SAFETY WORK: ENVIRONMENT

Watch this video to have a short brief regarding safety work: environment before we learn much more about K3/OSHA on environment ↴

In today’s competitive business environment, organizations can no longer afford to waste the potential of their workforce. There are key factors in the employee’s workplace environment that impact greatly on their level of motivation and performance.  The workplace environment that is set in place impacts employee morale, productivity and engagement - both positively and negatively.  It is not just coincidence that new programs addressing lifestyle changes, work/life balance, health and fitness are now primary considerations of potential employees, and common practices among the most admired companies. 
In an effort to motivate workers, firms have implemented a number of practices such as performance based pay, employment security agreements, practices to help balance work and family, as well as various forms of information sharing. In addition to motivation, workers need the skills and ability to do their job effectively. And for many firms, training the worker has become a necessary input into the production process.

• Occupational Safety and Health

Occupational safety is the health and well being of people employed in a work environment to promote the safety of employees, the laws and regulations are set out in legislation to prevent workplace from illnesses and accidents.

• The main focus in occupational health is on three different objectives: 

1. Maintenance and promotion of workers’ health and working capacity.
2. Improvement of working environment and work to become conducive to safety and health.
3. Development of work organizations and working cultures in a direction which supports health and safety at work and in doing so also promotes a positive social climate and smooth operation and may enhance productivity of the undertakings.

• OSHA Law and Regulations

- Constitution for work safety:

1. Constitution No 1 Year 1970 concerning Occupational Safety.

- Government Regulation for work safety:

1. Government Regulation No. 19 of 1973 concerning the Regulation and Supervision of Safety in the Field of Mining.
2. Government Regulation No. 11 of 1979 concerning Work Safety on Oil and Gas Purification and Processing.

- Ministry Regulation for Work Safety:

1. Permenakertrans RI No 3 Year 1978 regarding Appointment and Authority and Obligation of Employee Safety and Health Supervisory and Occupational Safety Expert.
2. Permenakertrans RI No 1 Year 19879 on Obligation of Hygienen Exercise Company Health and Safety for Paramedical Power Company.
3. Permenakertrans RI No. 1 Year 1980 on Work Safety on Building Construction.
4. Permenakertrans RI No 2 Year 1980 on Labor Inspection of Labor In Operation of Safety.

• There are 5 types of hazards that should be prevented around the work environment which are:

1. Workplace
2. Physical
3. Biological
4. Chemical
5. Psychosocial

1. Workplace Hazard

Although work provides many economic and other benefits, a wide array of workplace hazards also present risks to the health and safety of people at work. These include but are not limited to, "chemicals, biological agents, physical factors, adverse ergonomic conditions, allergens, a complex network of safety risks," and a broad range of psychosocial risk factors. Personal protective equipment can help protect against many of these hazards.

2. Physical Hazard

Physical hazards affect many people in the workplace. Occupational hearing loss is the most common work-related injury in the United States, with 22 million workers exposed to hazardous noise levels at work and an estimated $242 million spent annually on worker's compensation for hearing loss disability. Falls are also a common cause of occupational injuries and fatalities, especially in construction, extraction, transportation, healthcare, and building cleaning and maintenance. Machines have moving parts, sharp edges, hot surfaces and other hazards with the potential to crush, burn, cut, shear, stab or otherwise strike or wound workers if used unsafely.

3. Biological Hazard

Biological hazards (biohazards) include infectious microorganisms such as viruses and toxins produced by those organisms such as anthrax. Biohazards affect workers in many industries; influenza, for example, affects a broad population of workers. Outdoor workers, including farmers, landscapers, and construction workers, risk exposure to numerous biohazards, including animal bites and stings, urushiol from poisonous plants, and diseases transmitted through animals such as the West Nile virus and Lyme disease. Health care workers, including veterinary health workers, risk exposure to blood-borne pathogens and various infectious diseases, especially those that are emerging.

4. Chemical Hazard

Dangerous chemicals can pose a chemical hazard in the workplace. There are many classifications of hazardous chemicals, including neurotoxins, immune agents, dermatologic agents, carcinogens, reproductive toxins, systemic toxins, asthmagens, pneumoconiotic agents, and sensitizers. Authorities such as regulatory agencies set occupational exposure limits to mitigate the risk of chemical hazards. An international effort is investigating the health effects of mixtures of chemicals. There is some evidence that certain chemicals are harmful at lower levels when mixed with one or more other chemicals. This may be particularly important in causing cancer.

