Should shop floor employees be involved in the ergonomics process?

In a word, YES!  Involving shop floor employees is very important to the success of your ergonomics process.  It is well known that if employees are given the opportunity to participate in making decisions that affect their job, they become more actively involved in the work that they do.  Getting employees engaged in their job provides four main benefits:

1.      Employees become more focused on their work and take note of how and why they do what they do.  They become are more alert, active and prepared to share their thoughts on how the job could be done differently to improve the safety and flow of the job.

2.      Participation motivates employees to contribute to the process.  A motivated employee will increase their commitment to the organization; and therefore, the goals that the organization sets around health and safety.

3.      Participation lowers resistance to change.  We all know forced change rarely works well.  The best results happen when employees are involved in the processes that affect their job. 

4.      Participation answers the WIIFM principle (what’s in it for me?).  If we expect employees to demonstrate and execute the new behaviors and actions expected of them, then they must understand why.  By being involved the employees have firsthand knowledge of why the change is necessary in the first place.

5.      Participation in decision making helps employees to take ownership and accountability for the process.  The ergonomics process provides employees opportunities for career development and training by learning about ergonomics.  In the end this allows them to do what they do best (the work) and the result is greater job satisfaction. 

The first step in the ergonomics process is to assess the job.  Use this step as the first step in engaging the employees in the process.  To get you started here are three open ended questions to ask your employees:

1.      What works well?

2.      What doesn’t work well?

3.      What ideas do you have to solving those issues?

Then take that input and invite one or more of the employees to the ergonomics team to continue in the ergonomics process.