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Aiming to adapt work to the individual, ergonomics is an essential concept for risk prevention in the workplace. It helps protect employee safety and health while also increasing company productivity. We tell you more in this article.
Why implement an ergonomic approach in the workplace?
What is an ergonomic approach and when should it be implemented?
Ergonomics is a scientific discipline that studies the interactions between humans and other elements of a system. In a business setting, implementing an ergonomic approach aims to adapt work to the individual in order to protect the health and safety of workers.
Although it is not the subject of a dedicated section in the Labor Code, ergonomics is a concept that permeates all occupational health and safety regulations. It is in line with the general principles of prevention set out in Article L4121 of the Labor Code. L. 4121-2, which notably requires the employer to “adapt work to the individual, particularly regarding the design of workstations as well as the choice of work equipment and methods of work and production )”.
Ergonomics must be integrated into the company's overall risk prevention policy. Its role is therefore both preventive and corrective. Indeed, a company experiencing a drop in productivity, an increase in workplace accidents, recurring complaints from employees regarding their working conditions, or rising absenteeism may decide to call on an ergonomist to understand the root causes of these issues and address them.
Implementing an ergonomic approach sometimes requires a significant investment from the company, but its long-term effects ensure a positive evolution in the company's relationship with work. It also allows for an increase in the company's quality and productivity by making it easier for workers to perform their various tasks.
What are the different approaches to ergonomics?
How can you get support in implementing an ergonomic approach?
Ergonomics is a discipline in its own right that requires specific skills, particularly scientific, as well as technical and legal expertise. This is why many companies choose to hire specialized service providers to implement an ergonomic approach.
Professional ergonomists each have their own working methods to meet a company's specific needs. Thanks to their expertise, they are able to analyze high-risk situations and provide concrete solutions.
The ergonomist generally focuses on three ergonomic factors :
- organizational or environmental ergonomics, which concerns, in particular, the layout of workspaces, the environmental atmosphere, relationships and communication between staff, work scheduling, etc.;
- physical ergonomics, which concerns in particular worker posture, the handling of tools and work equipment, etc.;
- cognitive ergonomics, which focuses on mental processes, perception, memory, and the reasoning required to perform a task, etc.
Depending on the company's needs, the ergonomist can perform design ergonomics or corrective ergonomics.
Design ergonomics
Design ergonomics is applied before a work situation is implemented. It applies to the very organization of a work situation, the design of equipment and machinery, as well as the design of workspaces.
This type of ergonomic intervention provides upfront planning that helps ensure optimal work ergonomics by taking human, material, and environmental characteristics into account.
Corrective ergonomics
Corrective ergonomics is applied to an existing work situation that requires modifications. It applies in particular to work situations where the design is unsuitable.
Although it is the most common approach, corrective ergonomics is generally less effective than design ergonomics because it is limited by existing constraints. Nevertheless, it can still yield significant benefits in terms of improving working conditions.
What are the different stages of an ergonomic process?
Analyzing the work situation
Analyzing the company's request
When an ergonomic process is initiated, the ergonomist first conducts a precise review of the request from the company that is seeking their services. Depending on the situation, a company may hire an ergonomist for a specific need or to improve health and safety within the organization more broadly.
If it involves a specific need, such as recurring work absences related to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in a particular department, the ergonomist will have a clear focus for their work and will therefore be able to target the root causes of the problem to address them specifically.
Conversely, if the goal is a general improvement of working conditions, the ergonomist will approach the company's request from a broader perspective to define the areas for improvement themselves, whether at the company-wide level or for a specific workstation.
The request may also arise in the case of starting a business or creating a new branch of a company. In this specific case, the ergonomist will implement design ergonomics in cooperation with the company's steering committee (COPIL).
