5 Jan 2003 @ 09:30, by Dumitru & Aurica Lazia
Workplace Related Stress and Active Stress Management Courses using The Radiance Technique®.
Most of the employers and employees consider stress as being normal at the workplace. Some of the employees feel the stress effects stronger than others. And when the effects are surpassing their resistance and adaptation capacity they get sick, and they will need additional free days for treatment and recovering. The US work statistics refers to occupational stress as a neurotic response to stress. US and EU will pay special attention to the work related stress field of study during 2001-2002 period.
Additional solutions brought by The Radiance Technique®:
· The harmonization of the workplace and the rest room at least 2 times per day ;
· Attunements for the unpleasant events from the workplace that still affects us;
· Energy directing for the workgroup in which we take part, for good relationship with business partners, for future projects and for inherent worries of the workplace;
· An expanded session (composed of drawing 3 times the 4th universal symbol and 1st universal symbol, followed by 22 models symbol and 1st universal symbol);
· The harmonization of home, food, medication, water or liquids that we consume;
· Daily energy directings for family and expanded sessions for us and for those close to us, or more than daily during the weekend, the trimestrial recovery week and annual holiday.
· Energy directings for future projects and for protection of the resulting worries.
Workplace Related Stress and
Active Stress Management Courses using
The Radiance Technique®
Background information
Most of the employers and employees consider stress as being normal at the workplace. Some of the employees feel the stress effects stronger than others. And when the effects are surpassing their resistance and adaptation capacity they get sick, and they will need additional free days for treatment and recovering. The US work statistics refers to occupational stress as a neurotic response to stress. US and EU will pay special attention to the work related stress field of study during 2001-2002 period.
Work related stress sources:
· Major change in work procedure and instructions;
· Additional working hours;
· Major increases of the intensity and activity rhythm;
· Major restructuring;
· Too much to do in too little time;
· Repeated critics of below expectation results and lack of recompense for the outstanding work results;
· Conflicts between employees or groups of employees that work on common projects. Lack of proper outlined standards and responsibilities.
Work related stress effects:
a) A decrease of the intuitive, intellectual, emotional and physical capacities:
i) International Labor Organization estimates that work related stress is responsible for a 10% loss from the gross domestic product of a country ;
ii) Work related stress is at the base of a $300 billion annual loss in the American Economy through sick leave, decrease of productivity, replacement of employees, work accidents, direct medical expenses, assurance expenses and compensations for the employees. These losses surpass by far the sum of the net profit of the first 500 corporations in US.
iii) An estimated loss of 9 billion british pounds is the estimated price that UK has to pay because of the stress related problems.
b) The emotional virus effects begin to show up
c) An increase in the number of the sick leave days:
i) In US over 1 million employees per day have a sick leave, because of the health problems caused by work related stress. This is responsible for a half of the 550 millions days off that americans have. A three year study at a big Corporation concluded that 60% of the absenteeism was cause by work related stress.
ii) The US surveillance bureau for work accidents and professional illnesses announced that in 1997 over 3400 cases of sickness were caused by work related stress. These cases needed an average of 23 free days for recovering, 4 times more than those provoked by other factors. Also 40% of the work stress caused leaves required more than 31 days for recovery.
iii) UK companies reported around 100 millions days of medical absenteeism caused by work related stress symptoms.
d) An increase in the risk of contracting an illness
e) Over 95% of the calls that the family doctors receive in US are caused by stress provoked illness and 80% of the illnesses that lead to a stay in a hospital had at their origin stress:
i) Work related stress is at the origin of the principal contributors to the cause of death: Cardiovascular diseases, Cancer, Pulmonary related diseases, Accidents, Cyrosis and Suicides.
ii) On the average 10% of the UK's workforce suffer in a way from the work related stress
f) Premature aging and a decrease in the life expectancy because of the chronic illnesses and death by work accident or sudden deaths:
i) The unhealthy behavior of employees is caused by their incapacity to cooperate with stressful conditions are at the source of 80% of workplace deaths;
ii) Most of the work accidents are caused by work related stress, and between these are also those accidents that have involved major ecological catastrophic events (like the those at Three Mile Island or Exon Valdez)
The distribution of the work related stress on different job positions:
The 3400 cases of illness caused by the occupational stress are divided in the following professional categories:
i. Technical and administrative assistance 48 %
ii. Experts and Managers 16 %
iii. Workers and laboratory personnel 15%
iv. Production and repairmen workers 9%
v. Cooks 4%
vi. Police and other forces 3%
vii. Other professions 4%
The distribution of illnesses caused by work related stress by professional activities:
i. Services 35%
ii. Production 21%
iii. Retail commerce 14%
iv. Assurance, Banking and Real estate 12%
v. Transport and public utilities 9%
vi. Whole sale commerce 7%
Women are 50% more exposed to the work related stress than men.
