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:
Standing has become the thing (preferred posture) to do at the office these days thanks to all of the attention and hype on “Sitting Disease”. When working with office-based clients the question that always comes up from the office manager is how they can cost effectively provide standing workstations since the majority of their workers are now requesting standing workstations. When I teach my office ergonomics class on “How to make your workstati
“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
In my previous blog I discussed the indisputable fact that working extended hours causes worker fatigue and lowers performance. This was regardless of the time of day that was worked. Another aspect to consider is the effect of shift work on worker performance. I will define shift work as either the night shift or rotation shifts working normal amount of work hours (8-10 hours/shift). A recent study of Canadian workers shows some interesting results in regards to work injuries. The study covered a 10 year period, 1996-2006, and examined the injury rates of workers differentiated by the
In an article I wrote last year, “To Stretch or Not To Stretch”, I concluded that stretching programs for the purpose of reducing injuries were not shown to be or not be effective. As such, businesses should closely evaluate the costs of devoting time and resources to stretching programs compared to the supposed benefits. I’d like to follow up that article with research done by Hess and Hecker on Workplace Stretching Programs: The Rest of the Story. In their research
How many people or friends do you know who work 12+ hour shifts or work long shifts several days in a row with little sleep? How many professions do you whose work requires the same? I can name at least 12 friends that I know who long hours. I also know the toll those hours take on them professionally and personally. As for professions, probably the first ones that come to mind are doctors, nurses, police, firefighters and military personnel. There are other workers who have similar work demands, although they may occur when production demands (i.e.
It’s common for people to make New Year’s resolutions that address their fitness and health. It’s also the time of year that companies develop goals and strategic initiatives for the year ahead as well. One resolution that companies should consider pertains to Total Worker Health™. It used to be that companies only had employee health and safety programs.
If I had a penny for every time I’ve heard that ergonomics is “expensive” I wouldn’t be writing this blog but instead sitting on a beach somewhere. The perception that ergonomics is expensive seems to be a widely held belief in many people I’ve talked to whether they are clients, potential clients or at people I’ve met at conferences, meetings or networking events. I’ve seen this perception prevent the implementation of ergonomic programs at more companies that I’d care to admit. The question that must be asked is, “Is the perception true or false?” The answer is both, true and false, d
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
