### 📈 Productivity Spotlight: Practical Ergonomics for Profit

Senior executives in Sri Lanka are urged to adopt ergonomics—designing work to fit the human body—as a strategic tool to combat rising costs and labor turnover. Moving beyond "luxury furniture," the focus is on optimizing high-stakes sectors for 2026. • Economic Impact & Gains Productivity: Proper work design reduces fatigue, leading to faster output and fewer defects. Cost Savings: Minimal capital expenditure can yield high returns by reducing medical claims, absenteeism, and the "silent drain" of musculoskeletal injuries. Retention: Addresses the "3Ds" (Difficult, Dirty, Dangerous) that drive staff turnover in manufacturing and plantations. • Sector-Specific Insights Apparel & Textiles: Operators face risks from forward-leaning postures and repetitive movements. Simple tweaks to workstations and pedal positioning can boost endurance. ICT/BPM & Banking: High risk of neck, shoulder, and back pain. Adjusting monitor heights and keyboard placement is critical for sustained performance in these growth sectors. Logistics & Construction: Manual lifting remains a primary cause of injury; mechanization or mechanical aids are essential for long-term labor stability. • Industrial Success Case A Sri Lankan food processing plant increased output and slashed back pain complaints by simply raising worktables by 150mm—a negligible cost for significant gain. • Key Recommendations Implement micro-breaks to allow for faster biological recovery. Utilize task-specific lighting and noise control to reduce errors. Involve workers in design to leverage "tacit knowledge" for continuous improvement.