Good workplace ergonomics is a major contributor towards making your job easier and keeping the work force safe. No matter what industry, the size of the organization, or the type of work involved, workplace ergonomics can go a long way.
But not everyone will be as well-versed on ergonomics as they should be. In fact, many people who spend long hours working are just trying to get comfortable, and often end up making the mistake of ‘if it feels right, it’s alright’.
In reality, just because something feels right doesn’t mean it’s good for you. In fact, by sticking to what ‘feels right’ instead of remaining educated on good ergonomic practices can sometimes have long-lasting negative effects!
Safety and ergonomics should be built into corporate structures the same way culture and vision are. In the same way that members of an organization need training to help take a corporation towards success, they should be trained on ergonomics and safety as well. After all, the safety and satisfaction of employees is what helps any organization grow to success.
How Ergonomics Training Can Benefit Employees
So, why is ergonomic training important?
It is necessary for keeping your employees aware of how to take care of their bodies during long working hours and make sure they remain safe and healthy. Ergonomics training is not easy, since it will require a bit of digging into the science of the human body and engineering to find solutions to the problem.
Protecting Health
Ergonomics training programs are designed specifically to reduce the risk of injuries in the workplace. Many employees find themselves suffering from musculoskeletal disorders and other such physical problems due to the amount of time they spend working in unnatural positions.
These positions will not have significant effects in the short-term but will prove to be quite a problem in the long-run. Problems like back pain, strained wrists and knees are common when ergonomics are not taken into consideration. This can then translate into further problems if left untreated. Therefore, training employees on how to care for themselves while working becomes a priority.
Boosting Morale
Another major benefit of ergonomics training is that it allows employees to experience less discomfort while working. On top of helping them protect their health, this also boosts morale, and allows them to keep performing as well as they can consistently.
Ergonomics training also helps communicate to employees that their health and wellbeing is a priority for employers. Everyone likes being valued, particularly when we spend so much time at the workplace, putting in many hours of effort. Knowing that their wellbeing is being cared for helps with improving the relationship between employers and employees and thus increases job satisfaction.
Increased Productivity
Because ergonomics revolves around making sure employees are comfortable while working, it makes sure that they are able to carry out their assigned tasks more efficiently. Because ergonomics allows for better movement and better health, employees are able to accomplish more within a workday and be more productive than they would if they were suffering from pain or discomfort.
On top of that, ergonomics training will also reduce the risk of injury or health problems. This means that they are less likely to miss work for these reasons, or feel unsatisfied with their jobs.
Having proper training around such workplace ergonomics will also make sure that employees are able to recognize problems earlier on, and thus get treatment at the right point in time, before any issues become aggravated.
Profitability
When workers are working better and being productive, the company’s bottom line will inevitably get a boost. Increases in efficiency would mean that projects and tasks are completed in time, which results in satisfied clients.
Reduced chance of injury also means that any costs associated with such things are reduced. Being satisfied with their job would also mean that employees are much more likely to stick around, which means that you can save on the cost of hiring and training new employees.
Ergonomics Training
With all the benefits of ergonomics training, how does it actually work? Usually, the details will depend on the type of work environment you have within the organization. It is always best to bring in a professional trainer who will formulate an appropriate program based on the workplace setup and requirements.
Generally, training around ergonomics will include teaching employees the basic principles and giving them a thorough understanding of how to apply these principles in the workplace and at home.
These include things like safe work practices, awareness around tasks that have a higher risk of injury, how to use tools properly, etc. When it comes to knowledge workers, since many of them spend long hours working at their computers, they would need training around how to position themselves properly at their desks to avoid strain while typing or using their mouse.
Ergonomics training should teach employees how to identify and report any conditions or injuries that occur in the workplace. Understanding the importance of early identification of such problems will also make sure that employees get medical care early on. This helps keep their condition from getting worse.
This brings us to the question: how often should you train in ergonomics?
There are no real specific regulations around ergonomics, though OSHA does continue to list ergonomic injuries under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Ideally, ergonomics training should be a part of any new hire’s training regime, to make sure that employees know from the start how to take care of themselves.
On top of that, even if employees have already been through such training, there is a very high chance that they will forget what exactly they have to do, or simply get too lazy to do it. Therefore, workplaces should have ergonomics training at least once a year, or at max, once every three years.
There should also be effort to provide training at any point when policies or programs change significantly, or if there are any incidents which result in such training being made necessary to repeat.
It’s also important to have an ergonomic assessment performed regularly. This is where the workplace is analyzed to make sure that it is designed in a way such that it minimizes the risk of injury or damage, and productivity is maximized.
These assessments are often carried out by experts in the field, since they are able to take into account the factors that affect how ergonomic a workplace is.
Making Efforts Towards Ergonomics
Besides training, as an employer, you should make the effort of providing your employees with ergonomic workstations and furniture which would help them take care of their bodies.
Kana Pro Bamboo Standing Desk
Flexispot’s Kana Pro Bamboo Standing Desk is designed with workplace ergonomics in mind. It is a uniquely designed standing desk that makes your workplace look visually aesthetic, while also taking care of your health needs.
The natural bamboo desktop has twice the durability of natural wood and the lacquer coating helps you avoid stains and scratches, as well as insects.
Being a standing desk, it also keeps your health in mind, by allowing you to work while sitting or while standing. It comes with a powerful dual motor lifting system that can make it easier for you to adjust the height whenever you need to. The enhanced structure also ensures stability at every capacity.
The desk also comes with an anti-collision feature that detects when an object is in the way so you can avoid any damage while adjusting height. There is also a child-lock so that children who like to play around with desks don’t change their position and hurt themselves in the process.
The desk also comes with a cable tray to hide cables below the desk and keep your workstation looking clean and organized. It also has a socket outlet with 2 USB portals that provide a power source at any point in time.
Incorporating the Kana Pro Bamboo desk into your workspace will make sure that your health is safe with its ergonomic features, and ensure your workspace looks visually appealing as well.
Safety and ergonomics are human factor sciences, and both of them play a very significant role in the success of any task at the workplace. A good safety culture makes sure that employee morale, retention and productivity stays high. Good ergonomics integration thus prevents injuries and increases productivity. With good ergonomics in place, the workplace stays safe and any extra costs can be reduced.