The Technical or the administrative work force is more exposed to stress than the normal workers.
Solutions for individuals and for organizations:
· The assurance of proper work conditions: 20 - 24 degrees temperature, proper natural or artificial lighting conditions (when artificial light is used tungsten lighting is preferred to cold lighting);
· The decrease of the work week to 35 hours / week, and even more in the places where work related stress risks to be higher;
· The decrease of the work day from 8 to 6 hours / day, or even to 4 hours / day in the workplaces with higher work related stress;
· The division of the holiday time in order to have at least one free week per semester, especially for the persons who have a higher risk of involvement in work related stress.
· Continuous study in order to bring the level of working knowledge in balance to the continuous raise of in the job expectations ;
· A clear and optimal job description, and realistically timed deadlines;
· Good cooperation and delegation skills;
· Finding a balance between the rest and active periods, and between pleasant and not so pleasant activities;
· Daily check of the current priorities and a healthy balance between the proposed goals and the available time and / or other resources;
· Physical exercises and other daily physically activities (it is better to perform the physical exercises before the important intellectual efforts);
· Afternoon rest and at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep during the night, preferable would be to get asleep before 23:00;
· Making time for spending with friends and family;
Additional solutions brought by The Radiance Technique®
· The harmonization of the workplace and the rest room at least 2 times per day ;
· Attunements for the unpleasant events from the workplace that still affects us;
· Energy directing for the workgroup in which we take part, for good relationship with business partners, for future projects and for inherent worries of the workplace;
· An expanded session (composed of drawing 3 times the 4th universal symbol and 1st universal symbol, followed by 22 models symbol and 1st universal symbol);
· The harmonization of home, food, medication, water or liquids that we consume;
· Daily energy directings for family and expanded sessions for us and for those close to us, or more than daily during the weekend, the trimestrial recovery week and annual holiday.
· Energy directings for future projects and for protection of the resulting worries.
Laws and Recommendations:
The orders of the Ministry of Health and Family
Orders of the ministry of health regarding surveillance of health status at the workplace:
[link]
ORDER no. 761/30.10.2001 regarding the approval of the procedures involved in the medical exam done prior to employment, adaptation medical exam, the periodic medical check and the medical exam prior to the resume of work after special events.
Art. 2. The medical exam done at the employment time, at the specified regular periods of time and when resuming the work represent the active monitoring of the employee's health status in relation to the specific professional environment of the workplace / position involved.
Art. 3. In this document the specific professional environment is represented by physical, chemical, biological condition present in the work environment or related to it, or any element that is involved in the professional activity for which there are scientific proves that links the exposure to the factor with reversible or irreversible modifications of the structure or function of an organ, system or of the human body as a whole.
Art. 4. The public, private or cooperates employers are obliged to monitor the health status of all the employees in relation to the workplace / job position by providing work-related medical services.
Art. 6. (a) The medical exam done at the employment moment, during adaptation phase, done at specific periodic intervals done when resuming work will be performed according to the existing laws and regulations.
(b) In medical, scientific al and statistically proven cases the existing procedure will be expanded annually by including new procedures of health monitoring specific to the newly discovered professional risks.
Work overload and Work related stress are proven to develop:
- reversible and irreversible modification in the structure or functionality of an organ, system, or of the whole human body.
- increase the sensibility of the human body to the above mentioned professional environment risks.
Through the following Research Contract we will bring medical, scientific al and statistical proves necessary to the expanding of the procedure involved in the medical examination to include work related stress and work overload monitoring.
