Injury prevention, workplace safety and ergonomic programs are designed to reduce the number of injuries occurring in the workplace.
Ergonomics is the applied science of designing and developing equipment, workstation layout and work strategies to best suit and protect the human body. The goal of ergonomics is to minimize fatigue, discomfort, injury and emotional stress.
It's important to recognize that even the most ergonomically correct environment will not prevent repetitive stress injuries if the body is simply overworked. The body has limitations with what it can withstand. Surpassing those limitations will most definitely result in injury.
Since the best way to treat an injury is to never get it in the first place, a proactive approach involving strategic planning to minimize injury should be taken by all employers and employees, especially where the risk of injury is high. This would include workers who sit for extended periods of time, perform repetitive movements, and workers who lift or move heavy objects.