Ergonomic Assessments Are Valuable Tools
Implementing ergonomics in your business is a scientifically proven way to improve the design of your workplace to maximize worker productivity. Ergonomics focuses on ensuring that your workplace is safe, comfortable, easy to use, and enhances performance. Completing an ergonomics assessment can help you identify any issues or problems that may currently affect your worker’s health and productivity or that could cause potential hazardous in the future.
Ergonomic assessments are commonly carried out by ergonomic professionals with the assistance of onsite business owners or managers, who use them to address workplace issues and make suggestions to improve and promote a safe work environment. The assessments can be used to evaluate individual workstations or the entire workplace, as it relates to or affects the entire workforce.
Common reasons for ergonomic assessments:
- Special physical needs for employees (handicapped, postpartum, or injured workers)
- Re-design of existing workspace
- Testing of new office equipment and work station furniture
- Physical complaints by employees or worker’s compensation compliance
The tools used to conduct an ergonomic assessment may vary, but normally begin with a meeting with management and workers to discuss daily job duties and responsibilities and the work environment. This process can include questionnaires, videotaping, and checklists. After all information is completed and turned in for evaluation by the ergonomist, a final report will be compiled. All aspects discussed during the introductory meeting process will be addressed in this report, compiled and presented to management. Any changes or modifications that need to be made will be discussed and implementation would then occur. In order for lasting and measurable ergonomic changes to be incorporated, the implementation process should include employees as well as management and training is also widely suggested.
A typical ergonomic workstation assessment checklist will evaluate and suggest recommendations for:
- Chairs
- Monitors
- Keyboards
- Mouse
- Foot rests
- Phones
- Desks
- Office Equipment
Ergonomic assessments provide vital information that can help to avoid potentially hazardous situations and help to implement preventative measures that can lower the risk of accidents. An ergonomic risk assessment can also be encompassed in a traditional assessment, which will further highlight any areas of special concern. Assessments also help to provide a sound point of reference for management to evaluate the efficiency of work methods and procedures that were in place before the assessment occurred and after the ergonomic suggestions were implemented.
Ergonomic assessments are valuable workplace tools that can help you keep your workers safe and productive.
