Table of contents:
2. What is an ergonomic assessment?
3. What is an ergonomic assessment checklist?
4. What does an ergonomics assessment checklist include?
4.1 Office ergonomics checklist
4.2 Industrial ergonomics checklist
4.3 Workstation self-assessment checklist
5. The importance of ergonomics assessment checklists
5.3 Identification of risk factors
5.4 Consistency and replicability
5.5 Documentation and follow-up
6. Boosting workplace comfort with an ergonomics assessment checklist
What if a simple checklist could transform your workplace and propel your business forward? It might sound bold, but that’s precisely what an ergonomics assessment checklist can do. By using this game-changing tool, you can create an environment that prioritises employee well-being, maximises efficiency, and cuts down on costly workers’ compensation claims.
This post explores what an ergonomic assessment is, why checklists matter, and how they help you spot and address hidden risks that lead to workplace injuries.
What Is an Ergonomics Assessment?
An ergonomic assessment refers to the process of evaluating and analysing the design of work environments, tasks, and equipment to ensure they are optimised for your employees’ well-being, comfort, and productivity.
You implement ergonomic testing to identify potential risks and make adjustments to prevent musculoskeletal disorders and other work-related injuries your employees might acquire. With the help of checklists, the assessment can be conducted efficiently and systematically.
Explore our informative blog for a deeper understanding of ergonomic assessment and its significance in optimising work environments.
What Is an Ergonomics Assessment Checklist?
An ergonomics assessment checklist is a comprehensive tool for evaluating various aspects of a work environment, tasks, and equipment. It typically consists of a series of items or questions that guide the assessment process.
A well-structured checklist typically includes items about:
- Workstation design (e.g., adjustable chairs supporting feet flat on the floor)
- Equipment adjustability (e.g., monitors at eye level)
- Posture (e.g., neutral wrist positioning)
- Lighting (e.g., glare-free illumination)
- Workplace noise
- Task variety
With an ergonomic evaluation checklist, you can systematically evaluate these factors by pinpointing areas that require improvement and implementing appropriate solutions. Our expertise can also help you evaluate your employees’ workplace through a personalised ergonomics assessment. Don’t hesitate to consult us about our ErgoEval Tool. It’s a platform for workplace ergonomics self-assessment.
As per the research of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), an ergonomic audit reduces workplace injuries and improves employee well-being. With it, you can infer that checklists are essential in identifying and mitigating risks associated with overexertion, repeated movements, and awkward body postures, which account for approximately 34% of nonfatal injuries and illnesses in the US private industry.
Now that you know the remarkable impact a questionnaire can have on employee wellness and productivity, brace yourself for another interesting revelation. As an employer, you can reap significant benefits from utilising checklists as well!
Among the 231 financial executives and managers surveyed, most acknowledged the importance of safety measures, with 87% expressing confidence that investments in risk assessment would yield a positive return on investment (ROI).
The respondents estimated that an extra $2.12 would be incurred in indirect costs for each dollar spent on direct costs. These indirect costs include workplace disruptions, reduced productivity, employee turnover, training for new staff, and increased insurance premiums.
What Does an Ergonomics Assessment Checklist Include?
Depending on the specific environment and the tasks being performed, an ergonomics assessment checklist can encompass a wide range of components to evaluate and enhance the comfort, safety, and efficiency of a workstation, office, or industrial setting.
Different checklists are designed to identify potential risks and areas of improvement, ensuring that employees can work comfortably and effectively while minimising the likelihood of injuries or strain.
Here’s a quick starter checklist you can adapt:
- Chair: Adjustable height, lumbar support (Y/N)?
- Monitor: Top of screen at eye level (Y/N)?
- Keyboard: Wrists straight while typing (Y/N)?
- Lighting: No glare on screen (Y/N)?
- Breaks: 5-minute stretch every hour (Y/N)?
By considering these factors, you can discover what needs to be included in the checklist to ensure it covers all the essential aspects.
Below are the different types of checklists that help assess workplace ergonomics.
Office ergonomics checklist
Have you ever wondered about the factors contributing to a comfortable and productive office environment? Well, that’s where an office ergonomic checklist comes into play! It’s a handy tool to assess various office aspects beyond individual workstations. From the design of the office space to the lighting, ventilation, and noise levels, an office ergonomic checklist helps identify areas that may need improvement.
