INDUSTRIAL WORK MEASUREMENT (ERGONOMICS)

Abstract

Lighting, ventilation and noise in work environment affect the productivity of the employees. The science of ergonomics simplifies lifestyle at work in order to improve the efficiency of the employees. Various physical elements of a business working environment has both negative and positive impacts on the comfort, job contentment, health and safety, concentration, and the morale of individuals within it. Work layout, furniture, radiation, lighting, ventilation, equipment design, space, radiation, noise, quality of air, age, noise, building design are some of the physical elements that should be taken into consideration in a working environment. Even though it may sound not important working in dim or overbright light reduces productivity as it strains the employees. Studies have found that low levels of lights, can even cause depression in employees, which is severe.

Noise could also once again be thought of a simple distraction, but can cause defects such as irreversible ear damage. If it impairs communication between employers in the work place noises like high volume alarms could be very dangerous, as miscommunication led to fatal accidents.

Ventilation is one another important aspect. Without adequate ventilation employees are exposed to harmful fumes and dust. This could result in diseases such as cystic fibrosis, which are very severe and patients end up being in a lung transplant list. Ignoring the minute workplace safety rules ends up being disastrous full for their employees. As an example, there has been a lawsuit against a multinational company as the employees were exposed to asbestos without proper ventilation. The minute details can never be ignored. The employees themselves have to make sure that the workplace environment meets up to the standard. If they find even minute details, they have to report it to the supervisor immediately for further actions to be taken. Workers’ union originally founded for reducing long hours of work and for wage inequalities could help employees in their path to justice at workplace environment. Implementing the following controls can control the risk associated with each hazard.

Redesigning the infrastructure to improve the lighting is paramount to any working environment. Soundproof work environments or similar strategies to improve the worker’s quality of environment will improve the productivity. Harmful gases and fumes has to be identified, their risk factors, methods to decrease the harm if exposed. An example of lack of this method was well depicted in Bhopal tragedy, wherein the manufacturing unit harmful gases were released to environment by accident and people were unaware of how to cope with the situation. Even medical knowledge lacked in the situation resulting in numerous fatalities. These scenarios should not be repeated if we have adequate knowledge and methodologies in handling even the minute problem at the work place.

How ergonomic are lighting, ventilation, and noise in work environment? Do they really impact the productivity of an employee?

Ergonomics refers to an applied science which is basically concerned with the designing and arranging of various things that individuals utilizes so that both of them can interact most safely and efficiently. In other words, it is the qualities or parts of something design, which makes them easy to use in their environment. This then implies that workers’ morale is something which is extensively impacted either negatively or positively in ways which are ultimately influenced by the workplace environment (Majekodunmi 2). This then suggest that employees’ working environment typically plays a crucial role in enhancing the productivity and performance of workers. Currently, a large percentage of industries have been noted to be having unsafe working environment, hence making them to be unhealthy too.

Ergonomic = comfort

A working environment with unsafe health facilities, for instance, poorly ventilated design workstations, unsuitable furniture, excessive noise, poor ventilations, poor supervisor support, improper lighting, the absence of personal protective gears, poor communication, poor emergency safety measure, and poor working spaces has the potential of adversely affecting the productivity of workers (Anil et al. 1). Conversely, in such an environment, health employees end up being exposed to occupation ailments such as deafness, heart diseases, suffocation, and ergonomic disorders. Thus, the performance and productivity of health workers will diminish because of the poorly planned working environment since this ultimately impacts their morale. Likewise, this may result to low job satisfaction and poor motivation hence becoming a challenge for the management authority to offer safe working environment for employees to ensure efficiency, good performance, better health status, and improved productivity.

Nevertheless, the relationship which exists between work, working place environment, and health workers is paramount and hence making it to be an integral part of the work they do. This then suggest that the management effort will entail ensuring that an active work environment is focused on the infrastructure of the working environment and on workers’ personal motivation (Carlo et al. 11).

Does lighting really matter in a work place?

