Ergonomics Today™

Sit vs. Stand: Who Benefits from Sit-to-Stand Workstations?

February 22, 2013
There are many potential benefits from sit-to-stand and user adjustable furniture, including lower total cost of ownership, fewer MSD’s, higher productivity, improved satisfaction, etc. However, to get the greatest benefit for the employee and the company, you need to ensure that you deploy the right equipment to the right population, and then support roll-out by giving users encouragement and guidance in how to be comfortable and successful with the new equipment. This article provides background for the benefits of sit-to-stand workstations, and guidance on how to effectively implement them on a small or large scale basis.

Look and Learn

February 13, 2013
You can sit around and talk about improving worker health and safety all day long, but seeing how improvements really work is the heart of advances in ergonomics. That’s the idea behind the Applied Ergonomics Conference 2013, which this year adds a handful of facility tours to the always anticipated Ergo Cup competition. Keynote speakers for the 16th annual conference include ...

Applying Ergonomics to Improve Care Quality and Safety in Hospitals

February 8, 2013
Researchers developed a problem reporting system framework that dramatically improved the number and quality of problem reports, allowing the hospitals to better understand and address patient, staff and process problems rooted in human factors/ergonomics. This article, reprinted with permission from The Ergonomics Report, reviews the research and summarizes the application benefits for hospitals that take the same or a similar proactive improvement approach.

Research Review: Value of Back Injury Prevention Training Questioned (reprint)

February 1, 2013
While a staple of many health and safety programs, the value of back injury prevention training is strongly challenged by a review of eleven recent studies.

Raise the Ergonomic Standard – Do We Dare?

January 23, 2013
In this reprint from The Ergonomics Report, guest contributor Karl Marion adds his thoughts to the question of whether the field of ergonomics, and practicing ergonomists, need to "raise the bar" on the use of the word ergonomics in product and process design. He notes that standards are common in everyday life, and in many industries, and believes "it's time" for the ergonomics marketplace to do the same.

Get Big Ergo Ideas at the Applied Ergonomics Conference 2013

January 22, 2013
Discover how companies have implemented programs that ensure safe performance and provide a significant return on ergonomics investment. AEC brings together ergonomics and human factors professionals from all over the world who want to improve their programs or show off how they have ensured safe performance in manufacturing, healthcare, government, safety and energy industries. It also boasts two leaders in the ergonomics, human factors and safety field as keynote speakers: Janet Froetscher, president and CEO of the National Safety Council, and William Marras, Honda Professor Chair of the Department of Integrated Systems Engineering at the Ohio State University.

You Can't Achieve Six Sigma Without Ergonomics (reprint)

January 10, 2013
Reprinted from a 2002 issue of The Ergonomics Report: Any team presented with a big project that seemingly becomes more and more complex might groan at the prospect of putting ergonomics into the mix. But with a Six Sigma project, ergonomics neither conflicts with nor takes resources from other management or process systems that may already be implemented within a company. Instead it adds to the proper execution of the Six Sigma process. Authors: Jeanie Croasmun, Rachel Michael. Contributors: Ben Zavitz, Mike Wynn.

UK Ergonomists Mark 20th Anniversary of DSE and 'Six Pack' Regulations

December 31, 2012
Twenty years ago on 1 January 1993, the UK implemented six wide ranging health & safety regulations that included provisions for ergonomics. Dubbed the ‘Six Pack’, the 1993 regulations made clearer duties in relation to some activities (e.g. computer work, manual handling) and gave more detail and guidance to help employers protect the health & safety of their staff. “As a result, both employers and employees know much more about safer working practices and what has to be done in the workplace by both parties to achieve this. More could still be done to combat stress and improve overall employee wellbeing. And there will always be some difficult situations which will require compromise solutions,” says Dave O’Neill, Chief Executive of the IEHF.

Ergonomics Inspired Reference and Training Manual Aims to Cut Gun Fatalities

December 20, 2012
In this reprint from The Ergonomics Report, the late Hal Hendrick is interviewed by journalist Jennifer Anderson regarding a forthcoming book he had co-authored, "Human Factors Issues in Handgun Safety and Forensics." As the gun violence debate erupts in the USA following the senseless and tragic deaths of 20 innocent children and 6 adults at the Sandy Hook Elementary school, we reflect on the role that Ergonomics and Human Factors can -- and should -- play in the prevention of unnecessary gun related deaths, injuries, as well as any regulations that may follow.

Ergonomics an Afterthought for Lounge Chair Classics?

December 14, 2012
The icons look as if they were designed today, but some are over 80 years old. And all suit open-plan living, a concept of architectural design that remains as popular today as when Frank Lloyd Wright et al introduced it in the 1920s. This article was originally published in The Ergonomics Report, and contains an update with pictures of Frank Lloyd Wright chairs taken at Taliesin West, where Wright spent his winters later in life.

