WORK ENVIRONMENT

By: Loguenario, Lorie Jane B.

ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS
Humidity
Ventilation
Long Working Hour
Music
HUMIDITY
The degree of moisture in the air needs
to be controlled within certain limits.

Normal comfort levels of humidity lie between

40% to 50% relative humidity but may vary
slightly between different types of work.
 EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Vernon, Bedford and others did a study on coal

miners under varying conditions of temperature
and humidity.

7 minutes
22-40 minutes rest every hour
Ventilation
Factories Act 1948 (section 13) there is a
provision regarding health that effective
and suitable ventilation shall be made in
every workroom for securing and
maintaining efficiency of workers' and also
give them ease and work satisfaction.
 EXPERIMENT STUDIES

New York Ventilation Commission conducted some

experimental studies, the results of which showed that
mental work can be performed as effectively under humid,
hot and stagnant air conditions as under optimal conditions.
Though frequent rest pause may be necessary under adverse
atmospheric conditions, it was really strange to note that
even under the most unfavourable conditions mental work
was very little affected.
Co-relation between the long working hour and
others are as follows:
Physical health Safety and accidents
Long hours and fatigue Performance
Long hours and stress and Work-life balance
psychological health
 Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and
the Cumulative Fatigue Symptoms
Index (CFSI) done by Nagashima and
others.
 715 workers participated

260-279 h/month Group 280 h/month Group

odds ratios for SDS and odds ratios on CFSI for 'general
'irritability', 'anxiety' and 'chronic fatigue', 'physical disorders', 'anxiety'
tiredness' of the CFSI were and 'chronic tiredness' were likewise
significantly increased significantly increased.
Chung and Hisanaga (2001) and Spurgeon et
al. (1997) argue that long hours act as a
direct stressor and also an indirect stressor
on employees.
Tips for reducing adverse effect of Atmospheric Conditions

● Maier (1970) has suggested that supplying the workers with salt
tablets would relieve some of the weakness and time losses
caused by excessive perspiration in the summer.
● Workers' are advised to wear apparel according to the condition
of ventilation so that they can get maximum comfort and ease.
● Provide adequate break between the works.
● Proper ventilation should be in the factory, natural as well
as artificial. ● The need and comfort of the manual workers
as compared to mental workers should be looked into first.
Music
Repetitive tasks.

Tasks that require more brainpower

It may increases production to some extent,

but there is also the possibility of wastage
when music diverts attention and disturbs
concentration.
 Songs played at Songs you don't
medium volume. really care about.
Songs that include
sounds of nature.
Songs with a specific
tempo. Songs without lyrics.
Songs you enjoy
“possibly music influence production to the
maximum extent when its rhythm is compatible
with the employees' rhythm of work, or when it
tends to pace him.” - Blum and Naylor (1968)