PDA

27 Sep, 21

Budgeting for ergonomics

Fall is budgeting time for many companies, so here’s your reminder to include ergonomics in next year’s budget. How much to budget? Here’s a real number. If you work at a small- to mid-size organization (100-700 employees), you should realistically budget $50,000 for ergonomics support. We’re assuming that your budget is not responsible for funding […]
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21 May, 21

You had an intern (or co-op student)….now what?

Right now, 40 graduating ergonomists from Fanshawe college are completing their internships at a variety of workplaces. (This was the 5th cohort – last year 32  graduated.) Many of the interns are starting projects or programs that will require maintenance. What happens after the internship is completed? Some workplaces may want to hire the intern […]
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18 Jan, 21

Is this job repetitive? (How 0-30% of the day might still be “repetitive”, or 67% may not be)

We are often asked to help employers accommodate workers with restrictions against “repetitive” work, or “repetitive” shoulder, back, or wrist demands. What is “repetitive”? Health & Safety Ontario’s relatively new Physical Demands Analysis Form uses these criteria for “frequency”: N=Not required R=Rarely (<2%) O=Occasional (3-33%) F=Frequent (34-66%) and C=Constant (67-100%) Over the years, “occasional/frequent/constant” have […]
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11 Jan, 21

Lessons learned during my internship with Taylor’d Ergo

by Jessica Szarko As part of the Advanced Ergonomics Program at Fanshawe College, I completed my internship with Taylor’d Ergonomics. During the remote part of my internship I identified, described, and ‘proved’ best practices for everyday tasks, using biomechanics software. Later, I completed Physical and Cognitive Demands Analyses (PDA/CDA) for municipal employees, and I worked […]
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21 Dec, 20

How to write “how-to” instructions

Step-by-step instructions are important communication tools in business, and elsewhere. If you’ve ever assembled a bookcase, you appreciate the value of a good task analysis, which forms the basis for good instructions. In the world of ergonomics, we use task analysis in physical/cognitive demands analysis (PDA/CDAs), and to develop training. First, training….Your company may have […]
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23 Apr, 19

A force gauge is an ergonomist’s best friend!

Force gauges are used by ergonomists to collect quantitative data for PDAs and ergonomics assessments of pushing, pulling, and lifting tasks. We often take measurements 5-6 times, to ensure we are collecting the most accurate data possible, so it’s important to have a force gauge that can “measure” up to the task. A variety of […]
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12 Nov, 18

2 similarities between teaching and practicing ergonomics

By Josie Blake I’m taking a course on adult learning, following in the path of other Taylor’d ergonomists. Our company has developed and offer many courses directed at professionals in the safety, engineering and human resources fields looking to update their ergo education, or get some continuous education credits. As I work my way through […]
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