Ergonomics Today™

Medical Experts Prescribe Checklists to Curb Diagnostic Errors

March 30, 2009
Patient safety experts say it’s high time for diagnostic errors to get the same attention as other patient safety ills. Their prescription includes the humble checklist .

Blumenthal to Lead Electronic Patient Records Challenge

March 23, 2009
The country that put a man on the Moon now has the task of developing an interoperable electronic system for patient records. Could the new task be as formidable as the Moon mission?

New Study Reveals Injected Medication Errors in Intensive Care Units

March 16, 2009
In hospitals, ergonomics-related failings can mean the difference between life and death. A new study sounds an alarm about injected medication errors.

Active Furniture for School Children Could Combat Obesity and Improve Learning

March 9, 2009
A new idea in education – that children need to be free to be active as they learn – is gaining hold. It could change the iconic picture of the orderly seated classroom, allowing students to sit or stand with specially designed furniture, combating obesity and improving learning.

Physiotherapists’ Society Sounds Alarm on Repetitive Strain Injury

March 2, 2009
Repetitive strain injury (RSI) still blights British workers, according to Britain’s Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, which says businesses and the government need to do more to protect workers from the debilitating condition.

2008 Safety Index: Ergonomics Related Injuries Top Disabling Injury Costs

February 23, 2009
The 2008 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index shows the high cost to society of disabling injuries, and that ergonomic related injuries claim the biggest share of the cost – again.

Does Workplace Design Data Ignore Impact of Obesity?

February 16, 2009
What if workplace products, spaces and systems were a poor fit for the people who used them? That appears to be the case, according to a new research report.

Study: Colors Red and Blue Boost Brain Performance

February 9, 2009
The color red can make people’s work more accurate, and blue can make people more creative, according to a new study. Ergonomists will be among the experts watching this line of research for its potential applications to work environments.

Michigan Senators Introduce Bill to Block Ergonomics Standard

February 2, 2009
A group of Michigan senators, led by Alan Sanborn (R-Richmond), hope to fast-track a bill they've introduced that would prohibit the state from establishing a rule for workplace ergonomics.

HealthCare Ergonomics Conference Announcement

February 2, 2009
Back safety expert Bill Marras, Ph.D, CPE, and director of the Biodynamics Laboratory at The Ohio State University, will deliver the keynote speech -- conference topics to include patient handling, obese patient care, patients' perspective on patient handling, and much more.

New Study Shows Patient Safety Benefits of Ensuring Rest for Doctors

February 2, 2009
A pilot study in Britain reports that junior doctors working shorter hours make some 33 percent fewer mistakes. There's an echo of the results of a 2005 United States study, which suggests fatigued doctors might as well be drunk.

Researchers Want Engine Noise Added to Too-Quiet Hybrids

January 25, 2009
Hybrid cars, hailed as good news for our planet, could be bad news for pedestrians and bicyclists. Researchers recommend adding automotive engine noise to make these quiet vehicles safer.

Michigan Regulatory Commission Advances Mandatory Ergonomics Standard

January 18, 2009
This battle is heating up. Despite efforts to derail it, the long-running effort in Michigan to introduce an ergonomics standard is back on track after receiving unanimous support from key regulatory commissions in Michigan.

Michigan Draft Ergonomics Standard Under Fire from Business Groups

January 11, 2009
A key vote comes up this week in Michigan on a draft mandatory ergonomics standard for the state. The economic downturn has an upside for the standard’s opponents.

2009 Applied Ergonomics Conference: Improve, Impact and Influence

January 9, 2009
March 23 -26, Applied Ergonomics Conference and Expo, Grand Sierra Resort, Reno, Nevada, features ergonomic answers to tough challenges, power-packed educational sessions, exhibits, facility tours and Ergo Cup® finalist teams demonstrating solutions.

High Tech Golf: a Risk to Hearing?

January 4, 2009
Doctors say golfers using the latest generation of titanium drivers should wear earplugs to protect them from noise.

Bionic Ear Founder Launches Quest for Hi-Fi Version

December 21, 2008
The bionic ear, a device that gives deaf people the ability to communicate, is 30 years old in December. The pioneer of the technology plans to give them more nuanced communication, and even music.

Study Explores Light Therapy to Ease Night-Shift Workers’ Fatigue

December 15, 2008
Researchers at Rush University Medical Center adjust circadian rhythms to address the chronic fatigue associated with night shifts.

Study: More Dangerous to Drive on Cell Phone than Chat with Passenger

December 8, 2008
Researchers at the University of Utah say a driver chatting with a passenger is less of a menace on the road than a driver using a cell phone.

Ants Offer Clues to Ergonomic Traffic Management

December 1, 2008
German scientists have found that ants know ways to avoid the scourges of busy thoroughfares – collisions and congestion