Evaluation of Work Place Analysis Report

Introduction

No enterprise can run automatically. It needs a required number of employees who fulfill their duties and responsibilities in different workplaces which give them various not only facilities but also difficulties to do their job. If an employer wants to get better performances from his or her employees, he or she must exercise ergonomics which are the study of physical and psychological sides of work. It is discussed designing jobs and work environments that are safe, effective, productive, and efficient for jobs. It is one kind of research that is performed by ergonomists, who study human capabilities in relationship to their work demands. Information supplied by ergonomists contributes to the design and evaluation of tasks, jobs, products, environments, and systems to make them productive and efficient with the needs, abilities, and limitations of people. Ergonomic principles are used to improve the mast suitable relationship between the worker and the workplace. A practical approach to Ergonomics considers the match between the person, the equipment they use the work processes, and the work environment. There are five aspects of ergonomics such as safety, comfort, ease of use, productivity/performance, and aesthetics. It is divided into three Domains as Physical ergonomics, cognitive ergonomics, and Organizational ergonomics.

Physical ergonomics is concerned with human anatomical, anthropometric, physiological, and biomechanical characteristics which are related to various physical activities such as working postures, materials handling, repetitive movements, work-related musculoskeletal disorders, workplace layout, safety, and health.

Cognitive ergonomics is concerned with mental processes which influence decision-making, skilled performance, human-computer interaction, human reliability, work stress, and training as these may relate to human-system design.

Organizational ergonomics is concerned with organizational structures, policies, and processes in which, communication, crew resource management, work design, design of working times, teamwork, participatory design, community ergonomics, cooperative work, new work paradigms, virtual organizations, and quality management are included.

Various human factors such as health care, transportation, training, nuclear and virtual environments must be considered to make a workplace for an employee. If this study thinks about a private secretary, there must be a suitable workplace where he or she will work. There must have required elements that are necessary for her performances and these must be suitable for her performances. For example, if the private secretary of a manager is toll, his or her table and chair must be adjustable for his or her body structure. If an organization practices an ergonomics program, it will enjoy various benefits such as a) it helps to reduce injuries, illnesses, and workers’ compensation costs, b) to increase efficiency at work, c) to increase physical well-being, d) to decrease absenteeism and turnover of workers, e) to increase in employee morale. Applying ergonomic principles in an organization office setting, risk factors are minimized, productivity is increased, and overall work quality is improved which helps to get better performance from its workers.

Aims to study

Normally the term ergonomics means physical ergonomics which is related to the workplace with the safety of employees both in the short and long term. It helps to reduce costs by making safety because it decreases the money which is paid for worker’s compensations. Many organizations evaluate their health facilities so that they can improve if employees face any problems. A private secretary nowadays must use technology. So, he or she must know the use of various technologies and these must be suitable for him or her. Because of this organizations evaluate their technological facilities. We know that ergonomics is one kind of science by which an organization fits its jobs and work environment to the worker. The basic aim of this study is an ergonomics evaluation of the workplace.

There are three types of ergonomics evaluation such as

1. Standard Ergonomic Evaluation,
2. Preventative Ergonomic Evaluation and
3. Comprehensive Ergonomic Evaluation.

There are three reasons for an ergonomics evaluation of an organization’s workplace such as

1. workplace ergonomics program is not achieving the desired results at an affordable cost,
2. workplace ergonomics program is effective and efficient, but organization desires to improve,
3. Ergonomics Program Standard requires the organization to evaluate your workplace ergonomics program once every three years.

To develop the workplace, an organization may take various workplace ergonomics programs on Management Leadership and Employee Involvement, Worksite Analysis/Risk Assessment, Hazard Prevention, and Control, Medical Management, Training and Education, Process Management. In the case of a private secretary’s workplace, there must have the followings facilities:

• Job Safety and Health Protection (occupational safety and health)
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Employees Rights Under The Family and Medical Leave Act
• Federal Minimum Wage
• Notice to Workers with Disabilities Paid at Special Minimum Wages
• Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act
• Notice to Workers with Disabilities Paid at Special Minimum Wages
• Notice to Employee Polygraph Protection Act.

When an organization will go to evaluate its ergonomics workplace for worker to improve its ergonomics workplace, it has to keep in mind the followings:

• potential ergonomic risk factors
• Improve workstation design and layout
• Instruct the user on chair features and review proper seating and posture
• Review optimum keying and mousing techniques
• Recommend correct ergonomic equipment, document location, and telephone posture to encourage a neutral body position
• Discuss lighting issues and techniques for controlling monitor glare and reflection.

