human resources

Reason #2:  Failure to Tie Ergonomics Into the Mission and Strategic Initiatives of the Company

I had a conversation a few months ago with an employee health nurse who was telling me about her frustrations with a specific employee.  (Specific names and details about the job are purposefully left out to protect identify.) He was a “repeat offender” who happened to injure himself on a regular basis.  She could count on him being in her office every 3-4 months complaining of the work and how he hurt this or that.  The injuries typically resulted in a few lost work days and/or a few days in which he was restricted in what he could do.  She went on to sa

Are productivity and efficiency mutually exclusive of employee safety, comfort and zero injuries?  The answer is obviously no.  However how many meetings and projects occur between management, quality and employee health and safety departments?  This answer is almost never.  Why? 

One of the things that continues to amaze me is how many people, safety and ergonomic professionals included, believe that it is impossible to have a workplace that is free of hazards and therefore free of injuries.  I’ve heard many times from supervisors and even safety directors that it is impossible to remove all of the hazards from the workplace so they don’t even try.  They believe that achieving zero lost days or zero recordable injuries isn’t realistic.  Obviously situations, equipment and people change over time which makes it hard to identify and control hazards.  It requires commi

I find myself a little sleep deprived today after Christmas.  The normal amount of sleep I normally get each night was changed from the family get-togethers and other events and “to-dos” leading up to and right after Christmas.  My body and mind feel a bit more sluggish.  The words to complete this blog come slower than usual as my ability to think and maintain concentration are effected.  What I really want to do is to lie down and take a nap.