One year after the Ergonomics Act amendment

It was about a year ago that the legislator made significant amendments to Book VIII of the Codex on Wellbeing at Work. Since 25 May 2024, employers are required to take a preventive and systematic approach to addressing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). They must do this by taking ergonomic principles into account in the design, set-up and adaptation of workstations. High time, too, because along with psychosocial disorders, MSDs are among the main reasons people are off work for extended periods.

Employers must now address ergonomics similarly to how they deal with workplace safety or psychosocial risks: using a policy-based approach that includes a risk assessment of ergonomic hazards such as lifting, pushing, pulling, repetitive movements, or prolonged sitting and standing. While the risk assessment was already mandatory, a new ‘General Provisions’ places further emphasis on this aspect. The risk assessment must be evaluated annually to serve as the basis for a dynamic ergonomics policy. Targeted actions must be planned and monitored based on the risk assessment’s findings. That means you can no longer simply wait for problems to arise and then respond retroactively. Prevention advisors are expected to take the necessary actions and, if they lack the required knowledge, to seek support from a qualified ergonomist in order to ensure effective preventive measures.

Positive signs

“It makes perfect sense that companies who weren’t focusing on this before aren’t suddenly top performers after a year”, says Kristien. “However, IDEWE has noticed that many employers experienced it as a wake-up call and are currently looking for ways to optimise their wellbeing policy. Our ergonomists are seeing a growing demand for clarification and support, which shows a lot of promise. Ergonomics is a broad concept, one that goes beyond the prevention of biomechanical problems due to poor posture or the effects of lifting heavy loads. There is also a psychosocial component. If people are happy in their work, neck and back complaints will have a different impact on sickness absence, for instance, compared to when they feel left to their own devices.”

Ergonomics audit

As the legislator is promoting a dynamic ergonomics policy, support invariably begins with an audit. “We review which initiatives a company has already undertaken. While ergonomics are often included in the Yearly Action Plan, that typically doesn’t go beyond isolated actions without any coherent vision or well-defined goals. This zero measurement can then be used to inform the development of a strategy to be embedded in the general wellbeing policy. At the same time, it is a way to make bottlenecks visible and raise a company’s awareness of the field of ergonomics.”

Doing nothing can be expensive

IDEWE’s health economist Jonas Steel examines the costs and benefits of efforts to improve wellbeing. “Although we cannot say much yet about the amended legislation’s impact, we do know from previous research what it means when employers invest in an integrated wellbeing policy”, he says. “MSDs are one of the main causes of long-term sickness absence. They are increasingly common, and that is unlikely to change any time soon. Doing nothing is costing society and employers a fortune. A Belgian study calculated that the direct health costs amount to €1,519 per person per year, with an additional €3,247 per person per year in costs due to absenteeism. These costs are partly borne by the employer, in the form of guaranteed salaries, and partly by the social security system. Also, the employer’s share keeps going up.”

Preventive approach

“At one of our major retail logistics clients, who have 4,000 employees, we were able to study changes in absenteeism and complaints in response to the use of a well-considered, integrated policy to address these issues. Between 2014 and 2022, the company invested heavily in interventions, purchasing ergonomic equipment, prevention campaigns and supervision by an occupational doctor. During this period, a research group of employees who did a lot of lifting received periodic medical examinations with a specific focus on MSDs. In that sense, the case anticipated a great many companies’ current plans, inspired by the new legislation. As the policy was rolled out, we saw a structural decline in MSD complaints and sickness absence. If the amounts of absenteeism due to musculoskeletal disorders had stayed the same, that would have cost an additional €1.6 million.”

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