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
We’ve all probably experienced presentations using PowerPoint. Too often, the use of PowerPoint is poorly done which is how the phrase “Death by PowerPoint” came to be. An article in the July issue of Ergonomics in Design, Evidence-Based Human Factors Guidelines for PowerPoint Presentations, provided tips for improving the comprehension and appeal of PowerPoint. I was aware of most of the points given and thought I’d pass on some of the key ingredients to a successful PowerPoint slide.
If you’re like me you, aside from your computer, you probably use at least one or two other electronic gadgets for work or personal use. Mine includes a laptop and smartphone. They are wonderful devices that make our lives easier (or so we think!) but they are anything but easy on our bodies.
The second phase of creating a project brand, in our case an injury prevention (IP) project, is planning. This is the four blog in the series on Branding: Why All Projects Need One. In the last blog I discussed the first phase in the brand campaign which was the pitch. Phase 2 is the PLAN. This is fairly self-explanatory—the Plan identifies the project goals, activities and steps involved. It is also defines who is involved from the key stakeholders to those who will have minimal but necessary involvement. The roles and responsibilities of each person/group involved defined as well a
As a consultant, I find myself asking people their beliefs about ergonomics and find their responses to be quite interesting. It tells me that most have a very limited view of what ergonomics is and where it belongs within their company.
One of my recent clients that had me analyze the design of their products also asked to me assess the human factors of the brand and associated marketing and instructional material. What was very interesting for me was to learn about the process they undertook when developing a brand campaign for their products. That experience serves as part of the basis for this blog. There is much to be learned and can be applied from an external customer focused branding/marketing campaign to an internal project branding/marketing campaign. The framework and phases involved serve as the foundation o
As an ergonomist, one of the most common questions I get asked is what do I think about using exercise balls as chair. There are definite pros and cons of using an exercise ball. Let’s first discuss this issue from an employer perspective.
“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?
