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MODULE 1: SETTING THE STAGE FOR ACTION

INTRODUCTION

As with other workplace safety and health issues, managers and employees both play key roles in setting the stage: developing and carrying out an ergonomics program. It's important that management understand the of an effective ergonomics program.

Ergonomics as part of a company safety and health program

Ergonomics programs should not be regarded as separate from those intended to address other workplace hazards. Aspects of hazard identification, case documentation, assessment of control options, and health care management techniques that are used to address ergonomic problems use the same approaches directed toward other workplace risks of injury or disease. Although many of the technical approaches described in this course are specific to ergonomic risk factors and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), the core principles are the same as efforts to control other workplace hazards.

Reactive vs. Proactive approaches

Proactive ergonomics activities emphasize efforts at the design stage of work processes to recognize needs for avoiding risk factors that can lead to musculoskeletal problems. The goal is to design operations that ensure proper selection and use of tools, job methods, workstation layouts, and materials that impose no undue stress and strain on the worker.

Essential considerations

Ergonomics issues are identified and resolved in the planning process. In addition, general ergonomic knowledge, learned from an ongoing ergonomics program, can be used to build a more prevention-oriented approach.

Management commitment and employee involvement in the planning activity are essential. For example, management can set policy to require ergonomic considerations for any equipment to be purchased, and production employees can offer ideas on the basis of their past experiences for alleviating potential problems.

Planners of new work processes involved in the design of job tasks, equipment, and workplace layout, must become more aware of ergonomic factors and principles. Designers must have appropriate information and guidelines about risk factors for MSDs and ways to control them. Studying past designs of jobs in terms of risk factors can offer useful input into their design strategies.

Expressions of management commitment

Management commitment is a key and perhaps the most important controlling factor in determining whether any worksite hazard control effort will be successful. Management commitment can be expressed in a variety of ways. Lessons learned from NIOSH case studies of ergonomic hazard control efforts in the meatpacking industry emphasize the following points regarding evidence of effective management commitment:

Policy statements are issued that:

treat ergonomic efforts as furthering the company's strategic goals,
expect full cooperation of the total workforce in working together toward realizing ergonomic improvements,

assign lead roles to designated persons who are known to "make things happen,"

give ergonomic efforts priority with other cost reduction, productivity, and quality assurance activities.

have the support of the local union or other worker representatives.
allow full discussion of the policy and the plans for implementation.
set concrete goals that address specific operations and give priority to the jobs posing the greatest risk.

Resources are committed to:

train the workforce to be more aware of ergonomic risk factors for MSDs,
provide detailed instruction to those expected to assume lead roles or serve on special groups to handle various tasks,
bring in outside experts for consultations about start-up activities and difficult issues at least until in-house expertise can be developed, and
implement ergonomic improvements as may be indicated.
provide release time or other compensatory arrangements during the workday for employees expected to handle assigned tasks dealing with ergonomic concerns.

It's important to furnish information to all those involved in or affected by the ergonomic activities. Misinformation or misperceptions about such efforts can be damaging: If management is seen as using the program to gain ideas for cutting costs or improving productivity without equal regard for employee benefits, the program may not be supported by employees. For example, management should be up-front regarding possible impacts of the program on job security and job changes. All injury data, production information, and cost considerations need to be made available to those expected to make feasible recommendations for solving problems.

Employee involvement

Promoting employee involvement in efforts to improve workplace ergonomic conditions has several benefits. They include

enhanced worker motivation and job satisfaction,
added problem-solving capabilities,
greater acceptance of change, and
greater knowledge of the work and organization.

Worker involvement in safety and health issues means obtaining worker input on several issues.

The first input is defining real or suspected job hazards.
Another is suggesting ways to control suspected hazards.
A third involves working with management in deciding how best to put controls into place.

Employee participation in an organization's efforts to reduce work-related injury or disease and ergonomic problems may take the form of direct or individual input. A common involvement process is participation through a joint labor-management safety and health committee, which may be company-wide or department-wide in nature. Membership on company-wide committees includes union leaders or elected worker representatives, department heads, and key figures from various areas of the organization.

Two factors are critical to the different forms of worker involvement. One is the need for training both in hazard recognition and control and in group problem solving. The second is that management must share information and knowledge of results with those involved.

No single form or level of worker involvement fits all situations or meets all needs. Much depends on the nature of the problems to be addressed, the skills and abilities of those involved, and the company's prevailing practices for participative approaches in resolving workplace issues.

Who should participate?

Ergonomic problems typically require a response that cuts across a number of organizational units. Hazard identification through job task analyses and review of injury records or symptom surveys, as well as the development and implementation of control measures, can require input from:

safety and hygiene personnel,
health care providers,
human resource personnel,
engineering personnel,
maintenance personnel, and
ergonomics specialists.

In addition, worker and management representatives are considered essential players in any ergonomics program effort.

In small businesses, two or more of the functions noted on this list may be merged into one unit, or one person may handle several of the listed duties. Regardless of the size of the organization, persons identified with these responsibilities are crucial to an ergonomics program. Purchasing personnel in particular should be included, since the issues raised can dictate new or revised specifications on new equipment orders.

How best to fit these different players into the program could depend on the company's existing occupational safety and health program practices. Integrating ergonomics into the company's current occupational safety and health activities while giving it special emphasis may have the most appeal.

Last Words

Now that's a lot of good information. Time now to draft answers in the quiz below. When you're finished with all of the modules, you'll enter and submit the quiz answers using the Final Examination and Quiz web page. If you are not sure about the answers to the questions, just scroll up and review the subject area.

Module Quiz

1. According to the text, a proactive approach to ergonomics would emphasize:

a. reduction in injury costs
b. early return to work programs
c. workstation design
d. aggressive accident investigation

2. Which of the following is not listed as an effective ergonomics program policy?

a. give ergonomics efforts high priority
b. further strategic goals
c. allow full discussion and cooperation
d. set flexible goals

3. Each of the following is a way management can demonstrate commitment to an ergonomics program, except:

a. conduct awareness training
b. encourage compliance
c. bring in outside experts
d. carry out ergonomic improvements

4. Management should be up-front regarding possible impacts of the program on job security and job changes.

a. True
b. False

5. According to the text, all of the factors below are critical to worker involvement except:

a. Incentives for registering complaints
b. Training in hazard identification and control
c. Sharing information and results
d. Incentives for involvement

Congratulations on completing the first module! I'm sure you'll agree understanding how to successfully develop an ergonomics plan is critical to the success of a program. Continue on to Module 2 to learn more about how to conduct ergonomics analysis. If you have any questions or comments, just drop me an email at monique.e.schmidt@state.or.us.

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