Ergonomics

Updated January 28, 2025

Ergonomics is the practice of fitting the job to the individual, which can help prevent work-related musculoskeletal injuries. Examples of musculoskeletal injuries include carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, and low back pain.

Environmental Health & Safety's (EH&S's) Ergonomics Program helps University departments/units and personnel identify risk factors that can contribute to the development of work-related musculoskeletal injuries and determine solutions to eliminate or reduce these risk factors. We offer guidance to University personnel with ergonomic questions and concerns.

Below are guidance documents, evaluation tools, and consultation referrals that UW units and personnel can use to better fit the job to the individual.

Risk factors

Risk factors for the development of musculoskeletal injuries include awkward postures, repetitive tasks, and/or forceful exertions. These types of injuries are usually cumulative; they develop over time, rather than resulting from a single event.

Musculoskeletal injuries can be prevented by evaluating work tasks that involve these risk factors and finding solutions to better fit the job to the person. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) website covers these risk factors as well as other contributing factors in greater detail, along with advice for how to reduce or limit these risk factors.

Ergonomic hazard evaluation tools

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) provides ergonomic hazard evaluation tools to help you:

Identify tasks that may increase the risk of injury
Prioritize your injury prevention efforts
Determine if a solution adequately fixed the hazard

Use the L&I Caution Zone Checklist and the L&I Hazard Zone Checklist to identify job tasks that require awkward postures; highly repetitive motion; repeated impact; heavy, frequent or awkward lifting; moderate to high hand-arm vibration; or high hand force that could cause sprains and strains.

If hazards are identified, make the job safer by reducing the time spent doing the tasks under the limit listed in the checklist.

Office ergonomics

Workplace safety in the office can be addressed by adhering to the ergonomic workstation design and furniture specifications. Additionally, workstation accessories must meet local ergonomic regulations or requirements. Adjust your workstation or choose furniture.

Requests for office ergonomic evaluations

If you are requesting an ergonomic evaluation due to a diagnosed medical condition, first notify the Disability Services Office at DSO@uw.edu. Then proceed as follows.

Submit your request to the appropriate contact listed below.

UW Medicine employee or clinical space

Employee Health Center contacts

Harborview Medical Center (HMC)

Addi Jenkins and HMC Employee Health

UW Medical Center (UWMC) - Montlake

UWMC Employee Health

UW Medical Center (UWMC) - Northwest

Lindy K Beyer and UWMC-Northwest Employee Health

UW Medicine Primary Care (UWPC)

Allie Romain-Dika and UWPC Employee Health

All other UW employees, including School of Medicine employees not assessing UW Medicine clinical space, complete the Environmental Health & Safety Office Ergonomics Evaluation Form.

The information you provide on the Office Ergonomics Evaluation Form allows EH&S to give you access to Comfort Zone, an online office ergonomic self-assessment tool. Comfort Zone asks you questions about areas of discomfort and produces recommendations for workstation adjustments and training resources to help alleviate the areas of discomfort. Completed Comfort Zone assessments are reviewed by a vendor to determine the risk level and the need for a full evaluation.

Training and information

The following training courses and resources are available online:

Additional training for supervisors and employees on ergonomics awareness is available from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries on the L&I Ergonomics webpage.

Disability Services Office

For questions regarding disability or reasonable accommodation assistance, please contact the Disability Services Office at 206.543.6450, 206.543.6452 (TTY), by email at dso@uw.edu, or visit their website.

Workers' Compensation

Questions regarding employee work-related injuries or illness claims should be referred to UW Risk Services, Claim Services at claims@uw.edu or visit the Claim Services website.

Additional resources

EH&S has provided the list below for informational purposes only. The listing of a particular group or company is not an endorsement by the University of Washington.