Reducing noise hazards for call and dispatch center operators

Millions of workers at call and dispatch centers in the United States use headsets during most of their workday. !ey mainly include dispatchers, medical transcriptionists, air tra"c control specialists, customer service representatives, switchboard operators, reservationists, and bill collectors. Many work in high-pressure, stressful environments with noisy surroundings and poor ergonomic conditions. [NIOSH, 1997, 2005, 2007, 2008; Gavhed and Toomingas 2007; Patel and Broughton 2002]. Although these other factors can pose additional health risks to workers, the scope of this document is limited to providing recommendations for reducing noise hazards.