Is your office or work space falling behind on productivity? It time to get your workplace assessed by a top-rated ergonomic Consultant
Although office work environments are considered low-risk for injuries, many have started conducting workplace assessments or ergonomic assessments. Repetitive stress can cause injuries, chronic pain, and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This stress can be a result of poor posture, misalignment of desk and chair, prolonged sitting, and even extended periods of using the computer.
An ergonomic consultant can conduct workplace assessments in-person or through virtual mediums. The later is becoming more popular nowadays as a result of social distancing protocols and many offices converting to work-from home.
How Is an Ergonomic Workplace Assessment Carried Out?
Ergonomic assessments, at their core, study the work environment and analyze how the workforce interacts with it. An ergonomic consultant normally begins by reviewing any existing data and history regarding workplace injury reports, first aid logs, worker’s compensation reports, etc.
If they are able to identify any high-risk activities or causes of common injuries, they can focus their assessment in that particular area. Next, they use ergonomic assessment tools to measure current data of about the workplace and the workforce. These tools have been constructed by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, and include the Liberty Mutual Manual Material Handling Tables (SNOOK Tables), WISHA Hazard Zone Checklist, Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA), and more.
The simplest way to evaluate working conditions is to take a tour of the workplace and converse with employees about any first-hand accounts and insights. They look at factors such as workplace height, head and neck stress, wrist flexion and extension, and how well the office furniture meets ergonomic requirements. Individual conversations give honest and direct feedback. They might ask questions such as:
- How frequently do you experience pain or discomfort while working?
- Do you get exhausted while performing your job?
- Do you ever feel unsafe while carrying out your job?
- Hypothetically, how would you like to improve the work environment?
In the final step, a prioritized list of activities and departments is drafted. The ergonomic tools are used to measure the risk factor to complete an objective evaluation. Risk factors and risk reduction opportunities should be listed according to potential for injury and injury severity. This will be used to develop a report of all ergonomic risk factors. With the work assessments portion complete, strategies can be created to improve the ergonomics in the workplace.
Our ergonomic consultant will focus on providing personalized solutions for your workspace by seeking and mitigating ergonomic risks through the appropriate techniques, setup, and equipment.
If you would like us to conduct an ergonomic evaluation of your workplace, get in touch with us.
