The benefits of an Ergonomic Audit
Having an ergonomic audit carried out on your workplace can not only create a safer and more productive work environment for your workers, it can save you real money in reducing lost income through sick, unproductive and unhappy workers. It can also benefit the bottom line of your business with direct savings on Work Cover Insurances and future legal entanglements.
Looking at your ergonomic requirements can help to maintain the physical strength and character of your workers along with enabling optimum application of their strengths. Optimising the design and format of your workplace tools and equipment will help to ensure workers comfort and maximise their productivity.
Whilst a proportion of good ergonomic design is common sense, there are some principles that take into account workers’ strength, endurance, size, age, range of joint motion, gender and their general health and fitness. Addressing the tools and work methods of each worker can yield maximum benefit for your company.
Ergonomic Hazards
When a job exceeds the capabilities of a worker, you are opening them up to risks such as:-
- CTD (cumulative trauma disorder)
- RSI (repetitive stress injuries)
- MSD (multi skeletal disorder)
- Carpel Tunnel Syndrome
- Tendonitis and
- Tension Neck Syndrome
Creating an environment that is ergonomically friendly will directly relate to increased productivity by either doing more work with the same amount of effort, or same amount of work with less effort.
Ergonomic Equipment
Ergonomic equipment plays a large part of creating an environment that is ergonomically friendly. Followed are some of the items that can play a part in ergonomics in an average office:-
- ergonomic keyboards
- ergonomic chairs
- ergonomic mouse
- ergonomic keyboards
- computer ergonomics
- ergonomic computer wrist support
- ergonomic office task chairs
- ergonomic office chairs
- ergonomic office furniture
- ergonomic posture chairs
Ergonomic audits
By conducting an ergonomic audit, Personalised Business will be able to determine how well your company’s tools, equipment and working environment meet ergonomic objectives. This is done using a cross section of employees using their designated equipment in a realistic simulation. Their performance is then monitored and ergonomic recommendations will be made to improve their working environments.
Here are some questions you may want to consider when looking at the ergonomics of your workplace:-
- Can awkward working positions like twisting or crouching be alleviated through re-design, different tools or work techniques?
- Can environmental factors such as humidity, heat, cold and poor lighting be identified and improved?
- Can tools or equipment that cause incorrect working conditions be identified and changed?
- Is your office equipment positioned to help posture and recommended seating / standing positions?
Taking into account the ergonomics of your workplace and the health and safety of your workers can increase productivity along with creating a happier and healthier workplace for all. It may also result in a positive outcome for the bottom line of your business with savings in Work Cover, Insurance Premiums and costly Common Law claims.