Apex Success Story:
Online Ergonomics tool helps employees reduce workstation related pain
The Problem:
- Workstation ergonomics issues have been on the rise for a local, Waterloo-based company
- Employee reported pain and discomfort related to their workstation environment has become more prevalent than previous years
- Employer is actively seeking for ways to address the current issues and prevent future incidents
Summary:
The Apex team had the opportunity to evaluate the impact of their online ergonomics tutorial ErgoBlitz on a total of 64 office workers in a local company. The primary outcome of this intervention was a reduction in reported workstation related pain and discomfort at the 3-week mark following the completion of the tutorial and suggested exercises.
In addition, ErgoBlitz provided a risk stratification of the surveyed cohort (High, Moderate and Low Risk), highlighting those participants who showed a need for more in-depth, in-person assessments by a Registered Kinesiologist, therefore targeting ergonomics resources where they were needed most.
Methods:
64 office workers were setup with access to participate in ErgoBlitz – an online workstation ergonomics tutorial that takes its users through step-by-step instructions on how to setup their current workstation.
ErgoBlitz also gives users the ability to report any pain or discomfort related to their workstation, and will generate exercise and stretch plans specific to the areas of the body the user reported pain in.
This cohort of participants also had onsite support from Registered Kinesiologists who could assist them as they completed the tutorial.
Findings:
Following the completion of the tutorial, those participants who reported pain were also provided with suggested stretches and exercises to complete on a regular basis.
After the 3-week mark post-completion, 70% of the reported pain/discomforts outlined were positively impacted by ErgoBlitz. Of the total number of discomforts reported, 40% were eliminated, 30% were improved and 30% were left unchanged.
Overall, 38% of participants closed either 1 or more of their discomforts after the 3-week period (the pain/discomfort had been completely alleviated). Additionally, 56% of participants reported that the severity of their pain/discomfort was reduced.
After completing the tutorial, each participant was also categorized in either High Risk, Moderate Risk or Low Risk of pain/injury as a product of their workstation setup issues and their existing discomfort (type of discomfort, severity and duration).
It was found that 21% of participants were categorized as High Risk, 32% as Moderate Risk and 47% as Low Risk. Of the High Risk individuals, each of these participants were provided with an in-person workstation assessment with a Registered Kinesiologist to provide adjustments and make recommendations.
Application of Findings:
Having an ergonomic chair is one thing, knowing how to adjust it is another!
Whether you have existing workstation related concerns or not, ErgoBlitz is an easy-to-use and easy-to-implement preventative tool that can help your staff understand their workstations and work towards a pain-free, ergonomically friendly environment.
Let us help you bring the knowledge and expertise of Registered Kinesiologists into your workspace to help your teams promote a culture of workstation health!
Stay Healthy!