Call Centre Training: Health Concerns in Call Centres

The main health and safety concerns in call centres are work-related upper limb disorders (RSI), voice loss, stress and a feeling of being cooped-up. To avoid voice loss, call centre workers should drink plenty of liquids. Since regular movement can reduce body fatigue, workers should periodically get up and stretch.
Comfort is even more important in a call centre than in a normal office situation. Temperature needs to be at comfortable levels with no cold drafts.

Wrist Injuries
The main form of wrist injury, often caused by keyboarding, is called carpal tunnel syndrome. It must be treated by exercise or by seeing a doctor, or you could be permanently injured.
- Try to tap the keyboard instead of pounding it.
- Practice typing with a light touch. You may tend to type harder when you’re tired, hurried or under stress. Pay extra attention to your keyboard force at those times.
- Check your posture. Keep your wrists relaxed but not bent upward or downward. Be sure your monitor is at eye level or a little below. Make sure you are in a comfortable position.
- Don’t drink too much coffee or tea. Caffeine can cause increased tension, resulting in increased force when using the keyboard.
- Pain, stiffness, burning, or numbing in your hands or arms are signals that something is not right. If you have pain, see your doctor, and you may avoid more serious injury.

Wrist Injuries

The stages of carpal tunnel injury
Stage One
1) Pain and fatigue near the end of the day.
2) Symptoms ending overnight and on days off.
3) No reduction in work or school performance.

Stage Two
Recurring pain and fatigue earlier in the day.
Night symptoms causing sleep disturbance.
Reduced work capacity.
Physical signs such as swelling.
A nerve-conduction study, or other medical tests, showing injury.

Stage Three
1) Pain and fatigue even during rest and non-repetitive movement.
2) Nighttime pain causing sleep disturbance.
3) Reduced work capacity.

Danger signs
1. Numbness, tingling or burning sensations.
2. Persistent symptoms.
3. Pain-related behaviour, such as frequently massaging yourself, or pain when someone touches you.

Suggestions
You should do a five-minute exercise warm-up before starting computer work, just as athletes stretch before a game, to prevent injury.
You should also stretch and bend your arms, shoulders, and back before starting computer work.

Body position

Ergonomics
Ergonomics is the process of matching the job to the worker so they can perform their duties without any unnecessary strain.
Ergonomic hazards that should be addressed are the following:
-  Awkward working positions
-  Forceful movements
-  Repetitive movements
-  High pace of work
-  Temperature extremes
-  Vibrations
The most common avoidable mistake in an office setting is not adjusting the workstation to fit the individual worker. Here are the things that must be done to ensure a healthy working environment.

Body position
There is no single body position that is recommended for sitting. Every worker can sit comfortably by adjusting the angles of their hips, knees, ankles and elbows. The following are general recommendations. Occasional changes beyond given ranges are acceptable and sometimes beneficial.
-  Keep the joints such as hips, knees and ankles open slightly (more than 90°).
-  Keep the upper body within 30° of an upright position. (see next diagram)

Body Position

-  Always keep the head aligned with the spine.
-  Keep upper arms between vertical and 20° forward.
-  Keep elbows at an angle between 90° and 120°.
-  Keep forearms between horizontal and 20° up.
-  Support the forearms.
-  Keep the wrists straight and aligned with the forearms.

Place the working object so that it can be seen at viewing angle of 10° to 30° below the line of sight.

The Monitor
Common complaints among computer operators include discomfort, aches and pains in the neck and shoulder, but also eyestrain. The sheer number of such complaints indicates that the proper position of the monitor has not received enough recognition as an important factor in the arrangement of a computer workstation.

Pain and discomfort result from the effort to view the monitor when it is set at the wrong place in relation to the operator’s position. Two factors come into play: viewing angle and viewing distance. Viewing angle refers to the degree above or below an imaginary horizontal line at the level of the viewer’s eyes and the centre of the object being looked at; in the case of computer work, is the centre of the screen.  1. Viewing distance refers to the space between the operator’s eyes and the screen.  

1. Clearly these factors are critical for correct placement of a computer monitor. A poor angle leads to postural (neck and shoulders) discomfort, while the wrong distance can contribute to eye strain.

The Mouse
The mouse is a common piece of computer equipment which helps people use computers more quickly and easily. Since the introduction of Windows technology in the 1990s, which made mouse-intensive software popular, the mouse has become standard office equipment.

There are two reasons why using a mouse regularly can be hazardous.
First, using a mouse requires a person to make small, exact movements with their hand, fingers, and thumb. By positioning, traveling, scrolling, and clicking the mouse again and again, the same small muscles can become tired and overworked. This can cause:
-  Pain (ache, soreness) on the top of the hand  
-  Pain (ache, soreness) around the wrist  
-  Pain (ache, soreness) along the forearm and elbow  
-  Formulation of painful nodules, and in the later stages, ganglion cysts, around the joints and along the tendons
-  Numbness and tingling in the thumb and index finger that may develop into Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS)

The second reason using a computer mouse can be hazardous is that the placement of the mouse can make it awkward to reach. Many computer workstations have limited space; since the keyboard is already directly in front of the person using the computer; most times the mouse is placed around the upper right hand corner of the keyboard and toward the back of the desk.

Designing a computer workstation which lets a person use a keyboard and a mouse (or other input devices like trackballs or graphics tablets) at the same time can be very difficult.
The complete elimination of aches and pains may not be possible, but choosing the right mouse, positioning it properly, and being aware of how you are holding your body and using your muscles can all help.