Proactive or Reactive?

There are two ways that a company implements ergonomic initiatives: proactively or reactively.

Proactive solutions provide employers with cost-effective approaches to ergonomics in the workplace, best employed during the design stage of a workstation. The primary goal here is to prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) before they even occur. In doing so, an ergonomics, safety committee or outside ergonomist must first recognize and anticipate potential risks/hazards and implement effective solutions to eliminate them.

Reactive solutions, on the other hand, are typically conducted as a result of a workplace incident or injury. Although not ideal, an injury could be an appropriate 'call to action' to address existing workplace hazards. An injury can draw out the specific areas that require attention, allowing ergonomists to analyze the incident and appropriately address the root cause.