Workplace Assessments

To comply with the regulations governing Health and Safety in the workplace and in particular compliance with the Display Screen Equipment Regulations detailed workplace assessments should be undertaken that should include risk assessments if appropriate.

A workplace assessment can assist in identifying manual handling and ergonomic risks and strategies to eliminate or minimise those risks. Recommendations may include modification of work postures and practises, recommendations regarding equipment provision, or the introduction of pause exercises. In the case of an injured employee, a workplace assessment can be used to identify appropriate suitable duties that correlate with the advised medical restrictions.

Sitting at a computer can be a bigger risk factor for musculoskeletal injury than performing manual work. We can provide office-based ergonomic assessments for individuals or whole departments such as control rooms or call centres. We recognise that not all office environments are the same, and there is not a generic “one size fits all” solution to the ergonomic issues faced. Our recommendations are practical and cost-effective (the most expensive chair is not always the most suitable!), and tailored to the individual circumstances.

Many workplace injuries result from cumulative strain, and usually the symptoms are developing long before the employee goes off work or a worker’s compensation claim is submitted. An employer-funded early intervention assessment can assist in identifying the source of the problem and provide recommendations to prevent the injury from progressing. This results in a better long term health outcome for the worker, whilst potentially saving the employer thousands of pounds in premium costs and lost time injuries.