Take, for example, the chef who started using ergonomically designed knives to avoid putting pressure on his ulnar nerve. Although the change brought some relief, symptoms persisted despite treatment. After visiting his worksite, a therapist discovered that the chef was leaning on his elbow and using the ulnar side of the hand for breaking lettuce heads. Changing these two habits resolved all the symptoms. Ergonomic changes, which can help the healing process, reduce the critical stresses that lead to injury.
Ergonomic changes can help the healing process.
If there's a history of other workers being injured at the same job task, ergonomic changes take on even greater potential for preventing future injures, reducing pain and suffering to the workers and saving money for the employer. The possibility of an OSHA inspection always exists and frequent injuries at a site, without the company intervening, can result in a fine. Use your knowledge of the human body and ergonomics, combined with input from the patient and employer, to generate viable solutions. Making appropriate ergonomic changes takes keen listening skills and time, but it's worth the investment. If possible, make arrangements so you can implement inexpensive ergonomic changes you deem necessary, without wading through mounds of red tape and getting approvals from three supervisors.