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Ergonomics
News – February 2008 |
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Welcome to Ergonomics
News, a monthly electronic newsletter designed to help Ergonomists and
Safety Managers find the right solutions to a host of ergonomic-related
challenges - from manual material handling to office ergonomics. The
newsletter will include a column written by a veteran ergonomist, plus
several other articles linked to
http://www.occupationalhazards.com. |
In This
Newsletter:
1. How to
Hire an Ergonomist
2. Poultry Industry
Strives to Improve Worker Safety
3. Education
Helps Back Pain Patients Return to Work, Study Says
4. Heavy Lifting
Training Won't Prevent Back Stains, Study Says
5. Grants to Boost
Minnesota's Patient Handling Care
1. How to Hire an Ergonomist
By Cynthia Roth
Are you faced with employees who are experiencing an increase in
injuries and illnesses or who are aging (aren't we all)? Are you
experiencing problems with productivity and quality? Are you starting to
see an increase in employee complaints and increased absenteeism? Do you
have a high turnover rate?
Answer 'yes' to these questions and you may have come to the realization
that you have problems and you don't have the internal expertise to
solve them. It's time to call in the ergonomics expert.
How do you hire an outside consultant and what should you expect?
Surfing the Internet to find a list of consultants is one way of finding
a consultant, or you can contact a variety of professional societies
such as the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES), American
Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) or the American Industrial Hygiene
Association (AIHA).
But once you contact them, what do you ask for? Do you know what kind of
expertise you actually want to find? Here are some steps to help you
hire an ergonomist:
1. Identify the problems and the areas in which they are
occurring.
Defining the scope is the first step in the process. Here are some
suggested clues to begin the process of identifying the problems:
- Examine OSHA 300 logs, absentee records, lost work-time records,
production records
- Investigate quality issues
- Listen to employees
2. Clearly understand the end results you want to achieve and the
resources need to achieve them.
After your process of identifying the problems, you have to be clear
about the end results you expect. Once you know the scope of work, the
solutions have to be designed, delivered and implemented. This requires
a budget for the entire process. Do you want engineering solutions
and/or administrative solutions, or are you just willing utilize
personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect employees and not willing
to redesign their jobs? These choices will help drive the type of
ergonomist you want to hire, as will your industry: some ergonomists
specialize in industrial or office settings, or in a particular
industry.
Certified professional ergonomists (CPEs), come in a variety of
disciplines. An engineering ergonomist has a degree in technical
engineering, such as an industrial engineering or mechanical engineering
degree. This type of ergonomist understands human capabilities and
limitations (biomechanics) in relation to tasks, tools and equipment,
and can offer all three types of solutions. They focus on the tasks,
tools and equipment and design solutions that will "fit" every intended
user.
Medically oriented professionals, such as physical therapists,
occupational therapists, occupational nurses, etc., can develop the
human-to-task relationship and focus on the human, but cannot truly
reengineer a task or equipment redesign.
Another important necessity when hiring an ergonomist is his or her
ability to communicate. The potential consultant must have the skills to
be an effective communicator for employees and management. It is one
thing to identify an ergonomic risk factor and another thing to be able
to communicate results to the employer in the form of a succinct report.
Solutions also might include training, which is an effective tool for
management, engineers, medical staff and employees to use to transfer
knowledge, allowing the company to become independent in the developing
ergonomics process. A good ergonomics consultant who has technical
experience also must be able to effectively develop and deliver
training.
3. Ask the potential consultant for "his or her" approach to your
situation.
After listening to your ergonomics challenges, a good ergonomic
consultant can offer you his or her approach to further identify and
mitigate your company's ergonomics issues.
Communicating the extent of involvement you want to have will assist the
consultant in developing a plan to work with you. A good consultant
should offer to involve you as much in the process as you want to be.
Striving for greater internal knowledge is one goal every employer
should want to achieve. There is a lot you can do after knowledge of the
ergonomics process has been transferred, including conducting risk
assessments, working on solution development and working with vendors.
4. Ask to see previous work from the consultant, including final
reports and training manuals, and speak to other companies that have
utilized the consultant's services.
By conducting your due diligence and seeing some of the potential
consultant's final reports, you will be able to see the clarity of the
risk factors and the cost effectiveness of solution development. Also,
it is important to understand the type of training offered by the
consultant. Your company might be interested in e-training or classroom
training, which are different in their development and delivery.
It is important that the potential ergonomics consultant is familiar
with current literature and new developments in the workplace. You don't
want to have the consultant recommend solutions that don't work.
Calling references for a consultant is as important as calling
references for a potential employee. Other companies will be willing to
share experiences if you ask the right questions.
Ergonomics is not a large professional field and most practicing
ergonomists and ergonomics service companies have a public reputation.
Make sure they are well known.
A good ergonomist always will recommend a pilot project. It is necessary
to have a dance before coming engaged. You want to ensure that the
consultant's personality and skill set match your company's needs. Chose
a challenging area and hire the consultant to address the needs of this
area; identify the risk factors, root causes and solutions; and write a
report. A small pilot training program also can be offered.
Bottom line, do your homework! You don't want a revolving door of
consultants. Ergonomics is not a fad but a process to be built into your
corporate structure. You want a consultant who can assist you through
your long-term objectives to achieve your long-term goals and success.
Cynthia Roth is founder and CEO of Ergonomic Technologies Corp. (http://www.ergoworld.com) and is a
member of Occupational Hazards' Editorial Advisory Board. She recently
was elected chair of the ASSE Foundation and has lectured at hundreds of
companies and conferences on ergonomics.
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Here is a sneak peek at questions 1&2.
1. What is the definition of a TRADITIONAL spring loaded safety knife?
a) A knife that requires the blade to be manually retracted into the
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thumb is removed from the slider while cutting
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d) None of the above
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a) A knife that requires the blade to be manually retracted into the
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d) None of the above
Take the quiz to day!
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If you have
any comments or feedback about the content or format of IH
Insights, please share them with Editor Sandy Smith at ssmith@penton.com.
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