SAINT JOHN, New Brunswick – Thousands of New Brunswick residents working in call centers are facing a new kind of occupational hazard.

Martha Vowles, a member of the province’s Speech-Language Pathologies and Audiologists Association, said Thursday increasing numbers of call-center employees are coming to her with work-related vocal problems.

“We see a large number of people with voice disorders,” she said. “For people who work in call centers, the amount of voice use is really significant. Often, they are speaking for more than eight hours.”

Vowles said some call-center employees work out of cubicles and are forced to speak louder to muffle outside noises. The problem is compounded by poor circulation in buildings that don’t feature windows that can open.

“A lot of the buildings that call centers are in are closed buildings,” said Vowles. “That creates a very dry environment, and the vocal folds [cords] get dried out because you are breathing in dried air.”

Vowles said workers should drink water and avoid coffee, tea or cola while they’re working, since caffeine has a drying effect on vocal cords.

“Adequate hydration is hugely important,” she said. “We always recommend sitting in the correct posture with your body in proper alignment. Taking breaks to rest your voice is also really important.”

Call centers are a big industry in New Brunswick’s neighboring state, Maine. A business group estimated that 25,000 people were employed in call centers in Maine last year, making them one of the state’s fastest-growing industries.

Angela Matchim, executive director of the New Brunswick Customer Contact Centre Industry Association, said voice problems have never been an issue, but members she spoke to ensure their staff take scheduled breaks and drink plenty of fluids.

She said some centers also provide staff with amplified headphones and speaking tools so they don’t have to raise their voices.