5. Psychosocial Hazard

Psychosocial hazards include risks to the mental and emotional well-being of workers, such as feelings of job insecurity, long work hours, and poor work-life balance. A recent Cochrane review - using moderate quality evidence - related that the addition of work-directed interventions for depressed workers receiving clinical interventions reduces the number of lost work days as compared to clinical interventions alone. This review also demonstrated that the addition of cognitive behavioral therapy to primary or occupational care and the addition of a "structured telephone outreach and care management program" to usual care are both effective at reducing sick leave days.

• Factors that effect the work environment

1. Human
2. Layout and dimension of workplace
3. Equipment
4. Material
5. Lighting
6. Temperature
7. Ventilation

1. Human

According to a definition shared by the World Health Organization, human factors “refer to environmental, organizational and job factors, and human and individual characteristics which influence behavior at work in a way which can affect health and safety. This factors occur when:

• Lack of control over the way work is done
Worker undertake a task without proper training. Anyone using work equipment must have received adequate training, instruction and information for the particular equipment to enable them perform their work easily. This will help them perform to the best of their ability and be proud of their achievements.

• Work overload
Employee having too much work to do. Overtired employees distracted by personal or work-provided mobile devices are a particularly deadly combination.

• Stress
The modern workplace is full of demands, deadlines, etc. There are employees who sustain and perform under pressure while there are employees who succumb to this rising pressure. Thus, an aggressive environment where the stress levels are high will prove detrimental to employee performance.

• Lack of support from managers
A manager motivates his subordinates confidence, and evokes enthusiasm with regard to their work. But if the same manager engages in aggressive and punitive behavior, it results in harassment at the workplace.

• Conflicting or ambiguous roles
Employee discrimination can have a negative effect on the organization’s bottom line. It hampers the main components of employees’ behavior which are directly associated with job performance. This might also result in a higher incidence of grievances among employees.

• Poor relationships with colleagues (including bullying)
There are cases where bosses or colleagues threaten an employee for no reason or pass offensive remarks against the employee. This leads to the creation of a hostile environment in the workplace. It also disturbs the sense of belongingness amongst employees.

• Poor management of organisational change
Badly-conducted appraisals can create a lot of problems for the organization as well as its employees. If a hard working employee is under-rated, besides being unfair, it creates an inferiority complex in the mind of the employee, while being over-rated may create egoism.

• Make errors and unintentional mistakes.
Errors are made when the employee believes that they are doing the right thing when they are not. Violations are intentional errors or mistakes that come from employees taking shortcuts or skipping steps to save time or from a general noncompliance.

• Poor judgment and bad decision making.
Decision-making is strongly influenced by beliefs which may have only a tentative link to reality. Poor judgement occurs, for example, when an employee detects a hazardous condition but does not correct it, or removes a safeguard from a machine to increase productivity.

• Disregard for procedures
Employee genuinely forgets to follow a safety procedure. Failure to implement this particular safety protocol was a common practice amongst all staff and was not implemented by any other team leader at the workplace led to a serious problems affecting everyone safety.

• Employees come to work when they are sick
This happened because they don’t have available time off or don’t want to use those hours for illness. Every business regardless of industry can fall prey to this safety issue and cause the spreading of virus and diseases.

Most workplaces are adept at identifying obvious hazards and providing basic safety training upon hiring new employees. However, the evaluation of human factors should be an ongoing effort that involves all employees. Only by understanding human factors, can an occupational safety professional seek out ways to mitigate risk with stopgap measures that prevent accidents before they occur.

2. Layout and dimension of workplace

Workrooms should have enough free space to allow the worker to move about with ease. The volume of the room when empty, divided by the number of people normally working in it, should be at least 11 cubic metres. All or part of a room over 3.0 m high should be counted as 3.0 m high. 11 cubic metres per person is a minimum and may be insufficient depending on the layout, contents and the nature of the work.
Worker also should be able to leave workstations swiftly in an emergency. Ergonomics (the study of people's efficiency in their working environment) allow people to work comfortably and in safety.  For example, for office workers, the height and orientation of computer screens, chairs which provide postural support. If work can or must be done sitting, seats which are suitable for the people using them and for the work they do should be provided. Seating should give adequate support for the lower back, and footrests should be provided for workers who cannot place their feet flat on the floor.

3. Equipment

Powered hand tools can cause ‘vibration syndromes’, and vibration from a machine or passing through the seat of a vehicle can cause or aggravate whole back pain.  Noise can damage hearing, but it can also be a serious nuisance affecting concentration and physiological parameters.

