Ergonomics

Work related injury can be very costly for organizations to deal with. It is in the best interest of both the employee and employers to provide a safe working environment for everyone involved in an organization. Ergonomics is defined as work activities that cause musculoskeletal disorders, which is the fastest growing category of work related illnesses (Stans). Around $15-$20 billion work related injuries this year stem from this category of illness (Stans). What can we do as HR professionals to help prevent ergonomic hazards in the workplace?

To begin addressing ergonomics in the workplace, lets start by recognizing how injuries occur in the first place by taking a look at your own work environment.

1. Take a look at injury and illness records to identify which jobs have a high history of ergonomic problems (Stans).

2. Talk directly to the employees. Identify what is contributing to their pain and lost work days (Stans).

3. Form a plan based off of the employees comments and concerns. Use their recommendations to help form solutions (Stans).

4. Encourage employees to report musculoskeletal disorders (MSD's) and establish a medical management system to detect problems early (Stans).

5. If equipment can replace a physical job being done, encourage it (Stans).

6. Evaluate the changes being made and always stay on top of making new improvements and changes when needed.

As an HR professional, ask yourself the following questions when observing the safety of your workplace:

1. What kind of repetitive tasks are employees performing? (Safety Line).

2. Have work stations and chairs been adjusted to the employees height? (Safety Line).

3. Are employees encouraged to use proper posture based off of their current workstations? (Safety Line).

4. What kind of strenuous work activities are employees engaged in throughout each day? (Safety Line).

5. What kind of force are employees exerting throughout their workdays? (Safety Line).

6. Are factors in the workplace producing vibrations? (Safety Line).

A HR professionals, it is your responsibility to ensure that once any ergonomic hazards are identified, the process to make any necessary redesign changes begins to adjust to the worker(s). Short and long term injuries will be prevented if the above checklists/questions are consistently being asked and thought about in the workplace.

An ergonomics checklist is an essential tool for HR professionals to use when assessing the workplace. While going through the checklist, many different potential ergonomic hazards are listed. HR professionals will go through the list one by one to make sure each item on the list is being replicated in the workplace. The following seven topics are shown in the checklist and each have a variety of rules that should be followed in the workplace to prevent injuries:

1. Chair

2. Monitors, keyboard, and mouse

3. Work surface

4. Lighting

5. Accessories

6. Work practices

7. Laptop

Complete the quiz below to test your knowledge on what you have learned so far about Ergonomics.

CMD. "Types of Ergonomic Hazards in the Workplace." CMD, 2021, https://www.cmd-ltd.com/advice-centre/ergonomics/workplace/hazards/workplace-ergonomic-hazards/

Environmental Health and Safety. "Noise Hazards." Environmental Health and Safety, 2021, https://carleton.ca/ehs/programs/working-workshop/noise-hazards/

ErgoPlus. "Ergonomics 101: The Definition, Domains, and Applications of Ergonomics." ErgoPlus, 2021, https://ergo-plus.com/ergonomics-definition-domains-applications/

Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development. "Ergonomics in the workplace." Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development, 4 October 2021, https://www.ontario.ca/page/ergonomics-workplace

Safety Line. "Workplace Hazards Series: Ergonomic Hazards." Safety Line, 2021, https://safetylineloneworker.com/blog/workplace-hazards-series-ergonomics

Stans, Kimberly. "Preventing Ergonomic Problems." Edward Lowe Foundation, 2021, https://edwardlowe.org/preventing-ergonomic-problems/