An ergonomics program can provide numerous benefits to your organization, from reducing the likelihood of injury to increasing employee retention and beyond. Some business owners, however, may still be unsure of whether or not it’s a service that will effectively serve their specific working environment. Here are seven key points to consider to help assess your business’s need for ergonomics and its potential for lasting ROI. You’re experiencing a high percentage of injuries due to material handling Manual material handling (MMH) movements such as pulling, pushing , lifting, and carrying can often seem like second nature in the workplace, but if they’re not done properly, they can lead to costly injuries over time. In fact, MMH is the most common source of compensable injuries in the U.S. workforce, with more than 80% of work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WMSDs) claims being caused by MMH. Ergonomics can help your workers be more aware of their work environment, better understand the functional workspace, properly leverage mechanical devices, and more. You want to perform a physical demands analysis A physical demands analysis identifies the physical requirements of a role to help reduce injuries. It also reduces the physical capability needed in a given position by providing solutions to any issues, which can in turn expand your hiring pool. A physical demands analysis is a key step in the greater ergonomic strategy, and one a professional partner can help develop and carry out. You want to create post-offer tests The findings of the physical demands analysis help Certified Professional Ergonomists (CPEs) shape post-offer tests to further establish your prospective employees are physically capable of performing in a given role by adding scientific rigor to ensure ADA/EEOC compliance. These new hires represent an increased injury risk. Workers within the first 30 days on the job have a 300% greater risk of injury than those that have been on the job for a year or more. Testing reduces the injuries associated with new hires and ensures you’re bringing the right employees on board and retaining them for the long haul. You struggle with EEOC and ADA compliance EEOC and ADA regulations can be especially challenging to navigate for employers in physical and repetitive environments. If your physical ability tests have what is termed a “disparate impact” on female applicants, it can pose a costly threat to your company. An ergonomic partner will help you tailor your tests to the precise demands of the job, ensuring they are fair, compliant, and successful in acquiring the right workers regardless of gender. You are failing to connect engineering changes with worker behavior Ergonomics functions within the scope of both the engineering of your environment and the psychology of your workers. A failure to understand the relationship between the two and how to optimize for performance and safety will hamper the success of your safety program. An ergonomic partner specializes in bringing together the cognitive, physical, and organizational aspects of your business to best serve your workforce at every level. You are considering a job rotation system A job rotation system rotates workers between different roles and tasks at set time intervals, with the goal of preventing any one worker from being overly exposed to a particularly demanding or high-risk task on an extended basis. Such systematic rotation, among other benefits, promotes variety on the job to improve morale and also increases the skill and flexibility of your workforce. You want on-demand access to a CPE An ergonomic subscription from Fit For Work provides your team with on-demand access to our experienced CPEs. We understand that ergonomics done right isn’t just a one-and-done solution. This subscription ensures we’re here to address any issues or questions as they arise and regularly puts us on site to continually optimize your ergonomic strategy in the long term. Contact Fit For Work today to begin developing an ergonomic strategy to reduce injury, improve morale, and increase employee retention.
Seven Signs Your Business Needs an Ergonomic Partner
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