Unlike a health & safety officer (preventiemedewerker), the ergonomics champion (in Dutch: “ergocoach”) is not a legally required role in The Netherlands. It’s a colleague who helps other staff “sit well” on the work floor. You’ll mostly find them in organisations with a lot of screen-based workers.
Many of my clients have a ergonomic champion (in the UK they’re called DSE assessor). And I’m glad they do because they’re the “eyes and ears” that I can’t be, since I’m not at my clients’ offices every day. They can add a lot of value. But not everywhere, and not for everyone.
What does an ergonomics champion do?
They have usually completed a short, practical course and acts as an accessible first point of contact at the office. Their main tasks:
- Spots obvious posture and workstation-setup issues on the work floor.
- Helps colleagues set up their desk, chair, and screen at the office
- Gives short, practical tips on sitting, standing and moving healthily during work.
- Is the first point of contact for workstation questions, without anyone needing to book an appointment.
- Refers people to an ergonomist as soon as a question or complaint falls outside their knowledge.
An ergonomics champion is really useful!
The big advantage of an ergonomic champion (DSE assessor) is their continuous presence on the work floor, while a visit from an ergonomist typically happens periodically. Small problems can get spotted and fixed before they turn into actual complaints. They often actually bring about a change in behaviour – if one colleague sets up their workstation properly, the others will often follow suit. This makes an ergonomic champion a valuable addition to a one-off workplace assessment.
Don’t use the ergonomic champion for the home workstation
I strongly advise against letting ergonomic champions help colleagues at the home office. Offices usually have chairs and desks that are easily adjustable, so ‘standard’ advice is usually sufficient for most people. However, almost every home office is different, and this requires more creative solutions. Well-meant tips can be really harmful. In my view, an online workstation assessment carried out by an ergonomist is essential for people working from home.
Colleagues with complaints? Leave it to a specialist
Pain in the neck, shoulders or back, or RSI-type issues? The ergonomics champion can flag problems, but doesn’t have a medical qualification and can’t realistically judge the underlying cause or what tailored solution is needed. That requires specialist knowledge from a properly trained ergonomist or occupational therapist.
Conclusion
An ergonomic champion is essential for identifying issues, and for encouraging and assisting colleagues with simple queries in the office. For advice at the home workstation, or when a colleague suffers from issues, more specialist knowledge is required. A combination is ideal. In companies that work with both ergonomic champions and an ergonomist to prevent complaints, I see there are fewer issues (and absenteeism).
Would you like to train or deploy an ergonomic champion within your office? I’d be delighted to help you with advice.