A Minnesota employer-clinical program that promotes communication and workplace accommodation is yielding significant claims savings. This two year, pre-post, treatment-control, observational study involving 73,885 subjects underscores the key "profit center" role an ergonomist can play in the industrial setting.

A large cross sectional study identifies certain common work activities as contributing to osteoarthritis (OA) at several body regions. Among the findings, significantly increases in knee OA risk where seen for jolting and stair climbing for men, and standing on a rigid surface for more than two hours a day for woman.

Ergoweb's Peter Budnick takes a closer look at a recent British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM) editorial that has spawned international headlines like "sitting too much may be deadly". Is sitting really that bad, or has this editorial been misinterpreted, over-interpreted or over-blown? This article takes a deeper look at the research editorial and how it applies to ergonomics.

Those who assist patients may be suffering as much as those they serve. Research conducted by The Ohio State University characterizes the problem.

A whole body vibration (WBV) safety program mostly comprised of administrative controls -- changes in work methods such as route selection, driving speed, and driving style -- was found to have little impact on median exposure to WBV in a European prospective cohort study.

Although known to produce significant disability, this study puts some numbers on time loss duration and permanent partial disability for employees with carpal tunnel syndrome.

A recent Japanese study reveals that one night

A recent Swiss study indicates that Workers with low back pain (LBP) who feared work tasks were dangerous relative to their condition had a significantly higher incidence of lost work days (absenteeism) and reduced work productivity (presenteeism), according to a recent Swiss cross-sectional study of 670 subjects.