Ergonomics Program

The goal of an effective workplace Ergonomics Program is to prevent Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) as a result of day to day activities in the work environment. Workers in many different industries and occupations can be exposed to potential hazards at work, such as lifting heavy items, bending, reaching overhead, pushing and pulling heavy loads, working in awkward body postures and performing the same or similar tasks repetitively. MSDs affect the muscles, nerves, blood vessels, ligaments and tendons, and as such, increased risk of injury can be attributed to the following risk factors:

• Repetition
• Force
• Awkward Postures
• Contact Stress
• Vibration

An effective Ergonomics Program strives to mitigate the risk factors in regards to a worker’s surrounding work environment and helps lessen muscle fatigue, increase productivity, and ultimately reduce the number and severity of work-related MSDs.

To get more information on the applicability of this program for a specific County operation please contact the corresponding departmental Safety Coordinator. 

For further information on specific regulatory guidelines please refer to the link(s) below. 

Ergonomics Program Guidelines

Office Ergonomic Evaluation Form (PDF: 294 kB)

Cal-OSHA Desktop Computer Users Guide (PDF: 6 mb)

Cal-OSHA Guide to Industrial Ergonomics (PDF: 2 mb)

Cal-OSHA Guide to Ergonomic Hazards (PDF: 205 kB)