STOP! PLAN! ANTICIPATE!

OCCUPATIONAL WORK CAPACITY CAPABILITIES 1/6

Manage 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 can avoid, for example, unnecessary reaching by planning in advance and using the right tools.

A person uses a platform when picking up stuff from the top shelf.

 

Aim to do stressful work with the strong muscles in your body. In this image, the mopping is done by using the muscles of the legs by walking forward instead of the hands.

A person holds a cleaning mop in his hands and pushes it forward by walking.

Short breaks can significantly reduce the stress caused by work. Straightening your back and relaxing your shoulders for a few seconds does not reduce your performance.

A person in workwear spreads his hands to stretch.

A student measures with a level. Wearing work gloves.
The aim of studying is to acquire good professional skills and to be employed. Recently graduated employees often have up-to-date and new insight of the working methods in the industry.

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.

Remember to ask for advice and obtain work-related information at the workplace! 
A person sits in a saddle chair and cuts another person’s hair.

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.
According to the statistics, younger employees are more likely to have an accident at work than older employees are. Regardless of the work, it is wise to stop, plan and anticipate situations every now and then. 

How to avoid the hazards?

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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.

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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.

Drawing of a person in workwear pondering. Question marks hovering over the head.

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