Celebrating my world

Ergonomics means finding ways to work easier by still being just as productive as earlier and for a longer time. Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) such as strains, sprains, carpal tunnel, and back injuries need not be caused only due to the physically demanding nature of the work. Even someone who has been working in the office building for years can fall victim to a musculoskeletal disorder. And that is why people working in offices are not safe from threat of MSDs. I don't know how many of you will be in agreement with the approach I put forward to improve the ergonomics in our work desks. What I intent to suggest is a practical method to improve your well-being without expecting the company alone to be responsible for an ergonomic workplace in your office. Ergonomics might not have been considered while designing workstations for offices. Given the high rents corporate tenants are forced to pay for their office spaces at prime locations, the onus is on fitti...

‘Water water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.’ is a famous quote from ‘ The rhime of the ancient mariner’ by Samuel Coleridge about an old sailor who was compelled to tell strangers about the supernatural adventures that befell him at sea after he killed an albatross, a friendly sea bird. The albatross was a symbol of everything natural;the supernatural adventures of the eighteenth century havealready become part of our daily struggle for existence. Ever increasing city population industrialization and the depleting water resources warn us of the dark future. Lakes in Bangalore, Karnataka were numerous, and were once the life blood of the landlocked city. The effect of urbanization has taken some heavy toll on the beautiful lakes in the city which have been largely encroached for urban infrastructure and as result, in the heart of the city only a few remain of which some are getting ready to be converted to bus stands, golf courses, playgrounds and residential colonies, or fa...

I was attending a lecture, the lecturer suddenly pointed to me and asked me “How much do you spend on your safety?”. After giving   a deep thought I answered. “Rs 980”. “ Why Rs 980?” he was determined not to leave me. I replied plainly “That’s how much my two wheeler helmet costs!”. To me that’s all what safety is. Awareness on safety has to go far beyond the current levels within our country. It was with this in mind that the topic of the National safety day has been chosen as ‘CULTIVATE AND SUSTAIN A SAFETY CULTURE FOR BUILDING NATION’. The need for health and safety should come from within every citizen. We are among the privileged who are allowed to understand and feel what safety is and how safety is important in our day today life. Live the safety rules – within and out of your workplace. By being systematic and safety conscious, please set a living example for the people to follow. That’s what you can do for the betterment of our nation. According to a study ...

Why manual scavenging Have you ever met those people who clean sewers? They are from the poor and often the uneducated unorganized sector of the society – the easily exploitable class of the society. India is a country where millions of people in the urban and rural do not have access to adequate sanitation. Open defecation is a common practice. The urban society produce wastes. Our  urban planners have created sewer lines running throughout the cities that eventually take all the sewage generated in a city and probably into some sea. These sewer lines should be cleaned in order to remove any clogs.   Poverty and unemployment forces people to take up this profession. Risks of manual scavenging Lakhs of people engaged in manual scavenging works in unorganized sector do not normally use any personal protective equipments. This can lead to medical issues like skin diseases, nausea, jaundice, anemia. The H2S gas Hydrogen sulfide/ H2S   is a colourle...

I am not into a fight against all those optimists who read this, nor am I willing to contribute to the conundrum of never ending discussions on ’optimism/pessimism’. In my opinion it is the balance between optimism and pessimism more often in the wake of wisdom or past experiences and learning that guide decision making. Just like the share market is live only because both bulls and bears are sufficient in numbers. If all the people who invest in share market turn bullish on all the companies in the stock market, then do you think that the system can exist? If there are no bears, who will all these bulls buy shares from? In the same way share market with only bears will plunge to rock bottom levels. I am an optimist- but only until I wear the suit of the Safety Man. It is the optimists who help companies grow and flourish. All companies with incredible growth stories to boast about are driven by visionary and optimist leaders. If they don’t invest more money and sit on their armc...

I like to scribble something down and post without any edits. I describe myself as a lonely raider. Some sad youth living a two thousand kilometers away from everything he loves. A tender soul made to work twelve hour shifts, wear a mask and then walk around with a fully shaven face and ironed clothes- one hand in his pocket. I used to be the heartbeat of all that you call entertainment. Used to be, used to be – means not anymore. Saving all those Privilege Leaves and Casual Leaves to take a good long vacation and go home, I often forget to satisfy the man I used to be. I won’t complain unless my leave request for that dream vacation is put on hold. I can fight any fire because I have a bigger fire inside me. I have been living with it. I have never tried to put it off. Without it, I am afraid I may not exist. I connect socially (online) while travelling in the company vehicle to and from office. The round trip costs me around 3 hours of my day. Those fine days I switch ove...

Safety enhances business. Healthy and safe workplaces are more productive and make businesses more sustainable. Sustainability is an emerging topic in India. What the word Sustainability in this context means is that the business should be able to sustain as it is now. It does not mean that the company should not grow. Sustainable development is the one that takes the future generation also into consideration. Similarly, when a business expands, it should take care that the expansion should not negatively affect its stakeholders. Sustainability is a new agenda that is yet to be imbibed into the hearts of most of the organizations - Unlike Safety, Quality or Environment those that have been made a practice in organizations through Integrated Management Systems that include OHSAS 18001, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 respectively. Sustainability is not an entirely new thing or something that is mutually exclusive of the above mentioned three arms of IMS, it is rather the least understo...