New guidance on shifts and call centres

The Heath and Safety Executive (HSE) has published new guidance on the risks associated with shift work and work in call centres.

Managing shift work: health and safety guidance states that badly designed shift arrangements and/or long hours put workers at risk of fatigue, accidents, injuries and ill health. It sets out an approach to managing the risks, and provides advice and good practice guidelines to help inform the design of shift rotas.

The guidance is available from HSE Books, price £9.95; call 01787 881165 to place an order.

Advice regarding call centre working practices (LAC94/2), a revised circular produced by the HSE and the Local Authorities Enforcement Liaison Committee (HELA), is an improvement on previous guidance but has still provoked criticism from the CWU communication workers' union.

"We still have concerns regarding a number of shortcomings within the document, which we feel could be improved and strengthened," said CWU head of safety Dave Joyce. "We were not consulted on this revision and have raised that matter with HELA."

The circular can be downloaded from www.hse.gov.uk/lau/lacs/94-2.pdf