How to ensure a healthy and safe workplace
1. Research says
A nationwide survey of Australian workers by TMP World-wide in 2001 found that:
- 35% of employees believe their job is harming their health.
- 50% report having one or more safety hazards at work.
- 57.1 % of blue collar workers, 25.7% of CEOs, directors or general managers, and 44% of government workers believe their health is affected by their workplace.
- Poor ventilation (52%), uncomfortable chairs (22%), inadequate or faulty equipment (20%), and poor lighting (7%) were the most common complaints about the physical work environments.
Working in an office space with stale air and poor lighting could cause legitimate health problems for staff, the study concluded.
‘These include headaches, nausea, dizziness, short-term memory loss, and even damage to the nervous and respiratory systems. These problems can drastically cut productivity, damage employee morale and increase absenteeism.’
2. Research says
Research by the World Health Organisation has revealed that workers who are desk-bound for long periods are at a greater risk of developing cancer. WHO stated that work-place inactivity, already linked to heart disease and diabetes, also increased risk of diseases such as colon and breast cancers, and possibly endometrial cancer and prostate cancer.
3. Viewpoint
"Employers must understand, if only for productivity and morale reasons, that workers who are stuck at desks and computer terminals need breaks. Prompts, reminders and enforcements about ergonomic guidelines for spending time at a computer terminal should be put in place, because many people won’t take a break unless the employer demands that of them." …
