Do you have a hard time getting support for your ergonomics process? Perhaps this is because the other leaders around you have bought into the myth that ergonomics has to be expensive. Let’s help them with that.

By now, you’re probably aware of the well documented benefits of ergonomics.

You’re ready to take action. You want to get started and take advantage of the ergonomics opportunity for your company. Most importantly, you know that an effective ergonomics process will be great for your people.

But then, somewhere along the line, your plan to take advantage of the ergonomics opportunity was squelched by the misinformed idea that ergonomics is expensive and there just aren’t enough funds in the budget to get started right now.

So now what?

Well, your next move is to make a case for the value of ergonomics.

Is ergonomics expensive?

Ergonomics isn’t about fancy, expensive equipment. Ergonomics is not about the latest fads and trends that seem “cool” or what the trendy companies are doing. Beware of the marketing hype – there is a whole cadre of supposedly “ergonomic” products out there that aren’t based on science.

According to renowned ergonomics researcher, Professor Alan Hedge of Cornell University, “when ergonomics is an integral part of basic job and workplace design and not an afterthought, it’s no more expensive to choose a good ergonomic design for a workplace than to choose a bad design. The difference isn’t ergonomics; it’s education!”

Many research studies and case study reviews back up Professor Hedge’s idea that the value of ergonomics far exceeds the costs. The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries reviewed 250 case studies and found that an ergonomics process consistently reduced injury costs, improved productivity, improved quality and improved employee engagement.

The value of ergonomics

My educated guess is that there are many ergonomic improvement opportunities at your facility right now that are low capital expenditures just waiting to be taken advantage of. These are low-cost, high impact improvements. These opportunities are the low hanging fruit.

I would also guess there are higher capital requirements for other items on your ergonomic opportunity list. These are the “expensive” workplace improvements.

But consider this: “expensive” is a relative term and it matters far less when you shift your mindset to seek value.

To illustrate my point, let’s play a game.

You give me $1.

I give you $3.

You give me $10.

I give you $30.

Pretty fun game so far, right? Now, after a couple rounds of playing this game you’re starting to think about what your budget is for this game. After some thought, you decide … there is no budget for this game. When you get a 200% return on the money I give you, the value of your investment far exceeds the costs.

In other words, there is a return on your investment. When setting your budget, it was more a question of value than it was a question of what it cost.

Would you have spent $100 on this game? $10,000? $100,000?

You absolutely would. There was a return on your investment. Your $100,000 investment returned $300,000! It was a no brainer.

Of course, you could choose to focus on your $100,000 outlay. After all, that’s quite a bit of cash, and it seems expensive at first blush. But after a careful analysis, you realize the power of the return on investment – the $200,000 you gained as a result of your investment.

In many cases, this is what it’s like with an ergonomics improvement process. You might spend $10, $100, or $100,000 on making improvements to your work environment, and that might seem like a substantial amount of money. The key is to measure your return on that investment.

The perception that ergonomics is expensive misses the mark. It’s about the value, not the cost. The key is to communicate the value of the ergonomics return on investment over and over and over again. By making continual improvements to your workplace and documenting the value created, you’re building up a dividend of trust, goodwill and money for your ergonomics process.

A look at the research, case studies, articles and more on the value of ergonomics

For more research, case studies, articles, and tools on the cost-justification and value of ergonomics, check out the links below.

Why an Ergonomics Program Makes Good Business Sense!
According to Professor Alan Hedge of Cornell University, good ergonomics programs are always cost effective – they save more than they cost, and many studies have shown this. He writes that, “when ergonomics is an integral part of basic job and workplace design and not an afterthought, it’s no more expensive to choose a good ergonomic design for a workplace than to choose a bad design. The difference isn’t ergonomics, it’s education!”

Good Ergonomics Make for Good Economics
Amy Rice, MSPT, makes the point that with some relatively simple and inexpensive changes, you can address ergonomic issues and reap handsome rewards without breaking the bank.

Ergonomics for the Safety Professional
For a broad view on the value of ergonomics (and the broader role of the safety professional), see this PowerPoint deck from Cindy Roth. These slides contain tons of valuable information you can use to make the case that the value of ergonomics far exceeds the costs.

Cost-justifying Wellness Programs to Reduce Ergonomic Risk Factors
Chronic health conditions are a well documented risk factor that contribute to MSDs. What if ergonomics (the discipline of workplace design) was combined with wellness (a discipline that promotes workforce health) to create a powerful injury prevention and health promotion process? What would that look like and what would the return on investment be? Learn more in this presentation from Ellen Gallo, MS, CSP, CPE.

NSC: Demonstrating the Business Value of Ergonomics
According to this article in EHS Today magazine, there are several ROI models to demonstrate the value of ergonomics. These include regulatory compliance, health and safety performance, and production enhancement.

Justifying the Investment in Ergonomics
This article included in ASSE’s Body of Knowledge (BoK) gives several common reasons CEO’s resist an investment in ergonomics, along with the answer to each reason. The article continues with providing the business case for ergonomics and provides several practical case study examples you can use.

Ergonomics Solutions Cost Justification
This PowerPoint slide deck by Cindy Roth gives a detailed analysis on ergonomics cost-justification. It’s important to consider all factors in the ergonomics ROI calculation, including capital costs, production costs and overhead costs.

Examples of Costs and Benefits of Ergonomics
This is perhaps the most widely cited document on proving the value of ergonomics in the workplace. The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries evaluated 250 case studies in ergonomics and evaluated the results. The link above points to a pdf file on the accumulation of the results of this study.

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