STOP! PLAN! ANTICIPATE!
OCCUPATIONAL WORK CAPACITY CAPABILITIES 1/6Manage the details
Details that have a decisive impact on work capacity are often ordinary and trivial things observable with bare eyes. Professionalism also lies in taking care of small details.
Discover the key principles to reduce the stress and risks of your work:
You will encounter things that take time to learn when you start a new job. It is advisable for a new employee to take it easy in the beginning and learn the policies of the workplace carefully.
Remember the following means
Obtain knowledge and support that develop your professional skills.
Pay attention to occupational safety.
Remember to recover from work with the help of appropriate nutrition, and sufficient amount of rest and hobbies. Read more in the Health competence section.
At best, work gives you the opportunity to develop yourself, learn new things, and creates opportunities for being part of the work community.
You have to know what kind of risks to take
Work may involve hazards that can, however, be prevented. The employer is responsible for occupational safety and employee orientation. The employee, in turn, must follow the orders and instructions given by the employer. A prerequisite for successful work orientation is that you listen and focus when you are being orientated to work.
Examples of potential hazards of work and the working environment:
- Accident hazards
slipping, tripping, sharp objects, etc. - Physical hazards
noise, radiation, thermal conditions, etc. - Chemical hazards
chemicals, vapours, etc. - Biological hazards
hygiene, bacteria, etc. - Physical stress factors
poor working positions, manual lifting, etc. - Psychosocial stress factors
threat of violence, difficult social situations, etc.
How to avoid the hazards?
The identification of the hazards is a starting point for accident prevention. In addition, it is advisable to find out in advance how to act in the event of an exception or disruption. You can ask for instructions in advance, for example, from your colleagues, instructor, or supervisor. Instructions for actions in exceptional and disruptive situations can also be frequently found in the written instructions of the workplace or in the user manuals of the tools.
The employee must take care of his/her and the other employees’ safety and health by the means at his/her disposal. Policies supporting occupational safety may differ between industries and workplaces.
The best safeguard against accidents at work is that…
- you use tools, equipment, and protective equipment as instructed
- you keep your working environment tidy
- you ask for advice in unclear situations
- you take your colleagues into account and take note what is happening around you
- you report any incidents and defects
- you follow the mutually agreed policies
- you focus on doing the work
- you also remember to recover from work
References
Turvallisesti töihin, työkykyä tukien -opas, Työterveyslaitos
Asennetta työhön -valmennusmenetelmä, Työterveyslaitos