Ergonomic risk assessments
In his presentation — Understanding Ergonomic Risk Assessments — Sethunya Matsie, Ergonomist at the Ergonomics Society of South Africa, said that ergonomic risks are defined in the Ergonomics Regulations as: A characteristic or action in the workplace, workplace conditions, or a combination thereof that may impair overall system performance and human wellbeing. And that “it is the responsibility of the competent person conducting the ergonomics assessments to identify, analyse and evaluate all the relevant ergonomic risk factors whether they are organisational, cognitive or physical”.
An ergonomic assessment is an objective evaluation of ergonomic risk factors in a work setting or environment. It identifies and measures the different kinds of stresses, including musculoskeletal ailments, that workers typically experience in their daily operations and delves deeper into their causes. Through this process, companies can find solutions to reduce the risk of stress and injuries to their employees.
By determining the types of ergonomic risks and their underlying causes, businesses can proactively prevent or reduce the likelihood of these workplace hazards from occurring. The results from ergonomic evaluations can be used to determine what measures to take to minimise injury and maximise comfort in the workplace, leading to safer work environments and healthier, more productive employees.
Ergonomic problems could include poorly adjusted seats, incorrect keyboard placement, incorrect workbench placement/heigh, and a prevailing absence of ergonomic office furniture.
Ergonomic assessments permit you to uncover fundamental imperfections in your workplace layout, so you can immediately correct them.
During an ergonomic evaluation, assigned specialists from Strat Environment will come and assess your workplace environment. At this point, the specialist will highlight problems that could be preventing the capabilities of your employees, and describe how to properly fix them.
Learn more about some general ergonomic problems you can fix, by signing up for an official assessment from Strat Environment.
Sources:
https://ergonomicsnerd.com/ergonomic-assessment/
https://safetyculture.com/checklists/ergonomic-assessment/
Regulations governing ergonomics in South Africa
On 6 December 2019, the new Ergonomics Regulations, 2019 were published by the Minister of Employment and Labour in the Government Gazette, in terms of section 43 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (the “OHASA“).
In summary, the new ergonomic legislation requires employers to:
- Perform ergonomic risk assessments by a competent person of all jobs that may pose an ergonomic risk to staff before the commencement of work.
- All employees must be trained on the new legislation, the current ergonomic risks in their workplace and the effects this could have on their health.
- Refresher training must occur at intervals determined by the health and safety department.
- All personnel who are deemed to be exposed to high ergonomic risks must be placed under medical surveillance which needs to commence within 30 days of employment and is monitored no less than every two years.
- Records must be kept for a minimum of 40 years.
- Employees themselves are compelled by the legislation to comply with any instruction given by their employer or employer’s representative regarding actions to follow pertaining to ergonomic risks and their control.
The regulations focus on an ergonomics programme approach that should be integrated into existing occupational health and safety programmes. An ergonomics programme is a systematic process for anticipating, identifying, analysing, and controlling ergonomic risks.
The Regulations are intended to protect the health and safety of any person who may be exposed to ergonomic risks in the workplace.
https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201912/42894rg10177gon1589.pdf
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