If you have been following this blog for very long, you know that we believe a comprehensive “whole person” strategy is needed for effective injury and MSD prevention.
Why?
Because a variety of risk factors are involved in the formation of MSDs, some of these risk factors are the responsibility of the workplace, while others are the responsibility of the worker.
It’s true that we make a mistake when we ignore individual risk factors that can lead to MSD, and fail to educate and motivate our team to know and accept responsibility for prevention.
But it’s also true that we can’t afford to neglect our responsibility as health and safety leaders to provide a safe and efficient workplace for our team.
Implementing a great ergonomic improvement process is a part of the company’s commitment to building a culture of excellence in workplace health and safety.
Over the next few weeks, we will be writing about the company’s responsibility to implement an effective ergonomics improvement process.
Topics will include:
- Understanding Ergonomics
- Recognizing Workplace Ergonomic Risk Factors
- Performing an Ergonomic Risk Assessment
- Using Ergonomic Risk Assessment Tools
- Establishing an Ergonomic Improvement Process
- Designing the Workplace with Ergonomics in Mind
Understanding Ergonomics At Work
Ergonomics is the science of designing work tasks to fit the worker, keeping in mind the capabilities and limitations of the human body. An effective ergonomic improvement process seeks to identify and eliminate any deterrent to maximum work capacity, and limit worker fatigue and discomfort while improving process efficiency and productivity.
Jobs and tasks that are frustrating, uncomfortable, or inefficient are typically not ergonomically correct.
- Ergonomic problems result in productivity, efficiency, quality, and safety problems.
- Ergonomic improvements result in productivity, quality, and safety improvements.
The GOAL of ergonomics is to prevent worker fatigue and discomfort that can lead to potential MSDs, and to make the company more competitive and successful in reaching its goals.
Good Ergonomics = Good Economics
There is great value in implementing an ergonomic improvement process!
Some of the benefits include:
- Lower injury rates and MSD incidences.
- Reduction in human costs associated with MSDs.
- Reduction in company direct and indirect costs associated with MSDs.
- Improved worker safety.
- Increased worker comfort.
- Reduced worker fatigue.
- Increased productivity from making jobs easier and more comfortable for workers.
- Improved product quality. Studies have shown a corresponding relationship between good ergonomics and improved product quality. On the other hand, poor ergonomics leads to frustrated and fatigued workers that don’t do their best work.
- Reduced absences because workers will be less likely to take time off to recover from muscle soreness, fatigue, and MSD-related problems.
- Reduced turnover as workers are more likely to find an ergonomically designed job more satisfying and within their physical capacity.
- Prevention is a shared responsibility. When workers see that the company is serious about eliminating ergonomic risk factors in the workplace, improved worker morale will result and workers will be more likely to address the MSD risk factors under their control.
- Ergonomics plays an important role in building a culture of safety, health, and wellness.
Understanding Ergonomics At Work: Stay tuned …
As I mentioned earlier, over the next few weeks we will be writing about how you can implement an ergonomics improvement process at your facility.
Stay tuned for next week’s post: Recognizing Workplace Ergonomic Risk Factors.
See you then!
