Managers of lower-risk facilities know that ergonomic assessments are crucial for Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) because they help identify and mitigate potential musculoskeletal disorders and other health risks associated with workplace setups and practices.
An ergonomic assessment provides a structured way to identify workplace risk factors before they result in injuries, lost productivity, or increased workers’ compensation costs. Whether you’re evaluating an office, laboratory, distribution support area, or another lower-risk environment, conducting regular ergonomic assessments helps organizations prioritize improvements based on data rather than assumptions.
Conducting an ergonomic assessment begins with understanding where risks exist, evaluating how work is performed, and prioritizing improvements that reduce injury risk while supporting employee health and operational performance. Following these seven steps provides a practical framework for building or strengthening an ergonomics program.
7 Steps for Conducting an Ergonomic Assessment
- Review existing data and any past ergonomic assessments
- Establish a standard ergonomic assessment method
- Get a real-life picture of your facility
- Engage employees and get direct feedback on their workspaces
- Gather objective data
- Assess data and prioritize risk
- Craft a plan to implement mitigation
Today’s workplaces also look different than they did just a few years ago. Many organizations now support hybrid workforces, flexible workstations, shared office environments, and employees working from multiple locations. As work environments evolve, ergonomic assessments should also evolve to ensure all employees have safe, comfortable workspaces regardless of where they perform their jobs.
The seven steps below provide a practical framework for conducting an ergonomic assessment.
What Is an Ergonomic Assessment?
Ergonomic assessments are an objective study of how employees work. The assessments help identify the ergonomic risks such as repetitive tasks that can cause strains, improper work area setup, and improper use of tools, which can result in the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
A comprehensive workplace ergonomic assessment evaluates how employees interact with their work environment, equipment, and job tasks. Depending on the role, this may include reviewing workstation design, lifting techniques, reaching distances, computer setup, tool selection, work pace, environmental conditions, and repetitive movements.
The goal is not simply to correct individual discomfort, but to identify systemic improvements that reduce injury risk while improving employee comfort, productivity, and long-term wellbeing.
1. Review existing data and any past ergonomic assessments
Step one to crafting or improving your ergonomics program involves taking a history. You need to establish a baseline understanding of work-related incidents and injuries that have already occurred.
Review injury and illness logs, workers’ compensation reports, first aid logs, accident, and near-miss investigation reports, insurance company reports, safety committee meeting minutes, and any worker reports of problems.
This will allow you to identify common issues, injuries, and complaints–and to zero in on high-risk departments or job types. This, in turn, will establish a data-driven benchmark that will be important for measuring success in the future.
2. Establish a standard ergonomic assessment method
Your organization will likely conduct initial and follow-up ergonomic assessments to measure progress and identify improvement opportunities. As a result, it’s important to establish a standard assessment method and set of tools so you can compare apples to apples and accurately identify risk factors.
Create an ergonomic assessment brief that outlines your methodology framework and tools for collecting both subjective and objective data. Then use the brief as a guide to ensure each assessment follows the same set of tools and documentation methods. Some tools to consider using include:
- WISHA Caution Zone Checklist
- WISHA Hazard Zone Checklist
- WISHA Lifting Calculator or NIOSH Lifting Equation (check for phone apps!)
- Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA)
- Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA)
- Snook Tables
- Hand-Arm Vibration (HAV) Calculator
While each organization will use different tools depending on its operations, it’s important to understand when each method is most effective. For example:
- RULA is commonly used for office environments and tasks involving repetitive upper-body movements.
- REBA is well suited for evaluating whole-body postures commonly found in manufacturing and healthcare settings.
- The NIOSH Lifting Equation helps evaluate manual material handling activities involving lifting.
- WISHA checklists provide an effective screening method for identifying common ergonomic hazards early in the assessment process
3. Get a real-life picture of your facility
If you want your ergonomics program to be successful, you need to have on-the-ground knowledge of the environment that employees are working in.
Consider doing a Gemba walk of the facility in question. Get a glimpse of workers in action by going on-site to collect subjective observations. Take extensive notes, and consider capturing photos and video to help you remember specific details and generate improvement ideas.
Today’s assessments should also consider hybrid work arrangements, shared workstations, remote employees, sit-stand workstations, and mobile technology. In some cases, virtual ergonomic assessments or video-based workstation reviews can supplement on-site evaluations, particularly for geographically dispersed teams.
If you have facilities spread around the world, engage a global EHS consultant with ergonomics experience. A consultant offers broad-based knowledge and expertise, and can not only conduct the assessment but also provide the analysis–giving you actionable next steps. Many EHS managers have no travel budget but have global responsibilities. While hiring a consultant is an additional cost upfront, it gets around this issue and gets you the data you need to make informed decisions.
4. Engage employees and get direct feedback on their workspaces
During an on-site visit, you’ll certainly need to hang back and observe workers in their daily operations—but you should also take time to talk to them. Involving them in the process can lend you detailed, first-hand insights on how you can improve their work life, as well as strengthen your company’s safety culture.
