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Ergonomics: The Supervisor's Role

Summary: In addition to regulatory obligations, supervisors contend with many challenges when an employee is injured in the workplace. These factors include lost productivity and recruiting, training, and paying temporary employees.

To prevent injuries, provide employees with appropriate ergonomics training, tools, reinforcement, assistance, and evaluations.

What you can do		How to do it
	Be aware of ergonomic risk factors.	UCSD's Injury & Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) requires supervisors to identify the job-specific hazards their workers may be subjected to in the course of their duties and provide appropriate safety training. Read: Ergonomic risks associated with the work your employees perform What is Ergonomics and Why is it Important? (PDF)
	Promote a safe and healthy work environment.	Learn about UCSD's ergonomics program and policies, supervisor and manager responsibilities, and resources available to cultivate an ergonomically safe workplace. Ergonomics Overview Ergonomics: Supervisor's Responsibilities for UCSD Employees Covered by the Clerical Contract Medical Center employees: contact the UCMC Employee Support Program, (619) 543-7709, for assistance with ergonomic issues unique to the patient care environment.
	Provide appropriate safety training.	Understanding and practicing basic ergonomic principles is the first defense against possible injury and lost productivity. Take advantage of the ergonomic training options available at UCSD. Keep records of all the safety training your employees receive. Important: UCSD is subject to The California Ergonomic Standard, California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Article 106, Section 5110. The standard requires employers to provide ergonomic training when one or more employees in a workplace are diagnosed with a repetitive motion injury. If this occurs in your department, contact an EH&S ergonomics specialist, (858) 822-0294 or 534-1075, to arrange training.
	Evaluate the workplace.	Assess how employees move around their workstations as they perform their tasks. Observe the patterns of work taking place throughout the day. Your employees may have ideas on how to change their task patterns to reduce repetitive motions and strain. Look for environmental conditions that may add unnecessary strain: Is lighting adequate for the job? How's the temperature? Is there excessive noise or vibration? Use the online Evaluating Your Computer Workstation for Comfort and Productivity tutorial in conjunction with the Computer Ergonomic Review Tool (PDF) (Word) to learn basic ergonomic principles and how to set up a computer workstation. Read Ergonomics: Workplace Evaluations.
	Provide ergonomically well-designed workplaces and assistive devices.	This doesn't automatically mean expensive. Changes in configuration or alterations to existing equipment are often viable options. UCSD's purchasing contracts ensure a variety of well-priced furniture and product options to choose from. See: Marketplace Ergonomic Solutions Purchasing's Furniture Overview Read about the EH&S Ergonomics Resource Fund that provides funding assistance toward ergonomic product purchases from Marketplace for employees who have completed ergonomic training. For computer work, explore equipment options and methods for achieving the best ergonomic conditions for your employees: How to Set Up an Ergonomic Computer Workstation Designing Your Computer Workstation For Comfort and Productivity 3M Office Ergonomic Checklist (PDF) 15 Ergonomic Tips for Computer Users (PDF) Tips for Using Your Computer Pointing Device (PDF) What is Ergonomics and Why is it Important? (PDF)
	Build task rotation into the job.	Provide adequate recovery time by allowing employees engaged in highly repetitive tasks the opportunity for frequent, short, alternative work activities and breaks. Have employees periodically alternate among tasks during the day so no group of muscles becomes overtaxed from constantly repeating the same motion. For example: Encourage an employee who has been keyboarding for an hour to perform another task like filing, copying, or returning phone calls ... so a different muscle group is used, giving the others time to rest. Encourage employees who sit for long periods of time to periodically get up and move around. Encourage employees to take lunch breaks away from their desks or primary workplaces.
	Respond to employee concerns.	Early intervention is key to preventing or minimizing injury. Encourage employees to report any symptoms associated with repetitive motion or strain as early as possible. Promptly report all employee injuries or complaints regarding repetitive motion injury symptoms to the Workers' Compensation Office. For details, see How to Report a Work-Related Injury. Tier 2 evaluations: If the Computer Ergonomic Review Tool's recommendations and associated equipment changes don't alleviate any risk factors, request a Tier 2 Computer Ergonomic Evaluation with an ergonomics specialist. Read Workplace Evaluations for instructions. Additional assistance: When necessary, seek assistance with ergonomic issues from: Environment, Health & Safety, (858) 822-0294 or 534-1075 Accommodation Counseling and Consulting Services, (858) 534-6744 Purchasing Department, (858) 534-6721 Workers' Compensation, (858) 822-2979 for campus-funded employees or (619) 543-7783 for UCSD Medical Center-funded employees.