Ergonomics Risk Management: Strategies and Interventions at Workplace Level

1. Ergonomics Risk Management: Strategies and Interventions at Workplace Level Frank PowerInspector (Projects Manager) Back to Basics Conference June 13th 2014

2. Overview of Presentation • Define Ergonomics and explain its legal context • Describe Manual Handling regulatory requirements • Provide Musculoskeletal Injury and illness statistics • Describe Ergonomics Risk Management Strategies and Interventions

3. Ergonomics • The study of the work that people do • Understanding the interactions of people with the work environment, equipment that they use and the material they use

5. Ergonomics: Back To Basics • Reduce Risk factors in work activity • Awkward Postures • High Repetition • High Forces/Weights • Long Duration • Design of work in order to optimise human well being and performance”

6. Before After

7. Ergonomics and its legal context • The Manual Handling of Loads Regulation • The Display Screen Equipment Regulation • The Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 • Provide Safe Systems of work • Adapt work to the individual

8. The Manual Handling of Loads Regulation 2007 • Key focus of the regulation is on prevention of injury, particularly back injury through: • Risk assessment of systems of work which involve manual handling • Avoidance of Manual Handling • Reduction of Manual Handling

11. The workplace and work activity • Workplaces are changing but one basic principle still remains: “ we need to understand and study the work people do in order to identify potential risks and opportunities for risk reduction”

12. Key Issues at Workplace Level • Too much emphasis on training employees on safe lifting technique without giving appropriate attention to the work that they have to do • Not enough emphasis on risk management with a focus on addressing risks in the actual work activity

14. Key Issues at Workplace Level • Priority needs to be on improving the design, planning of work activity to reduce risk factors • Need for more effective control measures or safe systems of work which focus on engineering or organisational improvements

17. Statistics • Manual Handling continues to be the most common accident trigger accounting for 33% of all reported non-fatal accidents in 2012 (H.S.A. Summary of Workplace Injury, Illness and Fatality Statistics 2011-12) • 25% of over 12000 occupational injury benefit claims relate to injuries to the back, disc, muscle spasm or strain with an average of 47 lost days (Occupational Injury Benefit Claims 2012)

18. Statistics • Up to €163billion is the cost estimate of work related musculoskeletal disorders across the EU27 over a two year period • The cost in Ireland is put at €611million (Matrix Insight 2011)

19. Strategies and Interventions • There is a shift in focus towards risk management to address Musculoskeletal injury and ill health • This view is been driven at a European Level

20. EU Council Recommendation 2013 on Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) Directive • Develop and strengthen legislative measures to minimise exposure to risk factors originated by poor ergonomic conditions in the workplace • Ensure the effectiveness of these measures by providing adequate instruments and resources to implement and enforce them

21. From Training to Ergonomics Risk Management

22. Ergonomics Risk Management: The key elements • Policy • Risk Assessment/Safe Systems of Work • Training • Accident and near miss reporting and investigation • Injury management, rehabilitation and return to work • Internal Auditing

23. Resources • Guide on Prevention and Management of Musculoskeletal Disorders at www.hsa.ie

24. Conclusion • Work activity needs to be designed and planned with the person in mind • Implement engineering changes at workplace level to avoid or reduce bio mechanical stress • Place the emphasis on risk management and prevention as opposed to firefighting and accident investigation • Incorporate learnings and outcomes from the risk management process into training programmes • Consult with those that do the job • Refer to relevant guidance including H.S.A. guides on Manual Handling Risk Assessment and HSE Mac Tool

25. Thank you.