MSDs are the leading cause of pain, suffering and disability in most of the workplaces that require 38% more lost time days than the average injury/illness. Indirect costs (lost productivity, product defects, etc.) of MSDs are up to five times the direct costs. Work-related MSD’s are one of the important reasons for causing absenteeism and loss of work. These can, however, be prevented by implementing ergonomics in the workplace.
Employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthy workplace for their workers. The number and severity of MSDs resulting from physical overexertion, wrong postures, repetitive tasks in the workplace and their related costs, can be considerably reduced by applying ergonomic principles. Consider the ergonomic factors in the workplace to address ergonomic injuries.
Work Task
Ergonomics addresses the work task by ensuring that the elements of the task are designed to suit the person carrying it out. The factors to be considered in designing the work task include:
- Tools and equipment must be easily reached to avoid poor body postures.
- Tasks requiring forceful exertion should be automated or semi-automated wherever possible, always aiming to minimize the degree of exertion.
- Regular change of Static work postures should be changed and movement during task completion should be encouraged.
- Repetitive tasks should be avoided by implementing changes of activity and job rotation should be encouraged to enable changes of posture.
- Rest breaks and work pauses should be short, but frequent, to prevent fatigue.
- All necessary information about the task should be provided in the form of displays or controls clearly and logically.
- Make training an important element of ergonomics program providing all information for the task, use of equipment, health and safety matters.
Workstation
Working space and workstations play a vital role in worker productivity. Hence, the design of workstations is a critical task. The workstation is the area where the task is conducted; whether it is a desk or any work surface, the factors to be considered in relation to the workstation include the following.
- The workstation should be designed so that it is comfortable for the person using it.
- The surface height should be sufficient to avoid bending or reaching to its surface.
- Workplace design should aim at designing to fit the workers need. The arrangements of workstation should aim at creating a safe area that is worker-friendly
- The workstation should be designed to support a good working posture, eg chairs should provide lumbar support.
- The workstation should be suitable for the work task such that all equipment can be located and arranged for the person to complete the task.
- Adjustable equipment and machinery will increase the flexibility of a workstation making it more accessible to a range of work tasks and/or workers.
Work Environment
The work environment is another important factor which includes the physical environment and general layout. Environmental factors at the workplace include the temperature, humidity, lighting and noise.
The factors to be considered in relation to the work environment include the following.
- Temperature and humidity levels will directly affect the worker’s comfort and capacity to work. Excessive temperatures can lead to thermal stress and fatigue, loss of concentration as well as the loss of dexterity.
- Eliminating glare or reflections is also vital in providing proper illumination for the task.
- Extreme noise levels can affect concentration or lead to physical discomfort or fatigue. Noise sources should be, reduced, eliminated or protective equipment supplied to control the noise.
- Health and safety regulations must be adhered to and, to encourage this, the work tasks themselves need to be configured to safe systems of work.
Ensure Protection of Workers from Ergonomic risks
Implementing an ergonomic program is effective in reducing the risk of developing MSDs in high-risk industries such as in construction, food processing, firefighting, office jobs, transportation and warehousing. Important elements of an ergonomic program include:
- The need of Management Support – Management support is critical to the overall success of an ergonomic process. Management should define clear goals and objectives for the ergonomic program, discuss them with their workers, assign responsibilities to the workers, and communicate clearly with the workforce.
- The need of Workers involvement - A participatory ergonomic approach, where workers are directly involved in identifying ergonomic hazards, ergonomic risk assessments, solution development and implementation is essential for a successful ergonomic program. Workers should be involved in:
#Identifying and providing important information about hazards in their workplaces.
#Assisting in the ergonomic process by raising their concerns and recommending measures for reducing exposure to risk factors and by evaluating the changes made as a result of an ergonomic assessment.
- Make Training an important element of the ergonomic program- Training is an important element in the ergonomic program. Training should ensure that workers are aware of ergonomics and its benefits, become informed about ergonomic risks in the workplace, and understand the importance of reporting early symptoms of MSDs.
- Identify Ergonomic Risks - An important step in the ergonomic program is to identify and assess ergonomic risks in the workplace before they result in MSDs.
- Recognition and reporting of MSD Symptoms - Early recognition of symptoms and reporting can improve the ergonomic program and help to prevent or reduce the progression of symptoms, the development of serious musculoskeletal injuries and subsequent loss.
- Develop control measures - There are many possible controls that can be implemented to reduce, control or eliminate workplace ergonomic injuries / MSDs.
- Evaluation- Evaluation and corrective actions are required to assess the improvement of the ergonomic program and ensure its effectiveness.
“Better Ergonomics can build a Better Workplace”
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