Get the conversation going by explaining your mission and asking them questions about what they do, how they do it, how long they do it, who trained them, how they work, training standards, and how they feel about their environment. Some questions you could ask include:
- Does your job involve heavy or strenuous lifting?
- Do you experience discomfort while doing your job?
- Do you get easily fatigued when performing your job?
- What do you see as the biggest safety issue with your job?
- How would you solve the issue?
- What would make you more comfortable in your workspace?
Another way to gain employee insights is through a comfort survey. A comfort survey will allow employees to anonymously or openly share how they feel about their working conditions and any issues they’re having.
5. Gather objective data
Once you’ve reviewed historical data and collected employee observations, it’s time to gather objective ergonomic data.
Use the insights you’ve collected to prioritize the job tasks and departments requiring detailed evaluation. Then apply your chosen methodology and assessment tools consistently across each task.
Some organizations are also beginning to incorporate wearable sensors, digital assessment platforms, or AI-assisted video analysis to identify repetitive motions and awkward postures. While these technologies can improve data collection, professional ergonomic evaluation remains essential for interpreting findings and developing practical recommendations.
6. Assess data and prioritize risk
Once you’ve collected both subjective and objective data and insights, analyze your findings to identify workplace hazards and prioritize improvements.
Begin by reviewing the information in its entirety, taking note of insights that stand out. Dive into each job type or department category to get a more granular picture of risks and potential opportunities.
Some questions to ask yourself throughout this process are:
- What is the injury risk associated with this job type?
- What is the severity of injury?
- What is the likelihood of injury?
- Can the risk be mitigated or reduced?
Then, create a prioritized list of mitigation opportunities that can be addressed in both the short and long term.
7. Craft a plan to implement mitigation
Now that your analysis is complete, it’s time to put what you’ve learned into action. Bring your EHS team, safety committee, and/or operations management together and use your list to write out a strategy for addressing risks and mitigation opportunities. Some questions to consider during your discussion might include:
- What is our implementation timeline?
- Which risks should be addressed first?
- How will success be measured?
- What training and resources are needed?
- Which stakeholders should be involved?
- How will progress be communicated?
When selecting solutions, prioritize engineering controls whenever possible, such as redesigning workstations, modifying equipment, or introducing mechanical lifting aids. Administrative controls—including job rotation, work-rest schedules, and updated procedures—can further reduce exposure, while employee training helps reinforce safe work practices. This layered approach creates more sustainable ergonomic improvements than relying on training alone.
Common Ergonomic Risks in Lower-Risk Facilities
Although lower-risk facilities generally experience fewer severe injuries than manufacturing or construction environments, ergonomic hazards remain common. Typical examples include:
- Office environments: Poor monitor placement, improper chair adjustments, prolonged sitting, and awkward keyboard positioning.
- Laboratories: Extended microscope use, repetitive pipetting, and static standing postures.
- Distribution support and light warehouse operations: Repetitive scanning, packing, reaching, and light manual material handling.
- Healthcare administration: Extended computer use, document handling, and repetitive administrative tasks.
- Shared or hybrid workspaces: Inconsistent workstation setup, laptop use without external peripherals, and temporary workstations.
Identifying these hazards early helps organizations reduce MSD risk while improving employee comfort and productivity.
Building a Stronger Ergonomics Program
An effective ergonomic assessment is more than a compliance exercise. It provides organizations with a practical framework for identifying workplace risks, prioritizing improvements, and creating healthier, more productive work environments. By following these seven steps, organizations can build an ergonomics program that supports employee wellbeing while reducing injury risk over time.
Whether you’re conducting a single ergonomic evaluation or developing a comprehensive ergonomics program across multiple facilities, Antea Group’s Ergonomics services can help you identify risks, prioritize improvements, and implement practical solutions tailored to your operations through our RiskRight EHS For Low-Risk Environments services.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ergonomic Assessments
What is an ergonomic assessment?
An ergonomic assessment evaluates how employees interact with their workstations, equipment, tools, and job tasks to identify risk factors that may contribute to musculoskeletal disorders or other workplace injuries.
How often should ergonomic assessments be conducted?
Many organizations perform assessments when new workstations are introduced, job tasks change, injuries occur, or employees report discomfort. Periodic reassessments also help identify new risks over time.
Who should perform an ergonomic assessment?
Assessments may be conducted by trained internal EHS professionals, ergonomists, occupational health specialists, or experienced consultants, depending on the complexity of the work environment.
What is the difference between an ergonomic assessment and an ergonomic risk assessment?
The terms are often used interchangeably. In practice, an ergonomic risk assessment typically focuses specifically on identifying and evaluating workplace risk factors, while an ergonomic assessment may also include recommendations for workstation improvements, employee education, and program development.
What are the most common ergonomic hazards?
Common hazards include repetitive motion, awkward postures, excessive force, static positions, vibration, poorly designed workstations, and improper lifting techniques.
