The impact of technology on health and safety

Document Type:Research Paper

Subject Area:English

Document 1

The involvement of technology has seen many workers in Singapore face a myriad of problems. This range from health issues such as obesity, musculoskeletal problems, and visual problems to reduced productivity as a result of employees sitting for longer duration in front of technological devices such as computers. This research paper entails a contextual study of the positive and negative impacts of technology on health and safety. The research method will be descriptive and data will be collected through interviews from randomly selected participants in different private and public sectors that rely on technology in Singapore. Table of Contents CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 4 A. Extent of spread of hazards caused by technology 28 D. Positive effects of technology on health and safety 31 CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 35 A.

Sign up to view the full document!

Types of Research Methods 35 B. Respondents Analysis 37 C. Technique of Data collection 37 D. Based on studies, Singapore is one of the major destinations for foreign investors especially the Chinese technology giants like Baidu and Alibaba (Vu 2013). Other firms like Facebook and Google have obtained their regional operations in the city. Geographically, Singapore is placed at the center of Asia influencing the connection of infrastructure to different corners of the globe. For instance, most of the cities in China followed by Sydney and New York are linked with Singapore. The city has become engrossed in some of the complex value chains in the world (Vu 2013). Current problem: One of the most common problems which are faced by the workers of Singapore after the involvement of the technology is the transition to sedentary work (LAKSHMINARAYANAN and SURESH2017).

Sign up to view the full document!

Since most of the workers are sitting for a longer period of time on the desk they are facing the issue of the higher rates of obesity and some of the diseases like diabetes. Additional to that there are musculoskeletal issues which are being faced by the people are the bad computer posture and more repetitive movement (Svensson 2016). On the other hand, it is not known yet what are the visual effects which are being faced by the workers of the company for sitting for a prolonged period of 8 hours in front of the computers (Hannigan 2014). Furthermore, it is also reported that there are lessening of the productivity of the employees of the company while sitting for the longer duration of time in the office (Levitt and Lai 2010).

Sign up to view the full document!

Does this precautions help mitigate the issues and the problems which are being faced by the workers of the companies and the Singapore environment? 5. Is the rapid growth of the technology beneficial for the mankind and the environment? 6. What are the potential benefits to the staffs of the organization after the involvement and the rapid growth of the science and technology? D. Research objectives: The main objective of the research is to have the better and broader aspect of the questions which could be carried out and the objective could be fulfilled. The main objectives of the following research are as follows: • To know the various technologies which are hampering the society and the human health. Thus, however, there are also some positive impacts like the time management of the production or the production cost decreased a lot more than they used to be before (Martens 2013).

Sign up to view the full document!

Thus, there are both the positive and the negative impact which the future technology is posing and in turn, the digitization is changing the face of the EHS of Singapore (Lerner 2010). G. Past related articles: Title of article Publication number and publication date Description of article Difference between your research and article Alper, J. and Amato, I. There are some of the positive as well as the negative impacts which are being discussed. In the research, the impact is mainly focused on the environment and health of the people in industries and factories. Barbour, M. K. and Kennedy, K. Publication Number: Issue 1 Date: July 2008 The use of the technology so that the elderly and the disabled could be easily monitored. The article is mainly based on the home technologies.

Sign up to view the full document!

The difference is that the research is based on the technologies used in the industries and the article is for impacts of the home technologies. The Caribbean. IDB Monograph (Institutions for Development Sector. Volume 55 Date: April 2010 The rate of the change of the climate is being discussed and how fast the climate is being changed over the past few years. There are explanatory frameworks to enhance consideration of how these effects may operate and encourage debate about this important aspect of the health impacts of climate change. Considering the change of the environment the research of the following impact of the technology on the people of Singapore is being analyzed. Chang-Siu, E. H. 4 GHz CMOS These are the techniques which are being used in the Industries of Singapore and thus they are harming the people and the environment.

Sign up to view the full document!

