Why Bother? Who is Ergonomics Helping Anyways?

An excerpt from the WELL Building Standard:

In 2016, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) ranked among the top drivers of global disability.(1,2) MSDs are one of the most commonly reported causes of lost or restricted work time and also contribute to absenteeism and low productivity.(3,4) Risk factors in the workplace vary by the type of tasks being performed. In manual labor work environments, risk factors include heavy lifting, bending, reaching overhead and pushing or pulling heavy objects.(4) In office settings, risk factors are no less prevalent and include workstation design that forces the body into awkward positions along with other occupational factors that expose the body to prolonged or repetitive tasks.(5)

An ideal ergonomic work environment is conducive to the necessary breadth of tasks assigned to that space, while encouraging movement through a variety of positions throughout the day. Effective ergonomic interventions to accommodate all users include both design (e.g., adjustable furniture) and programmatic (e.g., education) approaches.(6,7) Ergonomic design solutions facilitate customizability at workstations allowing users to better fit workstations to their needs. Preliminary studies have demonstrated an ROI for ergonomics interventions. One study found a return of $10 USD for every $1 USD invested. (8) A second study examining outcomes across 250 case studies found generally positive results, including a reduction in the number (49.5% across 37 studies) and cost (64.8% across 22 studies) of work-related MSDs, and also noted that the payback period was generally less than one year.(9)

References:

1. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). GBD Compare. 2015. http://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-compare.

2. Agarwal S, Steinmaus C, Harris-Adamson C. Sit-stand workstations and impact on low back discomfort: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ergonomics. 2018. doi:10.1080/00140139.2017.1402960

3. Bevan S. Economic impact of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) on work in Europe. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2015;29(3):356-373. doi:10.1016/j.berh.2015.08.002

4. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Ergonomics - Overview. https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/ergonomics/. Accessed October 31, 2017.

5. Hedge A. Ergonomic Workplace Design for Health, Wellness, and Productivity. In: Ergonomic Workplace Design for Health, Wellness, and Productivity. ; 2016:1-443. doi:10.1201/9781315374000

6. American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Canadian Standards Association. CSA Z412-2017: Office Ergonomics An Application Standard For Workplace Ergonomics. Presented at the: 2017. https://webstore.ansi.org/Standards/CSA/CSAZ4122017?gclid=CjwKCAjw_qb3BRAVEiwAvwq6Vr6zDZ6zG1pch-2J-MkwBlZnFR5bVyD9Rfd9vQIg51GY8Ua47l1U4BoCFeIQAvD_BwE.

7. U.S. General Accounting Office. Worker Protection: Private Sector Ergonomics Programs Yield Positive Results. Washington, DC; 1997. http://www.gao.gov/assets/230/224570.pdf.

8. Heller-ono A. A Prospective Study of a Macroergonomics Process over Five Years Demonstrates Significant Prevention of Workers’ Compensation Claims Resulting in Projected Savings. 2009:1-4. http://worksiteinternational.com/pdf/ODAM-NES-2014-ARH-paper-Final-Submission.pdf.

9. Goggins RW, Spielholz P, Nothstein GL. Estimating the effectiveness of ergonomics interventions through case studies: Implications for predictive cost-benefit analysis. J Safety Res. 2008;39(3):339-344. doi:10.1016/J.JSR.2007.12.006