business owners should take a proactive role in identifying and reducing or eliminating workplace hazards. OSHA recommends the following steps:

1. Review and analyze injury and illness records and look for patterns that could identify a work related ergonomics factor. Use your OSHA 300 Logs and supporting 301 forms and worker’s compensation claims as a starting point.

2. Analyze the jobs and look for ergonomic risk factors, such as re

Let me ask you a few questions. Does your workplace get in the way of the work you do? How does it affect your (or your employees) productivity? Are there missed deadlines, too many workers compensation claims, or too many absences? How does this affect your company’s bottom line? Here is how you can solve some of these problems.

If you find yourself answering yes to any of these questions, it is possible that you have a workplace ergonomics problem. Ergonomics is a fairly common buzzword in today’s workplace, and it carries significant impact for both the employer and the employee.

In simple terms, ergonomics is the science of fitting jobs to people with the goal of reducing or eliminating the potential for work related injuries, often known as muscular-skeletal disorders, or MSDs.

MSDs are caused or aggravated by workplace risk factors such as sustained or repeated exertions, awkward postures, exposure to excessive heat, humidity, or cold, high noise levels, poor illumination, and uncomfortable, unnatural manipulations. Common symptoms are decreased range of motion or grip strength, loss of function, swelling, cramping, redness or loss of color, soreness, headaches, blurred vision, and hearing loss.

These conditions usually result in lowered productivity, increased rework, increased medical and insurance costs, increased employee absences (and the need of finding additional manpower), and workers compensation claims. Complaints or problems leading to an OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) or MIOSHA audit can lead to significant fines. Employees talk, and this can make it hard for your company to attract and retain high quality people, leading to higher recruiting costs.

With the goal of cutting costs and improving productivity, business owners should take a proactive role in identifying and reducing or eliminating workplace hazards. OSHA recommends the following steps:

1. Review and analyze injury and illness records and look for patterns that could identify a work related ergonomics factor. Use your OSHA 300 Logs and supporting 301 forms and worker’s compensation claims as a starting point.

2. Analyze the jobs and look for ergonomic risk factors, such as re

problem. Ergonomics is a fairly common buzzword in today’s workplace, and it carries significant impact for both the employer and the employee.

In simple terms, ergonomics is the science of fitting jobs to people with the goal of reducing or eliminating the potential for work related injuries, often known as muscular-skeletal disorders, or MSDs.

MSDs are caused or aggravated by workplace risk factors such as sustained or repeated exertions, awkward postures, exposure to excessive heat, humidity, or cold, high noise levels, poor illumination, and uncomfortable, unnatural manipulations. Common symptoms are decreased range of motion or grip strength, loss of function, swelling, cramping, redness or loss of color, soreness, headaches, blurred vision, and hearing loss.

These conditions usually result in lowered productivity, increased rework, increased medical and insurance costs, increased employee absences (and the need of finding additional manpower), and workers compensation claims. Complaints or problems leading to an OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) or MIOSHA audit can lead to significant fines. Employees talk, and this can make it hard for your company to attract and retain high quality people, leading to higher recruiting costs.

With the goal of cutting costs and improving productivity, business owners should take a proactive role in identifying and reducing or eliminating workplace hazards. OSHA recommends the following steps:

1. Review and analyze injury and illness records and look for patterns that could identify a work related ergonomics factor. Use your OSHA 300 Logs and supporting 301 forms and worker’s compensation claims as a starting point.

2. Analyze the jobs and look for ergonomic risk factors, such as re

ions, awkward postures, exposure to excessive heat, humidity, or cold, high noise levels, poor illumination, and uncomfortable, unnatural manipulations. Common symptoms are decreased range of motion or grip strength, loss of function, swelling, cramping, redness or loss of color, soreness, headaches, blurred vision, and hearing loss.

These conditions usually result in lowered productivity, increased rework, increased medical and insurance costs, increased employee absences (and the need of finding additional manpower), and workers compensation claims. Complaints or problems leading to an OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) or MIOSHA audit can lead to significant fines. Employees talk, and this can make it hard for your company to attract and retain high quality people, leading to higher recruiting costs.

With the goal of cutting costs and improving productivity, business owners should take a proactive role in identifying and reducing or eliminating workplace hazards. OSHA recommends the following steps:

1. Review and analyze injury and illness records and look for patterns that could identify a work related ergonomics factor. Use your OSHA 300 Logs and supporting 301 forms and worker’s compensation claims as a starting point.

2. Analyze the jobs and look for ergonomic risk factors, such as re

s, increased employee absences (and the need of finding additional manpower), and workers compensation claims. Complaints or problems leading to an OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) or MIOSHA audit can lead to significant fines. Employees talk, and this can make it hard for your company to attract and retain high quality people, leading to higher recruiting costs.

With the goal of cutting costs and improving productivity, business owners should take a proactive role in identifying and reducing or eliminating workplace hazards. OSHA recommends the following steps:

1. Review and analyze injury and illness records and look for patterns that could identify a work related ergonomics factor. Use your OSHA 300 Logs and supporting 301 forms and worker’s compensation claims as a starting point.

2. Analyze the jobs and look for ergonomic risk factors, such as re

business owners should take a proactive role in identifying and reducing or eliminating workplace hazards. OSHA recommends the following steps:

1. Review and analyze injury and illness records and look for patterns that could identify a work related ergonomics factor. Use your OSHA 300 Logs and supporting 301 forms and worker’s compensation claims as a starting point.

2. Analyze the jobs and look for ergonomic risk factors, such as repetitive and/or prolonged movements requiring twisting the wrist and other joints, bending, poor illumination, vibration, exposure to temperature extremes, non-adjustable seating, slip hazards, and poor lifting practices.

3. Survey your employees to determine the existence of ergonomic hazards.

4. Gain awareness of common contributing factors for your industry.

5. Take corrective actions as necessary.

Although corrective actions can be expensive, there are a number of benefits. First, these tend to be one-time instead of long-term expenses. Proper ergonomic conditions are a major factor in improving production and cost efficiency, and there’s plenty of evidence to support this:

· A 15% performance improvement of State Farm clerical workers.

· Productivity of workers at Blue Cross-Blue Shield improved by over 4.4%.

· Another study, with even more impressive results, is available at www.combo.com/ergo/ergoecon.htm.

Overcoming and eliminating ergonomic hazards is a three-stage process, starting with engineering controls that involve physical changes to the job and work environment, work practice controls that involve following proper work methods, and administrative controls, such as training, employee rotations, and rest breaks.

As for regulatory enforcement and the potential of fines, Congress struck down OSHA’s Final Ergonomics Program Standard in 2001. OSHA is developing guidelines for specific industries and will assist businesses to help them address ergonomic issues in the workplace. Although the guidelines are not enforceable, OSHA conducts inspections for ergonomic hazards, issues citations under the General Duty Clause, and issue ergonomic alert letters where appropriate. Since these citations can be costly, it is in em