GarcíaZaballos, A. and Iglesias Rodriguez, E. Data Centers and Broadband for Sustainable Economic and Social Development: Evidence from Latin America Publication number: IDB-MG-519 Date: May 2017 Increase in the use of the data centers and the broadband and the different impacts it is imposing on the climate and the social and the economic life of the people of the Caribbean. Increase in the use of the technology and how they are impacting the people of Singapore and comparison of the impact with respect to the people of the Caribbean. Jalghoum, Y. A. , and Khasawneh, S. S. , An Empirical Research of the Challenges to E-Health Initiative in Jordan. A. HARD-CORE VS SOFT-CORE ESP IN THE LIGHT OF EDUCATION FORESIGHT. Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes, 5(3), pp.

Sign up to view the full document!

Volume 5, Number 3 Date 2017 Use of the ESP in order to prevent the environment from pollution. Since the industries are producing more pollution for the burning of the wastes the use of ESP could be beneficial. The industries are also radiating the type of chemicals which are being released by the war fighter industries. Levitt, B. B. and Lai, H. Biological effects from exposure to electromagnetic radiation emitted by cell tower base stations and other antenna arrays. These new and self-powered devices are being used in various industries of Singapore. Orlove, B. , Lazarus, H. , Hovelsrud, G. and Giannini, A. Elements, R. The Reindustrialisation of Europe. Reshoring manufacturing-a potential driver of the future welfare. STVM23 20151 Date: 2015 Reindustrialisation of Europe is done so that they are able to drive better and healthy environment for the future.

Sign up to view the full document!

The idea is being implemented in the research so that the industries in Singapore are able to drive better and effective climatic change for the future growth and development H. This section will present and discuss some of the previous literature on the impact of technology on health and safety. A. Technologies that impact health and safety Technology can either pose as a threat or a blessing, both individually and in the workplace. It is evident that the modern workplace has experienced the transformative impact of technology. For instance, the traditional face-to-face meetings have today been replaced by mailrooms to emails, video conferences, carbon paper and typewriters (Kowal, Zeligowski, &Wawrzak-Chodaczek 2015). This century has experienced maturation in the area of digital computing coupled with the use of telecommunications technology.

Sign up to view the full document!

It has been an effort to connect numerous computers into a virtually large single network known as the Internet (Croly, Cool, &Strimel 2016). Information technologies serves as the foundation to the rise of today’s economy and business. Information technology demands that an industry acquires sufficient knowledge and change its thinking. Individuals, the society, workplaces and employment relations have experienced a dramatic increase on the impact of Information Technology during the last decades of the 21st century. This is because, throughout history, bigger nuclear accidents have been experienced several times while accidents in genetic engineering have not been reported yet. E-books and search engines are other forms of technology that may seem harmless yet pose a big threat to the safety of the society.

Sign up to view the full document!

The e-book technology grants humans the power to fully delete and re-write history without putting in so much effort (Henderson 2011). For example, with an e-book, it becomes easy to attack a political opposition before it even begins or rather, even before people realize they might become opponents in the future. This may easily be achieved by analyzing written materials people read to track down future enemies and destroy them preventively. The use of Skype presents a big threat in the business setting. Most managers believe that consumer applications such as Skype are less scalable and lack security. Thus, anytime an individual downloads Skype or similar applications, they introduce a security risk that the information technology department is not comfortable with (Yates &Akhgar 2013).

Sign up to view the full document!

This is because the software might easily interact with another application to potentially impact the performance of all applications. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is great need to anticipate the threats and the potential negative impacts of the emerging technologies. For example, vehicles that run on hydrogen fuel cell are among the developments that are aimed at serving the long term needs of consumers while meeting the environmental and global energy requirements (Renne& Fields2013). However, there is still a problem in regards to their productions, means of distribution and storage as well as the use of hydrogen. Hydrogen is highly flammable and therefore explosive, hence the development of vehicles that are powered with hydrogen might pose serious health and safety risks especially for workers who make, operate and service them.

Sign up to view the full document!

