6.2. Participatory action
The participatory approach (PA) is one of the best techniques in facilitating the recognition of workers’ own efforts to restore heath and safety. OHS itself becomes the content of change through the participatory process on promoting health and safety (Sakari 1995, Shahab 1998). It also improves motivation by helping FO/EA to understand the benefits of a safe and hygienic workplace. PA has also been successfully applied in many DCs (Kogi 1991, 1996) as a process for the workplace improvement. The major prerequisites of PA are having the adequate time, place and opportunity to participate in the process of sustainable workplace improvement. However it acknowledges explicitly the competence and the workers’ skill for improving their working conditions through collaborative efforts. For this, an opportunity to get involved in PA should be synchronized with the maximum ability of key persons (e.g., FO, EA, UL) to challenge those actions since participatory planning taps the creativity of workers and factory owners (FO) by motivating their involvement—as a subject of commitment of PA (Fig. 7). Therefore, proper communication should be made to ensure taking them into participatory planning.
Figure 7. Work motivation among the workers, factory owners, employes’ association and others as a subject of commitment to a participatory action.
The principle of such participation must be pursued with the idea of improving the existing working condition because it motivates workers to contribute multiple ideas that differ from an individual’s decision. It is also believed that UL/EA can be supportively involved with such programs, which also helps to motivate them in participation. A person"s participation can be considered as a social process (Sekimpi 1993) by which a worker becomes personally involved in an organization and wants to see how his/her work become safe and productive. It also clarifies the workers’ activity toward productivity and efficiency through being given a higher responsibility. Workers will then be psychologically empowered, rather than through physical effort in hot humid climate, or being merely strenuous task-involved. In some cases, however, the UL and/or EA may not approve of PA, suspecting that it renders them powerless. The LU/EA’s activity should be based on an honest commitment towards the interest of workers, not only for the interest of FO or themselves.
Since PA brings a mutual understanding or shared ability to communicate with each other, it could therefore be utilised for building joint effort in providing expertise, consultation and guidance to improve health and safety. PA works better in certain situations when it acts within the area of job freedom and relevance to workers’ own interests. Solution-oriented actions are also useful for participatory planning (Noro & Imada 1991), especially in guiding the workers and FO towards self-help and self-care initiatives because structural adjustment programs (Ahasan 2001c,d) are supposed to be undermining the workers’ basic rights for health and safety in many DCs. All perhaps agree on the need for such participatory planning; especially when work redistribution among various ethnic groups is concerned because resettling workers, those are coming to the cities and towns from destitute rural areas, into new or ergonomic environment is a difficult task. However effective participation may result in an acceptance of change for health, safety and ergonomics application and a commitment to goals with an encouragement toward better performance of local workers. PA should therefore be pursued through a better performance of ensuring workers’ involvement, and the employers’ contribution for providing health/safety facilities. Otherwise; the participatory process will not provide opportunity for the personal growth of workers as well as industrial growth for the country.
6.2.1. Praticipatory action through NGO-collaboration
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and international consulting agencies (JICA, NORAD, DANIDA, CIDA, FINNIDA, Oxfam, USAID, etc.) need to work together with local government officials not only on OHS/ergonomics but also other sectors related to work, efficiency and production to improve community and social life. Further, socio-technical measures (Saarela 1991) can be synchronised with this that will perhaps contribute to the sustainable development of their working and community life. Khan (1992) also explored peoples’ participation in one recent development—which dealt with this. We should also focus on the process of updating the labour administration, policy of union UL/EA, and the initiative of LGA for joint responsibilities of improved health and safety (Fig. 8).
NGO activity is believed to be practical and helpful in many sectors (industrial & non-industrial) since they are working side-by-side with LGA of DCs [www.wn.org/programs.asp] to strengthen the ability of individuals and communities to solve their problems. Supportive data/information [www.oxfam.org.uk/policy/papers/listenhear.htm] from a British NGO (e.g., oxfam) can be also helpful, which contains policy-relevant research digests. Sustainable development network programs [http://sdnp.delhi.nic.in/] provides practical information on various development projects to enable poor people to use their traditional skills through intermediate technology [www.itdg.org.pe/]. The UNDP, IMF, ADB, and the World Bank have focused on impacting sustainable human development in DCs over the years. But collaborative efforts should be synchronised with such a need that human development is not possible without the improvement of working life. This has to be created by innovative planning and supporting health and safety facilities for workplace improvement.
Presently, NGOs are activity involved in socio-economic development in many countries rather than health, safety, hygiene. Therefore LGA and other international organisations based in the regional areas or big cities and towns should be involved in the collaborative efforts (Kogi 1998) so that co-ordinated co-operation (Fig. 9) would give rise to make aware of NGOs in sustainable workplace improvement.
Figure 9. An effective model for improving supports from all the parties concerned [Where E&A—Economic and Administrative Support, SC&P—Social, Cultural and Political Support; and CI&S—Consultancy and Institutional Supports].
The local government authority (LGA) should have an important role to promote alternative approach for sustainable workplace improvement. Government subsidies and international help are also needed to make health/safety programs affordable. It is also important to address the root cause of basic need for sustainable improvement of workplace rather than asking direct material relief from NGOs and/or international community (e.g., food aid by World Food Program, WFP). The concerned authorities needs to develop their own programs by integrating existing regulations for both industrial activity and community-based health and safety. It will then be fruitful for environmental protection, water and sanitation programs through the agrobased technology development project (ATDP) applications for instance.
Partanen et al. (1999) have called for such collaboration between developing and industrialised nations in OHS research and surveillance. Professionals, academicians and practitioners should therefore co-operate with industry and government officials, since experts like ergonomists, industrial hygienists or occupational health officials are rarely employed in the concerned department (DIFE, BSTI, DOE, BMET, MBTF, BOESL, BEPZA). With the help of local administration and financial institutions in Bangladesh (e.g., Shilpa Bank, Bangladesh Shilpa Rin Shangstha, Bank of Small Industries and Commerce) City Corporation and municipal authorities may develop their individual initiatives in the cities and towns through Paurashava Ordinance (1977). In the agrobased rural and cottage industries. The collaboration between different professionals in Bangladesh is however encouraging for launching health, safety and ergonomic programs (Ahasan et al. 1998c) that should result in the improvement of working conditions.