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REVIEW OF PROFESSIONAL HAZARDS IN B.P.O.WORKERS

Article  in  World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences · August 2017

DOI: 10.20959/wjpps20178-9488

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 WORLD JOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
Adhikari et al. World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
SJIF Impact Factor 6.647

Volume 6, Issue 8, 210-216 Review Article ISSN 2278 – 4357

REVIEW OF PROFESSIONAL HAZARDS IN B.P.O.WORKERS

Dr. Pravina S. Adhikari*1 and Dr. Anand B. More2

1
*Assi. Professor, Roganidan Dept. Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University, College of
Ayurved Pune.
2
Professor & HOD, Roganidan Dept. B.V.D.U., C.O.A., Pune.

ABSTRACT
Article Received on
03 June 2017, In present era young generation is interested in B.P.O. sector due to
Revised on 23 June 2017, attractive salaries and because getting into this sector is very easy than
Accepted on 13 July 2017,
DOI: 10.20959/wjpps20178-9488 any other sector. But the nature of work in this sector is very hectic and
unusual. B.P.O. workers are victims to different causative factors.
B.P.O. employees have to face strict deadlines, unusual targets, irate
*Corresponding Author
calls, long working hours, shift duties and night shifts. Continuous
Dr. Pravina S. Adhikari
Assi. Professor,
attending phone calls and constant interaction with faceless people.
Roganidan Dept. Bharati They have to act with pseudonyms (hidden identity). All these
Vidyapeeth Deemed circumstances are unavoidable part of B.P.O. employees job and lead
University, College of to pathogenesis of different Physical, Mental and psychosocial
Ayurved Pune.
disorders. e.g. physical disorders like :- Vision problems, Dryness in
eyes, Hearing problem, Voice loss, Sinus problem, Skin lesions, Musculoskeletal disorders.
Digestive problems (due to faulty dietary habits), Sleep disturbances, disturbances in
circadian rhythm, Head ache due to strain, Spondilysis, shoulder, neck, back pain etc. Mental
disorders like: - Anxiety, Depression, smoking, addiction to alcohol and tobacco, Addiction
to drugs, disturbances in circadian rhythm work stress and recognition problem, Disruptive
family relations, Exhaustion, Lack of concentration. According to Ayurved all these disorders
can manifest due to etiological factors or Different Hetu sevan such as Asatmyeindriyarth
sanyog of different Dnyanendriya and Karmendriya, Pradnyapradha and Parinama.

KEYWORDS: B.P.O. workers, shift duty, physical disorders, mental disorder.

INTRODUCTION
In 21th Century Industrialism has made our life style very fast, highly modified and very
expensive too.

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Adhikari et al. World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

In modern era working in Business process outsourcing organization (B.P.O.) is newly

emerging occupation on large scale.

B.P.O. workers are victims to different causative factors or Hetu sevan, such as attending
phone calls, speaking on telephone for longer time, working in A.C., working in front of
computer screen for long time, working during night hours and sleeping during day hours,
sedentary life style, staying away from family for long time and others.

According to Ayurveda, these are examples of Pradnyaparadha and Asatmyendriyartha

sanyog of different Dnyanendriya and Karmendriya.[7]

Such professions may affect person’s physical (sharira) and Mental (Manasa) status and are
responsible for manifestations of various types of disease.[7]

In various faculties various type of work has been done on BPO workers by various aspects.
In medical field, the work has been done with respect to professional hazards in B.P.O.
workers and its effect on health with regards to physical and mental problems such as-
 Physical, mental, social and health related problems of call centre workers1
 Critical study on work life balance of B.P.O. workers.
 Study of general role of stress among IT/ITES professionals in India
 Mental and physical and health related problems of call centre workers
 A study on quality of work life in BPO sector with reference to Chennai city
 Work organisation and work life balance in BPO sector
 Working conditions and health among employees at information technology enabled
services a current review.

