Workplace Ergonomics and Injury Prevention Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Health and Safety Advisers, Occupational Health Practitioners and others
Fee from USD 1,100 KSh 95,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-OHS-059

Before you join: Participants should have basic familiarity with workplace health and safety responsibilities, hazard identification and risk assessment terminology.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders result from repeated force, awkward posture, sustained static work, poorly designed workstations, manual handling and inadequate recovery. They affect office teams, production operators, healthcare staff, drivers, warehouse personnel and field workers. A sound ergonomics programme identifies exposure before symptoms become absence, restrictions, quality defects or reportable incidents. It also provides defensible evidence for decisions on equipment, work methods, workstation design and reasonable adjustments.

This course develops the assessment and control skills expected of personnel responsible for advanced workplace ergonomics and injury prevention. Participants examine biomechanics, anthropometry, task analysis, discomfort reporting and ergonomic risk assessment. They apply RULA, REBA and the NIOSH Revised Lifting Equation to identify posture, force, repetition and handling risks. The programme covers display screen workstations, industrial tools, manual materials handling, vehicle cabs, remote work, fatigue, return-to-work adjustments and participatory ergonomics. Participants learn to select controls using the hierarchy of controls, write procurement requirements and measure whether interventions reduce exposure.

Teaching combines short technical briefings with realistic cases from offices, warehouses, manufacturing lines, healthcare settings and transport operations. Participants interpret photographs, task data, workstation measurements, injury trends and worker feedback; compare assessment scores; and prepare control recommendations. Each participant leaves with a reusable ergonomics assessment pack, including scoring worksheets, observation prompts, a control-priority register and a 90-day workplace application plan. The course is delivered instructor-led over five days in classrooms in 50+ cities or live online. Participants receive a certificate of completion.

The course suits health and safety practitioners, occupational health personnel, facilities teams, supervisors, engineers and managers who need to assess ergonomic exposures or sponsor practical improvements.

What you will be able to do

  • Conduct task-based ergonomic risk assessments using observation, worker consultation and exposure data
  • Apply RULA and REBA scoring methods to posture-related work activities
  • Calculate lifting risk using the NIOSH Revised Lifting Equation
  • Analyse workstation fit using anthropometric, reach, viewing and adjustment criteria
  • Specify ergonomic controls using the hierarchy of controls and residual-risk evaluation
  • Prepare documented recommendations for manual handling, display screen and industrial work
  • Develop ergonomics performance measures from discomfort, exposure, absence and incident data
  • Produce a workplace ergonomics action plan with priorities, owners, measures and review dates

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Confidence conducting structured ergonomic assessments rather than relying on informal observation
  • Ability to justify workstation and manual-handling improvements with documented exposure evidence
  • Practical skill using RULA, REBA and lifting-index calculations
  • Stronger capability to support return-to-work and individual adjustment decisions
  • Reusable materials for leading ergonomics reviews with workers, supervisors and suppliers

For your organisation

  • Earlier identification of musculoskeletal exposures before injuries and restricted duties occur
  • Better targeted spending on equipment, workstation changes and mechanical handling aids
  • More consistent ergonomic assessment records across sites, departments and job types
  • Reduced risk of poor work design contributing to absence, turnover and quality defects
  • Clearer evidence for corrective actions, procurement decisions and occupational health referrals

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can explain ergonomic injury mechanisms and position prevention within occupational health and safety management.

  • Musculoskeletal disorder pathways linking exposure, tissue loading, fatigue and recovery
  • Ergonomic risk factors: force, posture, repetition, duration, contact stress, vibration
  • Primary, secondary and tertiary prevention within occupational health management systems
  • Legal duties, consultation rights and incident-reporting responsibilities for ergonomic hazards
  • Leading and lagging indicators for musculoskeletal injury prevention performance
  • Worker variability: anthropometry, age, pregnancy, disability and task capability

Participants can relate body mechanics and worker characteristics to workstation and task design requirements.

  • Neutral posture principles for spinal loading, joint angles and reach zones
  • Biomechanical models of compression, shear, torque and cumulative tissue stress
  • Anthropometric percentiles selected for clearance, reach, vision and adjustability
  • Static versus dynamic work demands and recovery-time requirements
  • Hand-arm vibration exposure mechanisms and early symptom recognition
  • Psychosocial contributors: pace, control, workload, support and reporting culture

Participants can plan and document a task-based ergonomic assessment using relevant workplace evidence.

  • Ergonomic assessment scope defined from tasks, workers, complaints and injury data
  • Task decomposition maps actions, postures, forces, frequencies and durations
  • Observation protocols combine worker interviews, photographs, measurements and video
  • Baseline data register records discomfort reports, restrictions and near misses
  • Sampling strategies capture peak exposures, routine work and non-routine tasks
  • Assessment priorities ranked using severity, exposure frequency and affected populations

Participants can score posture-related risk consistently and translate scores into control priorities.

  • RULA scoring evaluates upper-limb postures during sedentary and assembly tasks
  • REBA scoring rates whole-body postures in variable handling activities
  • Body segment angles estimated from observation, photographs and video frames
  • Force, coupling and activity modifiers applied consistently within assessment scores
  • Action levels translated into documented control priorities and reassessment triggers
  • Inter-rater reliability improved through calibration, scoring notes and peer review

Participants can assess lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling tasks and recommend appropriate controls.

  • NIOSH Revised Lifting Equation calculates recommended weight limits and lifting index
  • Horizontal reach, asymmetry, vertical travel and frequency measured accurately
  • Snook and Ciriello tables selected for pushing, pulling and carrying
  • Team lifts assessed for coordination, load sharing, visibility and escape routes
  • Mechanical aids evaluated for fit, maintenance, training and residual risks
  • Storage heights and travel paths redesigned to reduce handling exposures

Participants can assess and improve display screen workstations for diverse user needs and work patterns.

