally have a partitioned, open- plan office layout to house
individual workstations. Therefore, call centre operators are often exposed to
noise from ringing phones, voices of fellow operators attending to calls or
involved in conversations with co-workers, and noise produced by office
equipment.
Call centre operators can be prone to mental fatigue and increased muscle tension as they increase their concentration and listen more attentively to customers, in an effort to cope with excessive environmental noise. Chapter 4, Clause 49, of the OHS Regulation 2001 requires employers to avoid exposing employees to excessive noise levels. The prevention or minimisation of background noise is best managed when the call centre is being designed. This ensures that the workplace layout will minimise noise, and office fittings, fixtures and surfaces are noise absorbing. Noise levels of office equipment, such as photocopiers, should also be taken into account in determining their location in a call centre environment. Manual Handling Tasks and Keyboard WorkManual handling is any activity requiring a
person to use force to lift, lower, push, pull, carry or otherwise move, hold or
restrain an object.
For call centre employees, manual handling can include tasks such as moving boxes of supplies, filing, getting equipment from cupboards, and filling the photocopying machine with paper. It can also include keying tasks. Keyboard work may expose call centre employees to the risk of musculoskeletal injury (i.e. overuse of soft tissue resulting in injuries to the hands, wrists, shoulders, neck and back) as a result of awkward, static and/or repetitive working postures. The National Standard for Manual Handling [NOHSC: 1001 (1990)] and the National Code of Practice for Manual Handling [NOHSC: 2005 (1990)] outline a number of risk factors, which increase the likely development of a musculoskeletal injury. These include: Ø Working posture
and position (e.g. sitting at a workstation with the neck tilted backwards
to view the computer monitor, or adopting an awkward posture when filling the
photocopier with paper)
Ø Repetition
(e.g. keyboard data entry performed each time a phone call is answered)
and duration (the length of time a worker is exposed to a risk factor,
such as repetitive movement or awkward and/or static
posture)
Ø Workplace and
workstation layout (includes all the components of the workplace– such
as, Equipment, materials and work surfaces – used for a work
task)
Ø Work
organisation (the way work is organised in relation to staffing levels, pace
of work and rest breaks).
The National Code of Practice for the Prevention of Occupational Overuse Syndrome [NOHSC: 2013 (1994)] provides practical guidance in meeting the requirements of the National Standard for Manual Handling [NOHSC: 1001 (1990)] with respect to the prevention of risks, and the identification, assessment and control of risks. WorkCover’s publication Health and Safety in the Office also provides information that may be useful to call centres on common hazards in the physical environment. ELECTRICAL ISSUESChapter 4, Clause 40 and 41, of the OHS Regulation
2001 contains specific requirements for electrical installations and
equipment in the workplace. Employers must ensure that all electrical
installations and equipment are safe to use and regularly inspected, tested,
maintained, and repaired or replaced if unsafe for
use.
This requirement covers, but is not limited to, equipment such as: Ø Computer
equipment
Ø Faxes
Ø Photocopiers
Ø Extension
leads
Ø Kitchen
appliances.
Risks can arise from the presence of electrical cables and cords in work areas. These should be effectively addressed. A cable/cord management strategy can help prevent slips, trips and falls and electrical risks that may arise as a result of the placement of those cables/cords. All electrical installation work should be carried out in accordance with the Standard AS/NZS 3000:2000 Electrical installations (known as the Australian/New Zealand Wiring Rules). Further information on the requirements for inspecting and testing electrical equipment is available in the Australian Standard AS 3760:2000 In-service safety inspections and testing of electrical equipment. Australian Standards are available by contacting Standards Australia on 1300 654 646. SECURITYAdequate provision must be made to ensure the safety of
employees and others in the workplace, including security when they are entering
or leaving the workplace. Given that many call centres operate outside normal
(i.e. daytime) business hours, you may consider a secure carpark and/or an
escorted security service as a means of controlling security risks. Also
consider restricting access to workplace buildings and the call centre
itself.
