What do ergonomists think of hybrid offices? From an ergonomics perspective, what are the pro’s and con’s? Let’s start by defining what we mean by “hybrid” work. Most of our clients have called people back to the office, at least for a portion of their time. Typically, people are returning to the same workstations they […]
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; […]
by Callum Murphy Last week, Alex and I participated in an Exoskeleton Conference presented by CRE-MSD. If you’re interested in more details, the slides can be found here: Manual Handling: Where Exoskeletons Fit Within Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD) Prevention Strategies | Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders (CRE-MSD) | University of Waterloo […]
A few months ago, I reported about how “glove fit” affects grip strength. (Better fit = greater strength). This morning, I played around with grip endurance using different types of grips, and performed a little experiment at home. Here’s what I did: I found a 2-litre bottle of liquid (about 2 kg). I opened the […]
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 […]
For most of my career, I’ve been single-minded in my focus on minimizing the risk of strain/sprain injuries. I’m not alone; most ergonomists work in a “safety” capacity, concerned mainly with keeping the demands of the workplace within the physical capabilities of the workforce. We might occasionally concern ourselves with cognitive demands (some much more […]
Let’s face it: people don’t read the manual. Most of us will tinker with a new gadget until we figure it out. When it comes to adjustability features in the workplace, ergonomists push to make them available, but they are woefully underutilized. Adjustable chairs, hydraulic lift tables, sit-stand desks, tool balancers…. the list of poorly […]