An recent journal article published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise presents a simple method to determine the metabolic demands of sustained physical exertions in field or work environments. This new approach may have application in assessing work tasks that require cardiovascular endurance, and may become important with an aging and increasingly overweight and frail workforce.

Contributor Gene Kay, MS has written about an emerging phenomena called metabolic syndrome, or in the popular literature, sitting disease. The article summarizes some relevant articles and provides some suggestions for what we can do as ergonomics practitioners.

Contributor Philip Jacobs finds a series of

Contributor Gene Kay, MS CEA brings together a collection of tips and research findings to help students and knowledge workers perform at their best. See what simple steps you can take to improve learning, memory, cognitive function and work performance.

Most of us have heard of the dangers caused by distracted driving and cell phones. this article identifies the potential for distracted driving caused by the on-board controls and touch screen technology being added to some newer cars.

Have you ever been asked "what's the right height for my desk?" To the computer user, this is a simple question demanding a simple answer. To the ergonomist, it's a loaded question, one that requires a patient explanation of the factors that must be considered when setting up a workstation -- including desk height. To the furniture, facilities management and purchasing industries, it's "29 inches," which ergonomists know can't possibly be right for all people ...

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.

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.