Improving safety in the workplace with an ergonomics assessment

Every year, more than 4 million Americans are injured in the workplace. When thinking of workplace injuries, many people think of physically demanding jobs, such as manual labor in a factory or on a farm. While injury is certainly a possibility in these settings, it is also very common in office spaces.

Whether you work in a factory or an office, you can benefit from improvements to your work environment to help reduce your chances of pain and injuries. One way to do this is to schedule an ergonomics assessment with a physical therapist. 

What is an ergonomics assessment?

An ergonomics assessment is a service offered by physical therapists to identify potential hazards in your workplace environment and your work habits. During an ergonomics assessment, your physical therapist may visit your workplace and assess your environment or make recommendations based on your description. They may also have you demonstrate how you perform your duties, such as demonstrating sitting posture or how you pick up objects on the ground.

The goals of an ergonomic assessment include:

• Assessing your work environment, such as machines you operate or the chair you use at a desk
• Identifying how your environment affects your bones, joints, muscles and soft tissue
• Identifying how the way you perform your duties affects your bones, joints, muscles and soft tissue
• Developing solutions to correct issues in your workplace environment and the way you perform your duties 

How does an ergonomics assessment improve workplace safety?

An ergonomics assessment identifies the potential threats to your health in your environment and your performance. You can greatly reduce your chances of receiving an injury at work by addressing these threats with potential solutions for prevention. 

This is beneficial for employees who do not want to get hurt and miss out on work and have their home life affected as well. This is also beneficial for employers who want to keep their employees safe and continue successfully operating a business.

Visit Advent Physical Therapy today for an ergonomics assessment

Are you interested in improving your personal workplace safety or that of your employees? Our physical therapists at Advent Physical Therapy are highly skilled in performing an ergonomics assessment to address potential causes of pain and injury in the workplace. Contact our team today for more information about an ergonomics assessment or to schedule an initial appointment.