ORDER no. 803/12.11.2001 for the approval of some exposure measurements and / or biological effects in order to establish the specific response of the human body to the risk factors that lead to professional illnesses:
Art. 1. We approve the list of exposure measurements methods and / or biological effects measurements relevant to the purpose of establishing the specific response of the human body to the risk factors that can lead to professional illnesses, as establish in the annex that makes part of this Order.
Art. 2. The following terms are defined for use in this document in the following sense:
measurement of external exposure: the presence of the biological professional toxic substances, of the toxic substances with a Fp indication and the presence of toxic physical and chemical substances that can be measured at the workplace;
measurement of internal exposure: the measurable presence of an external agent or of an metabolite??? of an agent without the alteration of the structure and / or function of organs, systems and human body as a whole.
measurement of biological effect: the measurable modification of structure and / or function of an organ, system or of the whole human body proved by the deviation from the normal accepted values of some bio - chemical, functional, immunologist, genetically or systemic constants as a consequence to the exposure of an workplace related agent;
human body response: any reversible or irreversible of a structure and / or function of an organ, system or of the human body that can be objectified through a symptom, syndrome or pathological entity for which there are scientific proves of association with the exposure to an external agent present in the work environment;
the specific human body response: the whole complex of clinical and paraclinical changes that describe a professional illness and / or work overload due to the exposure to one of the risk factor from the work environment;
The work related stress and the work overload generates unspecific responses of the human body, that gradually and quietly lead to non-transmissible chronic illnesses. From our point of view the un transmissible chronic diseases that appeared after the employment should be categorized as professional illnesses because they were triggered by, or accentuated by stress and work overload due to work conditions.
According to this order attached annex the exposure measurements that are accepted have the following characteristics: :
- they are not specific
- can be used as a way to facilitate and fundament the health strategy and the security of the work place
- they don't represent criteria that could limit the employment of persons in workplaces with special requirements.
All these measurements represent an unspecific response to the work related stress and work overload. Reaching high levels of tiredness, work overload or acute stress can lead to work accidents. Maintaining slightly lower stress levels but for a long period of time can lead to un transmissible chronic illness or the aggravation of the existing ones. Because of these we propose to introduce the work overload and work related stress on the list of risk factors that is the base for the assurance fee for work related accidents and professional illnesses payed by the employer.
Measurements
(parameters)
Out of range values
Notes
Physiological Indicators
1.a. Heart beat rate
The increase of the instantaneous or average heart beat rate with more than 20 beats compared to the reference values
This represents a body response to stress caused by the mental overload and / or a cumulated sum of stressful conditions (stress, work overload beyond limits, noise, unfavorable physical work conditions)
The increase of the instantaneous or average heart beat rate with more than 40 beats compared to the reference values
A body response to stress conditions determined by the cognitive demanding situation (mental or emotional) in work that involves tight deadlines, uncontrollable factors, or direct contact with customers.
An important decrease of the heart beat rate compared to the normal conditions average rates, that involves more than 35% of the tested individuals.
Neuropsychical Tirednessappears in the activities which involve monotone and repetitive activities (like driving, surveillance of monitoring equipment.. )
1.b. variability of the heart beat rate (power density in the low and high frequency channels and the ratio between these to values, etc. )
The increase or the decrease of the heart beat rate variability compared to the reference values for more than 35% of the tested subjects.
These are markers that show mental and mental - emotional demanding conditions.
1.c. Cardiac rhythm problems, uneven graph of the ST-T segment (transient changes)
The presence of cardiac rhythm problems during the professional activity.
Spike of more than 1 mm under or over the ST-T segment median value.
Typical manifestations of exposures to a sum of stress and Neuropsychical overload factors (noise, physical climate, strong electromagnetic fields.. )
1.d. Changes of the arterial pressure
The increase of the arterial systolic (and / or diastolic) pressure with more than 10mmHg during activity, compared to average values monitored during the reference period.
Stress response generated by cognitive demanding situation, and / or a sum of external stressful factors (noise..)
The increase of the arterial systolic and / or diastolic pressure with more than 40 mmHg during the activity, when compared to the reference values.
Strong stress response, typical to work that involves high cognitive stress, deadline pressures, public activity or conditions not under the operator control.
