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The principles of health and safety
management are the same whether you work in a
contact centre or a coal mine. The approach should
be identical and broadly in line with the model
put forward by the Health and Safety Executive
in their practical guide “Successful Health
and Safety Management” HSG 65.
The guidance is based on the principles
of loss control and quality management, subjects
close to every contact centre manager’s
heart!
A total loss control system seeks
to eliminate underlying failures of management
control by proactive and systematic identification
of issues, regardless of whether or not they have
led to accidents in the workplace. Management
failings are, sadly, all too easy to spot after
the event.
A critical element of any such system
is effective assessment of risk. In a coalmine
this is relatively easy for an experienced manager.
The majority of the risks are evident and there
are established ways of dealing with those risks.
Within a contact centre, however, an emerging
industry, most of the risks are not evident and
there are, as yet, no classic well-defined systems
in place within the industry for dealing with
those risks.
For example, were you aware that
allowing staff the freedom to surf the net whilst
on their break as a perk is a really bad
idea and can exacerbate health and psychological
problems?
New research is underway, conducted
by a number of organisations, examining the effects
of contact centre working on individuals. However,
we are, in all likelihood, some years off seeing
the results of that research, thus many managers
will inadvertently condone conditions and practises
that will contribute towards tomorrow’s
ill-health statistics.
The Health and Safety Laboratory
(HSL) recently conducted a study on working practices
in UK call centres. The study identified some
of the potential physical and psychological health
risks associated with working in contact centres
and highlighted examples of good and poor working
practice.
As most readers will already know,
around 1.6 - 2% (figures provided by Call Centre
Association and Communication Workers Union) of
the total UK workforce is employed in contact
centres around the UK. This is more than the total
number of workers employed in vehicle and steel
production and coal mining – the UK’s
traditional dangerous workplaces.
When you take into account the number
of contact centres estimated between 3 –
5,000 dependant upon which definition you use,
the potential for harm in this hitherto unassessed
industry is great.
So where does this leave contact
centre managers today, given that health and safety
legislation applies equally in a contact centre
as it does in a coal-mine?
Most managers would want to start
with risk assessment and audit. Effective use
of these tools will give a clear indication of
where an organisation is in relation to legislative
requirements and can be used to produce an action
plan. A good plan will outline clearly the risks
that staff face and most importantly, will identify
what needs to be done to control those risks.
Failure to undertake these tasks
exposes any organisation to considerable financial
loss and, of course, the loss to any individual
whose health may suffer as a result of management
failings is incalculable.
Having established an action plan
from the audit, the next stage would be to define
and implement effective policies and procedures
for use within the organisation. It is essential
that effective training takes place alongside
the introduction of new systems for health and
safety. Not only is it a legal requirement, but
without it, new systems and initiatives quickly
fall into disuse, loose credibility and possibly
take the organisation backwards in terms of health
and safety.
It should go without saying that
all training offered in this area should have
clearly defined objectives and the results should
be measurable. There are few sadder sights than
that of a training room, full of people attending
a H&S course which they know is of no value
to them.
Along with classic “talk and
chalk” training courses there many other
ways of spreading key health and safety messages
thus ensuring that employees and managers alike
understand both the requirements of any system
and critically, why such systems exist.
Generally, if people understand
that sitting, or adopting certain routines can
lead to chronic ill health, they will avoid them.
If they believe it is just procedure for procedure’s
sake, they will not, thus exposing both the individual
and the organisation to unnecessary, costly risk.
Finally, after careful introduction
of effective policies and processes and training
staff to implement, enforce and abide by them,
you need to regularly review your system to ensure
it remains effective.
The safety cycle should be one of
continuous improvement, with a range of proactive
and reactive indicators built into the system.
Proven indicators in this area include collation
of accident statistics, sickness monitoring (reactive)
and inspections and audit (proactive). If well
designed, the information gleaned from these indicators
will enable managers to determine and prioritise
areas for improvement.
For all those organisations out
there that boast: “people are our
most important asset” adopting
a total loss control approach to safety management
as described is essential.
Paula Green
Personnel Health & Safety Consultants
Commissioned by Contact
Centre Management Magazine and published
in their suppliers guide 2204. |
