There is a fast expansion in the number of products and services offered by telemarketing companies. However, operators using earphones showed to be affected and could have been subjected to permanent and irreversible auditory loss due to exposure above the permitted levels. The traditional methods for measuring noise exposure have not proved to be efficient when the sound source (earphones) is placed directly on the external auditory system (ears). In this study ISO 11904 was used as a standard to evaluate telemarketing operators' exposure to noise. Two technical approaches were taken into consideration: a standardized artificial head and a microphone placed at operator's ear. Final results demonstrated that both techniques are efficient and effective, and can contribute to evaluating adequately the earphone users' exposure to noise in telemarketing.
noise exposure; telemarketing; earphones
