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Ergonomic working
An incorrectly set-up workstation or unconscious working habits are the most common cause of physical complaints, sickness absence and reduced productivity. Yet improving them is often easier than people think. On this page you will read what ergonomic working actually involves, why it pays off, and how to make your workplace healthier step by step: in the office, at home and on the shop floor.
What it is
Why it matters
Complaints
Laws & regulations
By sector
Pitfalls
Organisational approach
FAQ
— The basics
What is ergonomic working?
Ergonomic working means aligning your work, your workplace and your equipment with the human body so that you can work healthily, comfortably and efficiently. Ergonomics looks not only at the chair or the desk, but at the whole picture: your posture, your movement, the layout of the workplace and the way you carry out the work.
It gives you two things: you prevent physical overload and complaints, and you work more comfortably and productively. In practice, ergonomic working comes down to three things.
The workplace
The furniture, the equipment and the aids you use every day. If the workplace is matched to your body and your task, a good posture takes no effort.
Variety in posture and movement
A good workplace helps you adopt a neutral posture, but your body is built to move. The best posture is the next posture: even sitting perfectly causes complaints if you keep it up for too long.
How the work is organised
Work pace, task allocation and breaks determine whether someone recovers from the load. With structurally excessive work pressure, or when breaks keep being skipped, someone becomes overloaded even at a well-designed workplace.
Want to set up your screen, chair and desk properly? We cover that step by step in our Office ergonomics training and in the free workplace assessment checklist.
— Why ergonomics in the workplace?
Why ergonomic working matters
Musculoskeletal complaints are one of the biggest causes of sickness absence in the Netherlands. Much of it develops gradually, through daily strain that seems harmless in itself but adds up. Anyone who sits in the same posture behind a screen for hours, or lifts and bends day in, day out without proper technique, is at risk without noticing it.
60%
of employees have musculoskeletal complaints (TNO/CBS, Netherlands Working Conditions Survey)
30%
of sickness absence in nursing and care is work-related (AZW/CBS)
24%
of all sickness absence days are due to musculoskeletal complaints: the second-largest cause (TNO/CBS)
€405
average cost of sickness absence per day per sick employee, estimated by occupational health services (range €250 to €405)
Good ergonomics need not be a cost item: the biggest gains usually lie in small adjustments and in awareness. There are no hard guarantees, because research into ergonomic interventions is still limited. What is clear is that the approaches that work share the same characteristics: employees think along about the solution themselves, they are trained, and more than one measure is taken.
— Free to get started
Get started right away, at no cost
Join a Stretch Break
Every month a short, free half-hour session, online or on site. Stand up, move and release the tension from your neck and shoulders.
- Free, up to six participants
- Lasts thirty minutes
- Online or at your office
Get the free checklist
An A3 infographic that helps you set up your display screen workstation properly in seven steps: chair, desk and screen. Enter your email address and it will be sent to you straight away.
- Seven steps on one A3
- Also for the home workstation
- Straight to your inbox
— Risks and complaints
What complaints result from non-ergonomic working?
Non-ergonomic working rarely shows itself overnight. Complaints start mild: a stiff neck, a tired forearm. They can become chronic if you ignore the signals. The most common work-related complaints:
Neck, shoulder and back complaints from prolonged sitting in a static posture.
Arm, neck and shoulder complaints, the best-known forms being mouse arm (wrist and forearm) and tennis elbow. They arise from repetitive movements, but just as much from sitting still in the same posture for long periods. Colloquially this is called RSI; since 2011 the official guideline has used the term CANS.
Tired eyes and headaches from screen work, insufficient distance or poor lighting.
Overload when lifting, pushing and pulling without the right technique or aids.
Loss of concentration and mental fatigue, because physical and cognitive load are linked.
Early intervention prevents problems. Watch for warning signs such as tingling, stiffness or pain that persists after work. Does an employee already have complaints? Then we identify the cause with a workplace assessment or paramedical assessment, and provide guidance with recovery and employability where needed.
— Laws & regulations
Is ergonomic working required by law?
Yes. Whether you work in the office, at home, in healthcare or in production: every employer must provide a safe and healthy workplace.
What the Dutch Working Conditions Act requires
Under the Dutch Working Conditions Act (Arbowet), employers are required to provide a safe and healthy workplace, including when working from home. The Dutch Working Conditions Decree (Arbobesluit) elaborates on this in chapter 5.
Section 1 (articles 5.1 to 5.6) covers physical workload. Article 5.4 requires an ergonomic layout of the workplace. Work must be organised so that lifting, pushing, pulling and other loads pose no danger to health, with aids where necessary.
Section 2 (articles 5.7 to 5.12) covers screen work. Among other things, it states that screen work must be alternated regularly with other work or with breaks (article 5.10), that employees must be able to have their eyes and eyesight examined (article 5.11), and what requirements the screen, the furniture and the lighting must meet (article 5.12).
The basis for this policy is the risk inventory and evaluation (RI&E), in which an organisation maps out the risks and draws up a plan of action. Ergonomics is a fixed part of this, both screen work and physical workload. An expert prevention officer and an up-to-date RI&E help you on your way.
