The road to a successful ergonomics program is long and complex. Each company implementation is never the same and even though you can have the best cookie cutter, it's never going to work without proper team work and collaboration. We see that employees that are engaged in the ergonomics program from production to upper management need to come together to create something that works within the company. Employees are in part responsible for their own safety, and without this mentality, any safety or ergonomics program is bound to fail. One example is a growing biotechnology company that had not developed their program much at all. They had consultants come in projects related to industrial hygiene and a corporate physician for pre-employment fit for duty and injury investigation. The process of developing an ergonomics program started with an interdepartmental collaboration between human resources, safety team, and the information technology department. This team expanded later on to representatives from purchasing and facilities as well as an outside vendor representing a local ergonomic product supplier. The first meetings started off with discussions on the current process and goals. The ergonomic specialist provided examples of what typically works for similar companies and the pros and cons related to the processes. Safety management eventually decided on the process to move forward. The program rolled out with weekly meetings to which metrics on requests as well as process challenges and gaps. We strengthened the process over about a month and once we reached steady state, the program was broadened to include not just the office areas but also the laboratory and manufacturing. A point person for engineering performed walk throughs with the ergonomic specialist to assess and understand the processes. The process was evaluated for risk using quantitative and qualitative ergonomic surveys and assessment methods such as the rapid entire body assessment (REBA) tool. This allowed the engineer to understand where to first focus attention on controls. Controls were divided into short term, long term, and vision. The vision goal being a 5 year plan to automate various parts of the manufacturing process. However, in the meantime, they were in a very research-oriented phase that needed some quick controls implemented including group training, and equipment to help resolve risk factors for tendonitis and other musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). In the end, the company, small and mighty reduced the risk factors responsible for a majority of their workplace injuries resulting in a reduction of MSD or ergonomically related injuries in the workplace. If you know a company that can use an ergonomics consultant, contact Ergobility today!