While reviewing the research work done regarding BPO workers and professional hazards, it
is found that most of work on B.P.O. workers is done in the area of modern health science,
social science and business management.

According to review of professional hazards in B.P.O. workers, it is clear that B.P.O. workers
suffer from physical, mental and psychosocial problems due to professional hazards such as.
Physical disorders
 Vision problem[1]
 Dryness in eyes

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Adhikari et al. World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

 Hearing problems[1]
 Voice loss
 Sinus problem
 Musculoskeletal disorders[2]
 Digestive problems[1] (due to faulty eating habits)
 Indigestion and Constipation[4]
 Gynaecological problems
 Infertility problem
 Skin lesions
 Sleep disturbances[4]
 disturbances in circadian rhythm[1]
 Head ache due to strain[1]
 Spondilytis[2]
 Shoulder, neck, back pain
 Cardiovascular disorders[2]
 Unhealthy eating habits (fast food, junk food)[1]

Mental Disorders
 Work stress[5]
 Anxiety
 Depression
 Employees not satisfied with long working hours and shifts.[5]
 unusual work schedule, over bearing and irate calls[6]
 Burden due to daily quality assurance and daily service performance measurement[6]
 working with strict dead lines[6]
 Sleep disturbances[1]
 Exhaustion[2]
 Lack of concentration[2]
 Disturbances in circadian rhythm[1]
 Burn out[1]
Burn out is psychological term that refers to long term exhaustion (physical, mental and
emotional exhaustion)
-Lack of enthusiasm

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Adhikari et al. World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

-Feeling drained
Burn out[6] also may have dimensions of frustration and negative emotions.
The daily experience of repetitive and intensive workload results in burn out.
-inconvenient working hours
-loss of identity created by pseudonyms to serve foreign customers
-constant interaction with faceless unknown people
- These c reates the feeling of suffocation
-Disruption in family[1]
-lack of promotion opportunities
-high pressure to meet unreasonable targets[6]
Makes the job very stressful and results in burnout.

Psychosocial disorders
 Recognition problem[5]
 Addiction to smoking[4]
 Addiction to alcohol and tobacco[4]
 Addiction to drugs
 Their off days do not match with that of family members and adversely affect their family
life
 Disruptive family relations[1]
 There are four main stressors
1) Self roll distance (S.R.D.)[3]
2) Inter roll distance (I.R.D.)[3]
3) Roll boundedness (R.B.)[3]
4) Personal inadequacy (P.I.N.)[3]

Out of these stressors B.P.O. employees have to face the main stressor roll boundedness
(R.B.) due to long working hours, working on weekends, and working with strict deadlines.

Roll Boundedness (R.B.) –This kind of stress is caused when an individual sacrifices his
personal interests, values and comforts due to significant role at working place.
 Tremendous monotonically decreasing function is observed with increasing age group
indicating that it is hard to keep with increasing age in the industry
 Burn out syndrome

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 Attrition

Burn out and Attrition are two largest worry of B.P.O industry.

 ATTRITION[3]
The miseries of employees are compounded by managers who are not supportive and
sympathetic towards their subordinates by policies which are unfriendly and ill advised. The
employees do not feel secure in their job. B.P.O workers quit their jobs due to all these
stressful conditions. This is known as attrition Attrition in B.P.O workers is 50% Above
mentioned disorders may be attributed due to different causative factors as Follows
Musculoskeletal disorders, Spondylitis, Shoulder, neck, back pain are postural hazards caused
due to sedentary life style and wrong sitting posture at work place for longer duration.
According to Ayurved this is Asatmyeindriyarth Sanyog of Karmendriya Vision problems,
dryness of eyes are the effects of continuous starring at computer screen for long time.
According to Ayurved this is due to Atiyog of Chakshurindriya.[8]

Hearing problem, Voice loss are occupational hazards due continuous hearing and speaking
on telephone.[9] Ayurved science states that it is due to Atiyog of Shravanendriya and
Vagindriya Sinus problems may occur due continuous to sitting in A.C. office, which is
mithyayog of Sparshnendriya.[10]

Sleep disturbances and disturbances in circadian rhythm are the effects of night duties and
shift duties can occur due to Mithyayog of Nidra and Diwaswap.[11]

Headache and Cardiovascular disorders are occupational hazards 0f unusual targets, stress,
and irate calls. According to Ayurved science these are Manas Hetus.

