Adaptive Solutions – How Safety Reduces Workplace Musculoskeletal Disorders
‘Does it hurt when you do that? Then don’t do that’ (Guru Pitka, 2008).
Workplace safety and workers’ rights have come a long way, in a relatively short period of time. Not even forty years ago it was commonplace in many industries the world over, for workers to handle materials such as asbestos and lead, or to dangle off the side of a skyscraper or a moving ship without much of a hint of safety equipment.
Thankfully today, experience and scientific progress has taught us better, and developments in our legal system now protect or prohibit us from being unduly exposed to such hazards. The learning curve is, however, ongoing, both in terms of our knowledge of hazards, as well as how to protect ourselves from them.
Until relatively recently in the South African occupational context, Ergonomics has not necessarily enjoyed the same level of attention. Legislation was arguably sparse or generalised, and included section 8 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHS Act), which places a generalised duty on employers to provide a working environment that is safe and without risk to the health of their employees. The Facilities Regulations, which requires employers to provide ergonomically sound seating, or at least the opportunity to sit down, whenever such opportunity may arise; and the Construction Regulations, which places a duty on contractors to include ergonomic risks in their risk assessment. Fast-forward to 2019, and South Africa now has a piece of Legislation dedicated specifically to Ergonomics in the Workplace (the Ergonomics Regulations, 2019).
If one is looking for ergonomic solutions to improve workplace safety and reduce musculoskeletal disorders, then it is fundamental to start with a sound understanding of what ergonomics is (and what it isn’t). Ergonomics is not simply the science of ‘how to lift stuff good’ (*poor grammar intended) or choosing a so-called ‘ergonomic’ chair to be used at ten different types of workstations. Ergonomics is the science of work; it seeks to understand the interactions between workers and the system they work in, and to optimise workers’ well-being and overall system performance. One can appreciate that ‘work’ has grown in complexity from the time of prehistoric humans and their ‘ergonomically designed’ simple hand tools (true story), to constructing the Great Pyramids (not so great at Ergonomics, lots of I.O.D.s), to piloting world-war II fighter planes (where multi-tasking = crashing), up until today – where you can get a job at Google headquarters (Googleplex), with a workstation which has adjustable everything, and you can chill out at the company jungle-gym whenever you’re feeling a bit frazzled.
Our work and work systems have grown in complexity and so have we. That means that when you’re looking for ergonomic solutions in your workplace, you’ll need to take a broad approach, one which incorporates all the complexity of your unique work environment, including its workforce. Ergonomics takes into consideration all elements of the work system, including its tools, technology, tasks, environment, organisation and persons; and the interactions that occur between them.
Ergonomic solutions implies that ergonomic risks are present, that need to be controlled or eliminated. What is an ergonomics risk? It is any characteristic or action in the workplace, workplace conditions, or a combination thereof that may impair overall system performance and human well-being. If that definition sounds a bit more encompassing than just ‘how not to lift stuff good’, that’s because it is. Ergonomic risks can range from physical factors such as awkward, repetitive, or forceful actions, and static or sustained postures; to environmental factors such as temperature, lighting, noise, and chemicals. It can include cognitive risk factors, such as monotonous work, attention overload, and excessive memory demands; as well as organisational factors, such as insufficient rest periods, shift work, abnormal work times, excessive working hours, and insufficient supervision and training.
How are you supposed to identify these risks, and do you even need to? The Ergonomics Regulations has you covered. If your workplace might expose people to ergonomic risks, then an ergonomics risk assessment will be required, in terms of regulation 6 of the Ergonomics Regulations. Regulation 6 will tell you who needs to conduct the risk assessment (a competent person), how often it needs to be done (at least every two years), and what it needs to include (what are the hazards, who might be affected, and what are the consequences; risks must be analysed and evaluated using appropriate assessment tools, and risks must be prioritised).
What do you do once you’ve evaluated and prioritised your ergonomic risks (again, if anything at all)? If you have your copy of the Ergonomics Regulations open, then scroll down to regulation 7 (Risk Control). Ergonomic risks in the workplace need to be prevented, but if that’s not reasonably practicable, then they must be removed or reduced using control measures according to a principle that us occupational hygiene geeks like to call, the hierarchy of controls. This consists of five levels of control measure, ranked in order of priority from highest to lowest (and coincidentally from most effective to least effective), and includes: Elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment. These controls are explained in more detail in the Explanatory Notes to Ergonomics Regulations 2019, which were published with the regulations. But if we were to summarise them to a very basic level – it would be this: get rid of the risk or substitute it with something less hazardous; or engineer some solution to separate the risk from the person; or change how the person works; or give them appropriate PPE. In reality, you may need a combination of two or more of these types of control measures used in conjunction, to adequately control your ergonomic risks. And PPE is legally always the last resort, once all other options have been exhausted. Always!
