The Importance of Ergonomics

Many work tasks were designed without human capabilities in mind. Ergonomics bridges the gap, better fitting work to people. The objective of ergonomics is twofold: Preventing injuries and maximizing performance.

By lowering the risk of injury, ergonomics programs reduce the pain and discomfort that employees experience, help prevent lost-time injuries, reduce the occurrence of workers' compensation claims, and help employees stay at work.

From an efficiency perspective, ergonomics benefits both companies and employees. By reducing motions that do not add any value, ergonomic systems and devices help workers accomplish tasks faster and potentially at a higher level of quality. Ergonomics also helps workers achieve greater internal productivity - the same amount of work with less effort.

In the process of developing its guidelines, OSHA visited shipyards that had implemented ergonomic solutions and achieved success in reducing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Researchers found that providing a safer and more comfortable work environment also resulted in additional benefits, including reduced absenteeism, increased efficiency and productivity, decreased fatigue, and higher employee morale.

To learn more about Ergonomics visit our Shipyard Ergonomics Online Training web page.