In the housing sector, the use of new synthetic materials and methods of production are also potentially hazardous. Most construction workers come into contact with substances and materials with unknown levels of toxicity (Renne& Fields 2013). The hazardous effect of technology lies in the methods used to tools using non-renewable sources of energy to build the technology. The extent of hazard caused by technology includes; Global warming- New technology helps to facilitate the process of industrialization which involves the release of toxic gases into the earth’s atmosphere. These gases tend to deplete the ozone layer leading to global warming. Based on numerous researches conducted in the past, global warming destroys the natural environment due to the change of weather patterns leading to prolonged periods of famine in many areas.

Sign up to view the full document!

Pollution and the destruction of the natural environment is also a hazardous effect of technology. These emissions have a potentially harmful impact on the environment and the health of human beings. Experts have revealed that the pollution caused by technology leads to degradation of various aspects of the environment. Most of the time, this pollution is as a result of dangerous chemicals, industrial wastes, man-made products, biological wastes or from the mismanagement of both environmental and natural resources. Also, the washout of some of these dangerous chemicals like nitrogen and sulphur compounds increases the acidity of the soil. Water is also negatively affected by such washout of these chemical concentrations leading to ecological and agricultural destruction. This includes people’s encounter with things, non-human beings, and forces, pathogens of technology, food as well as health risks.

Sign up to view the full document!

Between the early 80’s and early 90’s, the idea of a risk society began to form around a sequence of a number of great industrial and technological accidents (Piatyszek et al. Technological accidents like oil spills were normally marked by the presence of hazards like food and health hazards that were associated with the presence and movement of particles invisible to naked eye. Besides air pollution, technology has resulted to the pollution of water bodies. For example, the invention of hydroelectricity as well as industrialization has led to poor management of water and waste products emanating from industries (Stajanča and Eštoková 2012). Solid wastes from production have posed a big threat to the health of individuals (Kates and Kasperson 1983). The deterioration of health also comes from the constant staring of technological devices.

Sign up to view the full document!

Straining of the eyes leads to headache, migraines and blurred images. Moreover, some technology tools pose a threat to the safety of individuals in factories and has caused many accidents including the loss of certain body parts such as limbs (Kates and Kasperson 1983). Scientists’ argue that while technology may be a powerful driving force to improve the standards of living, it is costing people their lives. Nowadays, many people are encountering the challenges of obesity since they fail to engage in exercises or walk. Obesity due to less activity tends to contribute to other serious health problems such as high blood pressure. Polaiah (n. d) confirms that in the current world, people very relaxed in their lifestyles. However, they fail to realize the health risks they are putting themselves in every day.

Sign up to view the full document!

The youth and adult populations tend to consume the time they should use to sleep in texting, emailing, tweeting and browsing the internet. Mostly, this is achieved through the use of mobile devices. Thus, most people end up getting limited resting or sleeping time. Studies show that movies, television and most computer programs are visually oriented. Such programs tend to appeal to and maintain the attention of young minds. C. Extent of spread of hazards caused by technology Hazards that emanate from technology are a rising source of threat to the health and safety of both people and the environment (Kates and Kasperson 1983). It is an effect of increased industrialization, globalization of production and a certain amount of risk of accidents linked with these processes, production, waste management and transportation.

Sign up to view the full document!

Technological risks are linked with the release of toxic substances in an accident situation or with the production of the same substances under specific situations like in the case of a fire outbreak. Experts have also examined the extent of the spread of hazard caused by technology. In addition to that, the release of radioactive substances can potentially have both irreversible and far-reaching effects. This was well demonstrated in the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986. This accident had a potentially huge impact on the society, health and environment (Kates and Kasperson 1983). The unplanned release of liquid or gaseous toxic materials into the environment are not subject to limitation of the quantities involves as well as the probability of such accidental releases in the nuclear or nonnuclear fields (Kates and Kasperson 1983).

Sign up to view the full document!