If an employee's job requires the handling of cash, measures should be implemented to address the security risks. WorkCover's guide, Armed Hold-ups and Cash Handling, provides guidance in this area. VIOLENCEViolence includes:
Ø Verbal abuse (in
person or over the telephone)
Ø Stalking
Ø Harassment
Ø Threats
Ø Ganging
up/bullying/intimidation
Ø Physical or sexual
assault
Ø Armed
robbery
Ø Malicious damage to
the property of staff, customers or the
business.
Violence may arise in the course of working with clients, or even from co-workers or management. A person's response to a violent act is generally unique to the individual's life experiences, coping skills and personality. Chapter 2, Clause 9(2) (j) of the OHS Regulation 2001 places obligations on employers to identify and eliminate potentially abusive situations, violence or intimidation from their workplace, regardless of the source. WorkCover's Violence in the Workplace Guide 2002 and Managing Workplace Violence in the Finance Sector provide further information on this issue. SMOKINGPassive smoking means breathing in environmental tobacco
smoke (ETS), including the smoke of other people. Passive smoking is recognised
as a significant health hazard and the majority of workplaces in NSW have now
adopted smoke-free policies. Certain designated public places, and public places
that are also workplaces, are subject to the provisions of the Smoke-free
Environment Act 2000 and must be kept
smoke-free.
Further information on the Smoke-free Environment Act 2000 can be obtained from the Department of Health, Tobacco and Health Unit on (02) 9391 9111. To control ETS, smoking should be eliminated from all indoor areas. Employers should: Ø Develop a written
non-smoking policy in consultation with employees
Ø Designate indoor
areas as non-smoking
Ø Inform all staff
through meetings, training, memos and notice boards
Ø Post signs using
easily recognised symbols, clearly indicating to staff and the public that
smoking is not permitted in indoor areas.
The WorkCover publication, Passive Smoking-Policy and Control 2000 provides further information on smoking in the workplace. Risk Management ProcessThe OHS risk management process provides employers with the information they need to make decisions about how best to avoid or control the impact of workplace hazards. The process is comprised of a four-step cycle: STEP 1 IDENTIFY HAZARDS in the workplace. You can do this by: Ø Reviewing past
injury/illness and accident investigation records
Ø Talking to
employees
Ø Doing a walk round
inspection of the workplace
Ø Analysing the way
work tasks are performed.
Hazards associated with call centres can arise in many broad contexts. Some of these are: Ø Manual tasks (e.g.
working postures, repetition and duration)
Ø Work environment
(e.g. workstation, psychological factors, lighting)
Ø Noise (e.g.
background noise, headset use)
Ø Plant (e.g.
equipment, machinery, appliances)
Ø Substances (e.g.
chemicals)
Ø Energy (e.g.
electricity)
The list above may be used as a guide to assist in identifying hazards in your workplace. The Employer Safety Checklist for Call Centres (Appendix 1) provides a useful mechanism for identifying hazards. Other ways include: Ø Reviewing current
systems and work procedures
Ø Regularly
consulting with employees to see if they have identified hazards
Ø Acting on OHS
complaints.
When looking for hazards employers should consider: Ø The suitability of
workers’ equipment and their work location
Ø How people use
equipment and materials
Ø How people might be
affected by noise, fumes, lighting, and other environmental factors
Ø The potential for
people to be hurt by equipment, machinery or tools
Ø The potential for
people to be affected by chemicals and other substances used in the
workplace.
The Risk Management Form (Appendix 3) can be used as a tool to record the results of the OHS risk management process and keep track of decisions about who will be responsible for eliminating or controlling each risk. In the example below, a call centre has identified ‘prolonged static working postures’ as a hazard in the workplace.
