Professionalism ergonomics

To give emphasis to the transitions that have recently taken place in applied ergonomics, I asked a renowned ergonomics professional to comment on them. What Dr. Paul S. Adams wrote to me in May 2002 follows ... 

Also, keep in mind that in some cases the height of the work being performed must be scrutinized versus the height of the work surface. Ideally, if multiple people work on a machine or work station, there would be a way to adjust the height of either of the machine or the person. Beyond this information, employers may want to contact an ergonomics professional for guidance based on the specific tasks their workers will be performing. 

To redress this situation requires much more attention to be given to the consideration of hirman factors and ergonomics dtrring their design processes. This is not to suggest necessarily that they need to employ htrman factors/ ergonomics professionals but rather, initially at least, they need to become much more aware of and routinely use the information which is already available in the open literature. 

In order to improve workplace ergonomics, professional assistance is needed to educate both workers and management. Many times the most basic improvements pay big dividends with little or no investment. Workers should be involved in any improvement process so that they can offer their expertise as a result of working for years at a particular Job. Management can t do it alone. 

The safety professional s online library, covering topics related to safety, safety management, ergonomics, fleet and environment. The Safety Library contains over 40 environmental databases and over 70 databases of chemical profiles. Subscription is required. 

Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics (2000), website www.bcpe.otg. 

A conclusion drawn from a study made by a major workers compensation insurer was that about 50% of reported claims and about 60% of their attendant costs had ergonomics implications. Similar data have been frequently published. As this information developed, safety professionals were required to undertake serious introspection concerning the content of their practice and how they spent their time. 

BCSP is an examination and certifying body. Candidates who pass a Safety Fundamentals Examination receive the Associate Safety Professional (ASP) title those who pass the Comprehensive Practice Examination receive the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) title. Also, BCSP gives specialty examinations in subjects such as system safety and ergonomics. 

In Chapter 19, Applied Ergonomics Significance and Opportunity, I refer to an article by Alphonse Chapanis titled To Communicate the Human Factors Message, You Have to Know What the Message Is and How to Communicate It. One of his themes is that human factors engineering has to be defined and its practitioners must know what it is to be able to communicate about it successfully. Safety professionals have the same need. 

Because of their involvement with applied ergonomics and quality management, both of which are design-based, some safety professionals now take a different view of causal factors. As an example, they say that it became apparent to them that for many ergonomics-related injuries and... 

As a safety professional attempts to improve the quaUty of incident investigation, consideration should be given to what has been learned about incident causation in recent years. A good example of the lessons learned derives from ergonomics, which has emerged as a more significant segment of the practice of safety. 

Applied ergonomics has become a major element in the practice of safety. Because of the prominence of musculoskeletal injuries within the universe of occupational injuries and illnesses, safety practitioners must achieve broad knowledge in applied ergonomics. As ergonomics emerged to attain the prominence it now has, opportunities arose for achievement, recognition, and professional satisfaction far beyond what has been typical for safety professionals. 

Traditionally, industrial ergonomics has been primarily a health and safety issue. This process driver remains, as Workers Compensation and health insurance premiums have risen sharply in recent years. For many employers, MSDs account for 60% or more of their total Workers Compensation bill. This financial hemorrhaging has increased awareness of the problem, and safety professionals have been asked to focus efforts on reducing these disproportionately expensive cases. 

What is needed is an integrated ergonomics task analysis system that addresses productivity, cost efficiency, safety, and sometimes quality — all in one study. That would be unique. In support of that idea, consider these excerpts from the web page for ergo web, taken from a January 2001 entry quoting Dr. Peter Budnick, a professional ergonomist and CEO of ErgoWeb ... 

Without question, the content of professional safety practice is undergoing a necessary and vital transition. To prepare for the needs and opportunities presented by this evolution, basic ergonomics-related knowledge and skill, as follows, should be acquired by the safety professional who would participate in design decisions. 

Courses on ergonomics are available in great number. Some are in appropriate depth in relation to needs and opportunities. Others are superficial. Considering the impact that ergonomics is having and will have on the content of professional safety practice, the courses of study taken should be substantive. 

Only a few years ago, the conventional thinking among many safety professionals was that appMed ergonomics would not be a prominent aspect of safety practice, their assumption being that expenditures for ergonomics improvement would be excessive in relation to the benefits that could be obtained. 

Countless success stories are being told by safety professionals about the suggestions for ergonomics workplace improvements made by first-line employees. Many of those suggestions are easily accomplished, inexpensive, and effective. Employees must be actively involved in ergonomics, and their participation should be considered a valuable asset. 

My experience supports the premise that what seems to be a sound ergonomics solution may not always produce the desired results. In the previous quotation, mention is made of a different work population, and that could be an important factor. Another has to do with the psychosocial atmosphere. An article on that subject by William M. Montante appeared in the June 1999 issue of Professional Safety, the title of which is The Psychosocial Zone (p. 20). Montante s article represents important work and is recommended reading. It received a technical paper award from the American Society of Safety Engineers. This is his premise ... 

Becoming qualified in ergonomics partially prepares safety professionals for that role. Ergonomics, as it continues to emerge and have great influence on the practice of safety, has compelled many safety professionals to again become students. That s necessary to meet the challenge and to maintain a practice of safety at a professional level. 

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