The Importance of Industrial Ergonomics

11 Mar The Importance of Industrial Ergonomics

 What is Industrial Ergonomics? 

Industrial ergonomics is defined as “the design and use of equipment and systems that do not damage industrial workers’ health or it can also be explained as the study of adapting job tasks to human abilities and natural body movements.”

“Employers spend up to $20 billion a year on direct costs for MSD-related workers’ compensation and up to five times that for indirect costs each year.”  As an employer, you can increase the workplace safety by implementing a ergonomics program.

The goal of ergonomics is to design your office work stations so that it fits to you and allows for a comfortable working environment.  An effective ergonomics program can also results in the following:

• Better Health & well being
• Fewer lost work days due to injury
• Reduced medical & associated costs
• Improved productivity & efficiency

A successful ergonomics program is a team effort in which communication is a requirement.  All levels of your organization must be involved in order to eliminate ergonomic related problems.  “Working together, you can help eliminate MSDs from occurring at your workplace. By making decisions and taking the necessary actions, you have the ability to reduce your exposure to musculoskeletal disorders.”  

Preventing Industrial Ergonomics

Our online training resource, Safety National, covers the topic, Industrial Ergonomics.  In this lesson, you will develop a basic understanding of the importance of ergonomics and its goals in the industrial industry.  After completing the lesson, you should be able to:

• Define ergonomics and its benefits
• Describe musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
• Recognize risk factors associated with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
• Explain your Role in a successful ergonomics program