Once all the hazards have been identified, employers need to find out whether there is any guidance material, minimum standards or legislation governing the particular hazard. This can be done by contacting any of the organisations listed in the 'Contacts' section of these Guidelines. Where such information exists, it should be followed and/or implemented immediately. If no information is found, then employers need to proceed to the next stage to find out how to 'assess' the risks that each hazard may create. STEP 2 ASSESS RISKS to determine the likelihood of an incident arising from the identified hazard, and the severity (i.e. seriousness) of the outcome if an incident did occur. In assessing the risk, you should: Ø Review the
available health and safety information relevant to the hazard
Ø Identify the
factors contributing to its risk, including:
– The work environment
– The capability, skill, experience and age of the
people ordinarily doing the work
– The system of work being used
– Any reasonably foreseeable abnormal
conditions
Ø Identify what
records are
necessary.
Once you have done this, you should prioritise the risks to determine which ones you should address first. a) First, determine how severely someone could be hurt
by selecting one of the following consequences for each hazard identified and
recording the relevant symbol under 'severity’ on the Risk
Management Form (Appendix 3):
X could kill or cause permanent disability or
ill health
!!! Long-term illness or serious
injury
!! Medical attention and several days off
work
! First aid treatment needed and no time off
work.
Consider:
Ø The potential for
the hazard to become more serious, and
Ø Individual
differences between employees, including physical and psychological
health.
b) Second, determine how likely it is that an incident
will occur in relation to the hazard identified and record the relevant symbol
under ‘likelihood’ on the Risk Management Form (Appendix
3):
VL Very likely could happen anytime
L Likely could happen occasionally
UL Unlikely could happen, but only
rarely
VUL very unlikely could happen, but probably
never will.
Consider:
a) The number of times a situation arises
b) The number of people potentially exposed, the
duration of their exposure, and their skills/experience
c) The location of the hazard relative to
people
d) The quantities of materials or possible points of
exposure
e) Environmental conditions
f) The condition of equipment
g) The effectiveness of existing control
measures
h) Any special factors that might affect the likelihood
of an occurrence.
c) Now match the severity and likelihood of exposure on
the Risk Priority Chart below to rank risks in terms of their priority, and
record the number under 'priority’ on the Risk Management Form
(Appendix 3):
Risk Priority Chart
The numbers (1-6) in the Risk Priority Chart indicate how important it is to do something about each risk. 1-2 = Do something about these risks immediately 3-4 = Do something about these risks as soon as possible 5-6 = These risks may not need your immediate attention. In the example below, where the identified hazard is 'prolonged static working postures’, the risk associated with this hazard has been assessed by recording the 'severity’ as having the potential to cause 'serious injury’, represented by this symbol ë!!!’ and the 'likelihood’ being 'very likely’ to occur, represented by thissymbol ‘VL’. Given the high likelihood and severity the risk is ranked as a Priority ‘1’, which means that this risk should be addressed immediately, as a top priority.
Remember: you may decide that the same hazard could lead to several different possible outcomes. So for each hazard judge how likely each possible outcome is and record the highest priority. a) STEP 3
CONTROL
RISKS by deciding and applying what needs
to be done to remove or control the risks to health and safety. Elimination:
This is the most effective approach, and OHS legislation requires employers
to try to remove the hazard completely before trying the other means of
controlling risks identified below. Examples of eliminating a hazard would be,
discontinuing dangerous work practices or removing hazardous substances or
equipment from the workplace. In a call centre, excessive keying to record large
amounts of data may give rise to the risk of musculoskeletal injury as a result
of overuse of soft tissue in the neck, shoulders, back, hands and/or wrists.
Employers may decide that this information can be entered in other ways that
requires less keying, for example by using improved software
design.
If this is not possible, then they must prevent or
reduce exposure to the risk to the lowest possible level by trying to apply
methods (b) and then (c), in order of priority:
b) Substitution: Replace the hazard with a less
hazardous option. For example, replace a work process, material or equipment. In
a call centre, the chemical currently used to clean/disinfect headsets might be
replaced with another cleaning fluid that gives rise to less risk than the
current chemical being used.
c) Isolation/Engineering: Isolate the hazard from
people by making changes to the work environment or practices so that exposure
is minimised, or redesign equipment or work practices so that work can be done
differently. For example, office resources such as photocopiers, printers and
faxes may be creating excessive background noise affecting
employees.
