Does your workplace pose a health hazard?<\/p>\n
By Maria Kegel<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): \"Sara\" used to boast about her 20\/20 vision, but
\nthat was before she needed eyeglasses like many of the other
\nemployees at her office.<\/p>\n
During the height of the monetary crisis, her company reduced
\noffice lighting to half of what it normally was in an effort to
\ncut costs. Three months later, Sara needed reading glasses.<\/p>\n
Whether it was a case of the poor lighting, reading small
\nprint or a combination of those and other factors, Sara shared
\nthe same fate as some of her colleagues three years after she
\nstarted working for the company. She now wears bifocals.<\/p>\n
Developing poor eyesight is one of several health risks
\nassociated with working in an office, and those who log long
\nhours at the desk can be prone to other ailments over time,
\nincluding carpal tunnel syndrome, respiratory infections and back
\nand neck pain.<\/p>\n
The chairman of the Indonesian Association of Occupational
\nHealth and Safety, Dr. Tan Malaka, attributed workers' complaints
\nto several factors, but particularly their interaction with
\noffice equipment.<\/p>\n
\"Before, offices were just a place where people typed but now
\nwe have photocopiers, computers, air conditioners, and all of
\nthese are going to have an impact on people's health.\"<\/p>\n
He said ergonomics -- the applied science concerned with
\ndesigning and arranging things people use for the safest and most
\nefficient interaction -- needed to be addressed for worker health
\nand safety.<\/p>\n
The likelihood of problems is increasing, he added, because
\nmore workers are putting in extra hours at the office instead of
\nrushing home after the traditional work day ends at 5 p.m.<\/p>\n
Among the health hazards at the office is eye strain, which
\ncan result from the glare of a computer terminal caused by the
\nangle of the light source in an office.<\/p>\n
\"Over time you are trying harder to read and you end up with
\nsore eye muscles and that could lead to some more serious
\nproblems with your eyes and muscles,\" Tan said.<\/p>\n
The light source as well as the level of lighting can cause
\nproblems, he added.<\/p>\n
\"If you're in the finance department, then you're dealing with
\nnumbers and small print, and you need a good level of
\nillumination, and there is a standard for companies to follow,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Article 10 of the manpower ministry's Regulation No. 7\/1964 on
\nhealth and cleanliness in the workplace states that every
\nworkplace has to have sufficient lighting for workers to carry
\nout their tasks.<\/p>\n
The top of the computer screen should be adjusted to eye
\nlevel, otherwise workers will lean forward unnaturally and that
\nstrains back and neck muscles, he warned. A document holder that
\nputs the copy at the same level as the screen can also aid in
\navoiding muscle strain.<\/p>\n
Another problem is office chairs that cannot be adjusted to a
\nworker's height or accommodate the natural curve of a person's
\nspine.<\/p>\n
\"Sitting in a chair like this eight hours a day as well as the
\nextra hours people put in will lead to lower back pain, which is
\nvery prevalent among office workers.\"<\/p>\n
Sick building syndrome<\/p>\n
Air conditioners, especially on a central system, are a health
\nconcern, and Tan said they were one of the culprits of \"sick
\nbuilding syndrome\", which is caused by poor air quality and
\nexposure to chemicals.<\/p>\n
One example of this is if maintenance workers spray the
\ncarpets with pesticides and the air conditioners are turned on
\nwhile the carpets are still wet, causing vapors to circulate
\nthroughout the workplace.<\/p>\n
The syndrome is marked by flu-like symptoms, ordinary
\nbronchitis or upper respiratory trachea infections, and people
\nusually explain it away as a cold they caught from someone else
\nwho had it the week before, he said.<\/p>\n
Air conditioners are also responsible for an illness similar
\nto Legionnaires' disease in that the bacteria (Legionella
\npneumophila) is the same, Tan said.<\/p>\n
\"The central air-conditioning unit is switched off on Friday
\nevening and its water reservoir, which acts as a humidifier, is
\nleft over the weekend with bacteria rapidly multiplying in it,\"
\nhe explained.<\/p>\n
If there is no occupational physician working at the company,
\nthe problem may be overlooked and other explanations will be made
\nfor the illness. There are about 600 occupational physicians in
\nIndonesia, most of whom work at larger companies.<\/p>\n
Tan said a personal physician would probably only become
\nsuspicious after seeing a number of ill people from the same
