The Benefits of Ergonomics on Health and Business

1. Reduced costs: These include a 59% reduction of musculoskeletal disorders, a 75% average reduction in lost workdays, and another 50%+ reduction in restricted days. Worker’s compensation costs decrease by almost 70% and a 4 in 10 reduction in cost per claim.
2. Improved productivity: Proper ergonomics improve productivity by removing excessive movement and encourage movement. The average increase in productivity is 25%.
3. Improved quality: Workers who a required to perform activities that can be painful are more likely to perform, resulting in higher quality work.
4. Improved employee engagement: Workers who are not fatigued or in pain demonstrate reduced turnover, decrease absenteeism, and improved engagement. 5 in 10 reduced employee turnover and 6 in 10 reduced absenteeism.
5. Employee-focused safety culture: The core value of commitment to safety and health leads to a more positive environment. This is difficult to quantify, but the feeling is unmistakable.

OSHA wrote about how ergonomics can impact your well-being. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSD – issues that affect muscles, nerves, ligaments, and tendons) are “among the most frequently reported causes of loss of restricted work time.” In 2013, MSD cases accounted for 33% of all worker injury and illness cases. In addition to affecting your health, not paying attention to work-related ergonomics affects performance. How can ergonomics be used to protect your health and keep OA from being a part of your world?

Who Regulates Ergonomics When You Work from Home?

The ergonomic process was developed to help “high-risk” employers from health challenges they are likely to experience at work. This includes those who lift heavy items, bend, reach overhead, push and pull heavy items, work in awkward body postures and perform the same or similar tasks repetitively. We will talk about posture here, especially posture that includes repetitive tasks. 

Employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthy workplace for all workers. This especially includes those that are not in active locations. This makes sense. The problems arise when workers work from home. Employers cannot be held responsible for monitoring the ergonomics of home offices. Companies that truly care about the ergonomics of their workers will demonstrate and encourage appropriate home office alterations that will go a long way to alleviating and lessening the impact of poor ergonomics on their workers. 

The Steps Needed to Create an Effective Ergonomic Program

Employers are encouraged to take specific steps to implement a successful ergonomic process. These include: 

Management support: Defined clear goals and objectives.

1. Management support: Defined clear goals and objectives.
2. Involving workers: This is key in a positive program. Identifying issues and sharing suggestions will help the program run smoothly.
3. Provide training: An important element is teaching employees to be aware and making strategic changes, especially if “work” is at a home office.
4. Be proactive: Identifying problems before they result in injury is very important. 
5. Encourage early reporting of injuries: Part of being proactive, employees should be open to reporting issues before a bigger problem develops. 
6. Implement solutions: Reduction, control or elimination are the goals here.
7. Evaluate progress: Create processes to evaluating how your program is working. 

Implementing an or all of these steps will benefit your workers and, by extension, your business.

Business Benefits

Let’s face it, an ergonomics program will have limited value to your employer if there are not any benefits to the company. These benefits include:

1. Reduced costs: These include a 59% reduction of musculoskeletal disorders, a 75% average reduction in lost workdays, and another 50%+ reduction in restricted days. Worker’s compensation costs decrease by almost 70% and a 4 in 10 reduction in cost per claim.
2. Improved productivity: Proper ergonomics improve productivity by removing excessive movement and encourage movement. The average increase in productivity is 25%.
3. Improved quality: Workers who a required to perform activities that can be painful are more likely to perform, resulting in higher quality work.
4. Improved employee engagement: Workers who are not fatigued or in pain demonstrate reduced turnover, decrease absenteeism, and improved engagement. 5 in 10 reduced employee turnover and 6 in 10 reduced absenteeism.
5. Employee-focused safety culture: The core value of commitment to safety and health leads to a more positive environment. This is difficult to quantify, but the feeling is unmistakable.

Conclusion

Employees who experience the type of support described in this article are likely to perform better than their counterparts at other companies. This benefit, along with fewer health challenges, is a positive outcome for both employees and the companies that employ them. Look for your next employer who demonstrates a commitment to ergonomics and you will lessen the risk of developing osteoarthritis.

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Are you looking for a company that looks out for you? How can you make changes today that will help you down the road? Contact me today and let me know how your search is going.