Health & safety: Acoustic shock real says study

A consultant for Australian telecoms giant Telstra has documented 103 cases of 'acoustic shock' among call centre workers. The findings boost the credibility of those who claim to be suffering from the debilitating condition.

Audiologist, Dr Jan Milhinch, who examined employee records on behalf of the company, said her findings prove the condition is not imaginary.

Sufferers report symptoms including extreme pain, tinnitus, vertigo and hypersensitivity to loud sounds heard subsequently. They may also experience numbness, tingling or burning sensations around the ear. However, they do not report hearing loss, as they would with industrial deafness.

Call centre workers are believed to be at increased risk of acoustic shock because of the time they spend on the phone and the highly stressful nature of the job.

A Telstra spokeswoman said the cases had occurred since 1994. The company is now testing a new type of headset, which is designed to reduce noise levels. The company also trains staff on acoustic shock issues.

Employers of call centre workers are being advised to take some basic steps — including providing drinking water — to help prevent staff falling victim to occupational voice loss.

A study by banking union Unifi found that call centre workers are losing their voices and suffering from other throat and voice problems due to the long hours they spend talking to bank customers on the telephone.

Unifi recommends making fresh water readily available, keeping background noise to a minimum and ensuring that equipment, especially headphones, is checked regularly.

Faulty equipment and residual noise have been identified as causes of voice and hearing problems, as workers turn up the volume on headsets to hear customers or raise their voices to be heard themselves.