These are the thoughts we should not be having. Remote workplace assessments in the last few months have become the new workplace/VDU assessment for out Assessors here in KOS. Working within some of Irelands leading offices both in Private and Public sectors, KOS has been given incredible insight into the benefits of these Assessments.

-          Risk rating return to office: Now that offices are beginning to open their doors, knowing who to prioritise in first is the next head ache. Being aware of the employees who are high risk while working from home should be a major factor for employers while structuring this phased return approach. To put it simply, an employee who has no access to a suitable work environment and is now in discomfort should return to the office ahead of an employee who has an adequate home office.

-          Increase productivity levels: The best VDU Assessments will often improve productivity. If somebody is more comfortable at their workstation, they’ll be happier thus more productive. As the gimmick of working from home is now beginning to wear off and the additional increased average hours worked/productivity levels begin to plateau. Assessing staffs working habits and educating them on positive habits for them to include during their working day will see your employees maintain these levels. Habits which we once had in the office but we weren’t even aware of them being habits.

     Increasing activity levels, taking microbreaks away from the screen, structuring your working day and improving your current workstation set up are just some of the topics covered to help maintain employee comfort and productivity levels.

-          Letting your employee know that you care. Workstations setup poorly can lead to frustrated and fatigued workers that don’t do their best work. When work is physically taxing on the employee, they may not perform their job like they were trained.Now that staff are out of the office and are hidden behind their mountain of Zoom meetings it is easy to let Ergonomics become a lesser important topic. However this has actually been a time which our leading clients have stepped it up further. Putting the emphasis on understanding their employee both at home and in the workplace has allowed them to know exactly what is needed. Whether it be additional guidance on setting up their new home office or managers reaching out to at risk team members to give guidance on task management, this level of clarity is always going to have many levels of opportunity to act and make any workplace better.

-          Reducing future costs: By systematically reducing ergonomic risk factors, you can prevent costly MSDs. Statistics indicate that around 80% of staff will experience some level of discomfort over their working life. This can have a snowball effect on absenteeism if not managed effectively. Identifying why this is occurring and resolving the issue helps reduce the likelihood of further deterioration or long-term absenteeism. Putting together a purchasing list along with the assessments helps reduce the cost and buying of equipment that may not be needed. Ergonomics is not a one size fits all, with Employees now working from home that is more apparent then ever, Size and space being an issue for many and some not needing additional equipment. It is best to know exactly what is necessary and having these assessments carried out does exactly that, with a summary sheet to easily navigate following the assessments.

Ergonomics shows your company’s commitment to employee safety and health as a core value. The cumulative effect of the previous four benefits of ergonomics is a stronger safety culture for your company. Healthy employees are your most valuable asset; creating and fostering the safety & health culture at your company will lead to better human performance for your organization. 

To talk through your Companies best approach to Ergonomic Assessments get in contact with your KOS account manager or request a callback