Paper Example on Job Design: Impact on Efficiency, Safety and Morale

From the video, it can be established that the current job design is poised at variously impacting on the efficiency, safety, and morale of the workers. First, there is an aspect of job rotation that is not adequately catered for in work being undertaken. There are two employees with specific tasks that cumulatively add up to the job of moving the building blocks from one location to another as they are being packed. In such a case, ne employee has been given the task of removing the blocks from the original lace and handing them over to another employee who then arranges them a distance further. Thus, the employees continue with their respective tasks that involve the use of similar muscles and require the use of similar body positions repetitively, hence having the potential of bringing about monotony thus leading to lowered morale overtime.

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Also, since the tasks of the employees are not variously enriched, there is a potential of getting bored hence reducing their efficiencies overtime. Such is also linked to the poorly adhered to the safety of the employees. It can be observed that the environment in which the employees perform their tasks is noisy. Yet, they do not have earplugs to guard their hearing organs against getting damaged through the continuous bombardment of eardrums by the noises (NIOSH, 2016). Also, the employees do not have the required safety equipment such as rubber boots, gloves, helmets, masks, and safety clothing to protect them as they undertake the tasks hence the job design adversely impacts their efficiency and morale.

There are some recommendations for improving job design using the hierarchy of controls. Starting with elimination, there is the need to remove the noise that causes the hearing impairment danger to the workers. It can be done by designing less noisy machines. Secondly, there is a need to apply substitution to some equipment considered risky to the users. It can be done by replacing the more noisy machines with less noisy ones. Thirdly, there is a need to apply isolation controls to separate hazards through isolation from the workers. It can be done by replacing the noisy machine in a different room from where the blocks are being dealt with (Gudgin, 2012).

Fourthly, there is engineering control whereby machine guards need to be added to the machine that lay beside the workers. It will then safeguard them from injuries arising from their contact with machine parts. For the case of administrative controls, there is a need to undertake job rotations for the workers and also put the necessary warning signs for different areas that could then put the workers in high alert they work within the facility (Gudgin, 2012). Finally, regarding the personal protective equipment, there is the need to put and facilitate the employees to wear them. They should be provided to employees and include gloves, earplugs, iridescent vests, helmets, masks, and rubber boots.

The above recommendations incorporate the ergonomic guidelines for a well-designed job diversely. First, the elimination, substitution, and isolation of the noisy machinery aids in the reduction of noise pollution within the working environments to the advantage of workers. They will work in the facility with no risks of contracting hearing impairment (Oregon, 2012). Also, the redesigning of the machinery to include guards will help protect the employees from accidentally getting in contact with some dangerous machine parts where they can then get injured (Oregon, 2012). Further, the administrative controls, such as job rotation, will enable employees to change body positions, use different muscles, and engage different parts of brains hence avoiding the monotony of work. Finally, the use of personal protective equipment will help the workers to get protected from various dangers associated with the workplace, including getting in contact with a lot of dirt and inhaling chemicals.

References

Gudgin, D. E. F. (2012). Personal protective equipment for chemical, biological, and radiological hazards: Design, evaluation, and selection. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley.

NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health). (2016). Hierarchy of controls.Oregon. (2012). Personal protective equipment.