Over the past few weeks, I’ve written about why it’s important to measure the amount and direction of force that a worker uses, and why the worker’s body position matters. This week, I wanted to explore the impact of frequency and duration. “How often” and “for how long” an effort occurs have a big effect […]
When you see a worker pushing, pulling, or lifting a load, you might wonder how much effort they are using. As an ergonomist in a workplace, we are usually compelled to measure that force. We can use a force gauge to measure the weights and push/pull forces required on the job. You might also think […]
Hallowe’en seems like the perfect time for a discussion about “visibility” and “line of sight”. Masks and other costumes can obstruct a trick-or-treater’s vision; a child may not see approaching people or vehicles, and may trip and fall over obstacles that they cannot see. When you can only see forward, your peripheral vision is impaired; […]
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 […]
Some clients call us because a job has been associated with concerns or injuries, and they want to know if the job really warrants improvement. They might be hoping that we’ll help them find an innovative solution for a longstanding issue. Others may hope that we’ll say the strain/sprain injury risk for the job is […]