How To Deal With Stress And Safety In The Workplace

Employees should realize that they deserve balance between work and home life since both are equally important parts of their lives that will ultimately affect performance on the job. You can learn the right way to handle such situations through effective WHS training in the workplace conducted by experienced companies who provide WHS consultation.

Highly stressed workers can have a negative impact on the business, in the following ways:

It can affect the quality of work, which will reflect poorly on business.
It can lower morale and increase employee turnover rates.

Employees should be aware that they have options available to them in terms of help with stress management. An employer could offer flexible hours or vacation time for employees who need it to take care of personal issues at home. If you think that you or someone you know is going through a high stress situation at the workplace, then here are some tips on how to handle it.

Make sure you have a good support system – this could be your boss, co-workers, or friends

Having a good support group, whether it is friends, co-workers or even an understanding boss, can make a world of difference when it comes to dealing with stress.

The following are some examples of stressful situations that an employee may be going through:

Divorce or marital issues at home.
Injury, illness or death in the family.
Lack of childcare coverage if needed during work hours.
Harassment or bullying in the workplace.

As you can see there is a wide range of scenarios where someone could find themselves stressed out and overwhelmed by what is going on around them, whether personal or official. Sometimes co-workers may be the best people to talk over an issue since they will be able to better understand what you are going through.

Take breaks when needed and give yourself time to decompress outside of the office

When we feel like life is falling apart, it is easy to forget about ourselves as well as those who rely on us. Making sure you take some time out for yourself every day will help keep stress levels under control and allow you to focus better when work resumes again. Taking a break and talking things out with a trusted friend or family member can help.

Taking time to relax and de-stress is important for everyone, but especially for those who experience high levels of stress on the job. This might mean taking some extra vacation time if you need it, either when work becomes overwhelming or at another point when they feel like their current amount is not enough. It is always better to ask than assume your employer will be okay with it (and plan ahead in case they say no).

Get in touch with your feelings – it is important to know what’s going on inside of you

Getting in touch with your feelings through counselling activities or other means can help. Talking through what is going on with someone else or writing down your thoughts and feelings in a journal are both great ways to get everything out, so you don’t keep it bottled up inside of yourself, which could lead to stress-related health issues like depression. Plus, talking about your emotions is healthy for the soul.

Create a plan for how to deal with stress before it happens

For employers, it is important to create a plan of action about how to deal with employees who are under high stress. For example, if your employee is showing signs of depression, you should allow them time off to deal with it and possibly see a therapist or counsellor. If the situation isn’t that serious, then maybe all they need is some time away from work for recuperation purposes; either way there are many ways in which employers can help their employees come back refreshed after dealing with stressful situations at work. One thing that research shows us about how to handle workplace stress is not only important to an employer but also extremely useful for workers themselves.

Keep an eye out for any signs that someone is being bullied or harassed at work

Workplace bullying and harassment is very real and very serious. If you are being bullied or harassed at work it is extremely important that an action is taken to stop this from happening as quickly as possible. Even if the situation is not too dire, something should still be done about workplace bullying and harassment because these things can lead to other problems such as depression and anxiety. Not only does workplace bullying need to come under control, but employers also have a duty of care towards their employees, so they should do everything in their power to make sure all workers feel safe while working on site.

Report anything suspicious immediately so everyone can feel safe and secure at their job

Any suspicious behaviour by fellow staff members or by any other people should be reported as soon as possible. This is important because it can stop a potentially dangerous situation from getting even more serious and resolve the issue before anything bad happens at work.

Workplace stress can be a real problem for the company as well as the employee, and something should be done about it as soon as possible. Poor workplace safety can affect both the employees and employers in many ways, which is why it is important to make sure everyone feels safe at work.

Supply Chain Management: A Solution for A Better Tomorrow

Have you ever imagined? How does business work in the current modern world? Since with so much modernization, there are various new ways introduced to take the process of business one step further. It can be seen easily in today’s business sector that with change in time there are changes occurring in the way that a business operates. Digitization is the most frequent and highly impacting change that has spread its significance all around the business world. This element has brought customers’ expectations way further ahead. Supply chain management is one of the key aspects of this innovative approach. So, it is necessary to discover this new emerging trend. Dive into the world of supply chain management.