Choose equipment that is suitable for its intended purpose. Correctly selecting equipment will reduce the chances of loss, damage or injury to plant, equipment and people. It is important to note that items suitable for home may be unsuitable for use as work equipment. Some hand or power tools that would be acceptable for occasional DIY use will not be robust enough to be used on a construction site. Indeed, most power tools for home use will be 240v but should be 110v for use on a site.

Work equipment should be maintained in a safe condition. This includes any routine or preventative maintenance and or repairs carried out to equipment. It is important that records are kept of all maintenance.

4. Material

Many work environments contain sources of hazardous substances (chemicals, dust, fumes, biological agents), which may cause exposure by inhalation, dermal absorption, splashing into eyes, or ingestion. Industrial employees can experience long-term physical damage from repeated exposure to chemicals of various types. Lead, asbestos, benzene and similar toxins that have been proven to cause cancer and other diseases.

5. Lighting

Lighting should be sufficient to enable people to work and move about safely. If necessary, local lighting should be provided at individual workstations and at places of particular risk such as crossing points on traffic routes. Lighting and light fittings should not create any hazard. Automatic emergency lighting, powered by an independent source, should be provided where sudden loss of light would create a risk.

6. Temperature

Environmental factors (such as humidity and sources of heat in the workplace) combine with personal factors (such as the clothing a worker is wearing and how physically demanding their work is) to influence what is called someone’s ‘thermal comfort’. Individual personal preference makes it difficult to specify a thermal environment which satisfies everyone. For workplaces where the activity is mainly sedentary, for example offices, the temperature should normally be at least 16 °C. If work involves physical effort it should be at least 13 °C (unless other laws require lower temperatures).

The risk to the health of workers increases as conditions move further away from those generally accepted as comfortable. Risk of heat stress arises, for example, from working in high air temperatures, exposure to high thermal radiation or high levels of humidity, such as those found in foundries, glass works and laundries. Cold stress may arise, for example, from working in cold stores, food preparation areas and in the open air during winter. 

Assessment of the risk to workers’ health from working in either a hot or cold environment needs to consider both personal and environmental factors. Personal factors include body activity, the amount and type of clothing, and duration of exposure. Environmental factors include ambient temperature and radiant heat; and if the work is outside, sunlight, wind velocity and the presence of rain or snow.

7. Ventilation

Workplaces need to be adequately ventilated. Fresh, clean air should be drawn from a source outside the workplace, uncontaminated by discharges from flues, chimneys or other process outlets, and be circulated through the workrooms. Ventilation should also remove and dilute warm, humid air and provide air movement which gives a sense of freshness without causing a draught. 
If the workplace contains process or heating equipment or other sources of dust, fumes or vapours, more fresh air will be needed to provide adequate ventilation. Windows or other openings may provide sufficient ventilation but, where necessary, mechanical ventilation systems should be provided and regularly maintained. Open able windows, skylights and ventilators should be capable of being opened, closed or adjusted safely and, when open, should not pose any undue risk to anyone.

From 1 July 2007, it has been against the law to smoke in enclosed public places and workplaces in England. Similar legislation exists in Scotland and Wales. Most countries have some enforcement of bans on smoking.

• The benefits of a work environment

OSHA defines the work environment as "the establishment and other locations where one or more employees are working or are present as a condition of their employment. The work environment includes not only physical locations, but also the equipment or materials used by the employee during the course of his or her work."

A good work environment is one of the significant influences for how employees and workers feel about their occupational safety and health besides the work itself. Thus, an industry should concern on this factor in order to obtain the most efficient and productive work environment for employees and workers.

Establishing safety and health programs to prevent occupational injuries and illnesses is not only a right thing to do, it is also the profitable thing to do. Studies have shown that for every dollar invested in safety and health, employers can expect up to 6 times return on their investment. Safety and health management planning at work environment is good for workers and business.

When it comes to managing your employees and workers, you should set the right tone at work. A good work environment gives motivation and positive vibes to the employees and workers to come working and sustain them throughout the day thus this will lead to as many as benefits that can be found.

The benefits of a good work environment affect:

1. Workers

Persons who do specified type of works or who work in specified ways.

2. Unions

Societies or associations formed by people with a common interest or purpose.

3. Employees

Persons employed for wages or salary, especially at non-executive level.

4. Industry

Economic activities concerned with the processing of raw materials and manufacture of goods in factory.

5. Occupational safety and health (OSHA)

A multidisciplinary field concerned with the safety, health, and welfare of people at work.

