Although the sweatshop work environment has all but disappeared, employees are still concerned about employee productivity. One way in which increased productivity can be achieved is through automation. Sometimes, however, the introduction of new technology can be responsible for adding safety and health problems. The problems of safety and health for employees are as follow:
1. Cumulative Trauma disorders (CTD): Medical problems caused by repetitive motions using the same muscles are known as CTD. The personal computer has changed the volume of works in Bangladesh offices. It has enabled typists to move 40 percent faster than when using at because no manual margin adjustments or paper changes are requires with computers. This change in the variety of hand motions required to type has caused an increase in the reported cases of CTD in all jobs associated with keyboarding.
2. Chemical in the work place: Some health problems, such as CTD, are considered threats to workers while others, such as chemical poisoning and lung disease, have long plagued workers. Chemical poisoning in an old problem, but several chemical health risks, such as indoor air pollution and massive smoking, have gained attention.
3. Indoor air pollution: Sick building syndrome is an outgrowth of the energy crisis of the one buildings were designed with sealed windows and heavy insulation resulting in inadequate fresh air and poor ventilation systems. The buildups of chemicals from photocopying machines, cleaning liquids, and solvents have caused workers to complain of headaches, dizziness, and bleeding.
4. Smoking in the work place: Smokers are 50 percent more likely to be hospitalized than are non-smoking employees, smoker’s loss 80 million workdays a year because of their habit, and their ahs rate is 50 percent higher than that of nonsmoker. Smokers have twice as many job related accidents as non smokers. Smokers are not the only victims’ of the deleterious effects of smoking. Secondhand smoke has a serious and substantial public health impact on non smokers.
5. Asbestos in the Workplace: Asbestos is a fiver that was used extensively in insulations for over a century until it was linked to cancer. Workers who were exposed to asbestos contracted a form of cancer called asbestosis, which slowly suffocates its victims.
6. Accidents and Death on the job: Research has found that when a father holds a hazardous job, the son is more likely to follow in his footsteps. Sons appear to believe that they can control’ the dangers associated with the job. Another contributing factor is the rate of pay: the higher it is, the higher the chance of the choosing a hazardous career. However, education level has been found to have decreased the rate of occupational following as career race. Research has found that left handed men are one third more likely to have accidents on the job than right-handers due to the bias of right handed equipment.
7. AIDS issues in the Workplace: AIDS, which has known only to a small group of medical personnel two decades ago, has become a serious health threat to the different countries., AIDS has also cause significant confusion and disruption in the work force. Individuals who have AIDS are protected by central legislation.
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