ERgonomics Champions Training & Programme
Build the Ergonomics capability your workforce already needs
The Ergonomics Champions Training gives workers and supervisors in manufacturing, engineering and food production the knowledge, tools and confidence to identify and raise Ergonomics concerns before they become injuries - with specialist support built in from day one.
MSDs are the number one cause of work-related ill health in Northern Ireland's manufacturing sector
In 2023-24, 18,000 people in Northern Ireland suffered from work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). 260,000 working days were lost. Manufacturing accounts for 13.5% of all NI MSD cases - the third highest of any sector. Cases rose 28.6% in a single year.
MSDs do not happen suddenly. The body accumulates strain over time. By the time a worker reports pain, the problem has often been building for months - sometimes years. The earlier concerns are identified and acted on, the better the outcome for the individual and the organisation.
Most organisations have no structured mechanism for spotting those early signs. That is what Ergonomics Champions are for.
Source: HSENI Workplace Health Statistics & Analysis for Northern Ireland, 2025.
WHAT ERGONOMICS CHAMPIONS ARE
A trained presence where the work actually happens.
The Ergonomics Champions Programme is not a training course. It is a mechanism for building and sustaining internal Ergonomics capability within your organisation - with specialist support embedded from day one.
Ergonomics Champions are workers and supervisors trained to identify Ergonomics concerns in their area, support their colleagues and ensure that issues reach the right people before they become injuries. They are not specialists. They are the structured, trained first point of contact that most manufacturing operations currently lack.
Together, Champions form a network across your organisation - creating collective Ergonomics awareness rather than a single point of contact, and reducing the gap between Ergonomics expertise and the people doing the work every day.
WHAT THE TRAINING COVERS
A full day. Delivered in person by a Chartered Ergonomist. Up to 10 participants.
The training is designed for workers, operators, operatives and supervisors in manufacturing, engineering, food production, pharmaceutical manufacturing and warehousing and logistics environments.
Foundation What Ergonomics is and why it matters. The Champion role in practice - including the five core functions, the regulatory context and what effective Champions look like.
Practical Skills How to observe tasks and the working environment. How to assess and rate risk using HSE tools (MAC, ART and RAPP). How to identify practical solutions using the Hierarchy of Controls.
Into Practice How to record and report identified risks. How to escalate effectively. What support Champions can expect.
Evaluation A confidence self-rating at the start and close of the day provides a measurable record of capability shift across the training. A closing quiz reinforces key learning and gives Champions a confidence check to end the day.
HOW IT EVOLVES INTO A PROGRAMME
The training is the foundation. The Clinic is what sustains it.
The Ergonomics Champions Clinic is the engine of the Programme. It is what keeps the Champion network active, accountable and effective beyond the training day. Without it, a trained Champion is an informed individual. With it, they are part of a functioning, supported and continuously improving Ergonomics programme across your organisation.
The Clinic is a structured monthly session, facilitated by a Chartered Ergonomist, where Champions review progress, bring observations and receive specialist input on concerns identified since the last session. It provides four things that training alone cannot:
Continuity - a Chartered Ergonomist who knows your organisation, your Champions and your specific risk profile
Accountability - a regular fixed point that keeps the Champion network active and ensures concerns are followed through
Access - specialist support available every month without the cost of retaining an Ergonomist full time
Evidence - a documented record of concerns raised, actions taken and progress made over time
WHAT IS INCLUDED
Two options. Both include the full training day and the Ergonomics Champions Resource Guide for each participant.
Package A - Ergonomics Champions Training
A self-contained programme. Champions leave the training day ready to operate in the role immediately.
Site visit, familiarisation and preparation (NI delivery, travel included)
Full day training delivery (up to 10 participants)
Ergonomics Champions Resource Guide per participant
Post-training Review (up to 2 hours)
Package B - Ergonomics Champions Programme
Everything in Package A, plus a monthly Ergonomics Champions Clinic that keeps your Champion network active and supported over time.
Site visit, familiarisation and preparation (NI delivery, travel included)
Full day training delivery (up to 10 participants)
Ergonomics Champions Resource Guide per participant
Post-training Review (up to 2 hours)
Monthly Ergonomics Champions Clinic (up to 2 hours, online, set day and time) for an initial minimum of six months
WHY IT WORKS
Ergonomics and Human Factors has more than 70 years of evidence behind it.
Organisations that invest in Ergonomics and Human Factors programmes see measurable returns. Research cited by the International Ergonomics Association reports average cost-benefit ratios of 1:18.7, average productivity increases of 25% and average reductions in workers' compensation costs of 68%. The average payback period is 0.7 years.
The cost of doing nothing is not zero. Every MSD case carries direct costs - absence, cover, management time and potential claims - and indirect costs that compound over time. Building internal Ergonomics capability is a practical, proportionate and evidence-based response.
Ready to find out more?
If you are based in Northern Ireland or considering delivery elsewhere in the UK or Ireland, get in touch to discuss which option is right for your organisation.
Julie Rainey MSc C.ErgHF MCIEHF MIHFES Chartered Ergonomist & Human Factors Specialist Ergo & Wellbeing
