MODULE: INTRODUCTION TO ERGONOMICS

THE PROCESS OF ERGONOMIC WORKPLACE RISK ASSESSMENT (Continued):

STEP 6: Health Care Management

Primary prevention:

Focusing on prevention will ensure worker safety and reduce claim costs. Detailed written job descriptions must be developed and should include essential functions and physical requirement of the job. Defined job descriptions assist in identifying risk factors and ensure that all employees have similar understandings of the job requirements. The employee’s familiarity with the job's equipment and methods is the most direct source of ideas for prevention.

Secondary prevention - Medical management:

Health-care resources should be used to prevent/manage work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Employees with a WMSD must be promptly evaluated by a health care provider and appropriate treatment and follow-up provided. The goals of medical management should be:

• Promotion of ergonomic safety and health, and prevention of injury
• Identification of signs and symptoms as soon as they occur.
• Ergonomic risk assessment to identify causes of WMSDs.
• WMSD management plan, ensuring safe and timely return to work of injured employees.
• Reduction in the direct costs of injury .
• Reduction in the indirect cost of injury by retaining workers and maintaining productivity.

Employer responsibilities:

• Provision of training in the recognition and early reporting of WMSDs.
• Conduction of ergonomic risk assessments.
• Making recommended changes to reduce risks.

Employee responsibilities:

• Follow health and safety rules.
• Follow work practice procedures.
• Early reporting of signs/symptoms of WMSDs.
• Active participation in the treatment plan.

Health care provider responsibilities:

• Acquire training in the evaluation/treatment of WMSDs.
• Acquire skills to conduct an ergonomic risk assessment.
• Specific knowledge of the job will facilitate matching of the physical capabilities of the employees with the demands of the job.

The health-care provider, employee and employer should coordinate return-to-work plans. Light duty is an important part of the rehabilitation of the worker. This transition time plays an important part in the safe return to work.

General Introduction to Occupational Health: Occupational Hygiene, Epidemiology & Biostatistics by Prof Jonny Myers is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 South Africa License