How to Build a Successful, Sustainable Ergonomic Team

Workplace injuries and their associated costs particularly are burdensome as their impacts are wide ranging. For businesses, the impacts are experienced in areas of finance, productivity, competitiveness and employee morale. For workers, household finances and quality of life are affected. In 2011, and in the next two decades, these impacts have the potential to be greatly magnified as an increasing number of America's baby boomers approach retirement age.

In this day and age, many organizations go to great lengths to reduce workplace risk, prevent injuries and promote safety and awareness. The cost of not doing so simply has become too great.

There are many areas in which safety efforts are focused. Among them are the establishment of company-specific safety procedures and protocols, education, employee wellness and ergonomics. Accordingly, it is my experience that all workplace injuries ultimately are the result of a breakdown in what is called the “BEEA+ Paradigm” that consists of the following four key areas: biophysics, ergonomics, education and awareness. It is the last of these areas, ergonomics, on which I will focus here.

The sheer scope and breadth of ergonomics as a concept can be daunting for an organization trying to create an ergonomic program. Whether it's for office ergonomics or for ergonomics in the industrial setting, there are several components — leadership, team, sustainability, data management and management support — that are critical to your ergonomics program being successful.

While contracting with outside ergonomic consultants often is the best path to get your ergonomics program off the ground, allowing them to coach from afar as needed, you may find that dependence on them for the long term proves to be unnecessary and cost prohibitive. It also is my experience that the best ergonomic teams often are the ones consisting of companies' own employees. After all, who better to identify the risks in a given work environment than the very employees who work there?

LEADERSHIP

First and foremost, a leader for your ergonomic team must be selected. Without a leader, it can be very difficult for decisions to be made and for your ergonomic team to be effective in its mission.

Nomination of your leader must be a function of his or her willingness to accept this role and leadership ability. However, willingness and ability are not the only characteristics your leader will need. Ideally, he or she also should possess some experience in safety or ergonomics.

However, since having personnel with such experience not always is possible for every organization intent on having an ergonomics program, there is the option of contracting with outside ergonomics professionals to train your designated leader. Your leader then can function as the trainer for the members of your ergonomic team.

TEAM

As mentioned above, it often is best to recruit an ergonomic team from among your own ranks. As is the case with selecting your team leader, your team members also should be willing participants who want to have a stake in the team's mission and success.

Your team ultimately should consist of various employee classifications as well: hourly vs. salaried, union vs. non-union and office vs. shop floor workers. Workers from various departments should be represented as well, because with a spectrum of employees on the team, everybody's paradigms and contributions to group discussions are represented.

As it relates to team members participating and contributing, the group ultimately must be a “safe” place where members can speak freely and respectfully, without concern for sensitive issues communicated. If there is a perception that there are consequences for speaking openly, meaningful discussion will be stymied and opportunities will be missed to reduce ergonomic risk.

SUSTAINABILITY

For your ergonomics program to be effective over the long term, its vision, purpose and processes must be well defined and sustainable. Perhaps easiest to develop are the vision and purpose of the program. It is the processes that will require more up-front effort to create, though doing so will pay dividends in the long run as far as sustainability of your program.