How do you know when you’ve found a great ergonomics solution? When it’s singled out for its success by other ergonomics practitioners during the annual ErgoCup competition.
Each year, the ErgoCup competition, sponsored by the Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE), recognizes excellent and innovative solutions in workplace ergonomics. Teams from large and small companies enter their best ergonomics ideas, pitting them head-to-head against other entries in three categories: Team-Driven Workplace Solutions, Engineering/Ergonomist-Driven Workplace Solutions, and Training and Education.
“Competition continues to grow and gets tougher every year,” said Mike Wynn, ErgoCup committee chair. “It’s challenging and fun for the participants and gives attendees another opportunity to observe real-world solutions to ergonomic problems in the workplace,” he continued.
Previous winners of the competition include big-names like Honda of Canada, Ford Motor Company, and General Electric Company, although smaller companies can successfully compete with their ergonomics successes as well. The competition, held at the eighth annual Applied Ergonomics Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, March 21 through 24, 2005, seeks entries from any company, large or small, implementing a successful ergonomics initiative between February 2003 and February 2005. ErgoCup entrants are featured in an exhibit hall during the conference; winners of the competition are chosen by conference attendees.
Annually, the Applied Ergonomics Conference looks at practical ergonomics applications in the workplace, giving professionals from the fields of ergonomics, healthcare, engineering and safety the opportunity to interact and network with other practitioners. In 2005, tracks offered at the conference will include Manufacturing Applications, Services/Support Industries, Office Applications, Engineering and Design, Ergonomic Programs, Potpourri, and the Master Ergonomist Track.
Submission deadline for the 2005 ErgoCup competition is December 15, 2004. More information on both the conference and the ErgoCup competition can be found at www.appliedergo.org/conference.