Posted on 25th Jul 2011 @ 2:20 PM

Repetitive stress injuries are a substantial cause of absenteeism and medical expenses. To address this problem, some companies have invested in specialized equipment like ergonomic chairs, weight belts, and hand braces. But other firms may not have the money to purchase ergonomic products for all of their employees. So how are these cash-poor companies combating the problem of repetitive stress injuries?

Job rotation.

 

The idea is simple: try to prevent repetitive stress injuries by decreasing the amount of task repetition. This is accomplished by having employees perform several different jobs throughout the work day, rather than a single repetitive job all day long. Obviously, job rotation isn't usually suited for office environments or highly-specialized occupations. But it does appeal to manufacturing plants and other companies which utilize assembly lines and similar groups of workstations.

So how effective is job rotation in cutting down on the prevalence of repetitive stress injuries?

It's really too early to tell. While the concept of job rotation has been around in some form or another for decades, there has been very little research on what impact (if any) it has on the physical health of those who practice it. One study on lower back pain didn't see any correlation between job rotation and reduced instances of those injuries.

But some business owners or plant managers feel that job rotation can provide a host of advantages to their workers. In addition to the possible health benefits, job rotation can make a workforce more flexible and improve the morale of employees. If you think that job rotation might be right for your company, here are a few suggestions on implementing this type of program.

• Provide information to your workers. Explain to your employees why you are adopting a job rotation regimen in your company. Be sure to stress the potential benefits of the system, and work very hard to get your workers to "buy-in."
• Train, train, train. Devote a considerable amount of time and resources to training all of the employees on every new task that they will be performing. Otherwise, it'll be like putting untrained workers into several jobs - and your company's productivity will suffer.
• Make sure that the tasks are different. Moving an employee between workstations where the same task is performed won't eliminate repetitive stress injuries. Keep this in mind when assigning job rotation tasks.
• Think small. In many cases, job rotation works better within a certain department or plant area, instead of throughout the whole facility or company. This approach also serves to cross-train workers to help them fill in when colleagues are sick or on vacation - and it can also reinforce the concept of teamwork in the workplace.
• Prepare for resistance. Some workers won't like the "increased workload" or "doing someone else's job." Others are simply resistant to change. Whatever the reason, know that you may have to work harder to convince certain employees of the merits of job rotation.

When implemented correctly, job rotation can be a valuable tool in improving many different facets of a business. But if executed poorly, it can actually do more harm than good. So be sure to take the time to do it right!