| Items |
Contents |
| Goals of the creation of comfortable working environment |
Control of working environment |
In cases where working environment such as air environment and heat conditions
are inappropriate because of dirty air, hot or cold temperature at work,
inadequate illumination, among others, workers' fatigue and stress may
increase. To cope with this problem, efforts must be made to exercise proper
control of working environment over negative factors such as free dust,
offensive odor, improper workplace temperatures or inadequate illumination. |
| Improvements in work method |
Work usually gives physical and mental stress to workers. When it comes
to work that requires an unnatural posture and great muscular strength
in particular, such stress becomes huge. Then improvements in work methods
of such stressful work shall be exercised. |
| Installation and streamlining of facilities and equipment for the lessening
of workers' psychophysical fatigue |
There is the need to have workers recover from the psychophysical fatigue
caused by their work as quickly as possible. For this, efforts must be
made to install facilities, such as rooms for rest, which are designed
to have workers recover from their psychophysical fatigue. |
| Maintenance and control of other facilities and equipment |
Hand-washing rooms, toilets and other facilities and equipment, which are
required for workers' comfortable vocational lives, must be maintained
and controlled clean and accessible. |
| Measures to be taken by employers for the creation of a comfortable working
environment |
Measures for the maintenance and control of comfortable working environment |
Atmospheric environment |
Take necessary measures to maintain and control indoor workplaces so that
workers may not have a sense of discomfort about airborne dust, offensive
odor, etc., in the atmospheric environment. If necessary, take measures
against smoking, such as designating places for smoking in the workplaces.
At outdoor workplaces where airborne dust or offensive odor is constantly
generated, it is desirable to take necessary measures to curve their dispersion.
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| Heat conditions |
Keep the temperature, humidity and other heat conditions appropriate at indoor workplaces. When it comes to outdoor workplaces, it is desirable to take measures for the lessening of negative impact produced by outside temperature and other factors both in the summertime and the wintertime.
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| Visual factors |
Assure appropriate work illumination of the sort that fits work. Take measures
so that there may be neither a sharp contrast in luminous intensity and
a disagreeable glare anywhere in the field of vision. When it comes to
indoor workplaces, it is desirable to take measures while taking account
of lighting, color factors and the features of light sources. |
| Acoustic factors |
Take measures to effectively cut off noise that comes in from outside offices.
Work for a drop in the noise level, such as by using less noisy OA equipment,
etc., in the offices. When it comes to indoor workplaces other than offices,
strive to curb noise with sound insulators for machinery and equipment
that function as sources of noise in indoor workplaces. |
| Work space, etc. |
Strive to secure appropriate workspace and pathways. |
| Measures for improvements in work methods |
| (1) |
When it comes to work in an unnatural posture which constantly produces a heavy burden on the waist, neck or some other part of the body or the whole body, strive to improve the work method, such as with improvements in machinery and equipment. |
| (2) |
In cases where a considerable degree of muscular strength is required for
work, such as constant lifting and carrying of heavy cargoes or the handling
and operation of heavy machines or equipment, strive to lessen workers'
burdens by the introduction of supportive devices or other similar measures. |
| (3) |
In cases where work is done at places with high temperature, high humidity,
big noise, etc., strive to lessen workers' burdens by installing shields
against heat and noise , a remote-control system, and among others. |
| (4) |
When it comes to work that requires the retention of a state of high tension
or the work of the kind in which a specific posture must be retained for
a long period of time, strive to lessen workers' burden by adopting devices
that mitigate the tension or other similar equipment. |
| (5) |
When it comes to routinely used machines and facilities, office equipment,
articles of furniture, etc., put up clear signs written in discernible
letters, and see to it that work may be readily done, such as with manipulation
of the kind that fits the features of the moves required for the work. |
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| The installation and streamlining of facilities and equipment designed
to lessen work-derived fatigue |
| (1) |
Secure resting and other rooms with beds where workers may lie down to recover from fatigue or stress. |
| (2) |
In cases where work has to be done with workers in perspiration and in soiled clothes, prepare shower rooms and other body-washing facilities. Keep them clean and readily accessible at all times. |
| (3) |
Secure counseling rooms, etc., to consult about fatigue, stress, etc.,
at work-places |
| (4) |
Prepare in-plant exercise space to enable workers to do physical exercises. It is also desirable to streamline the environment, such as the development of green tracts of land on the premises. |
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| Other measures |
| (1) |
Make sure that toilets, locker rooms and other facilities for workers are clean and readily usable at all times. |
| (2) |
Make sure that company cafeterias and other places where workers take meals have ample space and are kept clean. |
| (3) |
It is desirable to secure hot-water supply facilities, parlors, etc., for the benefit of workers. |
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| Matters that should be taken into account for the implementation of measures
to create a comfortable working environment |
Continuous and systematic approach |
It is indispensable not only to take measures, such as the development
of facilities and equipment necessary for the creation of a comfortable
working environment and their appropriate maintenance and control, but
to subsequently take continuous and systematic measures. For this, there
is the need to work for the development of a system under which the creation
may be stepped up, such as by designating supervisors in charge of the
day-by-day promotion. It is also necessary to take measures, such as the
preparation of a manual on the performance and function so that the facilities
for the creation of a comfortable working environment may effectively give
full force to their functions at all times. While taking account of changes
in the substance of work and the age composition of workers at workplaces
and also the evolution of technology of the sort which is associated with
a comfortable working environment, the environment of the workplaces must
be constantly reviewed and, depending on the review, necessary measures
taken. |
| Reflection of workers' views |
Now that workers are most susceptible to the effects of their working environment,
there is the need to take measures so that the views of workers there may
be as much reflected as possible, when it comes to measures with which
to create a comfortable working environment, such as by making effective
use of safety and health committees. |
| Thought about differences between individuals |
In doing work at any workplace, consideration should be taken about the
way each worker feels about the temperature, lighting and other environmental
conditions of the workplace, and about the psychosomatic burdens, now that
there are differences between individuals-to say the least of the age difference.
With those differences taken into full account, necessary measures must
be taken. |
| Consideration to charm |
There is no need to point out that there are calls for efficiency and functionalism at workplaces. At the same time, now that workers work over a certain length of time at their workplaces, the workplaces must have charm as places of their lives and enable them to ease their tension.
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