Ergonomics Is About More Than Assessments
Sponsored by VelocityEHS.
So many people talk about ergonomics assessments that you might be forgiven for mistakenly thinking that ergonomics is entirely about assessments. The truth is that while it's important to get assessments right, most real benefits of ergonomics come from everything that happens afterward.
You may remember a classic episode of Seinfeld in which Jerry finds that the auto rental company has lost his reservation, but they claim they've done their job by taking the reservation. Jerry sets them straight, telling them, "That's really the most important part of the reservation—the holding. Anyone can just take them." Similarly, the most important part of assessments isn't the doing, it's the using. Anyone can do assessments, and unfortunately, many who do them stop there because their tools don't enable them to go any further.
How do you use your assessments to reduce musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risks and improve safety? You'll have an easier time going beyond assessments if your ergonomics software goes beyond assessments.
Are You Doing Outdated Assessments?
One reason OEHS professionals don’t get much from their assessments is that they use methods that are widely known and simple to complete but are also outdated and lack real value.
For example, many safety managers consider the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) and Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) to be easy-to-use assessment tools that provide nice, clean numbers quantifying risk level. However, these tools are based on research from the 1980s and are designed for assessments that rely on observation, resulting in oversimplification and inaccuracy. Both tools have roots in office ergonomics, which compromises their accuracy for other industries, including manufacturing and chemical environments. Some common "ergonomics apps" also just automate REBA and RULA assessments. The apps make these assessments seem advanced, but they're still relying on the same old research, delivering results with the same old problems.
Not everything that's easy to do is worth doing. Modern, purpose-built software with 3D motion capture capabilities makes the assessments worth doing easy to do. These tools enable users to record employees conducting job tasks using mobile phones. Embedded machine learning (ML) that has been trained in industrial spaces then accurately delivers an accurate risk score for actions performed in the video.
You Need Actionable Intelligence
Make sure your ergonomics software facilitates the collection and management of many data points to produce more reliable results. Remember that not all ML is created equal; for example, some ML simply crowdsources feedback from unverified sources. The best software has embedded expertise from certified professional ergonomists (CPEs) on causes and controls, informing your root-cause analysis and facilitating the selection of corrective actions and associated controls. Color-coded AI-driven risk scoring enables quick prioritization of identified MSD risks so you can easily use your ergonomics assessments to improve workplace safety.
Improve Accessibility and Engagement
Critical to an effective ergonomics process is the ability to track your progress and identify risks—not only in one specific job, but in jobs across your facility and even in different locations. Ergonomics software can facilitate the creation of easy-to-understand reports, including the essential details of MSD risks, controls, improvements, trends, and other key performance indicators to help ergonomics teams communicate the value of your program to management. You should also have training tools to increase and reinforce team knowledge and skills.
Remember, the most important part of ergonomics assessments isn't the doing—it's the using.
Learn more about the crucial elements you need to manage all the parts of an ergonomics process, from accurate assessments to successful MSD risk reduction.
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