Ergonomic Risk Assessment Services
An ergonomic risk assessment examines how a task is performed and identifies the physical factors that may contribute to discomfort, fatigue or work-related musculoskeletal problems. Rather than looking at one element in isolation, the assessment considers the worker, the task, the equipment, the environment and the way the work is organised.
Ergo Global carries out ergonomic risk assessments for organisations that need a clear, practical understanding of where risk is coming from and what to change. Assessments can be used for an individual task, a group of similar jobs, a production process or a set of priority roles identified through a wider ergonomic audit.
When an Ergonomic Risk Assessment Is Useful
Employees report recurring discomfort or fatigue;
A task involves repeated bending, reaching, twisting or overhead work;
Manual handling is frequent or difficult;
Production or workflow changes have altered physical demands;
A new workstation, machine or process is being introduced;
Health and safety teams need evidence to prioritise controls;
Injury or absence data points to a particular role or task;
Management wants to validate whether an existing control is effective.
What We Look At
The assessment is tailored to the work being performed. Common risk factors include posture, repetition, force, task duration, frequency, load position, grip, reach distance, workstation dimensions, working height, static loading and recovery time. We also look at how materials move through the task, whether the worker can adjust the setup, and whether the process creates avoidable exposure.
Where the job involves multiple risk factors, the ergonomist may use more than one assessment method. A score is useful only when it reflects the real task and leads to practical decisions.
Our Assessment Process
1. Scope the concern.
We identify the task, roles, locations and reason for assessment.
2. Observe the work.
We review how the task is actually completed rather than relying only on written procedures.
3. Identify risk factors.
We document posture, force, repetition, manual handling, task duration and other relevant exposures.
4. Select the right method.
Depending on the task, this may include RULA, REBA, manual-handling tools, the NIOSH Lifting Equation or a structured professional analysis.
5. Prioritise findings.
We distinguish higher-priority risks from lower-priority improvement opportunities.
6. Recommend controls.
We provide practical actions covering equipment, layout, process, work method, training or further specialist review.
7. Reassess where needed.
After significant changes, the task can be reviewed again to confirm whether exposure has been reduced.
RULA, REBA and Other Assessment Methods
What You Receive
A clear description of the task and risk factors;
Assessment findings and, where relevant, method scores;
Risk prioritisation
Practical corrective actions;
Recommendations for workstation, equipment, process or work-practice changes;
Training or education recommendations where appropriate;
A basis for follow-up and reassessment.
What Happens After an Ergonomic Risk Assessment?
After an ergonomic risk assessment, the findings are translated into prioritised actions so that the most significant risks can be addressed first. Recommendations may include engineering or layout changes, workstation or equipment adjustments, task-design changes and other practical controls.
Where permanent changes cannot be implemented immediately, interim controls may be identified. Responsibilities and action owners can also be defined so that recommendations have clear ownership and can be followed through.
Implementation support and reassessment can then be used to check whether the recommended controls are working as intended and whether further improvements are required. The assessment therefore provides a practical decision and action framework rather than simply producing a risk score.
This helps organisations track progress, confirm accountability and decide whether additional assessment or further control measures are necessary.
Risk Assessment vs Ergonomic Audit
An ergonomic risk assessment is normally task-specific. If you need to understand risk across a whole facility, department or programme, an ergonomic audit is the better starting point. The audit identifies where deeper assessment should be focused.
A risk assessment is most appropriate when a particular task, workstation or exposure has already been identified and needs detailed analysis. It can examine factors such as posture, force, repetition, manual handling and task design, then define practical controls for that specific activity. An ergonomic audit takes a broader view, reviewing multiple work areas, departments or sites to identify recurring concerns and rank priorities. The audit can then determine which tasks require more detailed assessment, helping organisations focus resources on the areas where further investigation and improvement are most valuable.
Industrial and Multi-Site Programmes
Risk assessments can be delivered as one-off projects or as part of a wider industrial ergonomics programme. For multi-site organisations, a common assessment framework helps teams prioritise comparable risks across locations while still allowing for local task and regulatory differences.
Explore our industrial ergonomics services across key markets.
Talk to an Ergonomist
If you already know the task causing concern, send us a short description of the work, the location and the reason for the review. We can help determine whether a focused risk assessment, RULA, REBA, lifting analysis or wider audit is the right next step.