In every multi-national company, many top-level managers have a private secretary who works in complicated workplaces. If these environments where they work travel and play, are adjustable for his or her, they will be more comfortable, they can do their jobs more quickly, and easily, and they will make fewer mistakes. This study will evaluate a private secretary’s workplace, if there are any problems faced by the private secretary, it will try to solve them.

Identification of the problem

To identify the problem faced by a private secretary in his or her workplace, the Questionnaire Method is used in this study. There are 15 relevant questions in the Questionnaire and these are axed to 6 private secretaries (3 male and 3 female).In the Questionnaire, the following questions are included:

• Q1. Are you satisfied with the working time in your workplace?
• Q2. Are you satisfied with your working space?
• Q3. How far is your workplace from your resident?
• Q4. Do you enjoy any transportation facilities or any accommodation facilities?
• Q5. Are the technological facilities enough or not for your performance?
• Q6. How do you communicate with your boos and other workers?
• Q7. How does your boss behave with you? Please describe.
• Q8. Do you think the workplace’s environment is safety your health?
• Q9. Does your workplace have any Fire Safety systems?
• Q10. Do you enjoy any Personal Safety & Security Policy?
• Q11. Have you experienced any ergonomic-related injuries? If so please describe.
• Q12. Do you face any lighting, noise, and temperature problem? If so please describe.
• Q13. Do you think the equipment matches you and your workplace? If not please describe.
• Q14. Are there any factors in your workplace for which you face any difficulties to perform your activities? If so please describe.
• Q15. Are there any training facilities on updated technology in your workplace?

The above questions are filled by the private secretary to make an ergonomic evaluation of a private secretary’s workplace. The given answers are given below:

First answer section

Second answer section

Q7. Answer: Male1 said “my boss behaves with me just like other employee. He gives me job and I try to this to my best and when I fail my boss gives me various guidelines to do the job”. Male2 said “my boss is so good; he behaves with me just like his son. He always helps me and motivates me to get better performance from me. I am too much happy with my job”. Male3 said “my boss behaves with me as her friend”. Female1 said “my boss behaves with his daughter; I love him very much; he is just like my father”. Female2 said “my boss behaves with me just like his right hand; he knows nothing without me and that’s why I have to give extra time to my workplace”. Female3 said “my boss behaves with me as his friend; he always tries to get me in font of his easy”.

• *1. Because I need to give extra time to my workplace and creates me borings.
• *2. Because my boss always tries to see me and that’s why I am bound to stay in the workplace more than working time but I don’t like it.
• *3. Because this is too small; and I always face difficulties to move easily.
• *4. Because I have no extra room; I do my job in my boss’s room and that’s why I can’t perform easily.
• *5. Because organization has no enough fund to enjoy various technological facilities; and that’s why I need to communicate directly with everyone in my workplace.
• *6. Because in my workplace I face lighting, noise and temperature problems; and these make the environment warmer which is too harmful for my health.
• *7. Because my workplace is so congested and I face tremendous heat and temperature problems; and these are the causes of musculoskeletal disorders which can affect muscles, tendons, nerves, joints and spinal disks. My table and chair are not adjustable for my body.
• 8. Because there is no updated technology that helps to identify weather my workplace is facing any fair risk factors or not; but there are too little arrangement for fair safety.
• *9. I am not satisfied about existing Personal Safety & Security Policy because these are too little for me and me always passing my life in my workplace through various health hazards.
• *10. Because of various physical hazards one month ago I suffered Neck and Back injuries and my doctor said “you need a special rest for some days otherwise you will not continue your daily activities in future”. But I can’t take any rest and on top of that, I always face various ergonomics problem in my workplace.
• *11. Because my workplace is so inside and that’s why I always face heat and temperature problem because I need to always turn on my tight in my workplace.
• *12. I do my job in my boss room this is too small for two person and there is no updated technology that helps to maintain a desirable heat and temperature in my workplace.
• *13. Because there is no updated technology but I always want to use updated technology and the existing technological equipments are too big size because most of these are old version.
• *14. There are so many risk factors in my workplace and these are cause of musculoskeletal disorders and these factors are Repetition, Force, Awkward Posture, Static Posture, Temperature Extremes, Vibration, and Psycho Social.
• *15. There is no updated technology so there no necessary any training facilities on updated technology in my workplace but I always feel it in my workplace.

