Fom todays CCF News letter
Aberdeen staff at risk from acoustic shock, says CWU
Staff at a BT call centre in Aberdeen have suffered multiple acoustic shocks from white noise bursts transmitted through their headsets, an employee union has claimed. A total of 45 out of 160 BT telephone operators in the north eastern call centre received around 145 shocks last month as their headsets failed to provide the protection they needed. Agents are now making representations to BT through the Communications Workers Union (CWU), which believes BT managers should have shut down the call centre as soon as the fault was detected on October 20th and 21st. The union has also claimed that workers are still being put at risk by continuing operations at the plant. With hundreds of legal cases pending, and a ‘class action’ imminent in the Republic of Ireland, CWU also claims that acoustic shock is an issue that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. "The CWU has steadfastly campaigned for recognition of acoustic shock, a devastating 21st century industrial injury problem, and for a technological solution," explained Dave Joyce, CWU’s national health and safety officer. "The roots of the Union's campaign go back over 15 years when the first cases came to light. The size of the Industry has more than doubled since then with a growing risk affecting a million workers in call centres today. So far the CWU and Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) have handled more than 700 acoustic shock cases, securing more than £2 million in out-of-court settlements for workers." Acoustic shock is a random frequency surge delivered via a headset, caused by a sudden spike of noise that will damage the human ear. Symptoms can range from a ringing in the ear or tinnitus to permanent damage of the inner ear affecting hearing or even the organic mechanisms of balance.
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