It’s important to prioritise the health and safety of your employees in any industry. Yet, in some workplaces, the risks to employee health and safety are much higher than in others. Some may even consider their jobs as dangerous. This is the case for many construction, manufacturing, oil, and gas businesses. In these dangerous workplaces, it’s essential for employers to provide ergonomic assessments to identify any potential issues and mitigate them. Reducing the risk to employee health and safety.
What is an ergonomic assessment?
To understand an ergonomic assessment, it’s important to first understand what the phrase ‘ergonomic’ means. Ergonomics (Human Factors) studies the ‘fit’ between people, machines, and their environment to improve performance, well-being, safety, and health.
An ergonomic assessment offers a proactive approach to reducing the risk of error, injury, or health issues. Plus, there is the added advantage of improving efficiency, performance, productivity, and profit. A trained professional will evaluate a working environment.
This could include any work setting, an office, a warehouse, or a construction site. The goal of the assessment is to understand whether employees can complete their jobs without being exposed to any significant hazards. In turn, the evaluation can suggest solutions to improve ergonomics and mitigate any hazards or risks.
The study of ergonomics is the study of how people interact with their work environment. At Acorn Occupational health, our ergonomics assessments focus on how, as an employer, you can reduce the physical and mental strain on your employees. Of which result from working in the environment they do.
What does an ergonomic assessment involve?
The process of the assessment begins with an evaluation of the workplace. This will include everything from the layout of the workspace to the lighting, and the temperature. Our ergonomic expert will assess the tasks an employee performs and the tools and equipment they use to complete their role. They will identify any potential hazards and make recommendations for improvements to ergonomics. These suggestions could include adjusting the height of workstations and providing an ergonomic chair, and equipment. Or improving the lighting or ventilation of the workspace.
An ergonomic assessment can include looking at:
- Body mechanics
- Risk assessment
- User-centered workspace design
- Anthropometrics (measurements of the human body)
- Posture
- Physical demands
- Psychological demands
- Design
- Environmental factors such as heat, lighting, and noise
- Systems design
Who completes an ergonomic assessment?
All of our ergonomic assessments are completed by trained and qualified professionals. Each has specialist knowledge and experience in providing ergonomic services to a range of industries and businesses. As well as making recommendations based on best practices and scientific evidence.
UK Regulations
The UK has strict health and safety regulations in place to protect employees in dangerous workplaces. These need businesses and employers to take reasonable steps to not only identify these risks. But then reduce them, and the risk they could have on the health of their employees.
By implementing ergonomic assessments, a business can ensure that they are doing what is required of them, to keep employees safe and healthy.
Reasons to provide ergonomics for Construction site workers:
- To reduce the chance of workplace injuries
Ergonomic assessments can help to reduce the risk of workplace injuries and accidents. By identifying potential hazards, and suggesting solutions on how to reduce these. This helps businesses to prevent future accidents and injuries from occurring in the first place.
- To promote health and well-being in the workplace
Assessments that look at ergonomics are designed to improve employee health and well-being. This is especially important when your industry is considered dangerous. These roles can be both physically and mentally demanding, and lead to a range of health problems. For example, musculoskeletal disorders and stress. By improving ergonomics, businesses can help to reduce the risk of these problems occurring and can promote the health and well-being of their employees.
- To improve productivity and efficiency in the workplace
When employees are working in a safe and comfortable environment, the overall productivity and efficiency of your workforce will improve. An ergonomic assessment can help to do this. For your business, this can result in increased profits and improved job satisfaction.
Ergonomics for ‘dangerous workplaces’
For businesses in the UK that operate in ‘dangerous industries’, it’s important that workplaces and employers take responsibility to ensure the health and safety of their employees.
Providing ergonomic assessments is one way in which they can meet this responsibility. By identifying potential hazards and suggesting solutions to improve ergonomics, businesses can help to reduce the risk of workplace injuries and accidents. As well as improve employee health and well-being, and increase productivity and efficiency in the workplace.
Contact Us
For more information on booking an ergonomic consultation with an expert here at Acorn Occupational Health, please get in touch. Email us at website@acornoh.co.uk or call on 01260 277797.