Endocrine measurements :
2.a. Changes
of the catecolamins and vanilmandelic acid concentrations in urine or serum
A significant statistic increase or decrease at the end of the activity when compared to the beginning or a significant increase or decrease to more than 35% of the tested subjects when comparing values from the beginning of the activity with the end of activity
Stress reaction in situation with demanding neuropsychical activity.
2.b. Changes of the corticosteroids hormonal concentration (in serum, saliva, ACTH... )
E.g.: the concentration increase of salivary cortisone with more than 1 ng/ml at two successive samples, while in activity, or an increase of more than 15% than the expected values for a certain moment during the day.
Stress reaction in situation with demanding neuropsychical activity.
2.c. Changes in prolactine concentration
Statistically significant increase of prolactine concentration or increase levels present in over 35 % of the tested subjects, when compared to the reference values.
Stress reaction in situation with demanding neuropsychical activity.
3. Biochemical measurements: trigliceride serice, colesterol total, HDL cholesterol, fibrinogen, coagulation time.
The increase of the trigliceridelor serice, cholesterol total, or the decrease of cholesterol, the increase of fibrinogen, the decrease of coagulation time when compared to the normal values.
Stress reaction in situation with demanding neuropsychical activity.
Psychophysiological markers:
4.a. Visual acuity, accommodation function, ocular convergence, night vision adaptability, visual field, chromatic sensitivity, the speed of visual perception, number of eye winks per minute.
Statistically significant changes or changes that occur at more than 35% of the tested subjects at the end of the activity, compared to the beginning of the activity.
Psycho-physiological tiredness
4.b. Audio analyzer: the Audio thresholds
Statistically significant temporary changes or temporary changes that occur at more than 35% of the tested subjects at the end of the activity, compared to the beginning of the activity.
Psycho-physiological tiredness
Psychological markers:
5.a. Reacting times to visual events, audio stimuli or both
Increases of the latent psycho-motor ability at more than 35% of the tested subjects, at the end of the activity when compared with the begining of the activity.
Psycho-physiological tiredness
5.b. Critical frequency of the fusion of lighting images.
Significant decreases at more than 35% of the tested subjects, at the end of the activity when compared with the begining of the activity.
Psycho-physiological tiredness
5.c. Psycho - motor coordination
Coordonarea psychomotor
Modifications of the correctitude and efficiency markers present in more than 35% of the tested subjects, at the end of the activity when compared with the begining of the activity.
Psycho-physiological tiredness hyperactivity
5.d. Electro dermal reflex
Significant increases of the skin's electrical resistance in more than 35% of the tested subjects, at the end of the activity when compared with the begining of the activity.
Psycho-physiological tiredness hyperactivity
5.e. Attention focus, volume and distribution
Significant changes in more than 35% of the tested subjects, at the end of the activity when compared with the begining of the activity.
Psycho-physiological tiredness hyperactivity
5.f. Long term and short term memory
Decreases in the volume, length of the memory and remembering capacity in more than 35% of the tested subjects, at the end of the activity when compared with the begining of the activity.
Psycho-physiological tiredness hyperactivity
5.g. The efficiency of superior nervous systems (synthesis - analysis, the ability to rationalize, logic thinking and spatial representation)
Significant changes in more than 35% of the tested subjects, at the end of the activity when compared with the begining of the activity.
Psycho-physiological tiredness hyperactivity
Comportment markers:
6.a. The frequency of the reported problems (emotional, neurovegetative, sensorial, sleep or social insertion problems)
Reported by more than 35% of the studied subject who are at the limit of the corresponding scale.
Psycho-physiological tiredness hyperactivity
6.b. Neuroticism, anxiety, tiredness, hyper or hipo activity, stress dependent syndromes of burn-out and tension
Reported by more than 35% of the studied subject who are at the limit of the corresponding scale.
Psycho-physiological tiredness hyperactivity
6.c. Changes in the personality's structure and dynamic.
Reported by more than 35% of the studied subject who are at the limit of the corresponding scale.
Psycho-physiological tiredness hyperactivity
More Information on Web Pages:
THE TOKYO DECLARATION on Work-Related Stress and Health:
[link]
USA National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Stress ...at Work:
[link]
International Labor Organization (ILO):
- WORLD OF WORK magazine No. 37, December 2000 S.O.S. Stress at work: Costs of workplace stress are rising, with depression increasingly common:
[link]
- Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment Stress at work:
[link]
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