Purchasing of Ergonomic Equipment and Furniture

Risk Management & Safety Services (RM&SS) performs ergonomic assessments at workstations to ensure safe and healthy postures while working. The assessment includes educational information about ergonomics, impacts on our spine and muscular systems, proper guidance on working heights, assessment of the physical workstation, and other environmental components.

There are certain assessments, which result with the recommendation to purchase equipment and/or furniture to obtain a fully ergonomic workstation. When these recommendations are provided there specific products that are recommended due to a number of criteria including; quality of product, duration of use, familiarity of installing for maintenance, size of workstation, and other factors.

RM&SS can provide options to departments when there are recommendations for new equipment or furniture. Departments are to follow Procurement policies and reference that RM&SS has evaluated the workstation prior to purchase and install request. Additional information about Procurement, visit their website: Contracts and Procurement.

Computer Workstation Assessment Process

• Employee informs their supervisor of the request for a workstation evaluation.
• Supervisor or employee should notify the financially responsible party in their department of the potential costs associated with the ergonomic evaluations. (EHS does not have a centralized budget, the costs are responsible at the departmental level.)
• Employee completes required training and workstation assessement (see below)
• EHS will initiate the evaluation process which can include: assessments, phone and in-person evaluations, and training.
• The evaluation concludes with certain recommendations, which the department should implement. EHS may also provide information for obtaining the appropriate equipment (vendors, pricing, etc.). The department does have the option to purchase their own equipment as long as they meet the appropriate recommendations.

Requesting an Ergonomic Assessment

Before scheduling an ergonomic evaluation, personnel must complete the “Office Ergonomics” training through CSULearn. After completing the training follow the next steps:

1. Complete the Workstation Self-Assessment and submit to Risk Management (risk-management@humboldt.edu).
2. EHS will contact you for scheduling of the in-person evaluation as needed after any self-corrections are made.
3. Certain equipment will require maintenance personnel for installation, you should contact your departments admin support to help facilitate submitting a work request for this. You may also contact EHS for additional questions or information.