Health & Ergonomics

Ergonomics: Design your workplace to suit the work

Consultancy in ergonomics aims at making the workplace fit the employees while ensuring that the safety and health of the workers as well as the overall efficiency and productivity is incorporated in the workplace design and in the safety and health work. This includes the best choice in ergonomic devices, tools, work equipment, technical aids, and arrangement of workstations.

Lifting heavy items, awkward postures, incorrect movements, monotonous, repetitive work, inapropriate working positions, and poorly designed workstations all have an enormous impact on the human body. Back injuries, discomfort or pain in neck, shoulders, hands and wrists, as well as headaches may all be symptoms directly associated with poorly designed workstation setups and bad working habits.

We experience ergonomic challenges both in the office workplace, in the building and construction sector, renovation and cleaning, and in e.g. the nursing care sector. In other words, ergonomic stressors may be found in all job functions and planning the work correctly will help minimize the risks of injuries and accidents.

Health checks: Prevent illnesses and poor health

Employees’ health may also be affected by other factors than ergonomics e.g. working night shifts, working with chemicals, inappropriate lighting, acoustics, and indoor climate.

The health of the employee is of course also a natural result of their non-work activities, genetics, and lifestyle and habits. Eating habits, smoking, alcohol, and physical activity are all factors that should be taken into consideration as well as sleep habits.

Employees may be exposed to various risks because of poor health, e.g. low energy level and concentration problems. This may result in lower efficiency and productivity, an increase in errors, inappropriate communication, and absenteeism.

A first step to safeguarding your employees’ health and wellbeing could be to offer your employees a health check at the workplace: It may be difficult finding time to book an appointment at your GP and a non-mandatory health check at your workplace could be the solution to this problem. This may even be what triggers life changing alterations for the employee.

In Denmark it is a legal requirement that employees who work night shifts and employees who handle hazardous chemicals or are otherwise exposed to biological or physical hazards are offered regular health checks.