Choosing an Ergonomic Consultant
You'd better shop around
By Deborah Quilter
First published July 7, 1998

Employers launching ergonomics programs may seek a consultant to advise them on workstation setup, products to buy, training, and more. Here are guidelines for finding a consultant who knows enough about ergonomics, your industry, and your employees' work situations to help you make the right decisions.

The first step is to find the ergonomic consultants in your area. The North American Ergonomic Resources Guide ($48, LRP Publications, 800/341-7874 ext. 347, www.lrp.com) is the most comprehensive guide I've seen so far. You can also seek word-of-mouth recommendations from your colleagues at other companies or check with your insurance company or workers' compensation administrator for referrals. Regardless of the source, take the time to check each referral carefully.

Good Qualifications

Knowledge and background. "Don't assume ergonomic certification qualifies someone to do what you need them to do," says Gary Karp of Onsight, a San Francisco-based ergonomics consulting firm. A well-qualified consultant is a well-rounded one, who has training in all the mechanical, physical, and behavioral aspects of ergonomic health.

Industrial hygienists or engineers know the mechanics. They can measure your workstation to fit your body, measure the forces placed upon your body as you work, and analyze the tools you use for convenience and comfort. Physical or occupational therapists should know kinesiology and musculoskeletal issues so they can analyze how your movements affect your body. Behavioral changes-teaching workers new ways to sit, move, and work that reduce the risk of future injury-may require a therapist trained in the Alexander technique of postural retraining or another discipline. Consultants who emphasize mechanical over physical factors or who ignore behavioral issues are not providing full evaluations. Consultants who try to prop up your employees with wrist rests, arm rests, and elbow cups are just immobilizing them without changing their environments or behaviors.

Experience. An experienced consultant will have solved problems in a variety of work situations. Make sure the consultant specializes in office ergonomics, however. Consultants who are whizzes with assembly workers may not be as well-acquainted with the problems facing computer users.

Computer literacy. Consultants should know how your business' software works. Otherwise, they cannot advise you on macros and other strain-saving shortcuts.

Good communication skills and rapport. "You're not going to achieve behavior change unless you establish rapport," says Onsight's Karp. Skilled consultants should foster a spirit of cooperation and communicate complex ergonomic issues in a way your employees can understand.

What a Consultant Should Provide

Time. There are no hard-and-fast rules about the amount of time a consultant should spend with each employee, but it should be long enough to evaluate the workstation, understand the problems, and advise the employee. A few additional meetings may be required to assess how well the employee has adjusted to any changes.

Education. "People should feel like they learned something from their consultant," says Linda J. Johnson, OTR, manager of the Oakland, Calif.-based SHARE/NovaCare. If consultants take the time to teach their clients the principles of ergonomics, then workers can begin to solve problems on their own.

Resources. Consultants should be able to recommend a variety of reliable products, know how to use them, and-when possible-bring samples for a demonstration. It's also helpful if they know the vendors' return policies for products that don't work out.

Work reorganization. Good evaluations should take into account what kinds of jobs workers do, what their habits are, what tools they use, and how best to coordinate all these factors. For instance, if someone constantly uses the phone and keyboard, a headset is a must. But putting the phone on the opposite side of the room from the desk can help get people out of their chairs more often.

The Costs of Consulting

Ergonomic consultants aren't cheap. Their fees can start at around $150 per hour. But many companies fear the equipment expenses even more. If they provide new chairs for certain employees, will everyone in the company want one? Employers should keep in mind that a one-time investment in equipment is far cheaper than workers' compensation claims. Still, there are a few ways to economize.

If you have a large department, start your program by having the consultant give a presentation on the basics of good ergonomic health. Make it a mandatory meeting for all employees. The consultant should charge a flat fee for giving the presentation, and the knowledge the employees gain from it should help shorten the one-on-one sessions that follow.

Some consultants will train one of your employees to perform workstation evaluations. On the other hand, Joseph DePietro, M.D., medical director for the New York Times, cautions that employees who take courses in workstation evaluation could promptly forget everything they learned: "I want someone who does this for a living." An in-house employee also may lack training in musculoskeletal disorders, kinesiology, or anatomy; without the proper supervision, she could make matters worse by presuming a medical problem can be solved with ergonomics. The best balance might be to train an occupational or physical therapist to evaluateworkstations.

What Consultants Can't Do

Remember, neither good technique nor a properly fitted workstation will help avert injury if you work at the computer constantly or if you push yourself beyond your limits. Consultants can provide the tools for better ergonomics, but ultimately it's up to individuals to use tools consistently and correctly and to alter their habits to prevent injury.

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