Introduction
Based on the prevailing conditions identified to induce physical and ergonomic hazards in workers at the Answerplus call center, it is essential to develop strategies to address them. If not addressed, conditions such as strains, repetitive motions, awkward posture, and other forms of physical hazards can result in severe conditions for the employees. This proposal will, therefore, address measures that will improve workplace conditions and curb ergonomic hazards. The proposal, thus, provides a description of the program and its rationale, planning committee, program planning model, model of health promotion to be used, and the needs assessment plan.
Program description and rationale
The proposed program is targeted to improve workplace conditions resulting in ergonomic hazards, correcting gaps existing in the organization’s implementation of relevant health regulations concerning ergonomic hazards, and raising the consciousness of the employees to recognize, timely report, and address ergonomic conditions at the workplace.
The proposal, therefore, suggests a change in the risky, nonadjustable furniture present at the workplace. This furniture has been identified as a potential source of stress, fatigue, back pain, and strain, which has severely affected the performance of the employees (Macdonald et al., 2022). Therefore, the organizer should consider purchasing chairs and tables that are adjusted or modifying the existing furniture. Upon implementing this proposal, the organization should expect fewer complaints of back pain, backbone injuries, and fatigue from the employees than to adjust the furniture as it suits them (Thatcher et al., 2020). This will also see the employees getting the morale to perform their duties effectively and within the required timeline because of the comfortable and suitable working environment.
This proposal moreover suggests periodic training of the employees on two critical aspects of health and safety at their respective workplaces and regarding physical hazards. Firstly, training the employees on correct sitting posture will ensure that employees work comfortably and avoid risks. Purchasing new furniture but failing to prepare them on proper sitting posture while handling computers might not make sense. It is, therefore, essential to discuss correct sitting postures with the employees and periodically remind them of the same. Also, the employees should be trained to identify conditions arising within their working environment that may result in ergonomic hazards (Thatcher et al., 2020). Correct identification of conditions such as broken tables and chairs is essential in mitigating dangers from these conditions. Not only is recognizing the conditions necessary but so is reporting them to their immediate supervisors.
Planning Committee
The planning committee for this program should include and not be limited to the following. Firstly, the manager is responsible for health and safety within the workplace. The personnel will ensure that all the hazardous conditions are correctly identified and addressed. They will also ensure that the suggested measures are in line with the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. As the committee indicates, the health and safety manager may take additional roles. The finance manager should be considered an essential committee member as they will monitor the budget and make as relevant financial advice as possible. A representative of the employees must be present in the committee to accurately report the complaints raised and other conditions affecting the employees regarding ergonomic hazards. The committee may invite an external consultant to ensure checks and balances and provide monitoring and evaluation for the program.
Program Planning Model
This program will utilize a combination of logic and outcome-based planning models. The logic model dictates a sequential way of planning activities, inputs, outputs, and the outcome and impact of the program. This model will enable the committee to plan whatever they wish to achieve, activities that will allow this to happen, and resources required to enable the program to run successfully. At the end of implementation, this model required that the committee measure the outcome’s success and its impact on the health and safety of the employees (Suharto et al., 2020). The committee will identify indicators that will enable them to evaluate the program’s successful outcome.
Model of health promotion
The health belief model suggests that people’s beliefs strongly influence the behaviors that affect their health. This means that individuals tend to act in a way that relates to what they believe in so that when they think something has adverse effects on their health, they are likely to avoid it. This model is essential in promoting a health and safety program because it will focus on changing the employees’ beliefs about their health and the conditions present at the workplace that are affecting their health. Once employees learn to recognize and report hazards, the organization will be better positioned to succeed in this program. The program will be promoted through a group approach, a strategy that will see employees gathered in one place to learn about their health and safety at the workplace. The individual approaches may also be practical as promotional models, but, in this case, they may be very hectic for the organization.
Needs assessment plan
The program will clearly outline its purpose and scope to improve the health and safety of employees within Answerplus. Outlining the purpose and scope is crucial in ensuring the program is specific and sticks to its purpose. Also, this will enable the program to summarize the outcome it wishes to achieve. The program will then collect data through surveys, questionnaires, and interviews from the employees to get the specific challenges they are experiencing regarding their health and safety at the workplace and seek their suggestions concerning such problems. The collected data will be analyzed to check the consistency, eliminate errors, and ensure that they are wholesome and reflect the views and opinions of the employees. Based on the analyzed data, the committee will identify priority needs (Crawford et al., 2020). The committee should be able to isolate needs from wants and suggest measures to address the needs. From these needs, the committee creates an action plan that will be undertaken to ensure that the needs are addressed. At this point, education programs are launched, changing the conditions at the workplace, changing the office furniture, and raising the consciousness of the employees. After the implementation, the external consultant will monitor and evaluate the program’s effectiveness.
Conclusion
The proposed program is intended to improve the working conditions at the Answerplus call center. It is intended to not only address the conditions but also to improve the consciousness of the employees. Continuous monitoring will help identify gaps and improve the situation.
References
Crawford, J. O., Berkovic, D., Erwin, J., Copsey, S. M., Davis, A., Giagloglou, E., … & Woolf, A. (2020). Musculoskeletal health in the workplace. Best practice & research clinical rheumatology, 34(5), 101558.
Macdonald, W., & Oakman, J. (2022). The problem with “ergonomics injuries”: What can ergonomists do? Applied Ergonomics, 103, 103774.
Suharto, A., Wildan, M., & Handayani, T. E. (2020). Development of stunting prevention behavior model based on health promotion and social capital in the Magetan district. Health Notions, 4(2), 48-56.
Thatcher, A., Nayak, R., & Waterson, P. (2020). Human factors and ergonomics systems-based tools for understanding and addressing global problems of the twenty-first century. Ergonomics, 63(3), 367-387.
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