Six Industrial Ergonomics Training Must Haves

It is likely that at some point in your career, you have found yourself in some form of required training that you felt was unnecessary, didn’t pertain to your job, or if you’re like most – probably a combination of both.

When building an industrial ergonomics training program, it is important that the information not only be relevant to those attending but also have an impact on employee health and safety. According to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), an effective industrial ergo training program can reduce the risk of injury, increase productivity, and improve morale.

Key Industrial Ergo Training Elements

While an industrial ergonomics training program can look very different based on the work environment, location, and physical demands of the job, there are a few fundamentals that, when included, help employees and employers maximize the benefits.

1. Evaluation of your Company’s Needs
   The first step in any industrial ergonomics training program should be a comprehensive evaluation of your company’s needs. While this may sound basic, it is a common pitfall for safety managers to jump into training without taking a step back to evaluate what they really need. When this step is skipped, trainings often end up missing vital components and become irrelevant to some or all attendees.
   
   
2. Training the Includes All Employee Levels
   At first glance, it may seem like your industrial ergonomic training should address only those who are completing work that requires ergonomic understanding. However, it is important to include all levels of employees in your training. If managers and safety supervisors are excluded from the trainings, they will be unable to provide guidance or hold employees accountable for implementing what was learned. If leadership is not included in the training, they may not understand how to support or why industrial ergonomics is essential.
   
   
3. Aligned to OSHA Identified Risk Factors
   When your ergonomic training program is being developed, make sure content is being created by an expert such as an ergonomist and that the training is aligned with OSHA’s identified risk factors. This ensures a common language between compliance and employee knowledge.
   
   
4. Customized Workplace Examples
   When educational content is customized to those receiving the training, not only does it improve retention but also increases the likelihood of adoption. Customization should include examples from the workplace such as pictures, videos, and frequented job tasks.
   
   
5. New Hire and Return-to-Work Training
   Don’t forget to include a way to get your new hires and employees returning from injury up to speed on your industrial ergonomic training. When those employees must wait for “annual training” there is an increased risk of injury due to a lack of knowledge.
   
   
6. On-Going Assessment and Adjustments
   A successful industrial ergonomics training program puts a system in place that includes an ongoing assessment of employee adoption and adjusts training pieces, as necessary. An effective training program does not deliver content once and then moves on. Supervisors need to be monitoring for effectiveness and if changes are made to equipment or environment, it’s important that your refresher training accounts for that.

Industrial Ergonomics Training with Briotix Health

When it comes to building an effective industrial ergo training program, working with industry experts is imperative to success. At Briotix Health, our experts are certified ergonomists who have experience in a wide range of industrial environments – manufacturing, trucking, distribution, utility, and so many more. We spend the time getting to know the work your employees are asked to complete so we can develop personalized training that hits the mark.

To learn more about how Briotix Health can help you develop a successful industrial ergonomics training program, contact us.