How Tech Impacts Employee Health and Safety

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Health and safety are essential in any organization since every employee wants to labor in a safe and protected environment. Thus, companies should consider investing in the best technologies to help improve workplace health and safety. Aside from improving productivity and efficiency, these technologies can significantly reduce workplace injuries and deaths. 

Here’s how tech impacts employee health and safety:

Remote Work Impacting Mental Health

Work and mental health are often intertwined. Sometimes, work can trigger and aggravate mental health issues. However, it can also serve as a support mechanism in some cases. Remote working, for instance, have a lot to offer in terms of supporting mental health not only at work but in life in general. In fact, the effect of work flexibility is so great that more than 90% of people surveyed have agreed that having a more flexible job positively impacts their quality of life. 

The same survey has also found that two of the main reasons people have chosen flexible work options are commute-related stress and work-life balance. 16% of those who took the survey have been found to have a chronic mental or physical illness. For people who have mental concerns, work-life style balance championed by recruiters, Lightning Travel Recruitment promote flexible work options as they can help to improve employee mental health and overall quality of life. Even if an employee loves his or her daily tasks, the process that most people have to go through when getting to and from work is very stressful and could take a toll on their mental health. 

Employees put a huge amount of energy, time, and focus into work every day. By providing the option to work remotely, companies are giving the impression that they value their employees, which can positively impact the company.

Robotics Improving Safety 

Robotics refers to machinery or automated technologies capable of performing various activities, from surgery to driving cars. Robots have long existed in the workplace for many years, but their presence on job sites has significantly increased over recent years. Their capabilities have improved as well. The industrial robots of today are not only confined to cages. Today’s robots are capable of working and moving alongside human workers. 

Robots can now take on dangerous jobs, which greatly improves worker safety. With their help, human workers no longer need to deal with hazards at work. For instance, they can perform tasks like inspecting offshore oil rigs so that humans can safely stay onshore. Meanwhile, service robots can help healthcare workers lift patients safely, which minimizes the risk of musculoskeletal injuries. 

Industrial robots have typically been used to carry out tasks dangerous for human workers. In this aspect, they offer considerable safety benefits to human workers. They help prevent injuries or adverse health effects as a result of working in hazardous conditions. Some of the most common disorders that human workers have to deal with are traumatic injuries and musculoskeletal disorders resulting from repetitive and awkward motions. Robots can also help prevent multiple hazards during emergency response situations, such as chemical spillage.  

Aside from keeping humans out of harm’s way, robots can also help lessen the risks resulting from human error. Usually, when the job is boring and repetitive, humans tend to commit a mistake. But robots are not prone to mistakes despite doing the same things over and over again.

Lifting Equipment 

Lifting equipment refers to any type of work equipment for lowering and raising loads, including its accessories, such as the attachments to support or fix the equipment. It’s used in workplaces that require workers to lift heavy loads. Lifting heavy items is usually one of the leading causes of injury in the workplace.  

Studies show that more than 36% of injuries involve missed workdays due to shoulder and back injuries. Cumulative trauma and overexertion are some of the biggest reasons behind these injuries. Bending and followed by the awkward motion of turning and twisting are the most cited reasons behind back injuries. Sprains resulting from improperly lifting and carrying extremely heavy loads are also some of the most common hazards at work. For these reasons, lifting equipment is necessary, especially for industrial purposes where heavy lifting loads are some of the most common tasks. 

The equipment is commonly used in construction, manufacturing, mining industries, warehouses, and chemical industries. Vertical lifting of loads is also impossible to achieve by common manpower but lifting equipment can resolve these issues in no time. Indeed, lifting equipment is very practical and handy. It allows for the easy and quick relocation of machines and heavy loads.

Access to Training 

By law, every company in the UK must provide health and safety training to employees. The training must be government-approved, and employees have to be given a certificate upon completion. Thankfully, online and remote e-learning courses in health and safety have become more accessible these days. The Covid-19 pandemic has also contributed significantly to the popularity of online training. 

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act, employers must conduct a risk assessment on the health and safety hazards caused by their operations. This means protecting contractors, employees, workers, and the public from accidents or injuries. As part of this law, employers must also ensure that employees have enough information, training, and instruction to conduct work safely. 

Along with this, there are several other legislations related to training that employers should adhere to. For instance, the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations have required employers to ensure the protection of their workers against the risk of equipment. Meanwhile, the COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) requires employers to minimize employees’ exposure to hazardous substances. Therefore, employers must provide adequate training to educate workers on these things. 

After providing the required training, employers must also provide proof that the employees have completed the training, usually in the form of certification. The legislation has also made it clear that they will not inform employers of the exact type of training they should provide. It is the employer’s duty to identify what is required and must be able to provide it.

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