1. Focusing on treatment rather than prevention.
Sure, it’s a good thing to have a plan in place in case of injury, but it’s even better to focus on preventing those injuries in the first place. Making upfront investments in things like ergonomic keyboards, for example, will more than pay for themselves in the long run, as they’ll lower both workers compensation claims and absenteeism rates.
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2. Not enough buy-in.
If only one or two people in the company support an ergonomic program, it ultimately won’t be sustainable. Support from the executive suite down is crucial in developing a customized ergonomic plan that’s right for that specific organization, and ensuring that it’s actually implemented.
3. A narrow view.
Ergonomics isn’t just an issue for safety specialists, but is a complex discipline, touching the areas of engineering, design, behavioral psychology and more. Understanding these many facets is key to finding effective ergonomic solutions.
4. Relying solely on ergonomic checklists.
While these will ensure you’re generally hitting certain key areas, it’s important to dig deeper than the checklist itself to the root causes each line item represents.
5. Checking back in.
Ergonomics is not about “setting and forgetting it.” You’ll need to make constant readjustments to fit behavioral and environmental changes. You’ll also want to continually reassess each ergonomic strategy to ensure it’s having its intended effect.
There’s much more to ergonomics than just this. For more on this subject, we highly recommend watching this excellent video from HumanTech, Five Mistakes Companies Make With Ergonomics.
What common ergonomic mistakes do you see your company make? Let us know in the comments below.