The trend in the number of industrial accidents has gradually been increasing over the years. For example, the Navajo miners were subjected to poor working conditions including, smoke, heavy dust, unstable rocks and radon activity (Markstrom and Charley 2003). Besides, there lacked ventilation to regulate the radon progenies and fugitive dust. The millers were also exposed to hazardous working conditions including reactive chemicals. In humans technological disasters may lead to poor psychological outcomes like depression, anxiety, relationship problems and somatic abuse (Markstrom and Charley 2003). Other negative effects include, alienation, intensified anger and loneliness. Scientists have also reported that even though a short-term strain of the eyes might be easily preventable through smart practices, the long-term effect of one’s subjection to the screen.

Sign up to view the full document!

D. Positive effects of technology on health and safety Besides having negative impacts on health and safety, technology has also positively impacted the health and safety of human beings. The evolution of technology has led to the creation of monitor that aid in tracking health. Research shows that the rise of the wearable technology has proven positive in the world of medicine and health (Karsh 2004). According to a research study conducted by Naumes (2013), most participants live with the feeling that their digital literacy hinders them from using technology. Among some of the barriers to the use of technology include, feeling to old, minimal interest, the fear of emerging technology, the lack of access to information technology and experience. In this study, technology in rehabilitation therapy is useful towards helping to distract patients from their limitations, pain and disability.

Sign up to view the full document!

This form of technology also helps the elderly patients to connect with their former self. For example, the rehabilitation process allows the patients to engage in the same sporting activities and motions they previously did. Modern technology is used to promote healthy living behaviours among individuals. For example, there is the presence of apps that are used to enhance productivity. Most people are experiencing the positive impacts off technology through enhanced productivity and brain-boosting apps on an everyday basis (Needham, Truong, and Fan 2009). Some of these apps aid in training the brain and enhancing attention, memory and focus. Other apps aid individuals to streamline tasks and therefore make every day processes easier (Needham, Truong, and Fan 2009). This design is the most preferable since it entails the use of open-ended questions such as which? Who? How much? and what? This method has been designed to ensure a full description of the situation is provided while ensuring there is minimal bias during the collection of data and reduced errors when interpreting and analyzing data.

Sign up to view the full document!

Interviews will entail conducting one-on-one conversations, phone interviews and questionnaires with the selected participants in the selected organizations. An interview is an appropriate method of collecting data for the current study. This is because is possible to administer an interview on a large population. The method will enable the author to extract a large amount of data that may be representative of the exact attributes of the larger population. The participants will be informed about the interview process which will be conducted a team of researchers. They will be provided with a copy of the interview transcript and a phone conversation would follow to ensure validate the information that was collected during the physical interview. The participants would then be informed about the anonymity of their participation throughout the research and hence, each interview file will be assigned with a fictitious identity to maintain this anonymity.

Sign up to view the full document!

Before the interview, participants will be provided with two options. To participate or not to participate in the study. Respondents Analysis The sample population will comprise of randomly selected individuals working in various manufacturing industries located in Singapore. Other participants will be selected from organizations that mostly rely on technology. The participants will include staffs, heads of departments, supervisors and assistant supervisors. Participants will be selected from 40 different types of both private and public sectors that are mostly impacted by technology. On average, the respondents will be 30 years of age. The design of the questionnaires will take the form of the 5 points Likert scale. This method will help establishing the impacts of technology on health and safety of both the people and the environment of Singapore.

Sign up to view the full document!

Thus, people will be randomly selected from the various organizations in Singapore to ensure they are a fair representation of the entire targeted population. The one-on-one interviews will be recorded in audio tapes and stored for transcription and analysis. D. Later the research team will compare their codes, discuss them and modify them before working on other transcripts. A data analytic software may also be important especially with the large set of data. Afterward, the team may search for themes by capturing information that appears significant about the data or the research question. The codes will be arranged into broader themes that will portray something specific regarding the research questions. CHAPTER FOUR: PROJECT COSTING & TIMELINE A. Therefore the team investigates the impacts of technology on the health and safety of workers in this firms.

Sign up to view the full document!

