25/07/2001

Safety Council course calls time on call centre practices

The British Safety Council, one of the world’s leading independent health, safety and environmental organisations, is set to introduce new training in a bid to make Northern Ireland’s call centres safer.

The economic benefits of shifting customer service from High Street to smaller, dedicated sites have resulted in an industry that now employs around 5,000 people in Northern Ireland. Poor working conditions in some of these centres have led to their being branded ‘The coalmines of the 21st century’. Workers face a wealth of problems, ranging from bullying and noise to repetitive strain injury and stress.

In response to the risks faced by this sector, the Council has developed a Safety and Ergonomics in Call Centres course. It examines the key issues in the industry and is designed to help managers and safety professionals improve working conditions through better workplace design and improved management systems.

The one-day course covers musculoskeletal disorders, job design, risk assessment and management, ergonomics and safety training needs, call centre design and future concerns. It is also aimed at managers, supervisors, occupational health and human resources professionals.

The British Safety Council offers a range of training, audit and advisory services to some of the world’s top organisations.

The Council campaigns for higher standards in the workplace and lobbies opinion formers on health and safety issues.

(MB)

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