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Participatory Ergonomics Team:
| Problem: |
One Solution: |
Management and workers want to decrease
injuries, but lack knowledge of ergonomics.
Instructions on safe practices from outside
experts in ergonomics or from management
may fall on deaf ears. |
Set up a joint ergonomics team of workers
and managers. |
 |
 |
Management may be unaware of the
severity and costs of ergonomic hazards. |
Knowledge of ergonomic principles leads to
better solutions. |
Changes made without worker input may
be resisted. Old habits die hard. |
Workers’ job insight ensures the most
important problems will be addressed. |
Ergonomics consultants can address immediate
problems, but not ongoing education
and follow-through. |
Workers’ day-to-day knowledge provides a
reality check on suggestions. |
| |
Ergonomic concerns filter down from management
team members to other levels of
management, and from worker team members
to rest of work force. |
| |
Ergonomics experts and other resources
can be brought in as consultants, as
needed. |
| |
Team can develop ongoing ergonomics
education program and address new problems
as they arise. |
Ergonomics Team
Why Set Up a Participatory
Ergonomics Team?
The participatory approach-involving workers and
managers-produces the best ideas for preventing
injuries. It also means that the ideas will be used,
rather than collecting dust on the shelf. The participatory
approach recognizes workers' knowledge and
uses it both to single out the worst hazards and to
develop solutions. Workers are in on the decisions
about which jobs to improve, and how to improve
them. They spread the knowledge of ergonomics and
of the specific solutions to the rest of the work force.
Who Should Be On
an Ergonomics Team?
Keep the size of the team small. Involve production
workers and supervisors from the different departments-
the people who will put the job improvements
into use-and also the maintenance workers or engineers
who will build the needed tools. Include a representative
from each major type of job. It is important
that the person who has decision-making power to
implement the team's recommendations also be a
team member.
Hold training and meetings during work hours; participation
should be seen as part of the job, not an
extracurricular activity. Hold training and meetings in
the workers' first language. Sometimes this will mean
using two languages, with translation.
What Are the Tasks of
an Ergonomics Team?
- The team should receive training in basic ergonomic
principles. See the Resources section of this pamphlet
for a good training video, Listen to Your Body,
and a pamphlet, Blueprints two.
- Identify the ergonomic risk factors in each major job.
- Rank jobs by urgency, based on the risk factors
present, number of people affected, and number of
injuries. The team should have permission to look at
all injury and cost data, to help them set priorities.
- Develop solutions. Look at equipment or tools available
in your industry or in other industries, or design
new tools. Call in engineers or consultants as necessary.
Look for ways to change how the job is
designed, so work safety is built into the job. This is
more effective than changes in instructions or work
rules.
- Try out the solutions in daily use.
- Get feedback and modify as necessary.
- As it works, the team should keep management and
the work force fully informed of its goals, progress,
and successes.
- Design a program to educate all workers on ergonomic
principles. For example, at one tree nursery,
the Ergonomics Team drew up information
sheets, specific to the nursery, that outlined the risk
factors for the major jobs and some methods to
work more safely. This information became part of
new employees' orientation training.
What Are the Costs of
an Ergonomics Team?
Workers' and managers' time spent working on the
team should be paid at their regular rate. New tools
may have to be ordered or built. Reduced costs
because of decreased injuries should outweigh these
short-term costs.
Where Can I Get More Information
About Setting Up an Ergonomics Team?
See the Resources section for a video, Ergonomic
Programs That Work, and a pamphlet, Elements of
Ergonomics Programs.
Contact Information:
This Tip Sheet was produced from material developed
by the Safety and Health Assessment and Research
for Prevention (SHARP) Program, Washington State
Department of Labor and Industries.
SHARP, Washington State Department of Labor and
Industries, PO Box 44330, Olympia, WA 98504-4330.
Or visit http://www.wa.gov/lni/sharp/.
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Participatory Ergonomics Team 
(53 pages, 1.49MB)