Workplace Ergonomics Program

1. Your workplace ergonomics program is not achieving the desired results at an affordable cost.

2. Your workplace ergonomics program is effective and efficient, but you desire to improve.

3. OSHA's working draft Ergonomics Program Standard requires you to evaluate your workplace ergonomics program once every three years.

A simple way to evaluate your workplace ergonomics program is to perform a "gap analysis" by comparing your activities to a list taken from best practices. One approach, given below, is based on six important elements of an effective workplace ergonomics program.

This list has been derived from such documents as OSHA's Ergonomics Program Management Guidelines for Meatpacking Plants (OSHA 3123, 1993) and NIOSH's Elements of Workplace ergonomics program (DHHS 97-117, 1997), as well as observations in industry.

Workplace ergonomics program Evaluation List

Compare your workplace ergonomics program activities with the following list to identify opportunities for improvement your workplace ergonomics program and those activities that are not currently being accomplished systematically in your organization.

Workplace ergonomics program - Management Leadership and Employee Involvement:

• Employee involvement is supported by a mission statement signed by management.
• Accountability is assigned for ergonomics, medical management, facilities management and engineering management.
• The workplace ergonomics program is reviewed periodically and compared with industry best practices.
• Program components are reviewed periodically to ensure that the workplace ergonomics program is meeting stated goals.

Workplace ergonomics program - Worksite Analysis/Risk Assessment:

• Injury/illness records and employee reports are reviewed periodically to identify ergonomic concerns with jobs and workstations.
• Ergonomic risk assessments are performed before changes are made to workstation layouts, tools, equipment, furniture and processes.
• Ergonomic risks are identified and prioritized by department and communicated to management.
• Ergonomic risk assessments and employee discomfort surveys are performed periodically.

Workplace ergonomics program - Hazard Prevention and Control:

• Documented processes to perform ergonomic hazard analysis and to implement acceptable controls are part of the program.
• Ergonomic assessments include the evaluation and documentation of known ergonomic risk factors by both objective and subjective measures.
• Multiple control strategies are evaluated, with an emphasis on engineering controls.
• Administrative controls are designed to control specific ergonomic risks and monitored to ensure that they are followed.
• Design standards for tools, equipment, and furniture are applied to vendors, as well as internally.

Workplace ergonomics program - Medical Management:

• Prevention, recognition and control of ergonomics-related injuries and illnesses are part of a trained health care provider service that has managed protocols.
• A qualified health care provider administers the medical management program.
• Periodic health surveillance is conducted for employees assigned to jobs with recognized ergonomic risks.
• Treatment protocols follow established practices for conservative care.
• Trends are monitored through comprehensive recordkeeping.
• Early reporting of signs and symptoms of cumulative trauma disorders is encouraged.

Workplace ergonomics program - Training and Education:

• Training programs are designed to fit the needs of different levels of personnel.
• Ergonomic awareness training is given annually to employees exposed to ergonomic risks.
• Solutions training addresses retrofitted interventions and preventive measures for new workplace design.
• Maintenance and facilities management personnel understand and apply the issues affecting ergonomic improvements.

Workplace ergonomics program - Process Management:

• Goals and objectives drive your ergonomics activities.
• An ergonomics plan with measurable goals and defined resources is generated annually.
• Internal customers (i.e., employees, supervisors and managers) are stratified, and the satisfaction level of each subset is monitored independently.
• Improvement projects have clearly defined goals and timelines.
• Key ergonomics processes, including ergonomics team activities, are monitored and their performance checked against metrics.

Facilities planning and ergonomics are linked by defined process steps.