Online Ergonomics Training: Why You Need It and Where to Find It

Whether your workspace is in an office or in your home, you need ergonomics. Ergonomics is something that impacts virtually all areas of our lives. From something as simple as lifting a box to the perfect placement of your desk setup, ergonomics aims to enhance safety and productivity.

Human error is a big factor in poor ergonomics. When we’re working, we tend to focus on the task at hand. This means that we may not be thinking about the way we’re completing that task. This can have a bigger impact than you might realize.

So, why should you look into ergonomics training? And where can you find these courses? Let’s find out!

Why Should You Consider Online Ergonomics Training?

When we’re focused on work, we might not think too hard about the way we’re doing things. This can lead to poor posture in an office chair, or putting up with a desk that’s too small.

While these can seem like small inconveniences, they can have a serious effect on our health.

For example, something as minor as an improperly placed keyboard can lead to strained muscles in the hands and forearms. It can even cause carpal tunnel syndrome, a painful condition that impacts all areas of your life.

But it gets worse. Poor ergonomics can do serious, irreparable damage to the spine, as well as cause significant pain and discomfort.

Ergonomics is more than just a word occasionally used to describe a desk chair. It’s all about how you position your body, as well as being more aware of this!

What Will Be Covered in Online Ergonomics Training?

The point of ergonomics training is to minimize human error, as well as increasing productivity and safety.

For example, when we’re sitting in a chair, we may naturally slouch. This is human error, because we’re focused on our task and it initially feels more comfortable. But this position is bad for the spine and has an effect on the rest of our body.

We may bend down automatically to pick something up, not thinking about how this motion will put strain on our spine and legs.

Yet, ergonomics training will teach you to fit a job to a person. This means making sure that the environment, tasks, function, and more all work well with the user.

This involves more than just a desk and chair setup. Ergonomics is even more important in a manual setting. Lifting and carrying can present serious hazards. Improper ergonomics can lead to injury and even permanent disability.

Rather than waiting until somebody gets hurt, it’s best to educate ourselves on proper ergonomics beforehand. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to learn about ergonomic training.

The Top Ergonomics Training Courses

Online classes are always the most convenient. Most classes let you learn at your own pace, with a flexible schedule.

While there are plenty of platforms that offer ergonomics training courses, you’ll need to decide which kind of course you need. Ergonomics for industrial areas, office workspaces, and health and wellbeing are all different.

Let’s briefly take a look at some top training courses for ergonomics.

Office Ergonomics

Perhaps one of the most commonly overlooked ergonomic areas is the office. However, long periods of sitting at poorly placed desks and chairs will take a toll on your health. The human body isn’t designed to sit still for too long. Screens and long typing sessions are not good for anyone.

Sit Less, Move More

If you’re looking for a simple and comprehensive online ergonomics course that covers the basics, the Sit Less, Move More course taught by Dr. Paula Moore is a good starting point.

This course covers basic movement, exercise and posture tips that will help anyone who spends too much time sitting during the day, whether at work or home.

Topics covered include active sitting techniques, office exercise routines, neck posture and tension relief, spinal flexibility, ergonomic setup tips and more.

DSE Assessor Course

A DSE (Display Screen Equipment) assessment must be carried out by employers. If you’re not sure about what this requires, this one-day course would be informative and helpful.

Office workers deal with display screens all day, every day. Proper safety and regulations are vital. This course doesn’t just go into what is required in a DSE, but also why it’s so important.

You’ll learn about possible musculoskeletal disorders caused by poor ergonomics, minimum requirements, and how to recognize a good workstation setup.

Advanced DSE Assessor Course

The one-day DSE course really only covers the basics. A proper assessment requires a much more in-depth look at the average workstation. This six-hour course is ideal for someone who’s completed the basic DSE assessor course but needs more.

For example, recent events mean that most workers are working from home. This course contains information on remote DSE assessments, which is a must for most office workers today.

Motivating Safe and Healthy Behavior

It’s often easier to solve a problem if you understand its cause, which is exactly what this course dives into. This course takes approximately six hours, taking place over one day.

It focuses on why people may make unsafe choices, cut corners, and make mistakes. Then, we learn how to handle these problems.

This is a course for everyone, not just employers or managers. Rather than focusing on legal requirements and assessments, it deals with ergonomic issues themselves.

Manual and Industrial Ergonomics

For manual and industrial ergonomics, a more serious, in-depth course is needed. While poor office ergonomics can cause health issues that build up over time, poor manual or industrial ergonomics can have immediate and crippling effects.

Human Factors Safety Critical Task Analysis (SCTA course)

This is a much more intensive, in-depth ergonomics course on an industrial level. It can take a week, or perhaps five weeks if you prefer the extensive version.

This course focuses strongly on the “human factors” part of ergonomics. It also spends time dealing with the legal ergonomic requirements in a workplace. Aimed towards industrial ergonomics, this course is very different to a standard office ergonomics course.

Is an Ergonomics Course the Right Choice for You?

The point of an ergonomics course is to draw your attention to possible dangers in the workplace. Industrial or manual workplaces should have regular health and safety reminders.

If you’re a manager or employer looking to provide better workplace ergonomics, an ergonomics course can be extremely helpful. Ergonomics courses identify common problem areas and how to fix them. They also go into how these problems can occur, which can help you prevent them altogether and also offer you motivation to avoid them.

An ergonomics course can be helpful for anyone who uses an office workspace. Taking care of your health is so important. Sometimes, it all starts with moving or positioning your body right.

Want to learn more about ergonomic office set-ups? Check out our other posts or better yet, browse through our ergonomic chair recommendations.

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