How Workplace Ergonomics Drive Productivity Across Every Industry
Want higher output for every hour worked WITHOUT burning your people out?
Workspace ergonomics is one of the easiest ways to boost productivity across any industry. Whether you work from an office cubicle or a warehouse pallet rack… Warehouse, assembly line, break room or driver command center… Getting ergonomics right changes everything.
It…
- Stops injuries before they happen
- Saves you money
- Makes your teams go faster & happier
Here’s how…
What you’ll learn:
- What Is Workspace Ergonomics (And Why Does It Matter?)
- The Real Cost Of Ignoring Ergonomics
- How Ergonomics Improves Productivity In Every Industry
- Simple Ergonomic Wins Every Business Can Make Today
What Is Workspace Ergonomics (And Why Does It Matter)?
When people think of workspace ergonomics they typically picture the white-collar industry. Desk job workers hunched over poorly constructed office chairs.
Workspace ergonomics is simply the science of designing a workspace to better suit the needs of the people in it.
That means chairs, desks, tools, equipment and yes… even lighting. When everything is adjusted to allow workers to do their jobs safely and comfortably… productivity just happens.
Workstation design can be applied everywhere. Healthcare, mechanics, manufacturing… You name it. These ergonomic tips for mobile command vehicles are a great example of how workspace ergonomics applies even in high-pressure mobile environments.
Pretending you don’t “need” ergonomics because you don’t work in an office is ignoring the cost of rapidly growing employee fatigue and lost productivity. Not to mention injuries and workers compensation claims.
Ergonomics isn’t about making people comfortable. It’s about maximizing productivity.
The Real Cost Of Ignoring Ergonomics
Sure ergonomic workspace equipment can be expensive. But the reality is that poor ergonomics is costing businesses billions of dollars each year.
Did you know musculoskeletal disorders (or MSD’s) are the cause of over one MILLION worker injuries every year in the United States?
And while $20 Billion might not sound like a lot of money to a Fortune 500 company. It is the estimated DIRECT cost of workplace MSD’s to businesses annually.
What most people don’t realize is that every injury carries with it hidden costs. Costs that are nearly 5x more than the injury itself.
These indirect costs come from lost productivity, training replacement workers, overtime pay and more. A SINGLE incident can cost a company tens of thousands of dollars.
Ignoring Ergonomics isn’t saving you money. It’s costing you way more than you think.
How Ergonomics Helps Productivity In Every Industry
The great thing about workplace ergonomics is that when you do it right… YOU GET RESULTS.
One study done by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries concluded that businesses who took the time to implement ergonomic solutions actually saw a 25% increase in productivity throughout their company.
Employee turnover also reduced by 48% and employees taking days off decreased by 58%.
This isn’t an anomaly either. Ergonomics WILL increase productivity if you let it.
There are many reasons why ergonomic workspaces equal more productivity but here are a few of the biggest reasons…
- Less Fatigue. People working in ergonomically friendly environments experience less fatigue. Less fatigue = less mistakes. Work gets done faster and there is more consistency in work production throughout the day.
- Less injuries. Less injuries = less time off and less money spent on finding and training new employees to fill their spot. Your team stays intact and experienced workers stay productive.
- Better Morale. When companies make an effort to keep their workspace comfortable and safe, employees take notice. Morale increases. Workplace Engagement increases. Which leads to…. You guessed it. More productivity.
Office Worker…. Construction Worker…. Factory Worker…. Programmers….
No matter the industry, ergonomics will help increase productivity.
Ergonomics Can Mean LIFE OR DEATH
While ergonomics is just as important for an office worker as it is for a factory worker. Some industries have different ergonomic dangers than others.
Let’s take warehouse workers for example. They often lift heavy objects all day. Sometimes with faulty equipment. Which places extreme strain on their body.
Now compare that to someone who works in healthcare. They might be sitting or standing in the same position for hours on end.
Both of these work environments can cause extreme injuries to employees. But rather than hurting their back, lifting something heavy… Hospital workers could be putting their lives at risk by not having a proper workstation.
An example of proper workstation ergonomics for hospital workers would be raising shelves so they don’t always have to bend over to retrieve items. This places less strain on their back.
When you take into account how severe of an injury hospital workers could face… it’s easy to see how important ergonomics are for every single industry.
Simple Ergonomic Wins Every Business Can Make Today
The beauty of workspace ergonomics is that you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to make improvements. In fact, many of the things that will have the biggest impact can be done RIGHT NOW.
Do an Assessment. Take a look around at how your employees are working. What motions are they repeating? Are they lifting heavy objects without lifting assists? Once you know what you are looking for you can start to see where you can make improvements.
Fit the workspace to the worker. Height adjustable desks, monitor stands, supportive chairs and correct tooling are just a few ways you can adjust a workspace to make your employees more efficient.
Training. Teach your employees how to use the correct equipment and how to identify the early signs of fatigue and strain. A short training session can eliminate future injuries.
Invest in Proper Equipment. Purchasing items such as Anti-fatigue mats, ergonomic hand tools, lifting assists and better lighting can seem like a lot of upfront money. But when you experience the drop in injuries and increase in productivity… You’ll know your investment was worth it.
Continuously improve. As your business grows and changes, so should your ergonomics. Continually make improvements to your workspace and watch your productivity soar.
Its that easy!
Wrapping Up
Workspace Ergonomics is here to stay. Companies large and small are seeing the benefits of ergonomics every day. Not only does it help boost productivity, it helps companies save money and prevent injuries.
To summarize…
- Ignoring Ergonomics is costing businesses billions of dollars each year
- Proper Ergonomics can increase productivity by 25%
- Ergonomics will help your company no matter the industry
- There are changes that can be made today to start seeing improvements
- Ergonomics is not a one-time fix. You need to continually find ways to improve
Businesses that understand how important ergonomics are to their employees’ productivity will leave the companies that don’t understand far behind.
The workspace you provide for your employees shapes how they work. Ensure your workspace is working for you.
