Some things just go together, like peanut butter and jelly, locks and keys, and peas in a pod. So why wouldn’t you in incorporate workplace wellness initiatives into ergonomics and safety programs? They should fit together like pieces of a puzzle to produce a clear picture of healthy, productive and safe employees.
In part 1 we looked at current business disciplines, their associated strengths and weaknesses and the reason for why a new strategy and approach is need for proactively and reactively solving productivity, efficiency and safety issues. In part 2 we are going to explore the power of L.E.S.S. ™
The Power of L.E.S.S. ™
“Sitting is the new smoking” “Sitting is going to kill you” “Stand Up!”
Recently I gave a presentation at Safety 2013, ASSE’s professional development conference called the “Nuts and Bolts of Effective and Sustainable Ergonomics Programs”. The “Nuts and Bolts” focused on the management system of ergonomics, not on the tools and methods used for ergonomic assessment. I did this because the reasons most programs, whether ergonomics or other, fail is because they lack a management/business system. Thinking of ergonomics in terms of a management system isn’t routine or common to most people who are responsible for ergonomics. This was verified by the comments I
During the past two weeks or so the news has been abuzz with “digital dementia” affecting teens and 20-somethings. Most of us are familiar with dementia that strikes the elderly but digital dementia is a new type of cognitive condition affecting those in their teens and early 20s. According to multiple articles on this topic, digital dementia is characterized as the deterioration of brain function as a result of the overuse of digital technology, such as computers, smart phones and Internet use in general. This excess use of technology leads to unbalanced brain development, as heavy user
I attended and presented at the ASSE’s Safety 2013 in Las Vegas a couple weeks ago. Besides listening to other speakers and meeting new people, the one thing I really enjoy about the conference is the exhibit hall. There are the usual products on display, such as various PPE (fall arrest systems, gloves, safety glasses, footwear, and then there are some new products that caught my eye. Here are four that were new to me and definitely have an application in industry:
In Part 1 we reviewed the changes that are occurring within the today’s workforce–the increased percentage of older workers. With this in mind employers need to adapt their work environment to meet the needs of the workers–which coincidentally and most importantly benefits all ages of workers.
Ergonomic Workplace Design Recommendations
What is the age that you use to define for an “older” worker? Is it 45, 50, 55 or 65? Employers across the nation are seeing the average age of their work force getting older each year as people are delaying retirement more than ever before. This is a trend that has employers concerned for several reasons with two being the most impactful—potential injury/safety ramifications and upcoming knowledge loss. The “common wisdom” has been that older workers don’t get hurt often but when they do the expenses are very high. Is this “common wisdom” true? A
Many companies devote time to training their employees on back safety in which they teach the basics of back anatomy and safe lifting techniques. The question I have had on this training “Is the time and money spent on back injury prevention worth it?” Of course, this question (“Is it worth it?”) should be asked of any training. After all, training takes time, takes employees away from their jobs and therefore is a significant investment by the company in their personnel as well as financially.
