A workstation analysis of the call center agents of premier BPO

The Call Center Industry is currently one of the fastest growing industries in the Philippines. A call center is a customer-centered business that handles different types of customer-centered functions. These functions include marketing, selling and servicing which are done through the use of different mediums such as electronic mailings, World Wide Web, electronic messaging, voice messaging, fax messaging and traditional mailing. The call center system has operates, called call center agents, who basically are the ones who make and receive calls from customers or clients. According to Comcare(2012), a high risk of Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) in the workplace of call centers is evident because the agents often use their computers on the entirely of their work shift. These agents practice different sitting postures while doing their jobs on their workstations. The usually tend to slouch or lean closer to their office tables in order to see the things on their monitors. Because of these, it is unavoidable for call center agents to practice awkward sitting postures while doing their jobs on their workstations. This behavior, when left untreated, will increase the occurrence of muscle strains and can lead to MSDs. One of the solutions found for the problem is the use of ergonomics. This study aims to assess and improve the workstations being used by the call center agents of a specific call center host company, Premier BPO. The study involves identification of the workstation components that causes musculoskeletal disorders, identification of specific body parts that the call center agents are experiencing pain and discomfort on, identification and application of specific ergonomic pain intervention materials that would improve the workstations of the call center agents and formulation of an ergonomic standard for the company’s workstation dimensions. In order to gather data from the company to use for the research study, the pain & discomfort survey, focused group discussion, rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) and actual observation of the call center agents were used. To validate the data that were gathered from the said procedures, the study made use of the anthropometric data analysis, needs analysis and gap analysis. Aside from those, the guidelines and standards made by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) were also used in assessing the current workstation of the call center agents. It was found out from the results of the study that the company’s workstation does not comply with the OSHA guidelines and standards, resulting to the low gap score of the ergonomic chair, mouse and keyboard and MSD pain, specifically the lower back, upper back, neck and wrists/hands. To address the issue, the study identified the pain intervention materials necessary to improve the current workstation of the call center agents and it also recommended a specific set of standards and guidelines for the dimensions of their workstation