Physical Environment
The workplace as a stressor
Noise is measured in decibels (A-weighted for hearing risk). Prolonged exposure above about 85 dB(A) risks hearing damage and requires action such as hearing protection and exposure limits; even below that, noise disrupts communication, masks warning signals and raises fatigue. Protection must still allow alarms and speech to be heard.
Illumination is measured in lux. Good general lighting (hundreds of lux for hangar work, higher for fine inspection) plus local task lighting is the aim. The problems are glare (disability glare washing out the task, discomfort glare causing strain), shadows, poor contrast and flicker. Older eyes need more light.
Climate and temperature: the comfortable working range is roughly 18 to 24 degrees Celsius with moderate humidity; heat causes dehydration, heat stress, sweaty hands and lost concentration, cold causes numbness and loss of dexterity. Air quality, fumes and ventilation matter too.
Motion and vibration: whole-body vibration from vehicles and hand-arm vibration from tools cause discomfort, fatigue and, long term, circulatory damage such as vibration white finger.
Working environment: confined spaces, working at height, slippery floors, poor housekeeping, inadequate access and poor lighting all raise both error and injury risk. Environmental stressors rarely act alone - exams often expect you to recognise a combination.
Traps
Expect questions where the obvious answer is more light but the true problem is glare, or where PPE is offered when an engineering control such as silencing a unit is the better answer.
Rule of thumb: if you have to raise your voice to be heard at one metre, the noise is around 85 dB(A) - act.