Call centre managers have been accused of failing to train and protect staff adequately after it emerged that more than 1000 workers have threatened court action alleging their hearing has been damaged by excessive phone noise.
The second Acoustic Safety Conference in Glasgow heard that 700 workers have received out-of-court settlement payouts totalling £2.5m in the past seven years suffering from acoustic shock, a condition caused by a single or series of sudden loud noises using the phone. A further 300 cases are pending, mostly against companies which run call centres.