The working condition is linked to the characteristics of the work environment.
The nature or property of things and the state or situation in which something is found are called condition , a term that comes from the Latin word condicĭo . Work , for its part, is a productive activity for which a salary is received. It is a measure of the effort made by human beings.
The working condition , therefore, is linked to the state of the work environment . The concept refers to the quality, safety and cleanliness of the infrastructure, among other factors that affect the well-being and health of the worker.
The importance of working conditions
Taking care of working conditions has multiple advantages for the employer and for the State, from economic (since poor conditions imply greater expenses for the payment of medical treatments, insurance, etc.) and legal (the minimum conditions are typified in the civil law and criminal law ) to moral law (no worker should be at risk for carrying out a work activity that allows them to satisfy their basic needs ).
It can be said that working conditions are composed of several types of conditions, such as the physical conditions in which the work is performed (lighting, amenities, type of machinery, uniform), environmental conditions (pollution) and organizational conditions (duration of work). the working day , breaks).
Safety in the workplace usually depends on working conditions.
The role of unions
The unions and organizations that are responsible for protecting workers at all levels and, in this specific case, with regard to working conditions, take into account a series of fundamental aspects so that the employee can carry out his work. in the most comfortable way possible and without endangering its integrity.
Thus, for example, among the elements that are responsible for monitoring, in order to develop occupational risk prevention systems, are noise, lighting, the dimensions of the work area or thermoregulation.
And these elements, if they do not comply with the required regulations in this regard, can lead the employee to suffer from hearing loss to nervous fatigue and diseases of different types.
In this sense, it must also be emphasized that there are another series of aspects that also become fundamental when it comes to ensuring that anyone enjoys the most favorable working conditions. Specifically, among those would be the state of the machinery that must be used, the correct ventilation of the company, having the necessary safety tools...
Working conditions: the case of Spain
To achieve the perfect work environment in every sense, in Spain it must be highlighted that not only are there specific regulations and professionals dedicated to ensuring that these are complied with, but NTP are also available to employers, which are good guides. practices. They address such important issues as the physical environment, mental workload, work time or psychosocial aspects, among others.
An example of a poor working condition usually occurs in the mining sector. Workers work in an unhealthy environment, often without adequate rest. To save costs, companies do not implement all the necessary security measures, such as the construction of alternative exits or the installation of monitoring and alarm systems.