asterisk users - Mar 2006 - OSHA requirement to "reach a live human" ??

Hi,

We're using Asterisk to develop a specialized IVR system for our 
employees and someone is telling us there is some OSHA requirement that 
you have to always be able to reach a "live human" on such systems.
I've
never heard of that and google didn't turn up anything in my searches. 
This is *not* some kind of "report a spill" or crucial system of any 
sort. It's a bit of a hassle because it wasn't going to be connected to 
their main phone system. Anyone ever heard of such a requirement from 
OSHA, or do you think someone is pulling my leg?

Scott
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People love to blame things on acronyms.  Usually it's 'HIPPA'
(which,
by the way is a clear indicator that they've never studied HIPAA),
sometimes OSHA, etc.

If it really is OSHA then it should be pretty easy to find out.  If (and
check first) your organization is on the up and up, call them and ask.
As I understand it, if you ask them there will be no penalties if they
find you in the wrong.  If they 'catch' you, then come the fines...


Bob McDowell

-----Original Message-----
From: asterisk-users-bounces@lists.digium.com
[mailto:asterisk-users-bounces@lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of Scott
Plante
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 9:37 AM
To: asterisk-users@lists.digium.com
Subject: [Asterisk-Users] OSHA requirement to "reach a live human" ??

Hi,

We're using Asterisk to develop a specialized IVR system for our
employees and someone is telling us there is some OSHA requirement that
you have to always be able to reach a "live human" on such systems.
I've
never heard of that and google didn't turn up anything in my searches. 
This is *not* some kind of "report a spill" or crucial system of any
sort. It's a bit of a hassle because it wasn't going to be connected to
their main phone system. Anyone ever heard of such a requirement from
OSHA, or do you think someone is pulling my leg?

Scott

I wanted to investigate this myself, so I called OSHA, got VoiceMail! 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: asterisk-users-bounces@lists.digium.com 
> [mailto:asterisk-users-bounces@lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of 
> Scott Plante
> Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 10:37 AM
> To: asterisk-users@lists.digium.com
> Subject: [Asterisk-Users] OSHA requirement to "reach a live
human" ??
> 
> Hi,
> 
> We're using Asterisk to develop a specialized IVR system for 
> our employees and someone is telling us there is some OSHA 
> requirement that you have to always be able to reach a "live 
> human" on such systems. I've never heard of that and google 
> didn't turn up anything in my searches. 
> This is *not* some kind of "report a spill" or crucial system 
> of any sort. It's a bit of a hassle because it wasn't going 
> to be connected to their main phone system. Anyone ever heard 
> of such a requirement from OSHA, or do you think someone is 
> pulling my leg?
> 
> Scott
>

Scott Plante wrote:
> Hi,
>
> We're using Asterisk to develop a specialized IVR system for our 
> employees and someone is telling us there is some OSHA requirement 
> that you have to always be able to reach a "live human" on such 
> systems. I've never heard of that and google didn't turn up
anything
> in my searches. This is *not* some kind of "report a spill" or
crucial
> system of any sort. It's a bit of a hassle because it wasn't going
to
> be connected to their main phone system. Anyone ever heard of such a 
> requirement from OSHA, or do you think someone is pulling my leg?
>
Our HR department said that it may well be a rule, and they'll 
investigate and I'll report back.

Doug

Hi Scott - 
> We're using Asterisk to develop a specialized IVR system for our
> employees and someone is telling us there is some OSHA requirement that
> you have to always be able to reach a "live human" on such
systems. I've
> never heard of that and google didn't turn up anything in my searches.
> This is *not* some kind of "report a spill" or crucial system of
any
> sort. It's a bit of a hassle because it wasn't going to be
connected to
> their main phone system. Anyone ever heard of such a requirement from
> OSHA, or do you think someone is pulling my leg?
I was going to suggest you give OSHA a call to ask them, but then I realized
that you'd never actually get a live human to talk to.  My company
occasionally has to deal with OSHA issues, and I would guess this is not
true. 

