Ergonomic Analysis of a Telemarketing Operation

Ergonomic Analysis of a Telemarketing Operation

Ergonomics Unit 3

Case Study
Ergonomic Analysis of a Telemarketing Operation
by
Robert O. Andres, Ph.D., CPE David D. Wood, M.S.I.E and Nancy E. Laurie, M.S.
Introduction
This report presents the results of our ergonomic analysis a telemarketing operation in the call center of a large mail order firm. Dr. Andres first observed the telemarketing floor during his visit on November 5, 1993. A subsequent site visit took place May 4, 1994; ergonomists Nancy Laurie, M.S. and David Wood, M.S.I.E. accompanied Dr. Andres and performed the analyses summarized in this report. It has been brought to our attention that since our last visit a possible change is being considered – the supervisors would be distributed about the floor so that the lead station and supervisors’ offices would no longer be centralized. The implications of this change will be discussed in the Conclusions and Recommendations section.
Methods
The site visit on 5/4/94 yielded several types of data. Video records of task performance were acquired, both to document worker technique and worker interaction with their workstation as well as to provide examples that can be used during training (if training is pursued as an intervention). We measured the dimensionries of the existing workstations across the entire floor area to determine what is available. We were also supplied with OSHA 200 logs so that we could understand the nature of the injuries and illnesses experienced by workers overall and in the telemarketing area.
Clerical worker exposure to ergonomic risk factors was estimated from both the on-site visit and a video tape analysis in our lab. Observational data and video data were summarized using ANSI’s Z-365 checklist. The OSHA 200 Logs were reviewed; only ergonomic injuries were summarized (cumulative trauma disorders [CTDs]).
Results
There were 3 lost time ergonomic injuries in 1993 in the clerical operation. We estimated the severity rate using the following formulas (Bureau of Labor [BLS]):
Total hours per year = 415 (workers) X 30 (hours/week) X 50 (weeks/year) 622,500 hours/year
Severity rate for lost days = number of lost days/200,000 hours per year (57 (lost days) X 200,000)/622,500 = 18.31 lost days per 100 person years
Incidence rate for lost time injuries = number of lost time injuries/200,000 hours per year (3 X 200,000)/622,500 = 0.96 incidents per 100 person years
There were 9 other lifting injuries; each had no associated lost time. There were 268 lost days due to 3 slip/fall incidents. Seventeen other falls had no associated lost time. We gave a quick glance at the warehouse OSHA 200 Log ergonomic injuries. In absolute terms the number of lost days was some 10 to 12 times higher than those in telemarketing. However, without knowing the number of hours spent working last year in the warehouse, the incidence and severity rates could not be calculated.
After the site visit and viewing the video shot during our visit an ANSI Z-365 general ergonomic risk assessment checklist was filled out. Two aspects of the telemarketing operator’s work (mechanical pressure at wrist and neck flexion) were above the trigger point (meaning that engineering or administrative controls should be implemented to reduce the physical stress on the workers). The workers rest their wrists on whatever surface is available as they type. This mechanical pressure is a risk factor for CTDs of the hand/wrist. The neck is also a potential site for CTDs. Workers must continuously look down at forms and papers on their desks and then look up at their computer monitor.
Table 1 contains a summary of the workstation heights. Only workstations with a computer and chair were included; the actual number of workstations used varies over time with the volume of sales.
Table 1. Workstation height summary.

Workstation height (inches)
Number

26.50
11

26.75
154

27.00
71

28.00
90

28.25
18

30.25
3

30.50
59

30.75
1

31.00
4

Total
411

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