The employer should relocate such office equipment to a
separate area away from employees.
If none of the options above are possible, as a last
resort, use options (d) or (e) as temporary measures, to reduce the likelihood
of risk while a more permanent solution is found, and/or to supplement other
controls:
d) Administrative Controls: Reduce the risk by
improved supervision, instruction, training, job rotation or adjusting rosters,
etc. For example, employers should introduce regular breaks away from calls into
call centre rosters to reduce the exposure of employees to risks of physical and
psychological injury.
e) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Only use
PPE when you can't reduce the likelihood of risk in any other way. For example,
the use of a wrist support might reduce the risk of repetitive strain injury.
In practice, several control options are often used in
combination to reduce the risk of injury of illness. Measures, such as
administrative controls and PPE, are often used as interim solutions while
permanent solutions are implemented.
In a call centre, for example, you can apply 'substitution' to control 'prolonged static working postures' by redesigning thejob and furniture or equipment to encourage changes in posture. This control measure should be supplemented by training (i.e. administrative control) to ensure employees have a good understanding of the risks associated with the identified hazard and how job redesign can control exposure to the risk. This is recorded on the Risk Management Form (Appendix 3), as shown below:
Now you need to decide who will be responsible for implementing the controls and then ensuring that they have been completed.
To ensure that control measures operate effectively, you should consider the following: Ø Develop safe
work procedures to ensure employees know how to do the job properly and
safely
Ø Communicate and
consult with employees and others about the control measures and the reasons
for their implementation
Ø Provide training
for employees, particularly where changes in work procedures occur as a
result of the implementation of the control measures
Ø Supervise
employees to verify that the control measures are effective and that they
are following procedures
Ø Maintain the
control measures to ensure their ongoing effectiveness. Also, specify review
and maintenance procedures for the new control measures as part of routine work
practices.
STEP 4 MONITOR AND REVIEW – once the controls have been implemented, employers should monitor and review the measures that were applied by consulting with employees to ensure they are working, and identify safer ways of doing things. Here are some things employers need to consider when monitoring and reviewing control measures: Ø Are they in
place?
Ø Are they being
used?
Ø Are they being used
correctly?
Ø Are they
working?
Hazards may change from time to time as the workplace and procedures change. Employers should set up a routine of periodic hazard checks (e.g. performing regular inspections and safety audits) and establish a date to review the entire risk management process. Safe Work ProceduresThe tasks and jobs people perform can expose them to
hazards associated with the equipment and chemicals they use, the work
environment, and the physical nature of the tasks themselves. Therefore, safe
work procedures should be developed for those tasks that are likely to put the
health and safety of employees at risk.
These procedures should be developed or reviewed when: Ø A new job or task
will be introduced
Ø Changes are planned
to a job or task
Ø New equipment or
chemicals to the workplace will be introduced
Ø There is a problem
(after an accident or incident that suggests the procedures are
inadequate)
Ø A health and safety
issue is identified.
Employers should analyse work procedures in the context of the approach to OHS risk management described earlier. The procedure should note and assess the potential OHS problems and identify the measures that are to be taken to eliminate or reduce the risks for the particular task. Once the procedures are developed, employers must ensure that employees receive adequate information, instruction, training and supervision in the procedures. This is an example of a very basic safe work procedure that may be used in a call centre operation for the task ‘attending to inbound/outbound calls’: TASK SAFE WORK PROCEDURE
Remember, employers should ensure that employees receive adequate information, instruction, training and supervision in all procedures. WorkCover’s guides, Workplace Safety Kit Guide 2001 and Small Business Safety Starter Kit Guide 2001, provide good information on how to write effective safe work procedures. Purchasing ProceduresTo introduce risk management into a purchasing
procedure, employers need to consider:
Ø What hazards are
associated with the purchase?
Ø What risks will the
purchase introduce? And
Ø What strategies
need to be implemented to control
risks?
