Workplace ergonomics
Sunday 28 April is World Day for Workplace Safety and Health at Work. This week's blog post is an excerpt from chapter 22 of Get Yourself Back In Motion.
What is ergonomics and why is it important for workplace safety?
Physiotherapists have an intimate appreciation for ergonomics – which essentially is the way we fit work (environment, equipment and task) to people. My years spent providing consultative services in this dedicated area have continued to highlight to me that so many injuries occur at work due to poor task design, deficient equipment and, to a lesser extent, human error in execution. In short, inter-related ergonomic factors underlie many of the changes that are required to make the environment a safe place to work. With this in mind, an effective safety culture within an organisation should first seek to eliminate or control ergonomic risks before they blame a worker for an injury or accident.
This human-centred approach to safe ergonomic workplaces involves designing jobs, workspaces, and products to fit people, rather than the other way around. By understanding how employees handle specific tasks—like running machinery, restocking inventory, accessing files or equipment, or entering data on a computer—the management team can create a healthier, safer workplace. This might entail redesigning factory floor-plans and the position of heavy machinery to prevent employees from dangerously twisting or repetitively bending unnecessarily throughout their shifts. Alternatively, in an office block it may result in more suitable desk heights, adjustable chairs and ergonomic computer workstations.
As a result, the return on investment to the company, committed to ergonomic health, is more productivity and reduced work-related injuries. The benefit to you is that your life is not interrupted with injuries that should (and could) have been prevented.
The workplace ‘To Do’ list
Most of us spend 8 hours a day at work, which accumulates to nearly 100,000 hours in a lifetime. This makes up about 40-50% of our waking hours. If we don’t approach this part of life with vigour, intention and purposefulness, we will waste a lot of great opportunities. The following list outlines my summary advice to anyone who wants to influence a safer workplace for themselves and their peers.
Accept the responsibility to advocate for your own health at work (and avoid the temptation to rely on or blame others). Managers in particular need to avoid blaming workers for injuries and instead facilitate ergonomic solutions.
Cooperate with all musculoskeletal employment screenings and Functional Capacity Evaluations that will appropriately match your capabilities with proportionate responsibilities.
Attend all safety briefings with a positive attitude and an appetite to learn.
Follow the safe work practices and OHS advice/policies in your workplace.
Understand how to use all of the equipment required by your job.
Be committed to safe lifting and manual handling.
Report all moderate risks, near misses, and even minor workplace injuries so that every opportunity can be taken to improve safe practice.
Stay work fit. This may require you to exercise regularly, eat well and warm up before you commence duties. Consult a physiotherapist if you need a tailored strengthening/fitness program to suit your job demands.
Seek ergonomic (re)design of your workspace to promote comfort, physical ease and the avoidance of postural strain.
Seek early intervention if you sustain an injury and follow the advice of an occupational physiotherapist in your recovery plan
This is an excerpt from Get Yourself Back In Motion, authored by the founder of Back In Motion Jason Smith. You can purchase this book from Back In Motion Health Group practices, major book retailers and online bookstores RRP $34.95. To find your nearest stockist visit http://www.getyourselfbackinmotion.com or call 1300 MY HEALTH for your nearest Back In Motion Health Group practice.
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