Ergonomics Today™

DEMO 07 Displays Products Designed to Dazzle, but What About Usability?

February 2, 2007
The ultra-high tech products on display at DEMO 07 are designed to be useful. But are they useable?

What Happened to MSD epidemic in Newsrooms? Maybe Nothing

January 29, 2007
An article in January’s Editor & Publisher asks whatever happened to the musculoskeletal plague of the 1980s and 1990s.

Neurology Study: Brain Too Slow For Cell Phone Use While Driving

January 26, 2007
Many people still believe they can drive safely while they are making phone calls. A recent neurological study explains why they are wrong.

Inquiry Into BP Refinery Explosion Blames Corporate Culture

January 22, 2007
The report of the Baker Panel, investigating the explosion at a BP refinery in Texas in 2005, was released in January. It points the finger where it doesn’t often point – at the executive suite.

Comair Flight 5191 Crash Report Reveals System Design Flaws

January 19, 2007
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation of the Comair Flight 5191 crash in Kentucky last summer yielded more details but no definitive answers about the cause. But contributing factors are revealed throughout the report.

Canadian Study Dissects a Thief – Procrastination

January 15, 2007
Procrastination is a costly – and growing – problem, according to a recent study from Canada, which also describes it as an unbreakable habit.

Court Finds Employee at Fault, Denies Injury Compensation

January 12, 2007
An Ohio Supreme Court Ruling in December supported an employer against a 16-year-old former employee, denying disability payments for injuries sustained in an on-the-job accident.

Will Consumers Dump the Next Big Thing in Consumer Electronics?

January 8, 2007
How many of the products designed to dazzle at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Association show will end up as returns? The answer could be found in how easy they are to set up and operate.

Wi-Fi in the Car – A Boon?

January 5, 2007
In-car Internet connectivity is almost here. It might or might not be a blessing.

Painful Presents – A Reminder to Parents About Technology Risks

January 2, 2007
The proliferation of computers, laptops, cellphones and e-mail devices in homes and offices open the door to musculoskeletal disorders and eye problems for tech-savvy youngsters.

Bungee-cord Backpacks Ease the Load and Strain

December 22, 2006
Add a bungee cord to a backpack and lighten the load, according to a University of Pennsylvania professor.

Report: Some UK Retail Websites Erect Barriers for Shoppers

December 18, 2006
Several major British retailers are failing to deliver a basic standard of usability, according to a new report, so they are missing out on the seasonal bonanza.

Despite Warnings and Ban, Driver Cell Phone Use Still Rife in Australia

December 15, 2006
Evidence that using a cell phone behind the wheel is a distracting, dangerous practice has led to bans in some places. A new study questions the value of banning the practice.

Canadian Air Force Scraps One-size-fits-all Formula for Female Pilots

December 11, 2006
The Canadian Air Force took a second look at women rejected for pilot training by an obsolete one-size-fits-all physical standard.

UN Study: Many Websites are Failing Disabled People

December 8, 2006
Many websites are failing disabled users, according to the United Nations, but could be put right.

Trucking Industry Deregulation and Trucker Fatigue in Spotlight Again

December 4, 2006
When it came to deregulating the trucking industry, warnings about the dangers of trucker fatigue appear to have fallen on deaf ears.

"Don't Sit Up Straight," Some Experts Are Advising

December 1, 2006
"Sit up Straight" could be bad advice. A study from Scotland explains why.

“Wheeled” Snow Removal Shows Promise for Preventing Injuries

November 27, 2006
The Wovel and its wheeled snow shovel cousins show promise, but can they trim the long lines at medical emergency rooms this Winter?

Move It! Campaign Teaches Healthier Postures to Youngsters

November 24, 2006
Musculoskeletal disorders are regarded as a problem for working adults, but youngsters are also vulnerable. A campaign and web site launched in New Zealand sets the record straight and highlights prevention measures.

Ernestine Carey passes away on November 4, 2006

November 21, 2006
Ernestine Carey, whose knowledge of work study tools and methods came from growing up in a family where theories were lived as well as postulated, died in November at the age of 98.