The importance of an ergonomically friendly workplace

July 21, 2015 Occasional Contributors Employee Relations, Health and Safety, HR Policies and Procedures, Human Resources, Recruiting and Hiring, Training and Development, Union Relations

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the study of how workers perform their work and how they interact with their workplace. Ergonomics aims at fitting the work environment to the worker; this includes designing equipment/devices to fit the worker and altering job tasks. If workers are exposed to ergonomic hazards, it could lead to the onset of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (or WMSDs).

It is important that each worker feels comfortable within their work environment. Each individual has different preferences; what is comfortable to one worker may not be comfortable to another worker. It is important to adjust each work station or task according to each worker, if possible.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders

Work-related musculoskeletal (WMSDs) disorders are an injury or disorder of the musculoskeletal system due to work-related tasks. The musculoskeletal system is composed of a system that give humans the ability to move through the use of bones, tendons, tendon sheaths, ligaments, bursa, blood vessels, joints, intervertebral discs, etc.

Common work-related musculoskeletal disorders include:

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Tendonitis
Muscle/Tendon Strain
Trigger Finger/Thumb
Epicondylitis
Ergonomic Hazards

Every workplace has the potential to pose ergonomic hazards. Some hazards can be controlled while others can’t because it is inherent to the nature of the job. The following are examples of some ergonomic hazards:

Office design
Awkward posture (i.e. over bending, overreaching etc.)
Repetitive motions (i.e. working on an assembly line)
Exerting physical force beyond the worker’s capabilities
Vibration
Noise
Lighting

The following are some examples of controls for ergonomic hazards:

Redesign the work station to be ergonomic
Job rotation
Take short, frequent breaks to stretch
Employer-authorized changes in the workplace
Train workers on ergonomics and how to identify the development of musculoskeletal disorders
Train workers on proper manual material handling techniques
Use tools/devices to move heavy objects instead of manually moving them (i.e. forklift)
Use personal protective equipment (i.e. anti-vibration gloves, anti-fatigue insoles)

By implementing better ergonomics within the workplace, the overall efficiency of the workplace will improve. Tasks will become easier for workers because there will be a reduction in the strength exerted on a process, the number of steps in a task, the amount of training needed, etc. An ergonomic environment is a healthy environment—please be ergonomically safe!

Maja Adzic
H&S Consultant, Beyond Rewards Inc.
www.beyondrewards.ca

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In addition to our regular guest bloggers, First Reference Talks blog published by First Reference, provides occasional guest post opportunities from various subject matter experts on the topics of payroll, employment and labour law, payroll, HR analytics, corporate immigration, accessibility related issues in Canada. If you are a subject matter expert and would like to become an occasional blogger, please contact Yosie Saint-Cyr at editor@firstreference.com. If you liked this post, subscribe to First Reference Talks blog to get regular updates.