Participatory Ergonomic Approach: A Collision or Coalition of Safety and Productivity at Workplace?

Introduction
Impractical working environment had been identified as contributing towards employees’ dismay performance in most industrial workplace. Improper and non-user friendly working environment, facilities or equipments, bad working layout design, and limited participation in decision making had been found causing low workers performance. This situation has been associated with the participatory ergonomic which is related to employees’ participation, organization support, knowledge of ergonomics methods and tools, and implementation job design concept. Lack enforcement on participatory ergonomic implementation leads to various work-related burdens such as, the employees’ working dissatisfaction, stress, absenteeism, musculoskeletal disorder, medical and other operational costs, and job turnover. Ergonomically working environment is necessary to ensure employees’ conformity to the job rather than adaptation force to the environment that will improves productivity. Insufficient studies and growing practical concern establish the need to explore the important of participatory ergonomic especially in manufacturing sectors. Thus, the main agenda of the present study is to conceptually explore and develop the strategic participatory ergonomic approach in Malaysia that will be comparable with other countries in South East Asia.

Methods
References are made on related studies since 1980 which present the models and theories that indicated the significant implementation of participatory ergonomic towards improving working environment.

Results
Apart from using participatory ergonomic applications to solve environment working problem at workplace, participatory ergonomic improvements are expected to encourage employees participation, improve task contents, increase job control, enforce training program and redesign workstation and tools.

Discussion
Appropriate participatory ergonomic in manufacturing workplace is essential for employees’ psychological well-being (productivity), physiological health (work comfort and, occupational accidents and hazardous free) and psychosocial wellness (mutual interpersonal relationship with peers and subordinates). Hence, the current study may not only contribute a significant impact on the related field, but also a practical thing to do and warrant employer highest concern.