Body Mass Index Related to Musculoskeletal Discomfort and Job Stress (Reprint)

November 30, 2012
In this reprint from The Ergonomics Report, Gene Kay and Peter Budnick review a research article summarizing the findings of a team of researchers from India that performed a study looking at various associations between body mass index BMI, musculoskeletal discomfort, and occupational stress among computer workers. Their results add to the growing understanding that being overweight can have a significant effect on musculoskeletal discomfort and occupational stress measures.

Get Big Ergo Ideas at the Applied Ergonomics Conference 2013

November 14, 2012
Join us March 18-21 in Dallas for one of the most highly anticipated ergonomics and human factors events of the year. It’s the 16th annual Applied Ergonomics Conference 2013, presented by GOErgo and featuring the world-renowned Ergo Cup® competition.

Revisiting the Roots of Ergonomics

November 14, 2012
In 1857 -- over 150 years ago -- a Polish scholar named Wojciech Jastrzebowski coined the word "ergonomics". Have we made any progress since? In this fun and interesting reprint from the September 2002 edition of the Ergonomics Report, we ask, "You be the judge".

Special Issue: Globalization of Ergonomics

November 8, 2012
Ergonomics In Design has published a special issue on the Globalization of Ergonomics, and you can get free access to it through the end of November 2012! This special issue includes a feature by Ergoweb's Peter Budnick and co-authors Kazutaka Kogi and David O’Neill titled "Examples of Practical Ergonomics in Industrially Developing Countries." Features by Thomas J. Smith, R. S. Bridger, David C. Caple, Nancy L. J. Larson, Halimahtun M. Khalid and Martin G. Helander, and Candice Jo-Anne Christie are also included.

Towards a Credible Ergonomics Certification for Products and Processes: PART 1 (Reprint)

November 1, 2012
There's been a lot of talk lately about ergonomic product certification, and Peter Budnick takes readers on a tour of the topic, drawing from work he's done on the question over the last 10-15 years. In this article, Part 1 in a series, he shares insightful video of interviews he conducted with consumers on the questions of "what does ergonomics mean" and "what would an 'ergonomically designed' label mean to you?" He also shares examples of how other industries have developed certifications, why industries need credible certification systems, and how that might come about for the field of ergonomics.

Big, Tall, Short, Small: What’s a Designer to Do? (Reprint)

October 18, 2012
Designers are often frustrated by humans. It sounds funny, because nearly all designs are destined to be used -- or misused -- by people, but it’s true. Designing something to accommodate for the wide variety of human sizes and shapes can be so frustrating that many designers simply neglect to do it. Some neglect to accommodate intentionally, others try, yet make mistakes in the process, and still others neglect it out of pure ignorance.

Ergonomics ROI: How To Document Ergonomics-Related Improvements (Reprint)

October 11, 2012
Presenting ergonomics solutions as valuable contributions to an organization is critical to getting them accepted, funded and implemented. This article, reprinted from The Ergonomics Report, recognizes that financial measures and predictions are a large motivating factor for any organizations, and ergonomics solutions must therefore be considered in light of their financial impacts. This article reviews the types of outcomes ergonomics can produce; shows how to do ROI calculations that put solutions in financial terms; and promotes an increased awareness of, and focus on, ergonomics performance outcomes, not just well-being outcomes.

2012 ErgoExpo -- We'll See You in Las Vegas, December 4-7

October 11, 2012
After 17 years, ErgoExpo, formally known as the National Ergonomics Conference and Exposition, has become one of the largest gatherings for practical ergonomics information and solutions, particularly in the office ergonomics arena. Among the many notable event participants you'll find ErgoAdvocate demonstrating their latest software and service technology for office ergonomics process delivery and management, and Ergoweb's Peter Budnick delivering a keynote address, "8th Annual State of the Industry Address: The Next Phase of Growth & Influence for The Ergonomics Industry." Ergoweb community members are eligible for a 10% discount on registration fees.

Patient Handling Ergonomics Investments Produce Healthy Returns

October 3, 2012
In this reprint from The Ergonomics Report, a well formulated and executed ergonomics program is once again shown to be a significant contributor to the organizational bottom line. This recent evidence comes from research conducted by University of Wisconsin based researchers Garg and Kapellusch who tracked key business metrics at seven health care facilities with ergonomics programs that included patient handling equipment. While safe patient handling has become an important topic in many health care facilities, and regulators, the proven benefits of an ergonomics program are transferable to any workplace or industry.

CPH-NEW Responds to: Wellness -- Why Ergonomists Need to Get Involved

September 26, 2012
A previous article, "Wellness: Why Ergonomists Need to Get Involved (Reprint)," by Jill Kelby, has drawn a spirited response from Laura Punnett, Robert Henning and Nicholas Warren, ergonomists from The Center for the Promotion of Health in the New England Workforce (CPH-NEW). They argue, contrary to Kelby's assertion that ergonomics is being "co-opted" by "others", that they have been involved in the NIOSH Total Worker Health (TWH) program, and that they have "made it our responsibility to educate others within TWH about the field of ergonomics," and encourage others to join them.