Meanwhile factors such as the sizes of the firms, the intensity of their return on investment, export value, physical capital, human capital and skill as well as export are controlled. Since around 90 percent of firms in Singapore rely on technology, it is assumed that the people involved in these work environments experience the greatest impact of technology both positive and negative. CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS A. CONCLUSIONS The development of technology is driving a great change in most companies and organizations in Singapore. For the purposes of health and safety, technology is gaining more power because of the pressures that are placed upon companies or organizations to observe the HSE laws and standards. As technology is being used to prevent fatalities and injuries of workers, the development of more advanced tools and gadgets provides a new perspective on how to further enhance safety in the workplace.

Sign up to view the full document!

B. Recommendations Organizations can employ the use of technology like the 3D visualization software to increase the awareness of workers regarding their surroundings in the workplace and the dangers associated with it. This software operates by generating real images by recording an image using two different angles. Therefore, design guidelines and standards should be established according to the existing usability and accessibility guidelines for content, functionality, accessibility and usability of electronic health information technologies linked to home-based care. Humans are required to rule over technology rather than being ruled and afterwards impacted by technology. People should learn how to invent, structure and use technology in the friendliest way possible. Since, people lack any control over manufacturers of technology and the government, they can plan ways of minimizing the impact of technology like refraining from staring at computers when it is not necessary and exercising.

Sign up to view the full document!

Organizations in collaboration with analysts should evaluate the extent of hazard in a workplace and determine the best way of avoiding threat on health and safety. , Anandan, C. , Cresswell, K. , Bokun, T. , McKinstry, B. , Procter, R. , Escriba, C. , and Campo, E. A review of smart homes—Present state and future challenges. Computer methods and programs in biomedicine, 91(1), pp. Chang-Siu, E. J. EXPLORING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY THROUGH GMOs. Children’s Technology & Engineering, 21(2),14–17. Retrievedfrom http://165. 96/login?url=http%3a%2f%2fsearch. Energy-Aware Design of 2. 4-GHz CMOS Receiver Front-Ends for WPANs (Doctoral dissertation, The Nanyang Technological University). Elements, R. The Reindustrialisation of Europe. Reshoring manufacturing-a potential driver of the future welfare. Iwmi. Findlay, H. J. , Tuskegee, A. L. GarcíaZaballos, A.

Sign up to view the full document!

and Iglesias Rodriguez, E. Data Centers and Broadband for Sustainable Economic and Social Development: Evidence from Latin America and the Gluckman, P. D. , Hanson, M. G. Transport Science and Technology (Vol. 1st ed). Amsterdam: Elsevier ScienceLtd. Retrievedfrom http://165. Retrievedfrom http://165. 96/login?url=http%3a%2f%2fsearch. ebscohost. com%2flogin. aspx%3fdirect%3dtrue%26db%3dedsgao%26AN%3dedsgcl. 96/login?url=http%3a%2f%2fsearch. ebscohost. com%2flogin. aspx%3fdirect%3dtrue%26db%3dtfh%26AN%3d120006840%26site%3deds-live Karsh, B. T. and Kasperson, J. X. Comparative risk analysis of technological hazards (a review). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 80(22), pp. Klemettinen, J. Communication and Information Technology in Society. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Retrievedfrom http://165. 96/login?url=http%3a%2f%2fsearch. ebscohost. Futures Meeting November 2009 (No.

Sign up to view the full document!

TCN-09102). BATTELLE MEMORIAL INST COLUMBUS OH. Levitt, B. B. Markstrom, C. A. and Charley, P. H. Psychological effects of technological/human-caused environmental disasters: examination of the Navajo and uranium. Naumes, J. Use of Technology in Occupational Therapy Rehabilitation from an Elderly Perspective. Interface: The Journal of Education, Community and Values, 13. Needham, D. M. Recognitions and responsibilities: on the origins and consequences of the uneven attention to climate change around the world. Palomäki, K. , Reunanen, M. , Sukanen, I. and Valkokari, K. S. , Impact of Technology on Environment. Renne, J. L. , & Fields, B. , Kelton, D. F. , Adams, C. L. , Orsel, K. Sanders, D. H. , & Sanders, D. H. Computers today (No. and Eštoková, A. Environmental impacts of cement production. Stege, M. H.

Sign up to view the full document!

From $10 to earn access

Only on Studyloop

Original template

Downloadable