Thinking of implementing some kind of new machinery, plant, or work system, and worried about the potential ergonomic risks it may bring? Our South African legislation has thought of that too. Designers, manufacturers, importers and suppliers are required to ensure as far as reasonably practicable, that their products are ergonomically sound (Ergonomics Regulations, regulation 5; OHS Act, section 10; Construction Regulations, regulation 6).
Another key term you may have noticed being used in the legislation in relation to the control of ergonomic risks is ‘reasonably practicable’, and it will probably help make your decision-making process a lot easier. This term is fully defined in section 1 of the OHS Act, but in summary it means that when deciding on what control measures to implement, the following four criteria legally must be considered:
- the severity and scope of the hazard or risk;
- the state of knowledge concerning that hazard or risk, and its control measures;
- the availability and suitability of those control measures; and
- the cost of the control measures, in relation to their benefits.
Employees also need to be informed, instructed, and trained on any ergonomic risks related to their work (see regulation 3); and they are required to take ownership of certain aspects of their own ergonomic exposure risks (see regulation 4). Medical surveillance may also be required for certain employees and certain ergonomic risks (see regulation 8); and all ergonomic control measures must be properly implemented and maintained in good working order (see regulation 9). Almost everything mentioned above must be recorded and archived (see regulation 10).
All of the above probably sounds like quite a lot of work for just one person, or at least, quite broad in nature for just one type of professional. In fact, ergonomics requires a participatory approach and relies on the expertise of a broader working group, which may include professionals such as engineers, HR practitioners, medical personnel, psychologists, occupational hygienists, ergonomists; and the knowledge and experience of the workers themselves.
Ergonomic risks and consequences in the workplace cannot and should not be viewed in isolation, including when trying to determine their causes, implementing solutions, or managing the risks long-term. How do you lift a box safely? Bend in the knees, not the back? (at best that’s an administrative control, and not necessarily a good one, at least on its own). Do you even need the box, can you remove it from the workplace? Substitute it? If it’s heavy, could you provide a mechanical lifting aid, or get two people to lift it together? Can the workstation be designed to reduce or eliminate awkward postures? If there are multiple boxes, can the task be rotated, can more than one person assist, or can they take more regular breaks? Have the employees been declared medically fit to perform the task? Have you identified vulnerable employees and made reasonable accommodations for them? Are there any environmental factors which may increase the risk of injury or illness, such as hot temperatures or slippery floors? Do employees complain more of back pain after night shifts, extended shifts, or poor planning of work? Are employees demotivated because of poor management, poor company culture, or the monotony of their work? Do you have a high rate of absenteeism and sick leave? Have the employee’s received information and training in ergonomics? Will PPE help, such as padded gloves? Does the existing PPE introduce any new risks? Are all control measures properly used and maintained? Has an ergonomics risk assessment been conducted? Has all the above been documented?
All of the elements contained in the Ergonomics Regulations, when put together, create an ergonomics programme approach, and they follow a similar programme or formula to most of the other occupational regulations that your workplace may possibly already have implemented where applicable, such as the regulations for Noise Induced Hearing Loss, or Hazardous Chemical Agents. This means that your ergonomics programme can easily be incorporated into the existing occupational health and safety programme at your workplace. Not only is maintaining an ergonomics programme a legal requirement, its benefits also can’t be over-stated. From improved health, safety, and wellbeing of workers; to a reduction of occupational injuries and incidents; to improvements in productivity, efficiency, and profitability of the business overall.
Apex Environmental can assist in conducting your Ergonomics Risk Assessment, with a variety of different assessment tools at our disposal, depending on your needs. We have a solid foundation of knowledge and over 30-years of experience across a broad range of industries and activities, providing our clients with easy to read, yet comprehensive and solution-focused reports.
You’ve reached the end of this article. Well done and thank you. Take a small break, maybe go chill-out at the office jungle-gym (if you’re reading this at Googleplex).
