Inspectors will expect duty holders to interpret their statutory obligations to protect the health and safety of call centre (or similar) employees, in the manner described in this guidance. Issues such as acoustic shock, verbal abuse, voice strain and work pace monitoring are more specific to call centre work; the rest of the guidance reflects general guidance on office work. Rest breaks and consultation are strongly emphasised. Call centre work employs around 3% of the UK workforce.
The true scale of risks to health and safety and the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed control measures remain highly uncertain.
Evidence from:
HSE LAC Number: 94/2 October 2006.
“Advice regarding call centre working practices”
Given that most of the risks are risks of perception rather than objective hazards and outcomes, cultural and commercial pressures would be more predictive of claims activity than would objective workplace risk assessments.
Further detail: