Manual handling

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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Should ergonomics training be provided regularly? If so, why?

Basic employee ergonomics training, as we described in a previous blog should be provided upon hire. But after that, do employees need ergonomics training? We argue that, yes, training should be provided regularly. Here’s why: Orientation is a blur. (“The mind can only absorb as much as the butt can endure,” or so said P. […]
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26 Jul, 21

How Canadian researchers are getting it right with ergonomics

On June 25, 2021, I attended a webinar hosted by CRE-MSD, presented by Dr. Nick LaDelfa which he called, “Neuromuscular response to repetitive workloads relative to current upper extremity ergonomics thresholds”.  That sounds a bit intimidating, but I’ll try to make it more practical for you here. Over the past year or so, we’ve been […]
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21 Jun, 21

What ergonomics isn’t

Some people think that ergonomics is about teaching people to sit up straight and lift with their legs. When we do an assessment, unless we explain very carefully that we’re hoping to see people working the way they normally do, we’re sometimes entertained by a “show” of what people think we want to see. When […]
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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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