Understand SCM (Supply Chain Management)
It is a system that manages the flow of goods and services in an effective manner. This active management system is designed to maximize customer value and let firms enjoy a good sustainable competitive advantage. The activities included in this system take care of everything for business from production, development, sourcing and logistics. An effective supply chain management system lets you effectively minimize time, waste and cost in the production cycle. The core value of this system is to create competitive infrastructure, synchronizing supply with demand. It works majorly on marketing, procurement, logistics, systems engineering, industrial engineering and operation management.

Work Mechanism of SCM (Supply Chain Management)
It is a system that is developed by the efforts of suppliers to deliver an efficient and economical supply chain as possible. It usually covers from the production of the product to its development. The SCM system usually controls or links the production, distribution and shipment of a product. Companies can use it to cut excess costs and deliver products to consumers at a fast pace. The existence of this system has been there for a long time, but with modernization, it has gained attention recently.

Key Factors to Notice About Supply Chain Management
This effective system consists of five points as its key features to make your business more effective than ever.

Collaborative
To provide multi-enterprise collaboration and engagement, this system is designed to effectively improve the collaboration with the suppliers using cloud-based commerce networks.

Comprehensive
The SCM lets analytics capabilities upgrade with data in real-time. The insights that it will offer are fast and extensive.

Network
The networking or connection that it provides is unparalleled to any other system. It can access the unstructured data from Social Media and structured data from IoT (Internet of Things) and other traditional data sets from traditional ERP and B2B integration tools.

AI
This is an effective move in the modern supply chain management system. The AI platform helps in coordinating, collating and conducting decisions and actions across the chain. This factor plays a crucial role in the automation of the supply chain.

Cyber Awareness
Cyber intrusions and hacks are crucial problems in this modern era. But using it the enterprise is protected from this major concern.

Effective Areas of SCM
The supply chain management system effectively improves the analysis of data for the organizations and offers further space for improvements. These are some of its most effective areas which are discussed below -

Improving Price
SCM uses analytic software to forecast techniques to improve margins. This helps seasonal products to be sold easily, as they have a limited shelf life.

Find Potential Problems
The in-depth analysis that SCM provides lets manufacturers anticipate the shortage before the buyer is disappointed and complain about poor service.

Enhanced Allocation of Inventory
This system helps in dynamically allocating resources. It helps the firm’s schedule work based on sales forecasts.

Key Elements of Supply Chain Management
This system consists of five attributes or components which are included to ensure effectiveness and sustainability. These functions seem to be an overwhelming task to various business persons all around the world. They help in enhancing the supply chain management practice in an efficient way. It can be undertaken using these following eight functions -

Planning

This step is a key aspect of starting a supply chain. It helps in finalising the strategy to put them into place while checking the demand of product or service, manpower, costing, profit, etc. Without this element, SCM is well-nigh impossible to implement and to get effective benefits from it. This point can only be set after making consideration of all pros and cons that one can proceed further. This step usually helps in identifying the demand and supply trend in the market to implement a fine working SCM system.

Information

In this tech-inspired world, we are surrounded by information. So, it becomes very vital for any business to stay updated using the latest information. That’s why this element has an important place in the supply chain. It lets firms understand the proper and timely market trends of demand and supply of products. The ignorance of this aspect can lead to a negative impact on the performance of businesses.

Source

In any business, the role of a supplier is very crucial. When it comes to SCM systems it has the same important impact. The products and services developed by manufacturers are created using the help of different sets of raw materials. The cost-effectiveness of raw materials is important for the manufacturing of products and services at cheap rates. If the supplier somehow lacks the capacity to deliver them on time will bound the business to face loss and have a negative reputation.

Inventory

Keeping inventory maintained is essential for a highly effective supply chain management system. In this list of inventory, there is mention of raw materials and other essential items that are required for the development of products and services. It is a vital aspect for the good functioning of this system since without its proper management the production and sale of products are not possible.

Production

This is the next most important element to consider for the proper functioning of SCM. It ensures that the firm is producing the correct amount of products while meeting the established quality standards.

Location

The place where this system will implement its functioning is crucial. If it is a suitable location then it would provide all essential resources and materials conveniently to the system for manufacturing, otherwise, the system can fail. For example, lack of water can bring a stop to the whole production process and affect the company’s goodwill.

Transportation

After the production of products and services, the next big step for any firm is transportation. The delivery of final products to the market is mandatory for smooth business functioning. The business organization that took special care of this aspect always enjoys a fine range of benefits from it. But it also needs to have a secure and safe transportation process with zero damage and minimal loss in the transit.

