Companies are always looking for ways to cut costs and improve their bottom line. Many consider reducing operating budgets or cutting employee payroll, but many never think about how ergonomics could help reduce their costs. Ergonomics is the scientific study of people and their working conditions in order to improve effectiveness. By properly designing a workspace where workers can be safe and productive, companies can improve their bottom line and workplace quality.
How Ergonomics Can Improve a Company’s Financial Outlook
How could the way an office space is designed to lead to profits? It’s quite easy actually – designing a space that is geared toward employee safety leads to a reduced amount of spending on injuries in the workplace. When a company has to fork over cash for employee injuries, they have to make more sales to cover that lost money.
One of the most common worker’s compensation claims is musculoskeletal disorders (MSDS), which are injuries that affect body movement in a person. Most work-related MSDS develop over time. There is usually no single cause of MSDS, but usually, it results from various factors often work in combination. Physical causes and risk factors include:
- Handling loads, especially when bending and twisting
- Repetitive or forceful movements
- Awkward and static postures
- Vibration, poor lighting or cold working environments
- Fast-paced work
- Prolonged sitting or standing in the same position
Companies who put the priority on ergonomics can avoid these expensive worker’s compensation expenses. It also creates a safer, more productive workplace culture.
How Ergonomics Creates a Better-Quality Workplace
No one wants to go to work and face a decent chance of getting injured on the job, so an ergonomically friendly workplace improves safety and removes the thoughts in the back of workers’ heads about possibly getting hurt. When a process or an environment is not thought out, workers can physically strain themselves to the point where they are no longer as productive as usual for the rest of that day. When employees are physically exhausted, then their mental capabilities may suffer to the point where they are not thinking through their tasks and daily processes. This can lead to mistakes and injuries.
Workers will be more efficient with quality ergonomics. When workers no longer have to push themselves to their physical and mental capacities, their efficiency improves because the added physical and mental stress is no longer present. With better efficiency, companies can see greater production output and higher profits.
There are numerous benefits to customizing a workplace to be ergonomically friendly like safety, efficiency and less wasted money on worker’s compensation. Before looking into some extreme budget slashing methods, companies should start in their own work and see what kind of minor enhancements in the layout, office furniture and electronics can improve their ergonomics.
