Videotapes, hour-long training seminars, feng shui, exercises to relieve symptoms, software to remind workers that it’s time to take a break, job rotation, wellness programs: are any of these a panacea to workplace ergonomics?
No. While any of these quick fixes may help motivate or enlighten a worker, they’re not ergonomics. When a program relies on changing human behavior or merely presents a short overview on ergonomics as a means of preventing workplace injuries, it’s not an effective ergonomics intervention.
The heart of ergonomics is fixing the workplace
This article originally appeared in The Ergonomics Report™ on 2003-12-01.