return-to-work

What is an ergonomist, and what do they do?

(Prefer to “watch” instead of read? Here’s the video: https://youtu.be/43lk-BSmGmI) At the most basic level, an ergonomist (much like a lifeguard) gets paid to watch people. In our case, we watch people work. Of course, most ergonomists would be insulted at the insinuation that “watch” is all we do, but that’s what people see us […]
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cost-justifying physical and cognitive demands analyses

How can PCDAs save you money?

(Would you rather watch than read? Video version here: https://youtu.be/1euljH9RrRw ) Physical and cognitive demands analyses (PCDAs), in contrast to ergo assessments, provide only a summary of job requirements. They don’t include an analysis of injury risk or recommendations to reduce those risks. So technically, they don’t directly result in improvements to a job. How could […]
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How can we make a job less repetitive?

Work is “repetitive” in many work environments. People package and palletize, load presses, use paint guns, and more . After an injury occurs, an employee’s health care provider may limit the employee from “repetitive” work. In a workplace where thousands of items are produced per shift, how can you find work that is not “repetitive”? What […]
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What are “cognitive demands” and why do we include them in our reports?

A PCDA is a physical and cognitive demands analysis. It’s a very detailed description of all of the work that an employee does regularly, including pushing/pulling/lifting/gripping/pinching forces, photos, hand height, and reaches. A PCDA allows a supervisor or return-to-work coordinator to compare an employee’s functional abilities with the demands of any job. It also allows […]
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6 Reasons to Build a Library of PCDAs

What’s a library of physical and cognitive demands (PCDAs) worth? Many of our clients set out to complete PCDAs, also known in some organizations as Job Demands Analyses, or Physical Demands Descriptions, for all of their jobs. Some clients only complete them as needed. When or why would it be worthwhile to complete an entire […]
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You know you need an ergonomist when…

Why do clients call us? Typically, organizations call us: when they need to build a library of physical and cognitive demands analyses after employees report discomfort or injury that they attribute to a job when the supervisor, HR Manager, JHSC, and Safety Professional are not able to identify a practical solution to the concern when […]
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