uk & us approaches to office ergonomics
TRANSCRIPT
UK & US Approaches toOffice Ergonomics
Implications for Global Companies
Guy Osmond
OF11
Guy OsmondManaging Director
www.ergonomics.co.uk
Guy OsmondManaging Director
A Personal View• Ergonomics Landscape
• Regulation vs. Workers’ Comp
• Similarities and differences• More about the UK/Europe
– Training– Corporate Culture
• The future• Free tools
Guy OsmondManaging Director
• Who?• What?• Why?
Who?• Dropped out of university in my 2nd year• In business since 1975• Wine bar, Property development,
Children’s clothes shop, Slot machines, Satellite TV
• In Workplace Ergonomics since 1992• Mensa member since 1996• Married since 1982 with one son
Who?
The UK’s most knowledgeable supplier of innovative products and services to improve workplace wellbeing and productivity
What?
It’s about the outcome… not the sale
Why?
Google: guy osmond
Thanks to …• Peter Budnick• Michael Craggs• James Golden• Alan Hedge• Ira Janowitz• Rani Lueder• Eileen Vollowitz
UK & US Approaches toOffice Ergonomics
Implications for Global Companies
So who are you???
• From the US?• From Canada?• From Europe?• From the rest of the world?• More than 5 years in workplace
ergonomics?
UK & Europe 1 - Scandinavia
2 - Holland
3 - UK
4 – Central Europe
Southern Europe
Ergonomics Landscape
• Regulation• Keyboard Trays
Population313m
Population739m
Regulation
• Health & Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992
• Health & Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 as amended by the Health & Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2002
bit.ly/dse-regs
Regulation 2: Analysis of workstations to assess and reduce risks(1) Every employer shall perform a suitable and sufficient analysis of those (DSE) workstations …
… for the purpose of assessing the health and safety risks to which those persons are exposed in consequence of that use.
(3) The employer shall reduce the risks identified in consequence of an assessment to the lowest extent reasonably practicable.
Regulation
• Adequate lighting• Adequate contrast, no glare or distracting reflections• Distracting noise minimised• Leg room and clearances to allow postural changes• Window covering if needed to minimise glare• Software: appropriate to task, adapted to user, providing feedback
on system status, no undisclosed monitoring• Screen: stable image, adjustable, readable, glare/reflection-free• Keyboard: usable, adjustable, detachable, legible• Work surface: with space for flexible arrangement of equipment and
documents; glare-free• Chair: stable and adjustable• Footrest if user needs one
Regulation
© Health and Safety Executive
Regulation
• No equivalent EU process
• UK litigation exists but only as the last (not first) resort
• Individual outcomes in the U.S. much more product focussed
Workers’ Comp
• Standard workstation assessment• Escalation trigger• Enhanced assessment• Recommendations
– Training– Job changes– Products
EU Individual Assessment
• Stress not compensable in the US• Stress-related illness now a major
issue in the UK– Job security– Smart Working– Workload
Psycho-social issues
Time >>>
Prod
uctiv
ity >
>>
What you are seeing if you only measure absenteeism
What is actually happening
Unmeasured lost productivity
Presenteeism
Presenteeism cost = 1.5 to 3 x cost of absenteeism
http://bit.ly/PresExplained
Products
• Asking the right questions• It must be ergonomic: it says so on the
box!• Which manufacturer’s brochures did you
learn ergonomics from?• WoW Factor Test• Awesomeness Test
www.prankpack.com
Products
Training
ergoergo.info
C R
Cost
CATNAP
Cost vs. InvestmentCorporate Culture
C R
Cost
CATNAP
ROI
Corporate Culture
Doing it becausethey must
Doing it becausethey know it’s right
Corporate Culture• Open plan (collaborative working)
– Bench desking– Breakout – touchdown – meeting rooms - pods– Acoustics
• Smart/Agile/Flexible/Mobile Working– Home working, hot desks
bit.ly/SWhandbook
Corporate Culture
• Wellbeing– Stress not compensable– Resilience to support change management
• Engagement– Ergonomists– Health & Safety– Occupational Health– HR– Wellness/Wellbeing– Diversity & Inclusion
Image: advisorone.com
The Future
• BYOD - Smartphones and tablets– Wearable technology/internet of things
The Future
• Millennials– Always connected
bit.ly/boom-mill
The Future
• Smart Chair– Predicting sitting behaviour with psychometrics?
Guy OsmondManaging Director
www.osmondgroup.co.uk