Are you involved in running a business or “program” within a business such as Lean, Ergonomics, Process Improvement, Safety, Quality, Operations, …you get the idea? If so, what is your goal? Often I hear people say something similar to the following, “I want an effective and sustainable fill-in-the-blank program”.
There are times when I have a few free moments that I will ‘surf the net’ and see what headlines grab my attention. I was doing this last week when I came across this headline “AIG’s Benmosche, Speaking From His Seaside Villa, Says World Will Need To Retire At 80” which was posted on www.zerohedge.com. Mr.
I recently attended ASSE’s Safety 2012 PDC. It was the first time attending this conference. I was impressed with the expansive exhibit hall. There were a few products which caught my attention which I will highlight in this and upcoming blogs.
I’m attending and presenting at ASSE Safety 2012 this week. The speaker of one session I attended yesterday said something that really got my attention. He was talking about how to influence employee behavior in order to achieve better safety performance. He was explaining that it is difficult to get employees to behave safely. Then he said this, “We (meaning safety professionals) have to admit that it is harder (for employees) to work safer than not.” I was taken aback from that statement. Working safely shouldn’t be harder than working unsafe–unless, of course, the work environment,
In my previous blog I described the how behavioral based safety and ergonomics are not the same and definitely do not utilize the same approach. That being said, companies are really good at identifying “bad” employee behavior and using policy, observations and enforcement to correct it. So the question becomes how do companies who aren’t versed in ergonomics learn how to change behavior through workplace design? Let’s start with a simple framework on which built upon.
There are basically 7 steps to determining design solutions to change behavior.
I recently attended a presentation in which the speaker was trying to make the case that behavioral safety and ergonomics are virtual the same and go hand in hand together. He started off by saying that bad behaviors are caused by bad ergonomics and that good ergonomics can produce wanted (good) behaviors. I totally agreed with him but then he gave the following example:
This hasn’t been the week for me in terms of health. It started last weekend with a nasty sore throat and by Tuesday night/Wednesday morning I had a fever of 102. Not being accustomed to being sick, especially having a fever, I decided to go into an Urgent Care clinic. Despite having a fever, chills and body aches I was able to focus on the incorporation of ergonomics into the design and equipment of the exam room. Here are a few observations that caught my attention for meeting/fitting the needs of the patients and caregivers alike:
It’s getting to be that time of year when people get started on their gardening. Gardening is fun and it’s great exercise. Yard work such as raking, hoeing and carrying various things improves strength and endurance while other tasks help maintain flexibility. Not only is it good for the body but also for the mind! Gardening gets you outside in the sunshine and fresh air which serves as a great stress reliever from job pressures.
One of the most common safety signs is the one the states “Safety is #1” or words similar to it. Consider when and where you have seen those signs. Now ask yourself, did you see and feel that safety was indeed #1 at the company where the sign was posted? If your experience is similar to mine, the answer to that 95% or greater is “No”.
Electro Kinetic Technologies offers an array of battery powered solutions for material and “people” handling. A couple products stood out: The motorized scissor cart and electric patient transport chair.
