While the term “ergonomics” may
sound unfamiliar, it should be on the
mind of any employer that’s concerned about creating and maintaining a
healthy and safe work environment.
Good ergonomics leads to good business,
according to David M. Weir, president of
UPMC Work Partners, a full-service provider
of clinical and administrative services.
“Ergonomics focuses on the relationship
between the worker and the job,” Weir says.
Many companies that used to worry about
the bottom line when it came to ergonomics
now understand that it’s really a way to make
the work environment safer and, therefore,
more efficient and more productive.
Smart Business spoke with Weir about
ergonomics in the workplace and how it can
be beneficial to businesses.
Why should an employer be concerned about
ergonomics?
Ergonomics is simply the science of fitting
jobs to people. To do that, you have to design
work environments to maximize safety and
efficiency. A safe work environment is a productive work environment. Employers need
to be concerned about ergonomics because
by maximizing safety and efficiency, you
increase production. A work environment
that reduces the number of on-the-job
injuries will mean fewer lost days and, therefore, more productivity.
Essentially, ergonomics focuses on the
basic relationship between the worker and
the job. Thus, attention is placed on the
design of work areas to enhance job performance. You introduce ergonomics into
the work area in order to help prevent
injuries and to limit secondary injuries. It also
serves to accommodate individuals with various disabilities. By arranging the work environment to fit the people who have to function within it, you can reduce visual and
musculoskeletal discomfort significantly.
What should an employer look for in an
ergonomics program?
Employers need to take an inventory of
the worksite to determine what they need to
do to move toward the goal of having a hazard-free and worker-safe environment. To create such an environment, one should
focus both on workplace design and staff
training. If your employees are taught to follow basic ergonomic principles, this can
result in reduced stress and the elimination
of many potential injuries and disorders that
are associated with the overuse of muscles,
bad posture and repeated tasks. Ergo-nomics is used to do such things as
redesigning workspaces, altering lighting
and changing equipment to fit the physical
capabilities and limitations of the employee.
Most importantly, employers need to let
employees know that good ergonomics is
an enforceable expectation.
What specific industries are in need of an
ergonomics program?
The types of work that cause problems
are not always obvious. For instance, back
pain can be caused by sitting in an uncomfortable office chair for long periods of
time as well as by a job that requires much
heavy lifting. Ergonomics can help in both
areas. In the first, it might be a case of finding the proper chair and teaching an
employee how to take periodic work
breaks to reduce back stress. In the second
instance, ergonomics can be used to teach employees how best to lift heavy objects
while doing the least amount of harm to
their backs.
How can ergonomics help improve work
environments?
Ergonomics can be used to help minimize
the risk of repetitive injury, such as carpal
tunnel syndrome, and the risks associated
with prolonged sitting in an office chair, such
as neck strain, lower back pain and leg pain.
Equipment changes, such as using a headset
if someone does lengthy or frequent work on
the telephone, can make a big difference.
Back pain is a common work-related injury
in jobs that require heavy lifting. Quantitative
methods can be used to evaluate workplaces
and determine those areas that can most benefit from design and placement changes.
When critical areas are identified, they can be
redesigned to maximize the ergonomic
impact. Staff members should be taught to
understand their ergonomic environments.
How can ergonomics help a company’s bottom line?
If you have a work environment that produces fewer injuries and illnesses, it will follow that you will have fewer workers’ compensation costs. Productivity will increase if
the job is easier, therefore leading to greater
efficiency. Those types of gains are tangible.
Less quantifiable, but equally valuable to a
company, are the benefits a company derives
from increased efficiency, increased employee morale, and also from decreased absenteeism and turnover.
Employing the principles of ergonomics
doesn’t have to be costly. There are simple
adjustments that can be made. Changes such
as using a rolled-up towel on a chair for lumbar support, raising the height of your computer with a telephone book or using a book
to prop up your feet can be beneficial. There
is a lot you can do that doesn’t cost a lot of
money. You can also look at the work environment — the lighting, the sound, the noise,
the temperature and the glare. All such things
are important and easy to adjust.
DAVID M. WEIR is the president of UPMC Work Partners. Reach him at (412) 454-8720 or [email protected].
