Improving the psychosocial issues

Job content

• Reduce monotonous aspects, rotating workers between tasks.
• Ensure reasonable workloads – assess the speed of production and involve workers when determining workload.
• Ensure a good climate of communication.
• Ensure task clarity (eg clear performance requirements, feedback on performance, and lines of reporting).
• Encourage teamwork.
• Monitor and manage overtime working. Overtime increases the duration of exposure and reduces the time for recovery. There should be a break before starting overtime.

Work pressures

Ensure pay does not relate directly to production. Bonus systems and job-and-finish can increase the risks because they encourage people to work beyond their natural capacity. If there is a bonus system, try to reduce the extent to which it is related to productivity – aim for a balance between bonus systems and workload.

• Ensure a good climate of communication.
• Develop an appropriate work rest schedule.
• Allow for short breaks or micro pauses in work schedules.
• Allow a gradual build up to full production speed, for example, when new workers start and when people return from absence.
• Allow time for the maintenance of tools.