Why Is Ergonomics Important in the Workplace?

The following article was provided by PTSMC. It is posted here with permission.  

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The human body can handle a lot. A lot of stress, motion, weight. You name it–the human body can handle it. 

The one thing that we tend to forget is that the human body is just that, it’s human.

So, it is no wonder that in positions that are physically demanding, there is a continued increase in musculoskeletal injuries. 

We know humans are humans and the job still needs to be done. So how do we keep people safe, reduce their likelihood of musculoskeletal injuries at work, while getting the job done?

We work to improve workstation ergonomics. 

Workplace Practices

Ergonomics fits the workstation to the employee and helps us work more efficiently with the equipment we are using. 

These ergonomic fixes help us work with the body in an efficient way. Proper ergonomics allows us to work with our body, not against it.

By properly utilizing ergonomics, musculoskeletal injuries decrease significantly at work. 

Ergonomics does not have to be a big, expensive, new machine to help reduce injury. 

When we decrease musculoskeletal injuries at work, we keep people at work doing their job. 

Ergonomics does not have to be a big, expensive, new machine to help reduce injury. 

A lot of the time, ergonomics is small adjustments or changes to a workstation that significantly improve how the body is feeling.

These small improvements will reduce the stress that is contributing to workplace aches and pains and will help decrease workplace injuries. 

Environmental Shift

When we reduce workplace aches, pains, and injuries, we have created an environment for employees to feel good in. 

If someone feels good at work, they tend to work better, reducing human error. Happy people tend to work better and more. 

By incorporating proper ergonomics, we can help keep people at work. 

By incorporating proper ergonomics and fitting the workstation to the employee, we can help keep people at work. 

So why not take the time to conduct an ergonomic assessment or adjust a workstation to better fit the employee working? 

After all, why not help the employee help you?

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About the author: Shelby Pocius is an employer services specialist at Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine Centers. She is trained to partner with local businesses to assess what employers and employees can do to decrease workplace injuries.