MSD Prevention Newsletter
May 2011
Conferences
The 2011 Applied Ergonomics Conference & Expo
March 26-29, 2012. Nashville, TN
GOErgo, the Global Organization of Ergonomics, presents the 14th annual Applied Ergonomics Conference (AEC). GOErgo is a worldwide resource for the ergonomics profession dedicated solely to the support of the profession and individuals involved with improving workplace performance, quality, sustainability, and employee availability.
More information
The National Ergonomics Conference and Exposition
November 15 - 18, 2011, Las Vegas, Nevada
The 2011 National Ergonomics Conference and Exposition (ErgoExpo). ErgoExpo features an exposition (equipment, services and software encompassing many work environments) and education opportunities aimed at improving workplace safety, boosting productivity, reducing lost work time and workers' comp costs, designing for the aging and diverse workforce, and growing the bottom line.
ErgoExpo is sponsoring "Webinar Wednesdays," a monthly series of free webinars leading up to ErgoExpo in the Fall. The first webinar, scheduled for February 9, is "Charting a Year-long Plan to Ensure Success" led by Drew Bossen, Atlas Ergonomics. To register, visit the ErgoExpo website:
www.ErgoExpo.com. Questions? Email: information@ErgoExpo.com or call: 212-370-5005.
Research
Part 2: What's the Hubbub About Ball Chairs? Are They Really Ergonomic?
This is the first follow-up article in a series started by guest contributor Ian Chong. In his first article, Ian wondered whether it is "just a fad to replace $800 office chairs with a $24.99 as seen on TV type of ball?" Or is using an exercise ball as a chair really an ergonomic intervention that professionals have overlooked? To answer the questions, Ian polled an informal task force consisting of "some users, Certified and Associate Ergonomists, physical therapists, engineers, occupational therapists, and exercise physiologists -- all professionals and all, not surprisingly, with opinions."
Read the full article
CRE-MSD researchers have also looked into the Stability Ball Chairs. Read the position paper that summarizes their research:
Stability Ball Versus Office Chair: Comparison of Muscle Activation and Lumbar Spine Posture During Prolonged Sitting
New Organization Ergonomists Without Borders
Ergonomists Without Borders is a project of the Foundation for Professional Ergonomics (FPE). Its mission is to improve quality of life by providing ergonomics expertise and resources to agriculturally and industrially developing communities, globally. It collaborates with national and international organizations through mutual support agreements to accomplish our vision and mission. Curtis Van der Griendt, an ergonomist from the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW), is this new organization's Director of Information Services
More Information
Transportation
New OSH in figures report focuses on transport
The report illustrates occupational risks that transport workers face and gives an outlook to expected future developments. It analyses statistics and studies and addresses both people working in the sector and policymakers. A number of country-specific and thematic reports give a statistical picture of this industry sector in Europe, together with examples of good practice and prevention.
Read the full report
Transportation at a glance
Prevent fatalities caused by loading and unloading
Loading and unloading trucks and trailers continues to be a significant source of fatalities and injuries among truck drivers and other workers in Washington State. See
Hazards to Truck Drivers and other Workers while Loading and Unloading Trucks and Trailers for help identifying and preventing these hazards. This document was produced by the
Washington Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program. The first page is intended as a tool for training and posting. The following pages provide more detailed prevention recommendations and resources.
Novel Training Tools to Prevent Injuries in the Trucking Industry
NIOSH is funding the Trucking Injury Reduction Emphasis through Surveillance (TIRES) project. TIRES staff developed two computer-based simulations to demonstrate the risks for injury associated with common work activities in trucking. The simulations address injuries from
exiting the truck cab and trailer and
slip, trips and falls on working surfaces. These training simulations are available at
www.KeepTruckingSafe.org. Pdfs and PowerPoint files are available for classroom training.
Construction Building the New Construction Twitter Site
You can now follow the NIOSH Construction Program (@NIOSHConstruct) on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/NIOSHConstruct.
Low Back Program of Care Ontario’s Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB) has made improvements to the Low Back Program of Care (formerly called Acute Low Back Injuries POC). The WSIB wants all workers to benefit from this care and, effective March 28, 2011, all workers with new low back injuries who require physiotherapy or chiropractic care will be treated through the Low Back Program. The WSIB is also promoting awareness of treatment best practices and understanding of back injuries, as well as helping injured workers to achieve safe and sustainable recoveries after these injuries. They are now providing a booklet called The Back Book to injured workers who register claims for work-related back injuries. These booklets are mailing out now to injured workers, and will be available via the website shortly.
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March 2011
Research
Westgaard RH and Winkel J. Occupational musculoskeletal and mental health: Significance of rationalization and opportunities to create sustainable production systems - A systematic review. Applied Ergonomics. 2011; 42(2):261-296.
doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2010.07.002
A review of research, done in Sweden, has found a link between MSDs, mental health, and workplace organizational rationalization such as downsizing and restructuring.
View abstract
Spekle EM, Heinrich J, Hoozemans MJ, Blatter BM, van der Beek AJ, van Dieen JH, and Van Tulder MW. The cost-effectiveness of the RSI QuickScan intervention programme for computer workers: Results of an economic evaluation alongside a randomised controlled trial. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2010; [Epub ahead of print].
doi:10.1186/1471-2474-11-259 [open access]
With a relatively small financial intervention it is possible to improve the work posture and movement of computer users in the workplace.
View abstract
Conferences and Symposiums
Musculoskeletal Disorders - Risk Factors and Solutions at Work
April 12-15, 2011, Rovaniemi, Finland
The symposium will review the most recent knowledge about the role of work-related and individual
factors in musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). It will discuss hypothesis-driven approaches to biological mechanisms and risk factors MSDs may share with other major chronic diseases. Emphasis will be placed on workplace interventions. Evidence-based recommendations will be discussed for the prevention of MSDs at the workplace. After completing the symposium the participants will have an updated knowledge base of the development of MSDs and effective ways of their prevention and management in the occupational health setting.
Main topics
• Prevention of disease and disability - roles for research and development
• Risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders
• New approaches and tools for studies on musculoskeletal disorders
• Psychosocial factors and mental disorders - associations with musculoskeletal disorders
• Lifestyle factors and their modification
• Genetic factors, gene-environment interactions and pathomechanisms of musculoskeletal disorders
• Health promotion and interventions at the workplace
More information
The National Ergonomics Conference and Exposition
November 29 - December 2, 2011, Las Vegas Nevada
The conference is for workplace parties interested in equipment, services and software and educational opportunities aimed at improving productivity, reducing lost work time, and focusing on the aging and diverse workforce.
More information
Training A number of courses are being offered by the University of Michigan on ergonomics to workplace parties. Unfortunately, they are held in the US. Some of these include:
Ergonomics software training program
Ergonomic principles for workplace assessment and design
Workplace ergonomic assessment: Principles and tools.
For more information visit the
Center for Occupational Health &Safety Engineering
Workplace tools
Does it really matter if you jump or use 3 points-of-contact when you exit the truck cab or trailer? Find out with this force-simulator. Use it as a training tool. For more information:
force simulation tool.