Lighting as well as other factors such as ergonomic factors has been noted to induce profound influence on the worker’s health and productivity. Ambient features in a business working environment, for example, temperature, lighting, free air movement, the existence of windows, and so on, implies that these physical elements ultimately influences employees’ job satisfaction, behaviours, attitudes, productivity, and performance. Day-lighting, the illumination of working spaces by natural light so as to provide efficient internal lighting is one of the new watchwords in office design (Anil et al. 2).

Additionally, working in an overbright or dim environment can lead to irritability, headaches and eyestrain hence reducing productivity inevitably. Low levels of office lighting can result to depression, which to some individuals may be severe. This suggest that a working environment which is poorly lighted has the potential of reducing employees’ performance and productivity for those who are forced to work associated with reading may have severe problems with vision (Majekodunmi 5). This may be the cause of eyestrain or fatigue. Although to some workers, more light may be advantageous is assisting them overcome their duties. Despite that, to some, particularly those working in front of computers, excessive lighting systems can make them strain viewing the characters on the screen.

                                    How ergonomic are Ventilation in a work place?

Ventilation is another working element which has a profound impact on the quality of air which workers breathes. With improper ventilation, it implies that such a working environment with poor air quality will induce disastrous effects on the health of workers, especially causing fatigue, headaches, and other respiratory problems, which in return reduces their performance and productivity (Al-Omari & Okasheh 3).  Cleanliness, ventilation, and temperature are the main factors which improve or hinder the quality of air in any working environment. For instance, relatively high temperatures make employees’ efficiency to decrease because of lethargy and tiredness. Lower temperature levels reduce workers’ efficiency because of cooler body heat which results to shivering. Low humidity levels in a working environment have a debilitating impact on employees’ ability to swallow and breathe without discomfort (Anil et al. 2).

On the other hand, this implies that indoor contamination levels resulting from pollutants such as inorganic materials, asbestos, organics, non-ionizing radiations, radon, dust, odours, and so on results to critical discomfort and unwillingness to perform any task. This leads to reduced employee’ morale hence resulting to low job performance and productivity.

How ergonomic are noise in a work place?

Noise is another element of the working environment which has both the negative and positive influence on workers’ productivity. Excessive noise emanating from peoples’ conversations, tools, and other equipment have the potential of preventing workers from concentrating on their work, therefore, reducing their work output. Despite that, it should be noted that people cannot be in the position of achieving their goals in a quiet environment. The reason for that is because to some extent sound generates a health background which motivates workers to execute their tasks effectively. Generally, noise can increase the morale of workers whilst doing their various tasks either negatively or positively (Majekodunmi 2).

Conversely, in case employees working environment is supplied which moderated background sound from certain kind of instrumental music, such a sound will make a worker to be more relaxed in tackling a certain problem arising from a customer who is impatient. Contrary to that, when employees are subjected to a working environment with background sound, which is relatively hard, their communication with customers and amongst themselves will be hindered. This means that disastrous noise in any business organization will be another leading cause of distraction hence resulting to increased job related stress, serious inaccuracies, and decreased productivity. This will in return make note only employees to be contented with their work but also customers to loss trust with such an organization (Anil et al. 2).

What work environment factors should be assessed?

Various environmental factors addressed above should also be related to the relationship which exists between workers, the physical environment, and the tools and equipment that they use while in their various workplaces. As such, by making use of the ergonomic principles in designing, modifying, and maintaining working environments is beneficial in enhancing employing safety both in the short-run and long-run (Majekodunmi 5). Therefore, in evaluating employees’ working environment, it is important to take into consideration to human characteristics, for instance, sex, age, physical stature, experience, and so on. Equally, the manner in which all these characteristics matches with their physical environment should be evaluated so as to make them fit for any task a person can be assigned to.

Moreover, when a person is working in a situation which suits his or her mental and physical abilities, the right fit between him or her and the work task is accomplished. Therefore, it is important to assess the appropriate design of their working environment so as to ensure that it has accommodated a broad category of human traits. Lastly, employees’ working environment should be set in a way that satisfies both their mental and physical requirements. Necessary adjustments to workplaces, in terms of noise reduction, ventilation, and lighting ought to be assessed for the safety and comfort of the workers. The reason for that is because a person has the right to work, learn, and achieve their goals without any adverse health consequences.

