We’ve spoken before about our ergonomic assessment service and all the benefits associated with it. But as winter hits hard, we thought it timely to remind you about it. After all, winter is a season where aches and pains become more common for a variety of reasons. One theory commonly put forward by researchers is that a drop in barometric pressure during winter can cause tendons, muscles and the surrounding tissues to expand. When this happens in a confined space within the body, this might cause considerable pain, especially in joints affected by arthritis.
Whatever the reason for winter being a more painful season than summer, as a responsible and caring employer or manager, you can make things a little more comfortable for your employees by booking an ergonomic assessment. After all, your workplace can be making those aches and pains even worse, to the point that staff absenteeism increases and you’re obliged to pay for their sick leave. This is because your employees are working in conditions that are less than ideal for their overall well-being; an ergonomic specialist can identify any issues and suggest ways you can improve the working conditions that you’re providing.
We can arrange for a specialist to visit your workplace and look at all of the aspects of your employees work environment. This will typically include checking the height of the seat relative to the desk, the height of their computer, repeated movements around the office as well as any other elements of the job depending on the position of the person involved.
Once the inspection is complete, the assessor will then provide a report which will include suggested changes and carry out a walk through with you and your senior team. This will take place without the presence of the staff member whose workstation is being inspected. We appreciate that updating a workstation can come at a cost that may require a progressive implementation; excluding the employee at this stage reduces any expectation that you will take instant steps that might be difficult to afford.
While winter aches and pains are common, they are usually manageable. By providing a workplace that allows your employees to work in an area that won’t make those aches and pains worse, you’ll maintain productivity, or even improve it. And you won’t be paying sick leave when you can least afford it. We believe an ergonomic assessment at your workplace is a good idea at any time of year, but booking one in winter is particularly timely, so contact us today.