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Open Access Articles

February 2, 2022

Fatigue Failure Ergonomics Assessment Tools Advance MSD Prevention Strategies

Article Highlights: Fatigue Failure theory is a new ergonomics theory about how workers develop MSDs Three recently developed ergonomics assessment tools — LiFFT, DUET and The […]
July 16, 2021

New Liberty Mutual MMH Equations (2021) Added to Ergoweb Enterprise

Liberty Mutual Insurance Company has conducted numerous studies over several decades that help identify and reduce risk of injury related to manual material tasks like lifting, […]
May 13, 2020

Preparing Employees for a Return-to-Work

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many employees to stay home, and others to work reduced schedules. This extended time away from work may result in some […]
May 12, 2020

How to Set-Up and Launch an Ergonomics Process at Your Site

A step-by-step guide to planning an effective ergonomics process at a company site or facility. This is a brief summary article — for more detail and […]
February 6, 2020

How to Design Ergonomics into the Workplace

“Designing in” workplace ergonomics is viewed as an integral part of an effective ergonomics process.  Non-office workplace environments are constantly changing – and new ergonomics challenges […]
January 28, 2020

Exoskeletons and Ergonomics — What You Need to Know

Wearable exoskeletons and ergonomics are getting a lot of attention lately. Exoskeletal devices have already shown great promise and success as rehabilitation and disability solutions, and […]
December 16, 2019

Ergonomics Standards and Guidelines

Here’s a list of ergonomics standards, guidelines, regulations and compliance resources. It was last updated on January 29, 2020. The list is comprehensive, but we’ve surely […]
November 18, 2019

Managing an Ergonomics Improvement Process

Managing ergonomics at a site requires a lot of planning, coordination, and communication.  An effective ergonomics improvement initiative relies on contributions of people throughout the organization […]
November 4, 2019

How to Develop a Site Ergonomics Plan

A well constructed site ergonomics plan is critical for ensuring that everyone involved in the ergonomics process understands what needs to occur, and who is responsible […]
December 23, 2013

Manipulators

Background A manipulator can be considered a type of power assist, or more broadly, a lift assist. The connotation of “manipulator” implies that it must be guided by […]
December 20, 2013

Truck Load/Unload

Background Many of the tasks related to shipping and receiving are now performed with equipment such as forklift trucks and and involve little physical strain on […]
December 20, 2013

Checking and Sorting

Common issues Constant bending to check orders Lifting, walking, carrying to sort orders Checking incoming materials often is done on the floor, which then usually requires […]
December 20, 2013

Picking — Racks

Background One of the most challenging issues in distribution centers is manually picking orders. The amount of lifting, bending, and reaching is obvious, but many of […]
December 20, 2013

Misc. Dock Issues

Issues and Options Door Maintenance Truck/trailer doors Dock bay doors Evaluations in some distribution centers have revealed that the heaviest lifts were opening doors. The remedy […]
December 20, 2013

Spools/reels

Common issues Manhandling A problem when storing spools occurs when cut lengths are to be delivered, as opposed to the whole spool. When a length is […]
December 20, 2013

10 Principles of Human-Friendly Design

You must understand the basic principles of human-friendly design to evaluate or design workplace equipment. There are no shortcuts or simple tips that replace a firm […]
December 20, 2013

How to improve production

Despite all the advancements in automation and high technology, humans still constitute a decisive factor in production. Whether planning new operations or improving existing ones, it […]
December 20, 2013

Vacuum Hoists

Before: Difficult despite two people After: Easier with just one person Background Vacuum technology has developed dramatically in recent years, providing a good option for many […]