The Economics of Ergonomics

Abstract

Despite all the evidence that the design of a workplace and its associated tasks can trigger MSDs, causing sick leave and long-term illness for employees, many companies do very little to implement ergonomics principles in their business activities. Typically, companies only adopt a reactive approach when investing in ergonomics – they wait until the situation has become so bad that they have to react. This means that “quick and dirty” short-term solutions are implemented when complaints arise, but these solutions may not solve the root issue or provide lasting benefits. A reactive approach doesn’t stop ergonomic issues from arising; rather,