\nbuilding at the same time.<\/p>\n
Even large photocopiers may put workers at risk as their
\ntoners contain solvent and the machines emit ozone, both of which
\nare bad for the respiratory system, he said.<\/p>\n
\"We recommend that the photocopier be put in a well-ventilated
\nroom away from the general environment, so that no one inhales
\nits emissions.\"<\/p>\n
Computers pose little risk of giving off radiation, he said,
\nbecause companies now produce low-radiation computers that are
\nenvironmentally friendly.<\/p>\n
Keyboards present different kinds of problems, including
\nsticky keys which require you to strike them hard, which can
\naffect your arms and hands, he said.<\/p>\n
There are wrist supports specially designed for use with a
\nkeyboard and which are ergonomic for the hand.<\/p>\n
Moving a mouse, which can sometimes stick, in a rotating
\nfashion 40 hours a week can cause a sore arm, which, over time,
\ncan develop into carpal tunnel syndrome, he said.<\/p>\n
The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway between the bones and
\nligaments in your wrist. A median nerve, which controls sensation
\nin the fingers and some muscles in the hand, passes through this
\ntunnel along with some of the finger tendons.<\/p>\n
Carpal tunnel syndrome develops when there is pressure on the
\nmedian nerve where it goes through the carpal tunnel, and is
\ncharacterized by numbness or pain that gets worse when you use
\nyour hand or wrist.<\/p>\n
Who's responsible<\/p>\n
In theory, companies are not 100 percent responsible for the
\nhealth of their workers, Tan said.<\/p>\n
Individuals should be partly responsible for their own health
\nand not jeopardize themselves, but companies can support
\nemployees in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, for example, by
\nprohibiting smoking in the office, he said.<\/p>\n
However, Tan said companies should provide a safe and healthy
\nworking environment, which is in accordance with Law No. 1\/1970
\non safety in the workplace. The law states that every employee
\nhas the right to a safe workplace.<\/p>\n
Companies should also provide their employees with ergonomic
\nchairs that can be adjusted to fit a person's height and back, as
\nwell as good lighting.<\/p>\n
\"It's also the responsibility of the company to provide first
\naid in the office, good equipment to work with and training on
\nsafe working practices.\"<\/p>\n
On the part of employees, they should follow rules and
\nregulations on how long they should work, making sure they get
\nadequate rest, he said.<\/p>\n
Workers should also read the instruction manuals for computer
\nterminals and be familiar with their operation, he said.<\/p>\n
It is unhealthy to sit for four hours in one position, and Tan
\nsuggested office workers stand up once in a while and stretch,
\nwhich helps circulation.<\/p>\n
It is also a good idea to rest your eyes once an hour by
\nclosing them for half a minute to relax the muscles, he said.<\/p>\n
The areas most affected by working with computers are a
\nperson's neck, back, shoulder and arms, so they require frequent
\nexercise, he noted.<\/p>\n
A safe and healthy workplace starts with people paying more
\nattention to their environment and lifestyle, office managers who
\nare concerned with health and safety in the office, consultation
\nfrom experts in the field and office inspections to receive
\nfirst-hand advice on the situation, Tan said.<\/p>\n
\"So many companies have their own doctors, it's just that the
\noffice managers don't ask about them,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Tan also suggested companies invite (risk management) experts
\nto conduct occasional walk-through inspections of large offices,
\nduring which the physical, ergonomic, biological and psychosocial
\nfactors in an office could be assessed.<\/p>\n
If a problem area is found during the inspection, then it is
\nnecessary to pay more attention to it, he said.<\/p>\n
For example, if the air conditioner is found to be a cause of
\ncomplaint, its maintenance, engineering, how often the filter is
\ncleaned and the practice of shampooing the carpets needs to be
\nstudied.<\/p>\n
Nearby clinics are also a source of information and should be
\nconsulted, as they might have statistics on illnesses commonly
\nexperienced by the office staff.<\/p>\n
Inspectors will be able to piece together a clearer picture of
\nwhether something is amiss in the environment by studying
\ncomplaints from workers about their backs or necks, and if they
\nexperience headaches, blurred vision or sore arms.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/does-your-workplace-pose-a-health-hazard-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}