— Office, healthcare and childcare
Ergonomic working by sector
Ergonomics looks different behind a screen than when using a hoist in healthcare. That is why we always tailor our approach, examples and exercises to your working environment: in the office, at home and on the shop floor.
Office & home
Screen work & hybrid working
Become an expert in ergonomic working with display screens. Learn to assess workstations, guide colleagues and encourage behavioural change, in the office and at home.
Shop floor
Physical workload
Coach colleagues towards healthier working. Learn to recognise risks, guide lifting techniques and implement ergonomic improvements on the shop floor.
Healthcare
Ergonomic working in healthcare
Reduce the physical workload during transfers and care tasks. Become the internal point of contact for ergonomic working in your care team.
Childcare
Childcare
Lifting, bending and squatting: childcare makes high demands. Learn to improve the workplace ergonomically and keep colleagues sustainably employable.
— What goes wrong
The most common pitfalls
Even with good intentions, things often go wrong. These are the pitfalls we encounter most often, and which you can easily avoid with awareness and a fixed point of contact:
Investing only in furniture, not in behaviour.
An expensive chair or hoist does not help if nobody knows how to adjust or use it.
Not using aids.
They are too far away, take too much time or nobody knows they are there.
Setting up once and never adjusting again.
A shared workstation or changing tasks call for readjustment.
Staying in the same posture for too long.
Or keeping on repeating the same movement, even if it is correct in itself.
Ignoring complaints.
Until they become chronic, instead of intervening early.
No internal point of contact.
Colleagues have nowhere to go with their questions about posture and workplace.
— From loose tips to policy
How do you embed ergonomic working in the organisation?
One-off tips rarely stick. Research into ergonomic interventions in the office shows that the strongest evidence lies in an approach in which employees think along about the solution themselves and are trained in ergonomic principles. Isolated measures do this far less; combinations work better. That is why we work with a fixed, trained point of contact on the shop floor rather than a one-off piece of advice.
1
Assessment & advice
In case of complaints or as a baseline measurement, we map out the workplace and the workload, with concrete improvements you can apply immediately.
2
Tailored training
Short, experience-based and practical, with the emphasis on healthy working behaviour. In one to two hours we help your team and colleagues on their way.
3
Training as an Ergocoach
Want a lasting internal point of contact? With the Ergocoach courses you train colleagues who assess workstations and set behavioural change in motion. Accredited by Kwaliteitsregister V&VN
Ergocoach Screen work
Ergocoach Manual Handling
Ergocoach Healthcare
Ergocoach Childcare
— Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions about ergonomic working
The most frequently asked questions about ergonomic working, with short, practical answers. If you want to read further, we refer you to the right page.
Is my employer also responsible for my home workstation?
Yes. The duty of care under the Dutch Working Conditions Act (Arbowet) also applies to the home workstation. With structural working from home, the employer must assess the risks, provide information on healthy (display screen) work and make sure you have the means to work safely. Our Office ergonomics training teaches employees to set up their workstation properly themselves, including at home.
Will I be reimbursed for ergonomic equipment at home?
The law does not specify fixed amounts, but the employer must ensure that you have the means to work safely. In practice, this often involves reimbursement or loan of, for example, a good chair, a separate keyboard or a monitor. Make arrangements about this with your employer or occupational health coordinator.
How often should I take breaks and move during work?
A good rule of thumb: briefly change your posture every half hour and stand up to move at least once an hour. It is not the perfect posture that is decisive, but the variation. That is why we say: the healthiest posture is always the next one.
How do I prevent RSI or mouse arm?
Through variety in posture and movement, regular micro-breaks, a neutral position of wrist and arm, and recognising early signals such as tingling or stiffness. Do not ignore early complaints. With persistent complaints, targeted guidance is advisable. This is a fixed part of a workplace assessment.
Is standing work healthier than sitting work?
Standing work is not automatically healthier. Standing for too long causes complaints just as much as sitting for too long, and research into sit-stand desks has so far only produced low-quality evidence. The gain lies in the variation: sit, stand and move throughout the day. Read more in our blog about whether standing work is healthy.
What is an ergocoach and what does it deliver?
An ergocoach is a trained colleague who can assess workstations, coaches others on posture and working habits and sets behavioural change in motion. It is a lasting, accessible internal point of contact. This matches what the research shows: approaches in which employees think along and are trained have more effect than one-off advice. See the Ergocoach courses.
What does a workplace assessment involve and when do I need one?
In a workplace assessment we analyse the workplace and the working posture, and give concrete improvements you can apply immediately. It is useful with early or existing complaints, as a baseline measurement, or when setting up new (home) workstations. Want to know more? See workplace assessment and ergonomic assessment.
My workplace is not ergonomic. What can I do?
Report it in writing to your manager, HR or the prevention officer and ask for concrete measures. Employers are obliged to take reported occupational risks seriously. If no solution is found, you can involve the works council or the occupational physician. An independent workplace assessment backs up your report with facts.
What does ergonomic advice or training cost?
That depends on the form: a workplace assessment, a short in-company training or a full Ergocoach course. With more than five participants, in-company is often cheaper. We are happy to prepare a tailored quote. Get in touch or call +31 85 303 8272.