organizational systems

“Location, location, location!”  We’ve all heard those words when it comes to real estate.  The same house located on a lake is of more value and therefore worth much more than when it is located on a street in the city.  The same can be said for where the roles and responsibility of an ergonomic program resides.  The value to company can rise and fall depending on the location.  If you read this month’s (December 2011) feature article you probably have a good idea on the best location.  The most common location for ergonomic programs is in EHS or HR.

It is becoming more and more apparent that shift work has a negative effect on workers’ performance, injury level, sleep quality and quantity and overall health.  In recent blogs I’ve shared studies and articles that showed the increased work-related injuries in shift work employees, and the negative effects caused by worker fatigue in general.  Another study, Job Stress and Work Schedules in Relation to Obesity was recently released in the Journal of Nursing Admi

“Ergonomics doesn’t work.”  “Ergonomic changes didn’t solve the problem—it continues just the same.”  “Ergonomics just frustrates me—it just doesn’t seem to produce the type of changes (benefit) I think it should.”  Those of words I’ve heard from clients who have tried ergonomics and obviously, have not had good results.  I know more people who are frustrated with ergonomics or don’t put much stock into ergonomics after seeing little or no benefit from implementing “ergonomic changes”.  Have you ever heard or said those words?  If so, keep reading.  I’d like to address what I see are the to

Asking the right questions and getting the correct answers are necessary in order to do a thorough ergonomic assessment.  In my previous blog I laid out the 5 components of an ergonomic assessment.  Let’s do a brief overview of the type of questions to ask in the first and second components.

One of the things I frequently do as a consultant for my clients are ergonomic assessments because of this I often get asked about what an ergonomic assessment is and what does it involve?  Well, I hope to answer this question and some others about ergo assessments in this blog series.  Of course, ergo assessments can vary as what I look at and analyze depends on what it is I’m specifically assessing but the nuts and bolts of an assessment are the same.

Basic components of an assessment

“Image Is Everything!”  That was the branding/marketing message for Canon cameras back in the early 90s.  Tennis star Andre Agassi was their spokesman for TV and print ads.  In writing this second part of my blog series on branding this branding message immediately came to mind.  Why?  Because more often than not the approval and success of a project depends on its image—whether inside or outside an organization.

Brands.  All organizations have them.  Every product has one.  Nearly every service has one.  Even some people have them (think Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey).  I’ve worked in some companies and some of their customer service and wellness programs have them.  But rarely, if ever, do ergonomics projects have them.  Why is that and why is it important?

What is ergonomics?  What is human factors?  How can human factors and ergonomics (HF/E) help my business?