Returns

After following all these elements, here comes the final step for creating a good SCM system. The returns of goods, as it is common to return goods under different circumstances. Even having a fine quality process, you can sometimes have unavoidable momentary lapses. This element ensures good bonding with customers and helps in maintaining goodwill in the long run.

Supply Chain Management Outlook
For the successful operation of a business, is necessary. Its key function is to deliver value to customers; while managing the movement of materials and products throughout the organizational cycle. For a seamless functioning, it includes various aspects of business operation like purchasing, logistics and information technology. The components of SCM that we have described above play an important role in setting the demand. If these links in the chain turn to be weak lead to the disruption of the entire chain and all functions should be at risk. To get an in-depth understanding of Supply Chain Management you can read the book: Essentials of Supply Chain Management by Michael H. Hugos. Achieve all your organizational goals using a smooth working SCM system.

What Are Common Occupational Lung Diseases?

Occupational hazards can cause these health problems by irritating or damaging the lungs over time, and companies may be compelled to conduct regular lung function testing on their employees to determine if any damage has been caused.

Workers with any one of these conditions face a variety of potential difficulties including:

Breathing disorders that could be life-threatening if left untreated.
Reduced ability to work or perform strenuous activities.
Economic hardship from loss of wages and increased medical expenses.
Poor quality of life and reduced physical and mental functionality.

There are many ways to prevent these lung diseases from occurring in the workplace. Companies should be aware that using proper ventilation, providing regular respiratory health screenings and creating a healthy work environment with good air quality can help promote better worker health. Preventative measures like wearing protective equipment when necessary is also an important factor in preventing lung disease due to occupational hazards while working at certain jobs for long hours or during times of high exposure. Workers who experience breathing trouble or any other signs related to their lungs should contact their doctor immediately rather than trying self-treatment methods, which could make it worse without professional assistance.

Here are some of the most commonly found occupational lung diseases.

COPD

COPD stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which is a wide range of respiratory conditions that affect the lungs. COPD can be caused by long-term exposure to harmful fumes from tobacco smoke, second hand smoke or even inhaling any type of chemicals for an extended period of time at work. Another example would be those who work in certain types of heavy industry such as mining with high levels of dust and exhaust gases. People who have been exposed to these hazardous materials over a long duration are more likely to develop COPD symptoms later on.

The most common treatment options include breathing machines, medications used for treating asthma and bronchitis, along with quitting smoking. Not all cases require surgery but it depends on how severe the condition has become.

Asthma

Asthma is a very common respiratory disease that can be caused by breathing in hazardous fumes and dusts. It is a chronic disorder where the airways become inflamed and narrow, making it difficult to breath. There is no absolute cure for asthma, however it can be controlled by avoiding the allergens as well as taking medications. Those who have asthma should also avoid physical activities like sports and should not participate in strenuous jobs where breathing is hard.

Asthma can be prevented by wearing a mask to filter out dusts and fumes while working outdoors or indoors. It would also help if you must smoke, only do so outside of work hours, since cigarette smoke contains many harmful chemicals that could trigger an attack for those already suffering from this disease. Anyone experiencing symptoms such as tightness within their chest, shortness of breath and other similar symptoms should get themselves checked by a doctor as soon as possible.

Silicosis

Silicosis is a lung disease that is contracted by inhaling silica dust. Silicosis can also be referred to as pneumoconiosis and has no cure, but the condition could go away on its own after a few months or it could become chronic depending if one keeps breathing in silica particles.

This lung disease is common amongst sandblasters, stone masons and foundry workers due to exposure to sandstone, granite and other similar minerals that release fine crystalline particles when worked upon. Those who work at quarries are usually exposed to much of this harmful mineral material since rocks and stones break into small pieces during quarrying, making it hard for humans to avoid breathing in these irritating materials which then lead to injury within one’s lungs.

Black lung disease

Black lung disease is commonly found among those who work in areas of coal mining, where workers are exposed to coal dust which then enters their lungs. Sometimes when these tiny particles of this harmful mineral enter our bodies through inhalation or even ingestion (in the case of small children), they get accumulated inside one’s respiratory system and cause irritation within them leading to lung injuries with time.

Coal worker’s pneumoconiosis

Coal Worker’s pneumoconiosis is similar to silicosis, but is caused by exposure to coal dust. This specific disease is also known as black lung, because the lungs are actually black with deposits of carbon that have accumulated in them.

