Corporate Ergonomics: a Blue Ocean Market
Beautifully designed posture requires designing efficiency in places where your patients spend the most amount of time. Help them understand the importance of designing their workspace in a way that supports and strengthens their postural framework, not weakens it.
The terms human factor engineering and ergonomics have arisen in the research as highly effective ways of overcoming postural collapse in a patient’s typical daily settings. The research is overwhelmingly in favor of the implementation of postural ergonomic programs in the workplace to improve health and vitality while preventing common musculoskeletal injuries.
According to the Environmental Health and Safety the purpose of ergonomic design is to facilitate task performance, minimize fatigue and injury, overcome human limitations, and to support humans to achieve operational objectives.
Human factor engineering is similar to ergonomics, but considers the component of psychological factors when employees are interacting with their environments. How they view their environment can change how they interact with it.
Stichler (2013) claims that the ultimate design solutions for effective workspaces is a combination of ergonomics and human factors engineering. This method considers the equipment that workers are using and the way in which they interact with it on a daily basis.
Although ergonomics and human factor engineering is considered best practices for employee health and safety 88% of managers surveyed had not heard of human factor engineering and 94% of managers have not studied the consequences of improper ergonomics (Shahraki and Bakar, 2004). This provides a great market opportunity for Posture Experts to engage with corporations.
Five key factors for the success of ergonomic programs in corporations: (Kelby, 2014)
- The utilization of a systems approach to ergonomics
- Incorporate ergonomics into the mission and vision of the organization
- Develop an effective business strategy with key stakeholders
- Build ergonomic performance standards into the job descriptions of employees
- Continuously evaluate and improve the ergonomic program over time
When preparing a corporate ergonomic program work directly with key stakeholders to implement the mission and the values of the company into their program. By working directly with key stakeholders, the implementation of the program will succeed at all levels of the corporation. When stakeholders value the importance of the program, the program will be at the forefront of importance for the corporation.
After implementing the program, don’t settle for a “One and Done” experience. Continue to follow up with the company. Continuous evaluation of the program renders quality feedback for improvement.
