Ergonomics consulting
An ergonomics consultant redesigns tasks, workstations, and tools so the work fits the worker — attacking musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), which drive roughly a third of workplace injuries involving days away from work. Meridian EHS Partners runs assessments that end in engineering fixes and measurable claim reductions, not stretching posters.
Why does ergonomics deserve budget?
Look at your OSHA 300 log: at most facilities, sprains, strains, and overexertion injuries outnumber every other category — and MSD claims are expensive, slow-healing, and prone to recurrence, with shoulder and back claims routinely running $30,000–$80,000 each once indemnity is counted. There is no specific federal OSHA ergonomics standard, but MSD hazards are citable under the General Duty Clause — and far more importantly, they are where the money already is on your loss runs.
What does an ergonomic assessment include?
We start from your data — OSHA logs, claims history, first-aid entries, and operator interviews — to find the tasks that hurt people, then assess those tasks with validated tools (NIOSH lifting equation, RULA/REBA, Snook tables, force and posture measurement). Every assessed task gets a risk score and a control ladder: engineering fixes first (height-adjustable fixtures, lift assists, tool changes, parts presentation), then work design (rotation, micro-recovery), then training in specific work methods — not generic “lift with your legs” advice, which decades of evidence show does little on its own.
Office ergonomics too?
Yes — including hybrid and home-office setups, which have quietly become a claims source. We run train-the-trainer programs so your HR or facilities staff can handle routine workstation adjustments, reserving consultant time for complex cases and injury-return accommodations.
Related services and proof
Frequently asked questions
Is there an OSHA ergonomics standard?
Not a specific federal one — the 2000 standard was repealed in 2001. But OSHA cites serious MSD hazards under the General Duty Clause, several states have their own requirements, and your workers’ comp carrier effectively regulates you through premiums either way.
What is the ROI on ergonomics work?
We target at least 5:1 on engineering controls, counted against claim costs, turnover in high-strain jobs, and productivity. A $4,000 lift-assist that prevents one $45,000 shoulder claim is the arithmetic; we build that business case task by task in every report.
Do stretching programs work?
As a standalone fix, the evidence is weak — stretching does not remove a 60-pound repetitive lift. As a warm-up component inside a program that also fixes the lift, it has a place. We will always tell you which category a proposed intervention falls into.
Can you assess a single problem job?
Yes — single-task assessments run $2,500–$4,000 and make a good pilot. Bring your loss runs; if a different task is quietly costing you more, we will say so before you spend anything.