One year of the ergonomics decree. Is your organisation in compliance?

What are the requirements of the Royal Decree on ergonomics?

The RD on ergonomics at work and the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) requires employers to systematically integrate ergonomics into their risk analysis and prevention measures. The risks in question include lifting, pushing, pulling, repetitive movements or prolonged periods of sitting or standing.

Employers must:

• take ergonomics into account when setting up or adapting workstations

• draft appropriate prevention measures

• evaluate and update the prevention policy through risk analysis

• record all this in the general prevention plan and the annual action plan.

The act also stresses the importance of structural cooperation with the internal or external prevention department. This is the only way to ensure that the new legislation becomes an integral part of a company’s welfare policy.

One year on: only limited impact in practice

So far, the new legislation does not seem to have had much impact on many organisations. There are several reasons for this. Often, people do not know exactly what the new legislation entails. All too often, ergonomics remains limited to one-off interventions, such as providing training or putting up posters.

Naturally, it takes time to integrate new legislation into existing welfare policies. ‘We see a lot of clients making good progress at first, but the decision-making process, planning, budgeting... require time and effort,’ says Gerrit Pollentier, ergonomist at Mensura. It’s important to treat ergonomics as a strategic issue in its own right.

Ergonomics entails more than just good posture

Investing in ergonomics is, of course, much more than a legal obligation. First and foremost, the health of your employees is a top priority. Up to 30% of long-term absenteeism is linked to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as back, neck and shoulder complaints. Physical, psychosocial and organisational factors all have an impact on these disorders. An integrated approach is essential, as ergonomics involves a great deal more than ‘sitting properly’ or ‘lifting correctly’.

According to OSHA, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, taking an integrated approach can reduce the number of employees with back pain by up to 20%. There are five concrete measures that you can take to achieve this.

Here are the most effective measures:

• redesigning work processes

• optimising working heights

• reducing lifting weights using lifting and transport aids, especially in the heath care sector.

• alternating tasks and implementing extra breaks

• muscle strength/flexibility training

Gerrit Pollentier: ‘It really is worth your while to make smart ergonomic investments. Not only do they result in healthier employees, but also in better performance.’

The power of an integrated policy

Combatting physical strain successfully requires an individualised approach. Therefore, a combination of technical, organisational and - where necessary - person-centred measures is the most effective solution.

This is also known as the TOP principle:

• Technical (e.g. devices, adjusting work stations),

• Organisational (e.g. task rotation, work pace, break policy),

• Person-centred (e.g. training employees how to lift objects, coaching).

Another vital aspect involves creating a broad support base for these measures among employees. Participation not only increases the effectiveness of measures, but also makes employees more willing to engage with them.