Ergonomics is a science-based discipline concerned with designing and arranging things that humans commonly use to improve their interactions with these objects. The concept of ergonomics can be seen everywhere. For instance, the design of a baseball bat follows the concept of ergonomics. The width of its grip allows a player to hold it with ease while the knob at the end of the bat ensures that it doesn’t slip off the player’s hand.

Some may think that the word “ergonomics” is just a marketing buzzword. But it’s actually a very important aspect in a workplace. And business owners need to pay more attention to it.

One thing that employers can do is to conduct ergonomics training or seminar for their employees.

What to Teach Employees

In the ergonomics seminar, employees should be taught how to optimize their workspace based on their needs and preferences. For example, an ergonomics expert can teach employees the right way to position their keyboards, monitors, mice, and phones in their workstations.

Employees should also be introduced to issues that may arise due to poor ergonomics. Doing so will emphasize not just the importance of ergonomics. It will also help employees see the value of the seminar they’re required to take, even though they’re probably not interested in it in the first place.

Benefits of Ergonomics Training

Boost Productivity

When employees know how to set up an ergonomic workspace, they can become more productive since they can work efficiently.

Say an employee adjusts the lumbar support of their office chair. The proper lumbar support configuration will help the employee improve their posture so that they can work at their desk for a longer period without feeling back pain. Also, putting the employee’s most used office tools nearby will be helpful. The fewer reach enables the employee to grab their needed tools with fewer motions and shorter time.

Decrease Risk of Injury

Office employees are at risk of developing workplace-related injuries without proper ergonomics. Some of the most common injuries are the following:

• Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

  Employees who work desk jobs are more prone to these disorders. Awkward postures, wrong position of arms and wrists during typing, and repetitive movements can cause MSDs. Some of the most common that occur among office employees include carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, and rotary cuff injuries, among others. In 2013, MSDs accounted for 33 percent of all worker injury cases.

• Back pain injuries.

  This is another common work-related injury that affects many employees yearly. Sitting with an awkward posture can lead to back pains.

If companies teach ergonomics to their employees, they’ll be able to make the necessary adjustments in their workspace to prevent these injuries and perform better at work.

Employees will know that they need to get up at least every 30 minutes to stretch and move around so that they don’t injure themselves. They’ll also know how to adjust the positioning of their workspace equipment to improve their workflow.

Reduce Absenteeism

Ergonomics can improve the work environment in any workplace. So employees will be more motivated to show up at work.

Also, the proper implementation of ergonomics can reduce the physical pain that employees may experience while at work. As a result, they are less likely to claim absences due to ergonomics-related injuries, like those mentioned above.

Save Money

All business owners want to save money as much as possible. This is why they consult experts to find out if and how they can claim capital allowances on their commercial real estate assets, business equipment, and other business-related expenses.

Lucky for them, business owners can save a lot of money by teaching employees about ergonomics. For example, since proper ergonomics can reduce employees’ risk of work-related injuries, business owners will spend less on workers’ compensation.

Improve Employee Morale

When employees are given free learning opportunities, they will feel valued by their employers. As such, providing ergonomics training can help boost employee morale. And when employees are happy at work, they will improve their work performance.

In addition, improved employee morale can increase retention rates. This, in turn, has many benefits of its own. When employees stay with the same company for a long time, then the company can reap the benefits of all the money and time invested into training their employees. This is because they apply their expertise to their current role.

Training programs for employees don’t always have to be about upskilling and reskilling. They should also be trained on how to keep themselves safe in the workplace. And this can be done in the form of ergonomics training.