Positioning the work situation
Once the work situation(s) to be improved have been defined, the ergonomist must precisely establish what constitutes the given work situation. They will then ask the company a series of questions aimed at defining:
- the profile of the workers (age, gender, qualifications, seniority, experience, training, etc.);
- the purpose for which they perform their actions (production, control, service, support, etc.);
- the environmental atmosphere in which the situation takes place (noise, lighting, etc.);
- the equipment with which the work is performed (vibrating machinery, etc.);
- the operating procedure for the action (repetition of the same movement, required production quantity per day and/or per month, number of production steps, etc.);
- the timing of the work situation (hours, work pace, etc.);
- the people with whom the work is performed (alone, in a team, under management supervision, etc.).
Document review
The stage of analyzing the work situation with a view to implementing an ergonomic approach also involves studying company documents which should provide the ergonomist with useful information about its overall structure as well as the various activities performed and the associated risks.
These documents should first allow the ergonomist to obtain general information on:
- the company's turnover;
- the size of the company;
- the industry in which the company operates;
Next, and depending on the issues encountered, it may also be useful for the ergonomist to have access to (non-exhaustive list):
- documents relating to absenteeism and workplace accidents and occupational diseases;
- to Single Occupational Risk Assessment Document (DUERP) (Article L4121-3-1 of the French Labor Code) ;
- the public health and environmental alert register;
- the serious and imminent danger register;
- the company safety register;
- documents specific to the workstation (job descriptions, safety data sheets, etc.).
To verify the compliance of work equipment, the ergonomist may also request to consult documents relating to the various equipment used (certificates of compliance with NF standards, user manuals, etc.).
Individual interviews with relevant stakeholders
Once the documentary information has been gathered, the ergonomist will generally begin a series of interviews with the workers involved to obtain their personal perspective on the work situation that needs improvement.
Observation of the work situation
Finally, to complete the analysis, the ergonomist generally proceeds with direct observation of the work situation under real-world conditions. This step allows them to note every detail of the working conditions resulting in a precise report on the risk factors associated with the activity.
This observation can be carried out by taking notes, using video, or employing measuring instruments, depending on the situation and the risks to which workers are exposed. The ergonomist then applies a specific analytical framework that generally includes three main factors :
- analysis of environmental elements : noise levels, lighting, air quality, ambient temperature, etc.;
- analysis of physical conditions : repetitive movements, elbow angles, excessive strain, etc.;
- analysis of cognitive demands : excessive information load, insufficient time to complete tasks, etc.
If workers are exposed to multiple factors, this cumulative risk will also be factored into the analysis data.
The data collected during the observation is then examined, studied, and synthesized. Once the situation analysis is finalized, the ergonomist can formulate a preliminary diagnosis of the situation to develop an action plan.
Defining the action plan
The action plan to be implemented varies significantly depending on the specific situation. It is difficult to generalize in this field, as the factors defining a work situation are particularly numerous.
However, following the analysis of the work situation and to begin developing the action plan to be implemented, the ergonomist must deduce the effects and risks of the actual work on the worker, the company, and/or its environment.
Thus, based on the data collected, their knowledge of human characteristics (muscular work, posture, physical strain), their analysis of the situation, and consideration of occupational risk factors (article L4161-1 of the French Labor Code), the ergonomist will develop an action plan to adapt working conditions to the worker.
Here are some examples of actions that can be defined as part of the action plan:
- replacing existing equipment with more ergonomic alternatives (office equipment, work tools, etc.);
- eliminating unnecessary travel;
- creating greater proximity or distance between workers;
- rearranging a space (removing or adding a partition, widening an aisle, etc.);
- soundproofing a machine;
Once the action plan is defined, the ergonomist makes an initial proposal to the company, which then decides which solutions to implement based on its technical capabilities as well as its financial resources. This step is carried out in collaboration between the ergonomist, the company, and the Health, Safety and Working Conditions Commission (CSSCT) of the Social and Economic Committee.
Finally, a schedule is established to define the deadlines for the various actions and the individuals responsible for their implementation.
Regulatory references
Labor Code, articles L4121-1 to L4121-5 (general principles of prevention), L4161-1 (occupational risk factors)
Photo credit: 88560614 @Nataliya Hora