Definition - What does Work Recovery Cycles mean?
Work recovery cycles are work practices that provide a balance between high and low exertion tasks. Alternating between tasks that involve high and low physical demands should allow a worker's muscles to recover and therefore reduces fatigue in the workforce. Failure to provide for recovery periods within the work cycle may lead to injury or loss of productivity.
SureHire explains Work Recovery Cycles
Work recovery cycles make use of planned breaks or shifts in activity to reduce or eliminate worker exposure to ergonomic risk factors. The use of task variation and recovery cycles aids in the prevention of musculoskeletal injuries related to static or awkward posture and repetitive tasks by providing relief and rest to working muscle groups.
When a muscle group becomes fatigued the risk of injury increases. By proactively incorporating rest periods into the work process, this fatigue can be avoided or reduced. The specific recovery time needed for a particular task is determined by the level of exertion required for its performance and the needs of the specific employee performing the task.
Allowing employees to rotate between different jobs, alternating between physical and non-physical tasks, or performing tasks that utilize different muscle groups are all methods of providing for work recovery time. The time necessary for recovery should be included in any calculation of production times and not considered as a negative drain on productivity.
