If you’ve worked in industry, there’s a good chance that you have been through ergonomics training. The same old boring lecture of what ergonomics is, “lift with your legs, not your back”, “sit up straight”, “keep your elbows and knees at 90 degrees” and so on. But does this really improve or change your “ergonomics”? I don’t think so. Have you ever thought about coaching ergonomics instead?

We need to get real about how we approach ergonomics in businesses and organizations. About 30% of workplace injuries and illnesses are musculoskeletal (MSD) in nature, many are blamed on ergonomics. In physical trades, this ratio is much higher! Let me explain how we go from ergonomics training to coaching ergonomics.

Where do we go from here?

I love the innovation in tool design and automation in jobs today. We’ve come a long way. But physical work will continue for some time.  When I hear the term “training”, my mind immediately goes to a classroom or web based training where someone sits and watches a PowerPoint listening to a lecture . . . boring, yada yada yada.

Is everyone paying attention? In my experience, probably not.

Instead of getting stuck in this trap expecting big results, I suggest that you consider “ergonomics training” that involves coaching ergonomics.

 Transition Your Mindset from Training to Coaching

Ergonomics in the occupational sense is physical and not something that can be taught like an academic topic. Rather, it needs to look more like a golf or tennis lesson or football and baseball practice.

To learn ergonomics, you need to practice it, just like in sport. Sitting in a classroom chair does not teach proper lifting techniques to prevent a back injury nor does it teach you how to hold a wrench and position your elbow and shoulder to reduce the risk of a shoulder injury. We learn not only by hearing, but by seeing and doing.

Do not mistake what I am saying here. There is room for the classroom portion to gain realization about what ergonomics is and how it affects the person. In order to see the physical results of ergonomics training, one must physically go through the motions, receive feedback, and create a new level of muscle memory. Only through this will the person ACTUALLY start performing better ergonomically

 Example of Coaching Ergonomics

One common cornerstone of ergonomics training is how to lift. Imagine that you drop your keys on the ground and you need to pick them up. Now think to yourself – how would I do that?

• Where do I put my left and right foot?
• Which hand will I use to grab the keys from the ground?
• What do I do with the other hand?
• Are your knees or are your hips bent more?
• Do you bend your back?

The task is a simple daily occurrence. It doesn’t need to be complicated. People tend to go on autopilot and just do it without strategically thinking about it. This is the end game that we all wish to gain from ergonomics training – but who lifts correctly in every situation? We repeat this simple lift thousands of times, but I would bet that no one has ever really taught you how to do this simple lift in a way that reduces risk for injury and more efficient. Keep reading to see if you imagined correctly, but first, let’s explore a few options.

We have 4 common lifting methods to choose from.

Butt-Up Lift

This is the most commonly use method that I have observed over the years. The person stands with both feet about shoulder width apart, keeping the legs somewhat straight, bends forward at the waist, grabs the object, and raises back up to the standing posture.

Golfer Lift

The person steps forward with one foot, leans forward while the opposite leg lifts off the ground behind them, while the arm extends to grasp and lift the object. The back foot that is raised lowers back to the ground returning the person to the standing posture.

Build-a-bridge

One foot is placed slightly in front of the other with a slight bend in the knees. The arm is braced against the knee that is staggered forward. As the person bends forward, upper body weight is transferred through the arm and knee while the opposite arm grabs the object. Then they stand back up.

Textbook Lift

Feet are placed at shoulder width apart. The person squats down at the knees keeping their back straight, grabs item with one or both hands. They return to the standing position by extending both legs equally returning to the standing posture.

 Preferred lift for grabbing a small object from the ground

I personally like the golfer or the build-a-bridge lift. The golfer lift uses the back leg for counterbalance while maintaining decent back posture. I’m not poking fun when I say this, but look at how senior citizens move about. As their mobility, stability, and strength subsides, they are using items like grab handles and hand rails more often. In a sense, build-a-bridge does the same thing. It transfers weigh from all falling forward and applies a bridge to better support back muscles – hence the name build-a-bridge.

What I observe is much different that classes claim

The most used lifting method that I have observed in various industries is the butt up lift. This is NOT the preferred lifting method though. It’s very natural to practically fall forward and stand straight back up. The problem is this method involves too much of the back and hamstrings increasing risk for injury to these areas.

The truth is that the “butt-up” lift is easy and we get away with doing it injury free. The reality is it requires a lot of strength and strains the back. The reality is that all it takes is one time to hurt oneself. That one repetition, that one instance, that one [fill in the blank]. This behavior has become habitual for many and no one is willing to correct it. There are 2 indicators that I have regarding the ergonomics related readiness of classes.

Indications of Good or Bad Ergonomics Education

Going through this real life example in classroom based ergonomics yields a quick response about the “proper” method to lift. Often times, they go on to teach me that the textbook way is the correct method. This tells me that they are unfamiliar with various lifting methods which is indicator #1. Indicator #2 occurs during a break or after the course when I observe real life ergonomics when someone actually lifts something off the floor when I see their butt go way up and they just grip it and rip it. Ouch – all that ergonomics training and look at the result! They know better, but they are obviously not connecting what they know to muscle memory. Otherwise they would have used a better method.

Coaching the Industrial Athlete

Like an athlete, changing poor posture and movement patterns takes practice. I tell people that practicing lifting in new ways is like riding a bike. It might feel weird or awkward at first, but the more one practices, the more that one understands it, the more that one is motivated to do it the proper way, the more likely it is that they will change their behavior and the proper way becomes the new normal. This is not achieved in a sit down lecture.

Next time you consider ergonomics training, think more like a coach. Teach your audience what’s going on, show them how to do it properly, and then have them demonstrate and practice it. Provide feedback and then repeat it. After the session, reinforce it. You see something, say something. One of the best compliments post training that I get is when I see peers correcting peers. This reinforcement it key to success.

This hear, see, and do training philosophy will make your ergonomics training not only more enjoyable, it will be more effective. The true key is to not stop there. Make it part of the culture where everyone coaches each other.

The lifting example above is just one of many movements and activities that can be done. Use examples and tooling that is familiar to your audience. Not sure where to start? Check out what Practical Ergonomics Hands-On Ergonomics Coaching or contact Practical Ergonomics to see what coaching techniques can be applied in your industry.

Let me know what you think. What ergonomics coaching activities or techniques have been successful for you?