How to save $4 for every $1 spent!
This recent article is very good news for all of us interested in ergonomics and helping out our workers.
How ergonomics improves the bottom lineOne study found that every dollar invested in an ergonomics program resulted in $4 in savings
By Mike Kind
Friday, November 21, 2008
Most ergonomic investments in organizations are initiated out of necessity.For instance, when an employee begins to experience physical symptoms that are directly attributable to the work environment and a workers’ compensation claim is filed, it is then up to the company to immediately address the issue and provide a suitable course of action. This is commonly referred to as an ergonomic intervention. While such interventions primarily occurred in manufacturing, with the proliferation of computers, the trend has changed dramatically. In fact, in a study of computer users reported in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, over half of employees who use computers for at least 15 hours per week reported musculoskeletal disorder issues in the first year of a new job. Of course, not all of these individuals file claims – it is merely an indicator of the potential problem. And as claims are filed, an organization’s workers’ compensation premium increases immediately upon renewal. It then takes a three-year history of reductions in claims for the rate to drop. One costly incident within the organization can precipitate this. This is known as the company’s workers’ compensation experience modification factor, or mod rate.While implementing an ergonomics program is not a guarantee that no injuries will occur, proper communication and training of the company’s workforce will significantly mitigate the risk. Many of the companies we work with adopted an ergonomics program after they saw their mod rate rise – in many cases, by more than double, and in some instances they were faced with being dropped by their carriers. Overall reductions of 50 percent were commonplace.In one client research study, it was determined that for every dollar invested in an ergonomics program, $4 in cost savings were achieved.Once mod rates dropped and rates were reduced, these organizations realized the benefits these initiatives brought to their bottom line in reduced costs, coupled with the improvement of worker well-being and productivity. Many of these companies began implementing proactive ergonomics initiatives.
Making it happen
The most successful results have been achieved when:• Top management embraces the program, and it becomes part of the corporate culture.• Goals for the program are established and results are measured.• A “champion” is assigned to carry out the initiative, since the most critical components are education, training and leadership. If the organization is large enough, committees are established to facilitate the execution of the initiatives. Some of the initiatives undertaken by successful companies include:• Conducting workplace assessments within the first couple of weeks of a new hire, including ensuring that the employee is properly aligned in his or her chair and is instructed on how to properly use it and making an assessment of the workspace to ensure that all of tools are properly positioned and laid out for maximum comfort and efficiency.• Establishing a corporate-wide stretching and exercise program that requires participation of all employees.• Creating a wellness-based focus in the organization — something that is becoming increasingly popular among health insurers. The focus could include training classes on wellness, scheduling a health screening day, stocking healthier snacks and beverages in vending machines and offering discounts for gym membership.• Creating a “fun” program in which employees are compensated for participating in exercise based activities.A word of caution: When organizations begin embracing an emphasis on workplace safety, in some instances they can initially observe an increase in incident reports. This can occur because, as individuals are educated on symptomatic causes, they gain an understanding of what has been creating specific health-related issues they have been having. Such scenarios are usually short-lived if the incidents are proactively addressed, and they will ultimately lead to a dramatic reduction of incidents. More importantly, it significantly reduces the potential of a costly claim to the organization.
Contact us at sales@ergonomicpartners.com for help with your ergonomics issues
How ergonomics improves the bottom lineOne study found that every dollar invested in an ergonomics program resulted in $4 in savings
By Mike Kind
Friday, November 21, 2008
Most ergonomic investments in organizations are initiated out of necessity.For instance, when an employee begins to experience physical symptoms that are directly attributable to the work environment and a workers’ compensation claim is filed, it is then up to the company to immediately address the issue and provide a suitable course of action. This is commonly referred to as an ergonomic intervention. While such interventions primarily occurred in manufacturing, with the proliferation of computers, the trend has changed dramatically. In fact, in a study of computer users reported in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, over half of employees who use computers for at least 15 hours per week reported musculoskeletal disorder issues in the first year of a new job. Of course, not all of these individuals file claims – it is merely an indicator of the potential problem. And as claims are filed, an organization’s workers’ compensation premium increases immediately upon renewal. It then takes a three-year history of reductions in claims for the rate to drop. One costly incident within the organization can precipitate this. This is known as the company’s workers’ compensation experience modification factor, or mod rate.While implementing an ergonomics program is not a guarantee that no injuries will occur, proper communication and training of the company’s workforce will significantly mitigate the risk. Many of the companies we work with adopted an ergonomics program after they saw their mod rate rise – in many cases, by more than double, and in some instances they were faced with being dropped by their carriers. Overall reductions of 50 percent were commonplace.In one client research study, it was determined that for every dollar invested in an ergonomics program, $4 in cost savings were achieved.Once mod rates dropped and rates were reduced, these organizations realized the benefits these initiatives brought to their bottom line in reduced costs, coupled with the improvement of worker well-being and productivity. Many of these companies began implementing proactive ergonomics initiatives.
Making it happen
The most successful results have been achieved when:• Top management embraces the program, and it becomes part of the corporate culture.• Goals for the program are established and results are measured.• A “champion” is assigned to carry out the initiative, since the most critical components are education, training and leadership. If the organization is large enough, committees are established to facilitate the execution of the initiatives. Some of the initiatives undertaken by successful companies include:• Conducting workplace assessments within the first couple of weeks of a new hire, including ensuring that the employee is properly aligned in his or her chair and is instructed on how to properly use it and making an assessment of the workspace to ensure that all of tools are properly positioned and laid out for maximum comfort and efficiency.• Establishing a corporate-wide stretching and exercise program that requires participation of all employees.• Creating a wellness-based focus in the organization — something that is becoming increasingly popular among health insurers. The focus could include training classes on wellness, scheduling a health screening day, stocking healthier snacks and beverages in vending machines and offering discounts for gym membership.• Creating a “fun” program in which employees are compensated for participating in exercise based activities.A word of caution: When organizations begin embracing an emphasis on workplace safety, in some instances they can initially observe an increase in incident reports. This can occur because, as individuals are educated on symptomatic causes, they gain an understanding of what has been creating specific health-related issues they have been having. Such scenarios are usually short-lived if the incidents are proactively addressed, and they will ultimately lead to a dramatic reduction of incidents. More importantly, it significantly reduces the potential of a costly claim to the organization.
Contact us at sales@ergonomicpartners.com for help with your ergonomics issues
posted by Ergonomic Partners @ 3:57 PM
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