Success Brief:Making simple but significant changes to employees' workstations led to
improvement in the employee's symptoms and eliminated the need for additional physical therapy and medical treatment
musculoskeletal disorders.
The Problem
Employees performing repetitive tasks were complaining of wrist pain, numbness and tingling.
The Solution
The company safety director began to learn about ergonomics after medical providers recommended ergonomic evaluations as part of treating
musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace. Once the safety director learned the basics, he began to conduct ergonomic evaluations when the employees first complained of symptoms. Making simple changes to employee workstations frequently improved
the employee's symptoms dramatically.
The Impact
The early intervention analysis process saved the company additional claim costs and medical costs for the treatment of
musculoskeletal disorders. Additionally, the evaluations encouraged the free flow of information between the employees and the safety director, which improved safety and health in the facility. The positive experience for the employees earned the safety department a new-found respect whenever other safety-related changes were requested of the employees.
Source:Robert Sible, Facilities
Supervisor, Exabyte Corporation, December
2002.
