Ergonomic devices are pieces of equipment, modifications to plant, and assets that are purchased with the goal of improving the human-environment-task fit relationship. It should be noted that just because something is adjustable or can be modified, it is not necessarily any more or less ergonomic than another device which is not adjustable. Everything used by, given to, and designed for humans are made with human use capacities in mind and in the awareness of the limitations of the human body, the mind, and the demands imposed on that body by tasks. Where the demands of tasks imposed on workers exceeds their capacities, either intensely over a short period or on a sustained basis over a longer period, the likelihood of an error, incident, or adverse outcome increases. Ergonomic devices are designed to ease that relationship, making postures easier to maintain, relieving stress on workers' limbs, or mitigating the transferred force of vibration, shock, heat, or other exposures to a worker's body (Odebiyi & Okafor, 2023). Not all ergonomic devices are situationally appropriate, and so the selection of ergonomic devices should be undertaken following worker and task assessment.
Stereotypical ergonomic devices in workplace settings are those used for seated desks to facilitate comfort and minimise strain (Chandra et. al., 2009). Chairs that are advertised as ergonomic have the ability to raise and lower the height of the seat pan on which a worker sits, adjust the concomitant tilt of the chair's back, to raise or lower the heights of the arms of the chair and to translate the arms closer toward or further away from the chair midline. All of these adjustments can be made to facilitate the seated comfort of the worker before work even begins. While desks can be raised, lowered, or moved closer to or further away from workers, where monitors can be raised, lowered, or moved through all three axes if mounted on a boom arm, and where keyboards, mice, and peripherals can be moved, all of these are adjustments facilitated by the ergonomy of the working assets. In addition to these basic instruments, gel pads of wrist support, cushions for the hips, thighs, and back, braces for the wrist, tilt pads for keyboards, lightscreens for monitors, and any number of other extra plant can be purchased to facilitate workers' comfort.
Ergonomic devices are things that remove or minimise the load imposed on workers so that they may continue doing their work (MacLeod, 1994). An example of this in a non-office setting is the use of mobile jib cranes or man-portable backpack winches to hold and align power tools and plant that would otherwise be held by hand and impose a significant strain on a worker's body, removing the need to use force for manual handling and allowing the worker to concentrate on tool direction and otherwise safe use. Taking this broad definition, ergonomic devices are those tools, plant, and assets that can be used to transform the direction of force and exposure or otherwise facilitate decreased demand on the worker. An engine stand into which a block is screwed so that it can be rotated along its crank axis and worked on is another example of an ergonomic tool that allows the task to be done safely and well. The more a device affords the user the opportunity to use that device in an appropriate manner that decreases the demand to which they are exposed, the better that device can facilitate the fit of the worker with their job, ensuring their successful, sustainable, and supported participation in their duties of work.
Ergonomic devices should be selected appropriately with due consideration of the task being done, the limitations of the worker, and the means used to bridge the two. This is important because the selection of ergonomic devices specific to a worker's needs may not be appropriate to address the needs of other workers, and consequently may disadvantage the fit of those workers (Adiga, 2023). Where workers are using pieces of ergonomic equipment that are provided generally for workplaces such as stock risers, standing desks and chairs bought in bulk, or are using these devices in ways that are generally instructed and not specifically guided, problems like muscular strain, concentration deficits, stress, and generalised discomfort may arise. These issues may also arise during hotdesking situations where the provision of ergonomic furniture and devices to meet the postural and general needs of a workforce may be done proactively, but without the tools to support independent and safe use, those workers may experience more problems if needed to repeatedly readjust and realign their working setups. For this reason and others, the selection of ergonomic devices should be undertaken by an appropriately qualified professional, using a standardised rationale, and be reviewed for effectiveness.
Each workplace is different, with different demands, methods of business, and is staffed by people whose capacities, needs, and risk profiles are different. Managing ergonomic, environmental, and occupational health and safety challenges requires a business to examine and engage with the ecosystem of factors that give rise to risk, and how that risk may affect people. Each workplace is different and so sometimes the same problem will require different solutions. This applies to workers as well - every person is different and so may require different support, supervision, or resources to perform comfortably and sustainably. Under Work Health and Safety law, consultation with the workforce, the control of risk as far as is reasonably practicable, and the provision of information, training, instruction and support to the worker by the workplace, is essential to meet obligations to provide workers with a workplace that is as free of risk as far is reasonably practicable.
In our capacity as consultants, Atlas Physio will explore and scope the business and its needs, examining how exposures, risks, and processes contribute to the hazard ecosystem, best inform the design and arrangement of procedural, policy-based, and practical risk controls. Our solutions are tailored to the needs of those with whom we work, implemented in a simple, sustainable, and supportive fashion, designed to be robust and resilient, and to support the ongoing life of the business as well as the sustainable wellbeing of the workers who undertake the day to day activities of work.
At Atlas Physio, we provide reporting, structured control, and ongoing management of risk onsite, on the road, and wherever work is done. We are open seven days a week, and are happy to offer a brief complimentary discussion to explore the needs of your business and your workers if you are an employer, and your needs if you are a worker. Reach out today to arrange a discussion and take the first step toward managing risk and working safely, supported by expertise that is practical, reliable, and designed to deliver lasting results.
References
Adiga, U. (2023). Enhancing occupational health and ergonomics for optimal workplace well-being: a review. International Journal of Chemical and Biochemical Sciences, 24(4), 157-164.
Chandra, A., Chandna, P., Deswal, S., & Kumar, R. (2009, March). Ergonomics in the office environment: a review. In Proceedings of the international Conference of Energy and Environment. Chandigarh, Haryana, India (Vol. 7).
MacLeod, D. (1994). The ergonomics edge: improving safety, quality, and productivity. John Wiley & Sons.
Odebiyi, D. O., & Okafor, U. A. C. (2023). Musculoskeletal disorders, workplace ergonomics and injury prevention. In Ergonomics-new insights. IntechOpen.