WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work Environment

Work Environment

Introduction

Most of our time is spent inside buildings of one type or another, be they residential, commercial or industrial structures. The indoor environments in all these spaces will influence occupant health, comfort and productivity. Effective design and operation of buildings to support human activity requires understanding of the relationships between indoor environment parameters and human perception and performance (First, 2003).

Numerous investigators working in a variety of contexts and industries have examined relationships between satisfaction and performance, and single indoor environmental parameters (e.g., acoustics, thermal comfort, ventilation, and lighting). In general, this work has established that poor lighting, noisy work areas, and/or excessively warm or cold temperatures, can and will compromise productivity and satisfaction compared to more comfortable services and facilities (First, 2003).

As safety and occupational health professionals for the city's Health Department, complaints of workers who suffer from adverse working conditions, our immediate response to these issues are vital. We are regularly faced with complaints regarding faults in the work environment and it is our responsibility to investigate, pass recommendations and take appropriate legal action if deemed necessary. In this regard, the case of the refrigerated packing plant is very significant as it posed several threats to the health of the men and women who worked under those conditions.

The Case

The complaints were generated from a very large warehouse, a significant portion of which is refrigerated. The illnesses are being reported from a refrigerated section (about 40 degrees F) where workers are blister packing food products on a production line. The warehouse has 20 loading docks, 2 railroad car lines that end directly inside the warehouse (in close proximity to the production area), a dozen or so gas powered forklifts, and no sensors or environmental monitors of any kind except those associated with the refrigeration systems. The warehouse manager is cooperative, but he points out that he is in the middle of contract negotiations with the union. He is also very proud of the fact that they have special seals on the loading dock doors and throughout the warehouse to keep the cold in and the heat out. You cannot identify any discernable odors other than the exhaust from the forklifts when they move by you. There are four ladies waiting in the break room complaining of dizziness and lightheadedness. They are all comparing and complaining about their symptoms. There are 14 employees who work in this area of the warehouse - 12 women and 2 men (Macdonald, 1997).

As evident from the given case that the enclosed environment with the simultaneous operations of mechanical machinery and humans contribute to the excess generation of fumes which contaminate the environment. These fumes are actually odorless which makes their detection physically difficult. However, the fumes from the railway cars and the working of the docks have major contributions in the generation of Carbon Monoxide. Carbon Monoxide has the tendency of causing nausea, dizziness and suffocation. It is a poisonous, odorless gas and is emitted from machinery ...