Work-place injuries and illnesses cost the nation an estimated $171 Billion each year They result in approximately 6,500 deaths from injury and more than 60,000 deaths from disease, 13.2 million non-fatal injuries and 862,000 illnesses, according to a study recently presented in a journal of the American Medical Association. The costs of occupational injuries and illnesses are staggering compared to other major diseases. The annual cost of AIDS, for example, is estimated at $30 billion, Alzheimer's disease is at $6.6 billion in direct and indirect cost. The $171 billion costs of occupational injuries and illnesses are of the same magnitude as costs of cancer, estimated at $170 billion and for cardiovascular disease, estimated at $164 billion. Since the costs of work-related injuries can be compared to the combined annual profits of the 20 largest companies in America, companies need to focus on and make safety and health in their workplace a priority.

     According to information from RONI LLC; if you currently are paying $20,000 in annual workers’ compensation premiums and have a single back injury claim, your premium will increase $14,000 during the following three years. If you are already paying $100,000 in annual premiums, a single injury will boost your premium an additional $100,000 over the same three year period. Multiple claims will increase premiums exponentially. It is therefore not uncommon in certain industries that workers’ compensation premiums become the largest cost line item on the books after material and labor. And the tab is expected to continue to grow steadily, unless improvements aimed at making the work environment more ergonomic friendly are prioritized. After all, the human being is one of the most expensive devices on earth to be placed in unhealthy work environments.

     Recognizing that in addition to the workers’ compensation costs, the estimated time-lost cost per injury in corporate America today is $26,000 per incident; a commitment to provide for a work place design that reduces just one injury, a company will on average save $26,000, which in most cases is more than enough to pay for the best ergonomic equipment by itself.

     Recognizing the spiraling cost of work-related injuries and illnesses, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed a new federal ergonomic safety standard. Today, the U.S. is the only developed country that does not already have some kind of ergonomics standards in place. When such standards are approved also in the U.S., it will encourage businesses to implement products and procedures in a practical manner to prevent exposure to musculoskeletal disorder risk factors on the job sites. One should remember that even without such ergonomic safety standards, OSHA can today, under the general duty clause, still cite companies for ergonomics related injuries.

     While OSHA is working on a federal ergonomics regulation, the states are also looking at the issues. California's workplace safety and health agency adopted an ergonomics standard that took effect July 3, 1997. The rule, the first among the states are promulgating other states to consider similar standards.

     Legislative reform alone will not reduce the overall costs unless employers also reform their internal systems of prevention commitment. Employers who give their commitment to wisely invest in ergonomic equipment that lessen the frequency and severity of workplace injuries will experience a decrease in workers' compensation costs but also experience other very profound gains.

     Workers value a safe workplace that doesn't put them in jeopardy. When workers know the company cares about their safety and well being, they care more about the well being of the company. A company's commitment to a safe and healthful workplace can provide profound effects on the workers’ attitude, morale and absenteeism.

     With today's shortage of skilled labor and the general trend towards “downsized” staffs, each key employee is becoming more valuable and a company can no longer afford inefficiencies or high absenteeism without adversely affecting the entire operation.

As seen, the implementation of the effective ergonomics in the workplace will produce returns of significant magnitude for the company. By selecting ergonomically designed equipment and making sure it is used correctly, management will be rewarded will lower disability costs, insurance premiums, lower absenteeism, increased productivity, fewer rejects and a greater quality of the work life, etc. All important components to improve profitability and the ability to compete more effectively.

Although the initial cost of providing equipment specifically designed with ergonomics in mind may be slightly higher than purchasing "standard" equipment, it is clear that the tangible and intangible results associated to paying attention to ergonomics in the workplace, will provide benefits that far outweighs the initial equipment purchase cost. The equipment purchase costs, in reality, are very small and easily justified from an overall financial "return on investment" viewpoint.

Why is ergonomics so important today?
Because ergonomics have multi-faceted, far-reaching effects on all phases of business. Even simple ergonomic changes in the workplace will have profound effects. 



As such, ergonomics may have as much of an impact on the social revolution in manufacturing in this new century as did mechanical manufacturing on the industrial revolution in the past century.