As safety professionals around the world confront new safety hazards and continue to address work-related injuries and illnesses, more and more are realizing the effects and breadth that ergonomics plays within the safety and health area. Consider this: in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most recently published report on non-fatal workplace injuries, over 50% of injuries were in areas where ergonomics plays a direct role in worker safety.  With numbers like these, it’s no surprise organizations are looking for safety professionals who understand how ergonomics can be applied to better protect employees and business interests.

Working in a field where safeguarding against loss of life and limb is often front-and-center, ergonomics can seem simpler to address: a better chair here, an adjusted machine height there, or a change in the pattern of a worker’s motion.  But the vast and dynamic nature of ergonomics often surprises many professionals: in addition to its prevalence in almost every industry and office setting, best practices continue to grow and expand. Appropriate ergonomic assessments and action plans require attention to a number of areas, including:

• Appropriate risk factors
• Current regulatory requirements
• Policy development techniques
• Effective ergonomic management techniques
• Ergonomics and safety program development
• Budgeting and resources

Ultimately, the end goals may be similar to those found in other areas of safety: to reduce operator illness, discomfort, or injury - and from a business perspective, to reduce lost productivity and costs associated with injuries. The process of getting to those goals, however, can be daunting without the right level of knowledge.

Recently, learning opportunities have begun to appear to help safety professionals acquire the knowledge needed to improve ergonomics inside their organizations. One recently launched program was established by Eastern Kentucky University, who announced the latest concentration added to their online Master of Science in Safety, Security and Emergency Management: Ergonomics.

EKU’s Ergonomics concentration is particularly attractive for a number of reasons. First, it addresses many key areas within the field: appropriate risk factors, current regulatory requirements as well as policy development, effective ergonomic management techniques, and occupational safety program development to ensure a safe and healthful work environment for employees.

The curriculum of the Ergonomics concentration also addresses efficient and effective analysis methods specifically focused on ergonomic hazards in private sector industrial environments, ergonomic related legislation and practical implementation challenges.

In addition, the dynamic field of ergonomics requires professionals to acquire a working knowledge of the various methodologies through which to conduct an ergonomic assessment, which this concentration prepares graduates to do.

“My experience in the Safety, Security and Emergency Management program at EKU has benefited me both personally and professionally,” said Paul English, SSEM Graduate.  “The balance of technical knowledge and ‘real-world’ skills has enabled me to excel as a safety professional, and I have been able to directly apply what I learned in my workplace.”

EKU’s program starts six times each year, and is the Nation's only completely-online Master of Science in Safety, Security and Emergency Management. The state-of-the-art format allows working professionals the flexibility to pursue a degree without much impact to their already-busy lifestyles. Additional concentrations are also offered in Homeland Security, Occupational Safety and Fire & Emergency Services.

The College of Justice & Safety at Eastern Kentucky University was also chosen as a Program of Distinction by the State of Kentucky, solidifying the College’s reputation as a premier source for expertise in the safety, security and emergency management fields.

Finally, Eastern Kentucky University faculty members are nationally and internationally recognized as leaders in these fields, working closely with public and private entities throughout the country to improve safety and security standards.

As you begin to set personal and professional goals for the year, be sure to keep ergonomics in mind, and if you’re looking for an online master’s program, consider Eastern Kentucky's online SSEM Master's degree program and the exciting new Ergonomics concentration.

We’ve included a link below that you can click to learn more about the program:

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