Implementing "Job Enrichment" with using Ergonomic Checkpoints in an 'Appreciative Way' at a Manufacturing Company in an Industrially Developing Country and its Meta-reflection

Abstract

The aim of this study was to create ergonomics and human factors awareness and wakefulness in a Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company with emphasis on understanding the importance of improving safety, health, and work condition. The study sought to develop and implement one kind of "Job enrichment" with the purpose of improving employees' competence and also to motivate participation at the workplaces in an 'appreciative way'. The survey approach was used. Data was collected from 60 selected individuals from different organizational levels using the participatory ergonomics process that entailed the use of an actionchecklist and ergonomic checkpoints, as well as the review of organizational documents. Eighty seven percent of these study participants were male while the remaining 13% were female. The participants had an average age of 38 years with the standard deviation of 9.74. They had 11.81 years of service in average with the standard deviation of 9.76. In the data collection procedure, technical sessions, based on action learning, which lasted for 30, 25 h, or 1657 man h, was also held for the participants. In the data collection, the participants were made to study the action-checklist before and after completing the ergonomic checkpoints. This resulted in a 0.3 percent improvement in the technical capabilities of the participants and improved their social skills and their interest in participation in the company during this study. Based on the analysis of participants' feedbacks on the implementation of different work evaluation approaches and their reflection from learning, key findings were made through intentional learning, based on a systemic pre-intervention ergonomics work process on how the participants could be empowered in technical and social skills.

Sustained Return to Work after Long-term Sick Leave Improves Work Ability and Quality of Life

“…These authors reported that when work conditions were improved by ergonomic interventions, twice as many workers on leave due to temporary or permanent disability were able to return to work. Ergonomic interventions to improve work conditions usually Volume 7 • Issue 3 • 1000202 require the involvement and compromise from workers and managers to ensure the necessary alterations in the work environment, organization and positive cultural changes [22]. As mentioned in the Method section of the present study, several physical and organizational measures were available to the workers in order to make the job conditions safer.…”

Implementing 'Awakened Need of Change' for Applying Ergonomics to Work System with Macroergonomics Approach in an Industrially Developing Country and its Meta-Reflection

“…Without an awakening, the person can, at best, learn many important lessons. For example, Helali observed that different participants participated in the ergonomics training workshops between 1996 and 2002 from Iranian industries, or the ergonomics training workshops were conducted at group level for the Iran Khodro (Car) Company, between 2001 and 2002, or according to implementing "Job Enrichment" with using Ergonomic Checkpoints (ILO, new version 2010, [53]) at a Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company in 2012 [54]. This resulted in participants learning many lessons.…”

“…This resulted in participants learning many lessons. But, deeply motivated intention occurs after the awakening about using the 'Future Workshop' at the organizational level (Helali and Shahnavaz; Helali) [7,41] and also materialized though employing ILO's "Ergonomic Checkpoints" and appreciating the need for approaching understanding in the deep health, safety, and ergonomics, and the working condition as a whole research in the study of Dastranj and Helali; Helali and Dastranj [54,55].…”

“…Based on ILO (1996; new version 2010) findings and also, Niu; Helali; Helali and Abdollahpour; Helali and Dastranj; Dastranj and Helali), "Improving Working Conditions Systems" includes development and implementation of programs to improve Health, Safety, and Ergonomics and competence people (both technical and social skills) in the workplaces [43,[53][54][55][59][60][61].…”

“…In this study, the ergonomics problems observed in the department, 47 ergonomics solutions to improve working conditions were presented by the action groups. For this reason that, the actionchecklist of the ergonomic checkpoints helped to organization that the participants discuss and use it in some divisions till they see and take a whole picture of health, safety, and ergonomics problems in the workplace as one kind of collective empowerment [43,54].…”