WorkAble provide ergonomic assessments for businesses in Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and Bay of Plenty. If you have office-based employees then we can help you to reduce the risk of injury and repetitive strains. It is also possible to minimise the long term effects of standing or sitting for long periods of time.
Why are ergonomics important?
Ergonomics are important because posture impacts the health of your employees. Prolonged periods in the same position or repeatedly carrying out the same activity can be physically damaging, simply because our bodies are not designed for it.
What are ergonomics?
Ergonomics is the study of people’s efficiency in their working environment. By focusing on working efficiently it’s possible to remove or minimise strain and discomfort. Ergonomically designed products have been created to reflect the natural movement of the body and support it as it carries out tasks.
Ergonomics can also make the workplace more efficient. Repetitive tasks not only cause injury. If not properly supported they can also make your team less productive. An ergonomic assessment helps you to make it as easy as possible for your employees to get the job done without harm.
As an employer it is your responsibility to protect your employees’ health. WorkSafe NZ advises that monitoring the posture of your employees is an important part of protecting them from injury. It is every employer’s responsibility to eliminate the risk of injury or at the very least to minimise it.
How does poor posture affect productivity?
If you’re unsure why you should invest in ergonomics, ask yourself how many days of productivity you are currently losing to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), back injury, headaches and migraine, or conditions like stiff necks.
These are the top injuries that can be prevented with ergonomics. If your employees aren’t absent because of these complaints they will certainly be making them less productive.
How can WorkAble support your business?
WorkAble carries out ergonomic assessments of workplaces. We begin by understanding the duties of each employee. We then carry out an assessment of their workplace to understand where the risks for injury lie.
We can work on a 1 on 1 basis to assess your team. Some employees could already be suffering from the impact of a poorly organised workplace or the wrong equipment. Injuries may include repetitive strain injury, muscular or joint problems, or back problems.
Where we identify problems that require treatment we can refer employees to the appropriate care provider. All of our consultations are confidential. WorkAble only uses registered nurses to carry out our assessments.
How can WorkAble improve your workplace?
Once your ergonomic assessment is complete, we can help you to reorganise your workplace to protect your employees from posture-related stresses and strains.
Working with you we can implement the following changes:
- Ensuring that your employees are comfortable and supported in the position they work in
- Suggesting equipment changes or adjustments that can make it easier to carry out tasks while preventing injury
- Helping you to implement regular breaks for movement or simple exercise programmes (like the ACC exercise of the day) that employees can undertake to minimise the risk of injury.
We care today and tomorrow
Our clients often find that it can be challenging to encourage employees to adopt new ways of working or focus on adjustments to their workplace that can protect their health in the longer term.
WorkAble provide registered nurses for every consultation. Our nurses have the training, experience and authority to encourage your employees to take care of their wellbeing.
We also encourage our clients to book in follow up appointments so we can help you to keep your employees on track and ensure that implemented changes are successful.
Book your ergonomic assessment now
Book your workplace assessment today. We visit businesses across Hawke’s Bay, Bay of Plenty and Tairāwhiti, helping employees like you to eliminate or minimise the risk of injury due to bad posture.
