The complexity of the move and the need to incorporate adjustable equipment for a large number of employees required that the Safety and Health Team work diligently with a Facilities Management Team for several months during and following the move. Significant rework was required for those previously accommodated in their old work areas as a result of past injuries and claims. To enhance employee awareness of ergonomics, a series of 10 Office ergonomic training classes were performed to equip employees with the fundamentals of ergonomics and help facilitate a safe and healthy move process. Also an Ergonomic Reference Guide has been developed internally and provided to every employee as part of our ongoing prevention efforts. Our goal was to capture the moment to significantly improve the Safety and Health of our workplace and grow our ergonomics program through training and education as part of the move.
New work is ongoing in an attempt to apply ergonomic principles as part of our daily work processes.
Not only was the utility successful in relocating 950 employees, but the move provided a great opportunity to enhance our ability to fully integrate an effective office ergonomics process with long-term impacts. Presently, the Ergonomist is the laison between Facilities Management and employees. Following an ergonomic evaluation, a request for workstation modifications and equipment changes may be made. Facilities Management schedules an internal Building Operations crew to implement the recommendations. To best facilitate a safe workstation design, all of Building Operations staff has had ergonomics training.