- Noah

On 3/15/06, Scott Plante <splante@insightsys.com>
wrote:
> Hi,
>
> We're using Asterisk to develop a specialized IVR system for our
> employees and someone is telling us there is some OSHA requirement that
> you have to always be able to reach a "live human" on such
systems. I've
> never heard of that and google didn't turn up anything in my searches.
> This is *not* some kind of "report a spill" or crucial system of
any
> sort. It's a bit of a hassle because it wasn't going to be
connected to
> their main phone system. Anyone ever heard of such a requirement from
> OSHA, or do you think someone is pulling my leg?
>
> Scott
Unless the person is someone you absolutely can't afford to irritate,
I would ask them to supply you with the actual regulation to which
they are referring. That should get them to put up or shut up.

-Rusty

Are you selling it TO osha?  If so, maybe they have an internal requirement.. 
If not, I've never heard of that.  Granted, I haven't sold a LOT of
phone systems, but I've been involved with a couple into public works
departments of local governments as well as private corps, and nobody has ever
mentioned that...

________________________________

From: Scott Plante [mailto:splante@insightsys.com]
Sent: Wed 3/15/2006 10:37 AM
To: asterisk-users@lists.digium.com
Subject: [Asterisk-Users] OSHA requirement to "reach a live human" ??



Hi,

We're using Asterisk to develop a specialized IVR system for our
employees and someone is telling us there is some OSHA requirement that
you have to always be able to reach a "live human" on such systems.
I've
never heard of that and google didn't turn up anything in my searches.
This is *not* some kind of "report a spill" or crucial system of any
sort. It's a bit of a hassle because it wasn't going to be connected to
their main phone system. Anyone ever heard of such a requirement from
OSHA, or do you think someone is pulling my leg?

Scott


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I think the original poster has realized that he now has ONE leg LONGER
than the OTHER.


________________________________

	From: asterisk-users-bounces@lists.digium.com
[mailto:asterisk-users-bounces@lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of Steve
Jones
	Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 12:28 PM
	To: Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion
	Subject: RE: [Asterisk-Users] OSHA requirement to "reach a live
human" ??
	
	
	The more I think about it, the crazier this supposed requirement
sounds to me..  It would seem that any IVR for a bank, which allows
account access 24/7/365 would be in violation, since we all know banks
have no humans in them off-hours...  Many businesses have IVR type
systems that operate when there are no humans available. 
	 
	-Steve

________________________________

	From: Andrew Kohlsmith [mailto:akohlsmith-asterisk@benshaw.com]
	Sent: Wed 3/15/2006 12:00 PM
	To: asterisk-users@lists.digium.com
	Subject: Re: [Asterisk-Users] OSHA requirement to "reach a live
human" ??
	
	

	On Wednesday 15 March 2006 11:20, Steve Jones wrote:
	> Are you selling it TO osha?  If so, maybe they have an
internal
	> requirement..  If not, I've never heard of that.  Granted, I
haven't sold a
	> LOT of phone systems, but I've been involved with a couple
into public
	> works departments of local governments as well as private
corps, and nobody
	> has ever mentioned that...
	
	And speaking as someone who CALLS public works and government
agencies a lot,
	I'd have to say that my experience seems to indicate that this
is most
	certainly NOT a requirement.  It's impossible to reach a human
easily; I
	generally just hit the first extension I can and ask to be
transferred where
	I want.  It only gets worse if there are queues to deal with,
because you
	can't get to a human until your number comes up in the queue.
	
	-A.
	
	

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Thanks for all the replies. Funny, Alexander! It's not for OSHA; it's 
for a private company. The only thing that made me wonder was that it is 
a system to be used by their *employees* so it might fall under 
different rules than a system for customers, and would be more in OSHA's 
purview. Nevertheless, I'm pretty dubious because I can't see how it 
relates to safety or health. I'm trying to get in touch directly with 
the person who's making the claim. So far the person I report to is 
telling me so-and-so says it's some OSHA requirement and when I asked 
for more info I got the, "I'll have to get with so-and-so and get back 
to you" answer. If I learn anything from them about this, I'll post it 
here. I'm still interested in anything your HR has to say, Doug, or any 
info anyone else has on it.

Scott

P.S. the ironic part is they want me to just allow the user to record a 
question/comment to satisfy the supposed "reach a live human" 
requirement, which doesn't seem like it would meet the requirement anyway.

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In some work places the term 'live-person' may not require a warm body.
Just reference some of the Dilbert comic strips! :-)

Snip....
> P.S. the ironic part is they want me to just allow the user 
> to record a question/comment to satisfy the supposed "reach a 
> live human" 
> requirement, which doesn't seem like it would meet the 
> requirement anyway.
> 
> 
I'll end it here....