1. Workers 

- Fewer injuries, illnesses and lost restricted cases

An injury and illness prevention program (occupational safety and health) is a proactive process to help employers find and fix workplace and environmental work hazards before workers are hurt. We know that this program can be effective in reducing injuries, illnesses and fatalities. 

- Safer work environment

Whether you choose to take a few more minutes to encourage safety practices in a training class or spend a few more dollars on office-proofing, both signifies you’re looking out for the protective interests of you and your staffs.

2. Unions 

- Labor management cooperation sets tone (for improved cooperation in other areas)

Labor management cooperation is a state of relations where labor and management work hand in hand to accomplish certain goals using mutually acceptable means. It is the outcome of a continuing process of enhancing mutual trust and respect through information sharing, discussion, consultations and negotiations. 

3. Employees

- Lower work related cost

It is as to ease workers from paying their compensation costs due to a good work environment. 

- Increase moral

Regardless of their industry, workers who feel empowered by their employers have higher morale. 

- Increase productivity

The workday can be a daunting prospect if you do not approach it correctly. Most people start their days with hopes of achieving benchmark levels of productivity, but end up exhausted. By applying occupational safety and health in environmental work, one can simply begin to be productive at work and can streamline and improve one approach to the whole work.

4. Industry 

- Partnership with employees & OSHA (K3)

In a partnership, OSHA enters into an extended, voluntarily, cooperative relationship with groups of employees in order to encourage, assist and recognize their efforts to eliminate serious hazards and achieve a high level of worker safety and health.

5. Occupational safety and health (OSHA)

- Establish cooperative relationships

This in an ongoing process. It begins in the early stages of team development and continues throughout the life of the team. Collaboration implies a willingness on the part of organizations to change the way services are delivered by introducing occupational safety and health.

• Managing work environment: How to produce a work safety environment

Workplace safety should never be taken lightly with any business.  Doesn’t matter if you’re 1,000 employees strong or 10.  Any businesses regardless of size must account for safety regulations, steps and more detailed options for their staff from the get-go.  Preventative measures against accidents and/or workplace-related deaths are key for fostering a healthy, safe work environment.  

There are some companies out there who may not be fully versed in workplace safety regulations or might not be equipped in every area of the office to handle any unforeseen circumstances.  

For instance, let’s say you’re a towing and shipping company and most of your workforce is tied up in manual labor sectors where lifting, packing and stacking heavy shipments will occur more frequently.  Or at the opposite spectrum, you’re an accounting firm where there’s hardly any lifting or physically demanding going on.  

Both examples still must heed similar safety rules, have a system in place to readily inform each and every employee on preventative tips and regulations, and strive to accomplish what your business wants most:  everyday safety.  From OSHA compliance to inspections, there’s a whole laundry list of tips on workplace safety that businesses can take with them.  Some are simple, while others are a bit more complex in nature, but at the end of the day, they all can contribute to a safer haven for your staff.

1. Proper Uniforms

This is a critical base for businesses such as construction, home improvement, the aforementioned packing and shipping corporations on down to firefighters and other areas that require overly-protective headgear and uniforms.  Construction workers must be wearing hard hats at all times in specified zones of the job site.  Firefighters must have the latest fire-retardant outfits to go along with sturdy helmets.  Chemists must always be wearing safety goggles every second they are inside the laboratory.

Putting up signs to reinforce the matter and educating the supervisors to stay on top of uniform regulations should be active from the moment the first employee clocks in to the last.

2. Designate Proper Emergency Exits

There’s a reason we did three or four fire drill exercises as a kid each year in school.  As annoying and (forgive the pun) alarming as they could be, it helped everyone in the building familiarize themselves with the exits.  This same exercise should apply for every business.  Not that every employee go in a single-file order and move at the sound of an alarm, just that they are aware and have some document that outlines emergency procedures.

This document should map out every exit doorway, ensure you have emergency exit signs posted in their assigned posts, detail up-to-date smoke detectors, signify water spouts to quench possible fires and assure you and your staff that each building code is covered front-to-back.

3. Open Discussions

Setting aside time at the end of the day once a month to discuss safety rules and general working environment is a great way for managers and supervisors to assess the overall quality of current measures taken.  Getting feedback from employees is helpful because it opens the manager’s eyes to potential hazards that went unnoticed, how well certain areas are doing and little touch-ups here and there that go a long way towards keeping employees safe and happy in the office.

While this may not be a safety regulation, per say, it’s an outside factor that many businesses would do well to follow.

