How To Assess Ergonomic Risk Correctly In The Workplace
When it comes to ergonomic risk assessment, many business owners feel like they are flying blind. They don’t know where to start, and they certainly don’t want to make any mistakes that could lead to injury in the workplace.
This article will discuss how to assess ergonomic risk correctly in the workplace.
What Is An Ergonomic Risk Assessment?
An ergonomic risk assessment is a process to identify, assess and control risks arising from physical, mental, or organizational factors in the workplace that could lead to musculoskeletal disorders (MSD).
MSD can cause workers to miss time from work, experience pain, and incur high medical costs.
An ergonomic risk assessment aims to reduce the incidence and severity of MSD by identifying and addressing ergonomic hazards before they result in injury.
Why Should I Do An Ergonomic Risk Assessment?
There are many benefits of conducting an ergonomic risk assessment in the workplace. They include:
Reduce Workplace Injuries
Research shows that over 2.3 million people suffer work-related injuries every year. This number is alarmingly high, and a significant portion of these injuries could likely be prevented with proper ergonomic risk assessments.
Reduce Workers’ Compensation Costs
Work-related injuries can be expensive. They cost employers money in terms of lost productivity and workers’ compensation claims. They can also lead to long-term disability.
By conducting ergonomic risk assessments and taking steps to reduce risks in the workplace, employers can help reduce the number of workers’ compensation claims filed each year.
Improve Employee Morale
When employees are injured, it can lead to low morale. Injured employees may feel like their employer does not value them and their safety is not a priority.
Conducting ergonomic risk assessments and taking steps to reduce workplace injuries can help to improve employee morale. Employees will feel like their safety is a priority and their employer cares about their well-being.
Improve Productivity
Employees who are injured on the job are often unable to work at their full potential. This can lead to lost productivity and missed deadlines.
By conducting ergonomic risk assessments, employers can help ensure that their employees can work safely and at their full potential.
How To Assess Ergonomic Risk In 4 Easy Steps
At Apex Environmental, we’ve reduced ergonomic risk assessments to 4 easy steps. Here’s what you need to do to assess ergonomic risk correctly in the workplace.
Let’s look at each one in detail:
1: Review Existing Data
The first step in conducting an ergonomic risk assessment is to review existing data. This data can come from a variety of sources, including:
- Previous ergonomic assessments
- Incident reports
- Workers’ compensation claims
- Job descriptions
This data can help you identify potential workplace risks that need to be addressed. It can also help you to identify trends in injuries and incidents.
2: Gather Subjective Data
The next step is to gather new subjective data. You can collect this data through:
- Interviews with employees: Ask employees about their work tasks, how they feel about them, and whether they have ever experienced any pain or discomfort while performing them.
- Workshops: Hold workshops with employees to brainstorm potential risks in the workplace and identify possible solutions.
- Surveys: You can distribute surveys to employees to collect data on various topics, including job satisfaction, work tasks, and ergonomic concerns.
Subjective data can be instrumental in identifying risks that may not be apparent.
3: Gather Objective Data
Objective data is data that is not influenced by personal feelings or opinions. It is data that can be observed and measured.
When you are looking at ergonomic risk, there are two main types of objective data that you can gather:
- Work task analysis data: You collect data about the work tasks being performed. This data includes how often a job is performed, how long it takes to complete the task, and what the job involves.
- Workstation analysis data: You gather data about the workstation itself. Data include things like the dimensions of the workstation, the height of the work surface, and the distance between the workstation and the worker.
4: Analyze Your Data And Identify Risks
The final step is to analyze all the data you’ve collected and identify any risks.
Once you’ve identified risks, you can begin developing solutions to mitigate them. It’s important to involve workers in this process since they are the ones who will be using the solutions you develop.
Simplify Your Ergonomic Risk Assessments With A Trusted Partner
Completing ergonomic risk assessments can be a time-consuming and daunting task. Fortunately, at Apex Environmental, we specialize in helping businesses create safe and comfortable work environments. Choose a partner that cares. Choose us.