Employers can do this using the checklist below whenever a purchasing decision is considered. SE/COMMENT
Remember, employers must ensure that employees receive adequate information, instruction, training and supervision in all procedures. WorkCover’s Guides, Workplace Safety Kit Guide 2001 and Small Business Safety Starter Kit Guide 2001, provide good information on how to write effective purchasing procedures. Information and ResourcesNSW Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 NSW Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001 NSW Workers Compensation Act 1987 NSW Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation Act 1998 Workplace Amenities Code of Practice 2001, WorkCover NSW First Aid in the Workplace Guide 2001, WorkCover NSW OHS Consultation Code of Practice 2001, WorkCover NSW Risk Management at Work Guide 2001, WorkCover NSW Risk Assessment Code of Practice 2001, WorkCover NSW Armed Hold-ups and Cash Handling, WorkCover NSW Violence in the Workplace Guide 2002, WorkCover NSW Managing Workplace Violence in the Finance Sector, WorkCover NSW and Business Services IRG Smoke-free Environment Act 2000 Passive Smoking-Policy and Control 2000, WorkCover NSW Workplace Safety Kit Guide 2001, WorkCover NSW Small Business Safety Starter Kit Guide 2001, WorkCover NSW ChecklistsEmployer Safety Checklist for Call CentresThis checklist is based on the potential hazards identified in these Guidelines. It is not a comprehensive list of all hazards within call centres. You must apply the OHS risk management process (Appendix 2) for all foreseeable hazards that have been identified whether or not they have been outlined in this checklist.
FAQ’SWhat are the employers’ obligations in dealing
with electrical hazards throughout the call
centre?
Employers must ensure that all electrical installations and equipment are safe to use and regularly inspected, tested, maintained, and repaired or replaced if unsafe for use. This requirement covers, but is not limited to, equipment such as: Ø Computer
equipment
Ø Faxes
Ø Photocopiers
Ø Extension
leads
Ø Kitchen
appliances.
Ø Workstation design
(including its relationship to poor posture)
Ø Working
space
Ø Lighting
Ø Ventilation
Ø Telephone headset
use
Ø Background
noise
Ø Manual handling
tasks (including repetitive keyboard tasks)
Ø Psychological
environment.
What are my employer’s OHS responsibilities? You’re employer’s OHS responsibilities include: Ø Ensuring the
workforce complies with OHS legal requirements
Ø Providing a safe
workplace and safe ways of working
Ø Providing ways for
employees to be informed about and consulted on health and safety issues at
work
Ø Ensuring that all
documents related to safe work procedures are kept up-to-date
Ø Consulting with
workers on safety matters providing the resources necessary to allow everyone in
the organisation to comply with their health and safety
responsibilities.
What must my employer consider when getting new desk for our workplace? Your employer must consider the following Adjustable desk heights to accommodate people of various heights who may share workstations, such as shift workers. If the height adjustment mechanism on the desk is mechanical, it should be located within easy reach of the operator. In call centres, where more than one worker uses the desk during the course of a shift (hotdesking), consider electronic adjustment. Is there anywhere that gives guidance on ventilation in the workplace? The size of the desk or workbench must be sufficient for all equipment, task materials/references and the tasks the worker performs. You can find guidance on ventilation from the Australian Standard publication: AS 1668: Mechanical ventilation for acceptable indoor air quality and AS 1668.2-2002: The use of ventilation and air conditioning in buildings-ventilation design for indoor air contaminant control and Chapter 4, Clause 47 and 53, of the OHS Regulation 2001. Refer to the following reference material for
further information[:]
Ø Manual Tasks
Advisory Standard 2000 - Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 [Qld]
http://www.whs.qld.gov.au/advisory/adv028.pdf
Ø Code of
Practice for Manual Handling 2000 - Occupational Health and Safety Act 1985
[Vic] http://www.workcover.vic.gov.au/vwa/vwacop.nsf/COP/A3259AFB7531D4A14A256873000078EB/$File/COP25.PDF
Ø National Code
of Practice for Manual Handling [NOHSC: 2005 (1990)].
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