4. Promote Health Codes

You know those signs you see when entering a restaurant  bathroom next to the sink that inform you that all employees must wash their hands before exiting?  Having little indicators like those in the wash room, in the kitchen and general areas of heavy foot traffic is important on many fronts. The most important being health code standards, educating cleanliness, and encouraging employees to take every step necessary to make the room healthy for the next individual.

5. Proofing The Building

This falls in the category of getting the building inspected from time to time on down to subtle improvements around the building, stairways and exterior pathways.  Little safety measures like adding ribbed, rubber padding along the ends of stairway steps, deicing the walkways leading up to the office, mats to stamp out slippery footing and other helpful precautions can give your employees as much peace of mind to know their well-being is being accounted for as much as possible.

In the end, these tips can help businesses from all over achieve a healthy balance between workplace security and overall productivity.  Whether that means taking a few more minutes to encourage safety practices in an HR training class or spending a few more dollars on office-proofing (your insurance company might thank you with that one), it signifies you’re looking out for the protective interests of you and your staff.

• Study case for safety work environment

Hygiene Officers Killed by Electric Shock When Cleaning Name Board

  Quoted from kumparan.com. A cleaning service was shocked when cleaning Honda's signboard at Jalan Sukarno Hatta, Pekanbaru, Riau. The unidentified officer died after his body was on fire. Eyewitness, Deni Saputra, said the incident occurred at around 16:00 pm. At that time the weather in Pekanbaru drizzle after the previous heavy rain since at 13:00 to 15:00 pm. "When the rain is somewhat subdued, he climbed up with a cleaning stick, now the wand from the iron nudge the cable next to him and then shocked," said Deni
According to Deni, the cables installed at the site were 20,000 volts. Allegedly there is a torn wire skin that causes employees who want to clean the tower sign was electric shocked. "His friend shouted from the bottom, so we are offices close by all but we can not do anything and do not know how to help him," said Deni. In addition to carrying a wand iron rod, the ladder employed by the employee was also iron. Therefore the citizens who witnessed the event did not dare to do anything. "Initially his shoes were burning, the pole was also charred, the victim of convulsions and died immediately," said the man who worked beside this Honda building.
The evacuation lasted for about 2 hours. Police and Damkar officials were able to evacuate the victims after PLN shut down the electricity in the area. "The victim was taken to RSUD Pekanbaru," said Deni.

• Strategic ways to improve workplace environment

The following recommendations may be taken as the strategic ways to take forward the organizations in line with the competitive advantage.

1. Make your work space look attractive to you. Try new furniture, photos, posters, mirrors, flowers, toys, statues, rugs, artwork, crystals, etc.
2. Clear out the clutter. Many people notice a dramatic improvement to their productivity when they try this. 
3. Bring yourself back to nature by adding some plants to your workspace, and you will find yourself enjoying the environment much more.
4. Even with good air conditioning, you might have periods where you just want to feel a little cooler, or maybe you’d like a bit of air circulation.  Use a small portable fan to keep your comfort level right where you want it to be.
5. Simply stating a few words of thanks or sincere admiration for a job well done will help increase morale among employees.
6. Offer bonuses, whether financial incentives, company cars, or other prizes. This gives employees a goal to work towards and can create enthusiasm which is often contagious among employees.
7. Open the lines of communication with employees to find out what kind of things or programs would get them motivated. This will also help them feel like they are an important, contributing factor of the company.
8. Understand that the work environment can greatly affect employee morale. A dreary office lacking light and colour can cause depression and a lack of motivation. Brighten up the space with a soothing paint job, green plants, and tasteful artwork.
9. Encourage communication between employees and management. Doing so will allow employees to feel comfortable to voice their opinions and make suggestions to improve conditions and work.

Workplace environment plays an important role in motivating employees to perform their assigned work. Since money is not a sufficient motivator in encouraging the workplace performance required in today’s competitive business environment. Managers and supervisors will need to be comfortable with working with the whole range of workplace factors that influence employee motivation. Skills required include the ability to engage employees in mutual goal setting clarify role expectations and provide regular performance back. Time and energy will also need to be given to providing relevant performance incentives, managing processes, providing adequate resources and workplace coaching. 

Last but not least, to drive their organizations to peak performance managers and supervisors must put out front the human face of their organization. Paramount here is the human-to-human interaction through providing individualized support and encouragement to each and every employee. From this study it is known that public sector organisations are providing a good workplace environment to their employees, which does not affect more on their work performance.