Who is responsible for assessing the work environment?

A working environment which is unsafe ultimately affects positively or negatively, the health and safety of the workers regardless of their job status. This then implies that it is the responsibility of each to be mindful of their health and safety in any working environment (Leblebici 10). They should be ready and willing to document any discomfort, pain, illness or injury that they believe results from their working environment.

After recording such information, it is important for them to forward it to their management authority as soon as possible. The reason for that is to enable the concerned authority to take correct or necessary steps which will ensure that their workers are not subjected to any health and safety risks.

It is also the responsibility of the industrial social worker to ensure that they have collaborated with the management authority of any business in ensuring that they have created a working environment which attracts, retains, and motivates its workers. This should be done through responding to their complaints, a rising a result of poor working environment (Anil et al. 3).

HOW TO CONTROL THE PROBLEMS ADRESSED

It is the responsibility of the management authority of any business organization to ensure that provided proper lighting systems in their working places through redesigning their infrastructure. This will enable them to have proper lighting for the comfort and enhance safety of their employees (Al-Omari & Okasheh 3). 

Noise is something which much distractive to any employee performing his or her duty. Therefore, is essential to ensure that it has been controlled to desirable limits through limiting exposure to it as well as using devices such as earmuffs or headphones. The importance of this is to ensure that employees’ ears are protected from any kind of irreversible damages.   

Proper ventilation makes employees to enjoy working in a well aerated environment. As a result of that, it is important for the concerned authority to ensure that they have installed proper ventilation devices so as to guarantee the safety of its workers from ailments such as cystic fibrosis. Similarly, in case poisonous fumes are used, it is essential to apply protective techniques when employees are to be exposed to them

Lastly, the management authority should ensure that they have educated their workers so as to make them aware of the proper medical treatment to administer as well as availing required equipment to use during emergencies, for instance, exposure to neurotoxic gases. 

NEW METHODS TO MANAGE LIGHTING, NOISE, AND VENTILLATION

With the advancement of modern technology as well as the need for reducing operating expenses, industrial social workers and the management authority should intervene through ensuring that cost reduction doesn’t adversely affect the health and safety of workers. For example, workspace decisions ought to be designed in a manner that creates investment in workers’ quality of life (Majekodunmi 6).

The physical working environment ought to be designed in a manner that it has the ability of improving the health of employees regardless of their job status. This should come in the form of quality of open office workspace, proper lights with energy saving lighting systems with moderated temperature, ergonomic furniture, and air conditioning systems, noise protective gears like earmuffs, and so on as to improve the comfort of the workers while at work.

It is recommended that the management authority and all workers should also agitate this through participating in problem solving, monitoring, and information sharing as well as fostering routine communication. This is important in making their working environment a spontaneous, social, and productive (Carlo et al. 2).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Work cited

 

 Majekodunmi, E. A. THE INFLUENCE OF WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT ON WORKERS’ WELFARE, PERFORMANCE AND PRODUCTIVITY.  University of Ibadan, 2012.

Anil P. S, Shirsath M, Nasik, M.J & Nashik. The Factors Affecting Employee Work Environment & It’s Relation with Employee Productivity. International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), 2014.

Carlo B. C, Malabanan E. S, Anne J. R. R, Sarapat, H. A & Buluran, R. N. EFFECTS OF WORK ENVIRONMENT TO THE HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY OF

THE WORKERS OF IM DIGITAL PHILIPPINES, INC. LPU-Laguna Journal of Engineering and Computer Studies, 2015.

 Al-Omari K & Okasheh H. The Influence of Work Environment on Job Performance: A Case Study of Engineering Company in Jordan. Department of Architecture, University of Jordan, Amman, 2017.

Leblebici, D. IMPACT OF WORKPLACE QUALITY ON EMPLOYEE’S PRODUCTIVITY:

CASE STUDY OF A BANK IN TURKEY. Okan University, Turkey, 2012.