Ergonomics
Musculoskeletal Injuries
Editor’s Note: I forwarded the 12 questions SafetyXChange members submitted to Michael with the following note: “It wouldn’t be fair of us to expect you to answer more than half of these.” But Michael went above and beyond the call and answered all 12. So, thank you Michael. And thank you, [...]
Justifying an Investment in Ergonomics, Part 2 of 2
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the Rodney Dangerfield of injuries: They get no respect. That’s too bad because MSDs deserve respect. They now make up about one-third of all reported lost-time injuries; they also tend to be expensive to treat. Last week, in Part 1 of this series, we looked at why so many CEOs resist [...]
Justifying an Investment in Ergonomics, Part 1 of 2
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as carpal tunnel syndrome and back strains are costing U.S. and Canadian companies a fortune. They’re responsible for one-third of all workplace injuries. And this may be a conservative estimate since these injuries often go unreported. To make matters worse, MSDs are among the most expensive and complicated to treat. They [...]
Explaining Measuring Methods, Part 3 of 3
Last week, we looked at four of the six methodologies used by occupational biomechanics practitioners — kinesiology, modeling methods, anthropometrics and bioinstrumentation. Let’s now look at the other two: mechanical work capacity and motion and time evaluation. (Editor’s Note: There’s a glossary of occupational biomechanics terms in the Tools section [...]
Explaining Measuring Methods, Part 2 of 3
Last week, we looked at the discipline of occupational biomechanics and explained why companies turn to it to reduce workplace injuries. This week, we’ll look at the various methodologies used by practitioners of occupational biomechanics.
Methodology Areas
The methodology used by occupational biomechanics practitioners is divided into six general areas:
Kinesiology
Modeling methods
Anthropometrics
Bioinstrumentation
Mechanical work capacity
Motion and time evaluation
Each of [...]
Explaining the Discipline and Its Application, Part 1 of 2
What exactly is occupational biomechanics? Who uses it and how can it reduce injuries in the workplace? This and the subsequent article will attempt to answer these questions.
A Working Definition
Biomechanics has been around for many years. The term has been used to describe many different disciplines. For purposes of this article, I will [...]
How to Conduct a Job Hazard Analysis
by Phillip Wells
How do you address the concern of repeated motion trauma? Our organization wrestled with that question for a long time. We finally decided to study each job and operation to determine what motion or activity could be changed or eliminated. We conducted a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA). This killed two birds with [...]
Ergonomics Injuries, Part 2: How to Analyze Your Record Review
A records review of ergonomic injuries enables you to figure out what’s causing ergonomic injuries at your workplace. Last week, in Part 1 of this series, I discussed how to perform such a review. Now comes the hard part: translating the data into corrective action. Here’s how to analyze the data and decide on corrective [...]
Ergonomics Injuries, Part 1: How to Do a Record Review
To root out ergonomic injuries you must be proactive. The first step is to do a record review and create a “snapshot” of worker injuries so you can analyze causes and identify trends. We’ll show you how to do an effective records review. We’ve also given you a model form you can use to organize [...]
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