DR. BRYAN CEPEDOZA MEDICAL INSIDER
A Question & Answer Session
with Dr. Bryan Cepedoza
on Occupational Hazards
(Part 3)
The Bohol Tribune (TBT): Dr. Bryan, in your column last week, you gave a very interesting discussion of STRESS as part of occupational hazard. You said that time pressure is determining factor to stress.
Dr. Bryan Cepedoza: Yes. And another would be not being able to beat the deadline of the work assigned to you. If you always lag behind and if you are always late in the submission and completion of work tasks, this can also affect your health condition.
The Bohol Tribune (TBT): Oh no!
Dr. Bryan Cepedoza: Oh yes! And here’s more. Long working hours may also be dangerous to your lifestyle. If you spend long hours at work because you want to finish your task ahead of time or you want to be ahead of all the others, this might take a negative effect on your well being.
The Bohol Tribune (TBT): That is true.
Dr. Bryan Cepedoza: And it is also true that frequent cases of shift of work are not healthy.
The Bohol Tribune (TBT): That is scary.
Dr. Bryan Cepedoza: It is! If you notice that you lack the support of your officemates and your bosses, your health condition will be affected, too. Moral injury is more painful than physical injury, sometimes. All these contribute to what we call as the risk factors for occupational stress, burnout and fatigue among health workers.These are occupational hazards affecting our health condition.
The Bohol Tribune (TBT): Everything you are sharing with us, Dr. Bryan, part of reality in the work area.
Dr. Bryan Cepedoza: We also have to remember that violence and harassment play a major role in adding stress to the employee at his workplace.
The Bohol Tribune (TBT): What do you mean?
Dr. Bryan Cepedoza: There are incidents in the workplace that involve work-related abuse. Some of these are threats or assaults among workers. There is also what we call as physical, sexual, verbal and psychological abuse, not to mention and workplace harassment.
The Bohol Tribune (TBT): I understand.
Dr. Bryan Cepedoza: However, we are protected by our laws. In the Philippines, for example, there are laws that are in place to protect the interests and safety of the worker.
The Bohol Tribune (TBT): Would you please elaborate.
Dr. Bryan Cepedoza: One hazard that is possible in the workplace is sexual harassment, as I said. We are protected by the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995. This Act protects employees from harassment in the workplace. This includes not only sexual harassment but also other forms of verbal abuse or behavior that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.
The Bohol Tribune (TBT): I see.
Dr. Bryan Cepedoza: Moreover, there is also what we call as risks in ambient work environment. What is this all about? (To be continued).