Digestive problems due to faulty eating habits are due to type of job, unusual duty timings,
night duties and shift duties. Gynaecological problems, Infertility problem can be a life style
disorder caused due to sedentary life style, lack of exercise, disturbances in circadian rhythm
and Unhealthy eating habits as fast food and junk food consumption. This etiological factors
can be stated as Asatmyeindriyarth Sanyog of Karmendriya, Avyayam, Mithyayog of nidra
and Diwaswap.

Addiction to alcohol and tobacco, Addiction to smoking, disturbances in circadian rhythm,

Sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, exhaustion, Lack of concentration, Disruptive family

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Adhikari et al. World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

relations are occupational hazards caused due to unusual targets, stress and irate calls, night
duties and shift duties, loss of identity created by pseudonyms to serve foreign customers and
constant interaction with faceless unknown people. These etiological factors can be classified
as Manas Hetus.

CONCLUSION
BPO workers profession can causes various types physical, mental and psycho social
disorders. These hazardous effects can be explained on the basis of Ayurved principles and
can be prevented through Ayurvedic measures.

REFERENCES
1. Pandhare P., Padmanabhan P., Patil A., Duggairala S., Rajan S., Choudhary S. Mental
physical social and health related problems of call workers centre. Industral psychiatry
journal 13 may 2010; 17: 21-25.
2. Dr. Smita R.Chavan Critical study on work life balance of B.P.O. workers. International
conference on Technology and business management March 28-30 2011.
3. Bhatt Sima, Varma Prashant. Study of general role of stress among IT/ITES professionals
in India. Asia Pacific Business Review journal 2008 volume 04 issue 01.
4. Dr. Vaibhavkumar Ramanuj Mental and physical and health related problems of call
centre workers NHL Journal of Medical Sciences/July 2014/Vol 3/Issue 2 11.
5. K. Padmini, Dr. D. Venkat Ramraju. Study of quality of work life in B.P.O. sector with
reference to Chenni City. Indian Journal of applied research December 2013 volume 03
issue 02.
6. Mrs. A.Meenakshi. Dr.Metilda Bhuvaneshwari Work Organization and Work Life
Balance in the BPO sector International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications,
June 2013; 3: 6.
7. Ashtangrhudaya sutrasthan Adhyay 22-11 Vagbhat Virachit Ashtangrhudayam by Pandit
Hari Sadashivshastri Paradakar / Chaukhamba Surabharati Prakashan / 2012.
8. Satik Charak Sanhita Sharir sthan Adhyay 01- (122-123) Charaksanhita Savimarsha
Vidyotini Hindi Vyakhyopeta Part 02 by Vaidya Shri Satyanarayan Shastri / Chaukhamba
Bharati Acadamy / 2002.
9. Satik Charak Sanhita Sharir sthan Adhyay 01- (118-119) Charaksanhita Savimarsha
Vidyotini Hindi Vyakhyopeta Part 02 by Vaidya Shri Satyanarayan Shastri / Chaukhamba
Bharati Acadamy / 2002.

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 Adhikari et al. World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

10. Satik Charak Sanhita Sharir sthan Adhyay 01- (120-121) Charaksanhita Savimarsha
Vidyotini Hindi Vyakhyopeta Part 02 by Vaidya Shri Satyanarayan Shastri / Chaukhamba
Bharati Acadamy / 2002.
11. Ashtangrhudaya sutrasthan Adhyay 09-43 Vagbhat Virachit Ashtangrhudayam by Pandit
Hari Sadashivshastri Paradakar / Chaukhamba Surabharati Prakashan / 2012.

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