It is thought that more than one million people throughout the UK suffer from musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) each year, due to poor ergonomics in the workplace. This costs the British economy more than £5.7 billion every year, with more than 7.5 million working days lost.
Ensuring good employee health is paramount; so when designing a work area, risk assessments should be undertaken. This ensures an ergonomic workstation, which is both good for employees’ health but also improves performance and efficiency.
When designing a work area, key factors to keep in mind are:
- The job/task being done:
- The demands on the worker (activities, workload, work pacing, shift work and fatigue).
- The equipment used (its design in terms of size, shape, controls, displays, and how appropriate it is for the task).
- The information used (how it is presented, accessed, and changed).
- The physical environment (temperature, humidity, lighting, noise, vibration).
- The individual’s physical and psychological characteristics:
- Body size and shape.
- Fitness and strength.
- The senses;vision, hearing & touch.
It is vital that businesses have personnel who have suitable training in Health & Safety and can oversee audits, assessments and risk management, ensuring the safety of the workforce.
At Fascia Graphics®, where we manufacture membrane keyboards, graphic overlays and screen printed labels, we invest heavily in staff training, ensuring that our health and safety personnel are fully equipped to carry out their job, ensuring the wellbeing of our staff. Benefits of good ergonomics include higher productivity, increased efficiency, fewer staff absences due to illness, increased motivation and improved work satisfaction in employees.
