WHY INVESTING IN A GOOD ERGONOMICS PROGRAM IS IMPORTANT?
Companies and Industries increasingly require higher production rates and advances in technology to stay competitive in today’s business world. Repetition, awkward or stationary positions, lifting heavy or awkward items, using excessive force to perform certain job task, compression or contact stress are some of the observations an ergonomic specialist will evaluate. Jobs today involve frequent lifting, reaching, twisting, carrying, pushing or pulling loads without help from other workers or devices. People are working more than 8 hrs a day at a quicker pace with higher demands. These can lead to injury especially if combined with poor machine design, tools and workplace designs. Improper use of tools can also cause physical stress on the worker and lead to greater risk of injuries.
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are injuries or disorders of the soft tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints and cartilage) and the nervous system. This can affect the whole body and lead to a number of conditions such as numbness, tingling, stiff joints, muscle loss, paralysis and pain. This causes employees to lose time from work to recover and some never regain full health.
MSD’s can be painful and even costly: however, a good ergonomics program can be greatly beneficial. Having an effective ergonomic process can help you identify job tasks by observing the physical demands of the job and the workplace factors that potentially place employees or individuals at risk for MSDs. Our goal is to design the job to fit the worker, rather than physically forcing the worker’s body to fit the job.
This is why being proactive is better than being reactive, preventing injuries before they occur saves time and money in the long run. We can address these concerns for your company before they actually become a problem.
Not only does our team have many years of ergonomic experience, we also have a background in physical therapy and biomedical engineering. In addition, we have a strategic alliance with Ergonomics International, LLC. This gives a rare and unique perspective on the needs of your company.
BENEFITS OF A WORKPLACE INJURY PREVENTION PROGRAM ARE HUGE!
Small changes can make a huge difference and our job is to quickly address ergonomic risk factors and concerns. Saving employees from pain and reducing or eliminating lost work time, medical expenses and worker’s compensation claims caused by workplace injuries while providing the company a good return on their investment. Increasing the worker's comfort leads to higher productivity from your employees, which in turn, results in increased employee morale, minimizes turnover and reduces health claims costs for your company. It is a win/win situation for everyone involved.