Asbestosis

This disease of the lungs is caused by breathing in asbestos fibres. The long-term effects of this disease include shortness of breath, coughing and chest pains.

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer in the lungs. It is caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos. This lung cancer cannot be prevented, but there are ways of slowing down the progression, if it has been diagnosed in time.

Trichloroethylene

Trichloroethylene is a disease of the lungs caused by inhaling this same chemical which is an industrial solvent. The effects of this disease include breathing problems, heart palpitations and tremors.

Polycythaemia

This disease is caused by exposure to certain chemicals that may include carbon disulphide, trichloroethylene and benzene. The symptoms of polycythaemia are headaches, dizziness, confusion and high blood pressure.

Sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is another common occupational lung disease caused by exposure to certain chemicals that include petroleum solvents, welding fumes and fibreglass. Symptoms of this disease are breathing difficulties, coughing up blood and fever.

Those with industrial lung diseases can be treated if they get diagnosed in time by avoiding the source of their symptoms or by taking medicine for it. The most aspect here is for the employer, to provide the workers with high-quality gear that will help prevent inhalation of hazardous substances. In addition, they should also conduct regular lung function testing on all workers in order to identify those at risk as well as provide them with the right treatment and medications.

7 Sources of Raw Material for Your Content Marketing Strategy

Is your business using a content marketing strategy?

According to a recent study by the Custom Content Council, 73% of consumers prefer to get their information about an organization in articles rather than advertisements. That means it’s more important than ever to include custom content in your marketing mix. Doing so will help drive purchases, improve relationships, and give your customers useful information in a medium they prefer.

Content marketing essentially means that rather than pitching your product directly, you instead provide resources to educate and inform your prospects. If it’s done correctly it often leads to the sale.

Generating compelling content that people want to consume can increase your website traffic and help you to attract and retain a dedicated following. In order to produce quality content you’re going to need a good source of raw material to continually draw upon.

Here are 7 fantastic resources to help you never run out of content ideas:

#1: RSS Reader: Scan it Daily A great way to get fresh ideas and inspiration is to sign up for a free RSS reader such as Google Reader. Then use the Google Blogs search option and search blog directory sites such as Technorati and Blogcatalog for blogs that are relevant to your product or service. When you find what you’re looking for simply subscribe by clicking on the RSS feed and adding it to your reader. Organize your feeds into folders and sort by category for easy scanning; you can combine topics you find in your industry’s blogs with your own commentary to create posts that stand on their own.

#2: Make Every Employee a Marketer: Encourage employees to contribute to your blog by writing posts on a topic of interest that relates to your industry. Ask your customer service and sales teams about their most frequently asked questions then have them write blog posts about the solutions. Creating a simple blog template for employees to use can be a great tool to eliminate any barriers to writing a post.

#3: Crowdsource: Online survey and polling tools can be invaluable resources for collecting and prioritizing these ideas in an organized way. Post a social networking status or blog asking your audience for content topics and suggestions. Embedding a survey or poll directly into your website or blog engages your audience in real time, and lets their voice be heard. You can also launch a survey or poll directly into email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn asking for feedback.

#4: LinkedIn Groups: There’s no shortage of opinions on LinkedIn. You can join up to 50 groups per individual profile. Find the most active groups related to your industry by searching the groups tab. An easy way to tell which groups are most active is by the number of members and discussions. LinkedIn Answers is also a fantastic place to tap the knowledge of your professional network.

#5: Forums: If social media has a grandfather, its name is Grandpa Forum. These open and free discussions are a fantastic way to find out what’s going on in your niche. A simple search on Google for + forum will yield thousands of results.

#6: Google News: Want to keep your content relevant to current events and hot topics in the media? Sure you do. Google News aggregates headlines from news sources worldwide, groups similar stories together and displays them according to each reader’s personalized interests. Simply search for keywords related to your industry and click on the news. Scanning the results will immediately provide you with headlines to tie your topic to what’s happening in the world.

#7: Attend Industry Events: Meetups, Webinars, Tweetchats, Conferences. There’s a wealth of events hosted online and off on a weekly basis with many offering the free exchange of ideas and knowledge. Look for events with topics related to your industry and jump right in. Chances are you’ll leave inspired with new ideas and a new found vigor to churn them into remarkable content.

The overall goal here it to be relevant and provide value to your target market; if you continually publish and spread great content, customers will come to you.

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