Ergocoach Course Office Ergonomics

In this module you learn the theoretical basis of healthy, ergonomic screen work and coaching. You gain insight into how the body responds to prolonged sitting, screen work, static postures and repetitive load, and how you can help reduce physical and mental workload for yourself and your colleagues.

During this module you learn, among other things:

• How to recognise healthy and straining working postures in screen work
• How prolonged sitting affects muscles, joints, circulation, energy and work capacity
• How muscles, joints and the nervous system respond to static load and little movement
• Which factors contribute to neck, shoulder, arm, back and fatigue complaints
• How to set up and assess a display screen workstation ergonomically
• Which equipment and workplace adjustments can be useful, and when they are not
• How alternating between sitting, standing and moving can contribute to health and work capacity
• Why movement and short breaks are important for concentration, recovery and productivity
• How to guide colleagues and make them aware of healthy working behaviour
• What you can do yourself to reduce physical and mental workload during screen work
• How to recognise signs of overload and common complaints, and what your role is
• What the duties of an ergocoach for screen work include
• Relevant legislation, regulations and practice guidelines on screen work
• Which exercises and forms of movement can contribute to work capacity, recovery and sustainable employability

This module centres on practice. You learn how to apply your knowledge in the workplace and how, as an ergocoach, you guide colleagues towards healthy, efficient and sustainable work with screens, in the office and at home.

You learn, among other things:

• To analyse the working habits, work experience and ergonomic conditions of display screen workers
• To assess working posture and screen work
• To coach and advise colleagues on working posture and working behaviour, such as variation, standing work, micro-breaks and screen use
• To give insight and tips on efficient muscle use, preventing static load and improving variation in work
• To select ergonomic equipment and workplace adjustments and apply them correctly where needed
• To recognise signs of physical and mental workload and open them up for discussion
• To feed back findings and advice clearly to colleagues

The course combines online preparation with interactive sessions. Beforehand you follow a short e-learning via the Ergomotion learning portal and complete a preparatory assignment, so that you start with insight into your own working posture and working environment. Afterwards you receive the Ergonomisch Coachen handbook, a reference work full of practical tips.

Working at a screen for long periods demands a lot from your body and your concentration. Perhaps you already notice tension in your neck, shoulders or back, or you see colleagues who are regularly tired or start suffering from stress and concentration problems. Screen work can lead unnoticed to physical and mental overload, resulting in less enjoyment of work and more sickness absence.

The Ergocoach Course Office Ergonomics was developed specifically for employees who want to help their colleagues keep working healthily, with focus and with pleasure. During the course you work with a mix of theory, practical exercises, observations, simulations and coaching skills. You learn not only what working ergonomically is, but above all how to translate that into daily practice.

You discover how to set up display screen workstations properly (both at home and in the office, hybrid working), how to improve posture, working habits and working conditions, and how to reduce both physical and mental workload. You also develop coaching skills to influence others positively and to strengthen healthy routines in the team. Together you create a working environment in which people stay energetic and sustainably employable, with fewer complaints, more focus and more enjoyment of work.

Yes. Alongside the Ergocoach Course Office Ergonomics we also provide the courses Ergocoach Manual Handling (for industry, logistics and construction, among others), Ergocoach Healthcare (for the healthcare sector) and Ergocoach Childcare. Each course is fully tailored to the specific physical and mental workload within that sector. Contact us for advice on which variant suits your team best.

An ergocoach for screen work is the in-house expert within your organisation on healthy, ergonomic work with screens. In that role you guide colleagues in setting up their workstation optimally, give practical advice on working posture and working habits, and spot risks early that can lead to complaints. Think of arm, neck and shoulder complaints, RSI, tension headaches or fatigue from prolonged sitting. The difference from an external ergonomist: you are available in the workplace, you know the people and the work context, and you can step in directly and informally.

The course is intended for employees who want to take on an in-house role in ergonomics and healthy working. Think of HR staff, prevention officers, facilities staff or managers who want to set a good example. You do not need a medical or technical background. What does help: an affinity with people and the will to make a difference to the health of colleagues.

The course has a practical structure of two half-days or one day, combined with a practical assignment at your own workplace to apply what you have learned straight away.

Before the first session you receive an e-learning and a preparatory assignment. This takes about half an hour.

Groups consist of a maximum of eight participants.

After the course you receive a certificate of attendance.

In the Netherlands, ergonomist is not a protected title; anyone may use the name. So the difference lies not in a formal qualification but in the role someone fulfils. An ergonomist usually works as an external adviser who is brought in for specific issues, workplace assessments or policy advice. An ergocoach is an in-house employee who is structurally present in the workplace, easily approachable for colleagues and contributes to prevention every day. The ergocoach is the first line: someone who spots, advises and guides before complaints arise or increase.

You learn to analyse colleagues' working habits and ergonomic conditions and to advise on setting up (home) workstations. The ergocoach is the first line: someone who spots, advises and guides before complaints arise or increase.

As an ergocoach you can be deployed to prevent complaints. Of course there is a dividing line. If someone has an overload that is clearly related to their work, you advise on that. Are there longer-standing complaints, illness or conditions, or limitations? Then you advise on the workstation and working habits. In that case it is often more useful to call in Ergomotion.

Certainly. From 5 participants, an in-company programme is often cheaper and more effective. The trainer then comes to your organisation, so the course can be fully tailored to the specific workstations and work situations of your own team.

We fully believe in the quality of our training courses. If after the course you are not satisfied with the knowledge gained or its applicability in practice, we will not send an invoice.

The investment is €349 (excluding VAT) per participant for the online course and €449 (excluding VAT) for the course on site. For in-company training you receive a tailored quote, based on the number of participants and the location.

Afterwards you can join a WhatsApp group of trained ergocoaches where you can go with questions, experiences and tips from practice. You also regularly receive a reader with updates on ergonomics and screen work, so your knowledge stays current.

For organisations that want more, various forms of collaboration are possible. We can go into the workplace together for coaching on the job, or you can call in Ergomotion as an adviser on more complex issues. Is your organisation renovating, relocating or redesigning workstations? Then we think along with you about the ergonomic layout, from the choice of desks and chairs to the positioning of screens.

Yes. In addition to the WhatsApp group and the reader with updates, you can always contact us with questions. Is a colleague experiencing complaints and, as an ergocoach, you are not quite sure how to proceed? Then you can fall back directly on Ergomotion's expertise, for example through a targeted workplace assessment.

After the Ergocoach Course Office Ergonomics you can advise and coach colleagues on healthy work with screens:

• You analyse colleagues' working habits and ergonomic conditions and advise on setting up (home) workstations.
• You give instructions on efficient muscle use and variation in postures.
• You make colleagues aware and motivate them towards healthy behaviour, also when they have questions or experience discomfort during work.

You complete the course with a certificate of attendance and concrete skills to make a direct impact in your organisation.