Ergonominių rizikos veiksnių tyrimas komercinėje įmonėje

Abstract

Theoretical analysis revealed that insufficient attention has been paid in research literature to ergonomic risk factors in commercial companies due to inaccessibility of data; and available research materials offer rather controversial conclusions. Documentation in such companies is maintained only in a formal manner, surveys of ergonomic risk factors are carried out very rarely, managers of companies or authorised persons working in the area of occupational health and safety often lack adequate competence. Problem: insufficient attention of managers of commercial companies to the occupational environment of employees and analysis of ergonomic risk factors in the occupational environment. The object of the research: analysis of ergonomic risk factors in a commercial company. The aim of the research: to substantiate the importance of analysis of ergonomic risk factors in a commercial company. The objectives set to achieve the aim of the research: to analyse the importance of survey of ergonomic risk factors in occupational environment in terms of theoretical aspects. To offer a model for survey of ergonomic risk factors and to verify the model in a commercial company. Research methods: comparative analysis of research literature; quantitative analysis -- questionnaire survey. Data of the survey was processed by Excel spreadsheet and Statistical Package for Social Sciences SPSS 15.0. To solve the problem and to achieve the aim of the reserach, a survey was carried out in a comercial company in Klaipėda County in May, 2013. Method of the survey -- anonimous questionnaire, number of respondents -- 60. The survey of ergonomic risk factors in the occupational environment was made with the aim to ensure continously decreasing number of accidents at work, setting quantifiable (measurable) objectives, i.e. reduction of the number of accidents at work and cases of occupational diseases, especially in such areas of activity where the figures of accidents at work exceeds average ones. Occupations pertaining to high physical and mental workload constitute one of the primary ergonomic risk factors in companies. A company must create optimal conditions for work that would ensure higher efficiency and intensity of performance, safe environment, and sustainable approach to employees' health protection. Considering the fact that small and medium commercial companies have rather limited possibilities to hire occupational safety specialists, such companies can be offered the following five-stage model for identification of adverse ergonomic factors: identification of ergonomic risk factors (ERF); decision 1 (check of compliance of occupational environment to the requirements of legal acts and general industry practice); decision 2 (selection of preventive measures); application of preventive measures; review of results. In order to identify ergonomic risk factors appropriately, each company must consider employees' opinion regarding improvement of working conditions and -- depending on available resources -- procurement of preventive measures. The results of the survey have shown that the worst ergonomic factors identified in the commercial company were the following: microclimate factors, working posture and local contact stresses. Management of this company has to take care of its employees' occupational environment and to assign funds for mechanization of working stations (or purchase of assistive devices). Review of the survey results allows the manager of the company to analyse and improve ergonomic factors at work, the occupational health and safety system, to continuously increase effectiveness of preventive measures. These aims would require wider representation of employees in surveys; other recommended steps include analysis of working conditions, consultations regarding improvement of the occupational environment, proper organisation of work process and other issues of occupational safety. (English) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]