From above two answer section, it is clear that ‘Female 3’ is facing various problems in her workplace and this is called ergonomics problem. The organization or her boss, where she works, needs an ergonomics evaluation of its or his private secretary’s workplace.

Suggestions for Solutions

If the organization wants to get a better performance from its private secretary it must notice on private secretary weather he or she is facing any problem in his or her workplace and always motivates its private secretary to do his or her jobs making these at her or himself.

If the organization wants to get a better performance from ‘Female 3’, it must take following steps to solve her various problems and these are given below:

1. The workplace must be adjusted to promote a neutral position while its private secretary works. When adjusting a workstation, keep in mind that all of the equipment interacts.
2. Adjust the Chair and table; reach requirements and focal requirements considering its private secretary’s physical structure so that she can do her jobs easily.
3. Improve the environmental situation in her workplace by checking lighting, noise and temperature condition; checking work pace and stress levels; checking work processes in her workplace.
4. Improve neck and back postures considering her personal preferences.
5. Arrange her workplace considering the base of support and placing equipment and materials where appropriate.
6. Choose the appropriate tools by checking the fit and make sure the tools match the task and also consider her personal preferences.
7. Give Training in her work methods; Limited extended work hours; and Provide mini-breaks.
8. Develop an Ergonomics program in the organization to maintain regularly an ergonomic evaluation on its private secretary’s workplace.
9. Improve various updated technological facilities so that she can enjoy various advantages from these and do her jobs easily.
10. Improve various safety policies in her workplace such as ‘Fair Safety Policy”, ‘Health Safety Policy’, ‘Personal Safety and Security Policy”.
11. Improve technology that helps to minimize any lighting, noise and temperature problems, such as use ‘Air-condition’, ‘Sound proof glues’, ‘Energy Saving Light’.
12. Behave with private secretary just like an employee; never treat her as a girl and never make any workplace romances with her.
13. Follow a tradition to make a report on Occupational Health & Annual Assessments every month or every year.
14. Ensure her body position and posture is conducive to comfort and that she has minimal distraction from physical discomfort. This correct use of the body in the workplace is simply called ‘correct ergonomics’.
15. Give her an better ergonomics workplace where will have ergonomics chair and table, work related tools such as computer, telephone, fax and these must be placed in that way so that she can not feel any difficulties to use them.

Evaluation

A private secretary has several administrative duties which is basically related to correspondence such as ‘Write letters and send them to authorized persons’, ‘Make report on regular activities’, ‘Manage budgets and do bookkeeping’, ‘Maintain websites’, make travel arrangements’, Make necessary reports on meeting’. A Private Secretary is the principal channel of communication with every related persons and organizations. He or she has also various duties responsibilities for the official programmed.

Hence every organization must notice on private secretary’s workplace through a regular manner. If an organization follows a better relationship between workplace and worker with various related ergonomics tools such as chair, keyboard and mouse, monitor, environment, work practices. If the organization follows the above suggestions for its private secretary ‘Female 3’ the study thinks that the organization will be more successful in case of its private secretary’s workplace and can wet a better performance from her. As for example, if the organization gives her a better ergonomics workplace including adjustable related equipments with her body structure, she will feel more comfort to use these tools as a result she can give more accurate performance to the organization.

Discussion / Conclusions

This study discussed about an ergonomics evaluation of a private secretary’s workplace. A private secretary is an important channel of communication with any other persons and organizations. The communication will be effective if he or she can do it with updated technology easily. If he or she faces any ergonomics difficulties in his or her workplace, the organization will not get a better performance from him or her. Hence, the organization must care about every related thing with its private secretary’s workplace. In case of him or her chair, it must be considered Seat height, Seat back, Seat depth, Seat pan tilt, Armrest position. In case of him or her used Keyboard and Mouse, it must be considered Keyboard height, Keyboard-to-user distance, Keyboard slope, Mouse height, Mouse-to-user distance.In case of him or her used Monitor; it must be considered Monitor height, Monitor-to-user distance, Monitor alignment user and Visual comfort of screen. In case of workplace environment; it must be considered Leg clearance at workstation, Placement of frequently used items and General/ task lighting. In case of Work Practices; it must be considered Frequency of micro breaks, keyboarding posture, sitting posture Phoning posture, and Alternate tasks. Hence, an organization regularly follows an ergonomics evaluation of its private secretary’s workplace, the private secretary will be more efficient and his or her performance will be more effective and productive.

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