Technology Revolution: Enhancing Lives and Increasing Returns - Essay Sample

Introduction

In recent decades, the world has undergone rapid technological advancements, which has bettered people's lives in different ways. Traditional people manually produced products and the process was not only slow but also highly unsafe, especially in the manufacturing industry. Dues to technological innovations, various sectors of the economy have transformed increasing returns, whereas minimizing expenses including communications, medicine, transportation, and logistics, educational and research development, and entertainment. The occupational safety sector is not an exception. Occupational safety is a multi-dimensional field apprehensive with upholding the health, welfare, and safety of people involved in work or employment (Shikdar and Sawaqed, 568). Job Safety focuses on the real situation in the workplace. A workplace is safe if the risk of harm and damage is at tolerable levels. The occupational safety field has changed with technological innovation, as fewer people have to work directly with highly dangerous tools as they have been replaced by technology, making labor less need and, therefore, minimal health hazards. This paper wills explore how occupational safety has been influenced by technological advancement.

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General international statistics depict that occupational safety has always been challenging. Internal environment (internal conditions) and harmful conditions affect occupational safety in the workplace. People regularly report body failure due to burnout, fatal injuries, and other physical and mental injuries at work. Although the human body is highly productive when stretched, it has its limit; also, it requires adequate training to maximize human potential (Shikdar and Sawaqed 23). The human body needs constant care and protection from any form of damage. The occupational safety department is designed to ensure employees are well trained to prevent unnecessary injuries. In addition, the health and safety department ensures people are not overworked beyond human capacity, resulting from burnout and high employee turnover (Goetsch 2). Traditionally, despite worker training and using a wide range of safety measures at work, people reported high cases of injuries, infection, and burn out; however, with the introduction of technology has slowed down the number.

On the other hand, technological advancements have revolutionized occupational safety with the emergence of more extensive, speeder, and sophisticated machines. These advancements have reduced and prevented some occupational risks and hazards. Thus, although technological advancements have led to the development of fast, practical tools that minimize and prevent occupational hazards and risks, these advancements have also posed a threat to workers and their safety.

Technological Advancements and Worker Fatalities

Employees have often been injured during work, but technological advancements have reduced fatality rates amongst workers. Initially, workers who did more manual jobs developed musculoskeletal complications arising from the rapid stretching and muscle tearing during the work (Nnaji, Gambatese, and Lee 37). According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics (2017), construction workers face higher fatality levels in the US as compared to other works. Nnaji, Gambatese, and Lee (40) urged that these higher fatalities amongst construction workers were because the field employs limited technology. This sector of the economy has slowly adopted technological changes. Other areas of the economy that have used technological advancements have experienced low fatalities and high occupational safety performance. Technological advancements gained momentum in workplaces in the 1990s, and musculoskeletal disorders have reduced by 40% (Shikdar and Sawaqed, 563). Technological progress has provided convenient working modes safeguarding employee's health from work-induced musculoskeletal complications.

Technological advancements have minimized and eradicated some workplace risks and hazards. Before the advancement of technology, studies have shown that workers in production industries were under a lot of stress to cope with the market demand rate. The experienced pressure led to the occurrence of psychosocial and ergonomic problems. Human beings working instead of machine slowed down the production rate. The opposite has been witnessed since the introduction of devices (Smith, 145). Machines are faster. At the same time, the amount of goods produced has also increased recommendable. Many semi-skilled employees have lost their jobs since they have been replaced with machines even though there is an increase in the rate of production. Industrial workers suffered from strains and sprains.

In most cases, many workers face both the physical and accidental hazards during production or manufacturing processes (Weil, David, and Pyles, 1). Through automation, there is an introduction of robotics, software, Artificial intelligence, among others. Many production industries have benefited since the robots perform more precise jobs with minimal human surveillance (Smith, 148). On the other hand, robots are also capable of performing tasks within the industries that were once impossible. Other advantages of automation in sectors include higher production rates and increased productivity resulting from fewer variability’s than laborers. AOSHA supported more efficient use of materials resulting in fewer wastages, better product quality, improved safety, shorter workweeks for labor from 70 hours to 40 hours per week, and the idea of introduction of robots in industries and factories.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA), the US had the objective of making workplace safety and workers protected from any physical harm (Goetsch, 1). After researches carried by, many researchers conclude environmental industries in industries ranged from moderate to severe. On the other hand, introduction of robots in industries has led to workers displacements. The displaced workers undergo a lot of stress, searching for new jobs. High capital expenditure needed an enterprise to purchase robots (Goetsch, 2). Millions of dollars are required to buy and install automation as well as maintenance expenses.

Consumer demand is also a factor that has influenced industrial workers. Both the internal and external customer demands are influenced by dynamics and as well as other factors like age, income, educational level, among others. In case the demand and supply are balanced, the suppliers’ profit also increases, resulting in the production of right quality products that satisfies the consumers' preferences and needs (Sundari et al., 1) Consumer demands fall under the category of individual and market demand. With increased demand in the market, studies have found out that it leads to the creation of job opportunities for both skilled and semi-skilled industrial workers (Sundari et al., 2)

Conclusion

Production industries have functions of manufacturing, distribution, and sales of finished products to customers. Factories have experienced a change in the economy, technology, and shift of consumers' demands. They were making industrial workers to strategies that may help them continuously working. Procedures such as the introduction of training programs enable employees to work alongside the robots without fear of losing their jobs despite the advancement of technology safely. They also carry out many researches to keep updated on all the trends in the market. The practice enables them to understand what customers need hence produce what they need. With an increase in economy in most markets, industrial workers have come up with a strategy of creating cheap and affordable products to ensure that every individual buys all that he or she needs without fear using a lot of money.

Works Cited

Goetsch, David L. Occupational safety and health. Pearson India, 2010.

Nnaji, Chukwuma, John Gambatese, and Hyun Woo Lee. "Work zone intrusion: Technology to reduce injuries and fatalities." Professional Safety 63.04 (2018): 36-41. Retrieved from https://aeasseincludes.assp.org/professionalsafety/pastissues/063/04/F2_0418.pdf

Shikdar, Ashraf A., and Naseem M. Sawaqed. "Worker productivity and occupational health and safety issues in selected industries." Computers & industrial engineering 45.4 (2003): 563-572. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360835203000743

Smith, Robert Stewart. "The impact of OSHA inspections on manufacturing injury rates." Journal of Human Resources (1979): 145-170. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/145640?casa_token=BM5K9NkG2FMAAAAA:BFDCtVHK3sti9rUFGKD1nZP121MwekYkY2h-Vp7WwgL4qZkify0lP8T1k3rM_amFbDiVYdEs4ArigAadTzFV6lujibTG-rNfWwiiIgDOBNfgbYFz

Sundari, P. Gnana, et al. "SMART FACTORY USING IOT." Retrieved from http://ijics.com/gallery/27-mar-967.pdf

Weil, David, and Amanda Pyles. "Why Complain-Complaints, Compliance, and the Problem of Enforcement in the US Workplace."

Comp. Lab. L. & Pol'y. J. 27, (2005): 59. Retrieved from https://heinonline.org/hol-cgi-bin/get_pdf.cgi?handle=hein.journals/cllpj27&section=12