Industrial ergonomics checklist
For your workers in the industrial setting, the checklist covers various factors like equipment design, task demands, manual handling procedures, work environment, and employee training. Remember that this is different from other types of workplaces as it involves special tools and has a higher risk of both musculoskeletal and severe injuries. So if you’re an employer who runs a warehouse or factory, creating a safer workplace and preventing those injuries is within your reach through an efficient industrial assessment checklist.
Workstation self-assessment checklist
We have another question for you: as an employer, how can you empower your employees to take control of their own ergonomic well-being? That’s where this type of survey is needed. A workstation ergonomics assessment checklist enables your employees to evaluate their own workstations. From ensuring proper chair adjustments to evaluating desk height, monitor placement, keyboard positioning, and more, this questionnaire covers all the essentials for creating a healthy and safe workstation for your staff.
Ergonomic analysis of a workstation, an office, or an industrial setting should never follow a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, they must be tailored to meet EACH employee’s unique needs and requirements. When you implement an ergonomic assessment in your employees’ workplace, the checklists you will use should consider individual factors like height, body proportions, physical abilities, and any existing health conditions.
The Importance of Ergonomics Assessment Checklists
You might wonder: “What if I skip the checklist step when conducting ergonomic assessments?”
If you don’t use a checklist, you may encounter increased workplace disruptions, reduced productivity, employee turnover, and augmented insurance premiums. It may also mean you are not utilising employee data effectively, which can lead to a lack of personalised HR services and negatively impact employee satisfaction. What’s worse is that you might fail to offer your staff an environment that meets ergonomic standards.
Standardised checklists will help to develop an ergonomic implementation program for your employees. After all, the program is based on the results of the assessment.
Here are the benefits of using an ergonomic assessment survey:
Standardisation
It refers to the establishment of a uniform set of guidelines and criteria for conducting ergonomic assessments. Standardisation helps you ensure all workstations and work environments are evaluated consistently and fairly, making it easier to identify areas for improvement and implement best practices across the organisation.
Holistic evaluation
A holistic evaluation involves considering all aspects of the work environment, such as physical, cognitive, and organisation factors. It helps you find potential problems that are easy to miss if you only focus on one part at a time.
Identification of risk factors
Ergonomic assessment checklists are designed to identify risk factors that could lead to injuries or discomfort for employees. By naming these risks early on, you can take proactive steps to address them, reducing the likelihood of long-term problems and promoting a healthier, safer workplace.
Consistency and replicability
Utilising ergonomics assessment checklists ensures consistency in the evaluation process and makes it easily replicable across different workstations, departments, or locations. This allows for more effective comparisons and benchmarking, helping you identify trends, track progress, and implement targeted improvements.
Documentation and follow-up
The checklists will help you keep track of your findings, suggestions, and plans in an organised way, facilitating the generation of a comprehensive report after the ergonomic assessment. It’s essential to have this report analysed by a professional ergonomist, as their expertise enables them to effectively identify potential risk points and provide valuable recommendations for improvement. To ensure your workplace is optimised for safety and productivity, take the next step with our professional service, Ergonomic Risk Management. The checklists will also make it easy for you to look back at previous assessments and follow up on the changes you have made. Thus, you can ensure the assessment and modifications are actually improving employee safety, comfort, and productivity.
Of course, it’s not just about your employees’ safety. You should also consider their wellness. If you’re curious about it, check out our blog about employee wellness programs to know their benefits and considerations as you conduct them.
Boosting Workplace Comfort with an Ergonomics Assessment Checklist
An ergonomics assessment checklist is a comprehensive tool that evaluates various aspects of your employees’ work environment, tasks, and equipment.
Also, remember there are various types of ergonomics assessment checklists for various work environments. An office ergonomics checklist helps create a comfortable and productive office by evaluating aspects like office design, lighting, ventilation, and noise levels. An industrial ergonomics checklist focuses on equipment design, task demands, manual handling procedures, work environment, and employee training in warehouses or factories where there’s a higher risk of severe injuries. Then there’s the ergonomic checklist for workstations that allow employees to evaluate their ergonomic well-being by evaluating their workstations, including chair adjustments, desk height, monitor placement, and keyboard positioning.
If you seek a positive ROI, utilise surveys as you conduct ergonomics assessments to identify and address potential ergonomic hazards and risk factors that may lead to work-related injuries and decreased productivity. Investing in comprehensive ergonomics assessment checklists is a strategic move that not only ensures a healthier workforce but also contributes to a more profitable and sustainable business.
Contact us to learn about our ErgoEval Tool. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to take your workplace’s comfort and productivity to the next level!