  • Display screen workstation assessments address chair, desk, monitor and input devices
  • Chair adjustments align seat height, lumbar support, armrests and foot support
  • Monitor placement manages viewing distance, height, glare and visual comfort
  • Keyboard and mouse positioning reduces wrist deviation and shoulder reach
  • Work-rest schedules address sustained sitting, focused work and task variation
  • Individual adjustments accommodate spectacles, mobility limitations, pregnancy and assistive technology

Participants can identify design changes that reduce exposure in industrial and operational work.

  • Machine interface layout applies reach envelopes, control-display compatibility and error prevention
  • Work heights matched to precision, light assembly and forceful tasks
  • Tool selection considers grip span, trigger force, vibration and balance
  • Hand tool redesign reduces pinch grip, contact stress and wrist deviation
  • Standing workstations incorporate foot clearance, anti-fatigue flooring and sit-stand options
  • Participatory ergonomics gathers operator knowledge before equipment and process changes

Participants can address ergonomic exposures in vehicles, remote work and individual adjustment cases.

  • Vehicle cab assessments address seat suspension, pedal reach, visibility and vibration
  • Mobile and remote work assessments identify unsuitable furniture, screens and work patterns
  • Hot-desking controls establish adjustment guidance, equipment availability and user accountability
  • Shift schedules and overtime reviewed for fatigue, recovery and injury risk
  • Pregnancy and return-to-work adjustments planned through individual ergonomic assessment
  • Reasonable accommodations documented without disclosing unnecessary personal medical information

Participants can select durable ergonomic controls and define requirements for successful implementation.

  • Hierarchy of controls applied to eliminate, substitute, engineer and administratively control exposures
  • Engineering controls specified through functional requirements, trials and acceptance criteria
  • Administrative controls distinguish temporary safeguards from durable exposure reduction
  • Procurement specifications include adjustability, force limits, maintainability and user testing
  • Cost-benefit cases compare intervention costs, absenteeism, quality losses and throughput
  • Change management engages supervisors, maintenance teams, procurement and affected workers

Participants can manage corrective actions, monitor ergonomics performance and plan workplace implementation.

  • Ergonomics program elements define governance, roles, reporting channels and review cycles
  • Discomfort reports triaged using symptom severity, exposure evidence and clinical restrictions
  • Incident investigations separate immediate actions from systemic ergonomic contributing factors
  • Corrective action registers assign owners, deadlines, verification methods and escalation
  • Training records distinguish awareness, assessor competence and supervisor responsibilities
  • Personal application plans schedule assessments, controls, measures and review dates

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Task-based ergonomics assessment template
  2. RULA and REBA scoring worksheet
  3. Manual handling measurement and lifting-index calculator
  4. Display screen workstation assessment checklist
  5. Ergonomic control-priority register
  6. 90-day ergonomics application plan

Who should attend

  • Health and Safety Advisers — need defensible methods for identifying and controlling musculoskeletal risks
  • Occupational Health Practitioners — assess work-related symptoms and recommend suitable workplace adjustments
  • HSE Managers — oversee ergonomics programmes, performance measures and corrective-action governance
  • Facilities and Workplace Managers — improve office layouts, display screen setups and shared workspaces
  • Operations and Production Supervisors — address force, repetition, posture and tool-use exposures on the floor
  • Engineers and Procurement Specialists — specify equipment and workstations that reduce ergonomic risks

Skills and tools covered

Ergonomic risk assessmentPosture scoringManual handling analysisWorkstation designControl selectionErgonomics programme management

Tools and standards

NIOSH Revised Lifting Equation, RULA, REBA, ISO 11228

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to establish principles, standards and assessment methods, followed by case work based on office, warehouse, healthcare, manufacturing and transport scenarios. Participants examine task descriptions, photographs, video observations, worker feedback, workstation measurements and injury data. Group exercises apply RULA, REBA and lifting calculations, then compare findings and control options. Simulated assessment discussions build consultation skills. Application planning converts learning into a prioritised ergonomics improvement plan for each participant's workplace.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have basic familiarity with workplace health and safety responsibilities, hazard identification and risk assessment terminology. Experience supervising work, conducting inspections, supporting occupational health cases or managing facilities is useful. The course assumes participants can read task descriptions, interpret simple measurements and discuss work processes with employees. No prior ergonomics qualification, clinical training, engineering degree, anatomy course or experience using RULA, REBA or the NIOSH Revised Lifting Equation is required. Participants should be prepared to work with workplace photographs, measurements and case data.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants need basic familiarity with workplace safety and risk assessment concepts. No prior ergonomics qualification or experience with RULA, REBA or lifting calculations is required.

Bring a laptop if possible, along with examples of recurring ergonomic concerns from your workplace. Suitable examples include task photographs, injury trends, workstation issues, manual-handling tasks or proposed equipment purchases; confidential information should be anonymised.

It is suited to HSE advisers, occupational health practitioners, facilities managers, supervisors, engineers and procurement personnel. It is particularly useful for people expected to identify ergonomic risks or recommend improvements.

General courses commonly focus on basic safe movement or display screen setup. This course teaches structured assessment methods, posture scoring, lifting analysis, control selection, programme management and evidence-based recommendations across multiple work settings.

Participants receive templates for task observations, posture scoring, workstation checks and control prioritisation. They also prepare a 90-day plan for assessments and improvements relevant to their own responsibilities.

Training runs from 08:30 to 16:30 each day, with about 6.5 contact hours daily. Time is divided among technical instruction, case analysis, assessment-method practice, group discussion and workplace application planning.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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