Ergonomics Today – Page 10

August 10, 2011

Dieter W. Jahns Student Award Winner to Discuss Public Urinal Design Concept

Augusto Espinosa, winner of the Foundation for Professional Ergonomics (FPE) 2010 Dieter W. Jahns Student Practitioner Award, will be featured in a webinar hosted by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES). Augusto will talk about the research and design process of this award-winning concept that could one day have a positive impact on both users and businesses.

August 3, 2011

Annual PSHFES Ergonomics Symposium and Workshop

Once again, the Puget Sound Human Factors and Ergonomics Society has put together a great line-up of speakers for this year

August 2, 2011

Evidence: Investing in Adjustable Workstations Produces Healthy ROI

This article, reprinted from The Ergonomics Report, summarizes an internal corporate study of 6200 financial services call center staff found that over a three-year period employees in non-adjustable workstations had 5-times more injuries and 20 times more Worker Compensation injury costs, as compared to employees in user-adjustable workstations. Furthermore, the non-adjustable workstations had higher costs associated with routine moves and making ergonomic adjustments.

July 19, 2011

Ergoweb Asks: Where Will You Take Us From Here?

The seeds for Ergoweb were sown nearly 19 years ago. Peter Budnick reviews Ergoweb's rich history, sharing a rare screenshot from a 1994 web site, and reaches out to customers and community members to help the company chart its future.

July 6, 2011

Symposium on Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care

The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society invites you to attend the 2012 Symposium on Human Factors and Ergonomics in Health Care, to be held March 12

July 5, 2011

Exposure Differences Between Children and Adults When Using Small and Standard Size Mice and Keyboards

Researchers Blackstone, Karr, Campo and Johnson investigated the physical exposure differences between children and adults when using standard sized input devices and smaller input devices. The results suggest something that ergonomists are well aware of -- something we hope designers and manufacturers will one day embrace -- One size does not fit all. The study investigates the effect of computer input device size on performance, posture and force.

June 28, 2011

Are the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation and 3DSSPP Models Valid Risk Predictors for Work-Related Low Back Pain?

Researchers Boda, Bhoyar and Garg conducted a study with the intention to validate the ability of the NIOSH Revised Lifting Equation and the University of Michigan 3D Static Strength Prediction Model (3DSSPP) to predict the future occurrence of work-related low back pain (WLBP). In this research review reprinted from The Ergonomics Report, reviewer Peter Budnick describes the results as mixed, bringing into question both the methods used to validate complex human-system models, and the ability of ergonomists to evaluate lifting/lowering tasks and predict associated risk of WLBP with certainty.

June 23, 2011

Ergonomists Should Be Leaders in Lean Enterprises

"Lean" management philosophy is an evolving systematic approach to building and maintaining a viable organization with sustainable processes. Many organizations are pursuing Lean to remain competitive, but unfortunately, many misunderstand the necessary ingredients for a true Lean Journey, including the most important principle, Respect for People. In this reprint from The Ergonomics Report, Peter Budnick explains why ergonomists are uniquely qualified to lead and participate in successful Lean Journeys, noting that ergonomics IS Respect for People, and our contributions are critical to optimizing organizational performance.

June 20, 2011

It All Begins With Self: A Review of the Late Hal Hendrick’s Last Book

Want to hear some wisdom from Hal Hendrick? Read this book, which he wrote while battling the cancer that ultimately took his life. It's an inspiring testament to Hal's enduring optimism, and to his commitment to mentor others. He was inspired to write the book by former students, many of whom relayed success stories from their own lives derived from what they learned from Hal. In "It All Begins With Self," Hal shares evidence-based models from psychology to build a foundation for improvement for those seeking to become better managers. Not coincidentally, the premise, that it all begins with self, recognizes that being a better manager often requires and results in becoming a better you.