What’s an Ergonomic Program?
Overview of Ergonomic Programs
Ergonomic programs are designed to reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), improve employee health, and increase employee engagement. If your company has employees who perform repetitive tasks or have other physical demands that could lead to WMSDs, you should consider implementing an ergonomics program. In this post, we’ll explain how ergonomic programs work and how they can benefit your organization. We’ll also discuss what goes into creating an effective program so your business can start one of its own.
What is an Ergonomic Program?
An ergonomic program is a system for identifying and reducing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). It is an organized approach to preventing and reducing the risk of injuries in the workplace.
Who should have an Ergonomic Program?
Whether you’re a manager, a programmer, or an engineer—if you work at a desk, have your hands on the keyboard for hours at a time, or spend any time on your feet—you should have an ergonomic program in place. This is true for anyone who spends their day working with heavy equipment and tools as well.
The most important part of an ergonomic program is setting up the right machinery and tools to help reduce fatigue and discomfort while working.
Why would my company need an ergonomics program?
Having an ergonomics program can have a positive impact on your company’s performance. The benefits of why your business should implement ergonomics:
Reducing the risk of injuries. Improving the design and layout of your office space can help reduce stress on employees, reducing their risk of injury or illness.
Improving productivity. Poorly designed workstations make it harder for employees to do their jobs well, reducing overall productivity throughout your company!
Improving employee morale, satisfaction, and engagement in their roles at work. An effective ergonomics program will improve how comfortable people feel while working and how long they stay with you (which will help boost profits).
What are the benefits of an ergonomics program?
One of the most significant benefits of ergonomic programs is that it will reduce your company’s cost of lost work time. According to a study done by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), about half of all occupational injuries result in lost workdays. In some cases, this can be as high as 80%. By implementing an ergonomics program, you can help prevent common workplace injuries so that employees are able to go back to work sooner than if they had been injured on the job.
Another benefit is reduced workers’ compensation claims. Workers compensation claims can cost businesses hundreds or thousands of dollars each year depending on how many employees file them or how long they need to take off from work due to their injury/condition. Implementing an ergonomics program will help prevent these claims from happening at all by making sure that your equipment is safe enough for everyone who uses it and keeps workers healthy enough so they don’t have any pre-existing conditions or injuries afflicting them before entering into their employment agreement with you as well as providing regular training sessions regarding proper safety precautions when performing tasks which may put themselves or others around them at risk for bodily harm
How do I start an ergonomic program?
To start an ergonomics program, you need to understand what exactly it is. An ergonomic program is a set of safety standards and guidelines that your company can follow to prevent injuries in the workplace. This includes everything from proper lifting techniques, to how your office furniture should be arranged so that employees are comfortable and safe at all times.
The types of companies who should implement an ergonomic program include those with employees who work in manufacturing or construction fields, since these jobs put workers in high-risk situations where they’re likely to suffer from repetitive stress injuries (RSIs). If you want to know whether or not your company would benefit from having an ergonomics program put into place, ask yourself:
- Do I have workers who perform manual labor?
- Are there any health issues affecting my employees?
If either of these questions apply, then yes—your workers will benefit greatly if they work within the confines of an appropriate RSI prevention strategy like this one!
Want to learn more about how to implement an ergonomics program? Let E3 Consulting help show you where to start.
We can discuss your options and help you get started on a path toward improving the health and safety of your employees while reducing absenteeism due to injury or illness.
