Is your laptop a pain in the neck?

There have been several articles recently about neck and wrist problems when using laptops. This article seem to describe the problem with greater simplicity and clarity:

"When you look at the design, laptops were never (meant) as a replacement for a desktop computer," said Alan Hedge, director of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Laboratory at Cornell University. "The idea was portability for occasional use. It was never intended to be a machine you would work at for eight hours a day, 52 weeks a year."

The main problem with laptops is that the screen and keyboard are so close together. Without the aid of peripherals, laptop users have two choices, neither of which would win them any points for posture. They can cramp their neck down to view the monitor or they can elevate the machine to eye level, which can wreak havoc on shoulders and arms.

And the wrists lose regardless, because the keyboard is so small, leading to awkward hand positioning.

"These are all recipes for disaster for your body, and your musculoskeletal system especially," said Nicholas DiNubile, an orthopedic surgeon in Havertown, Penn., a Philadelphia suburb. " continued ... (Via ZDNet)

Small businesses may get more power versus OSHA

"The Occupational Safety and Health Administration no longer riles businesses by proposing ergonomics regulations or suggesting that employers are responsible for the safety of their employees' home work environments.

Those are just bad memories from the Clinton years. Small businesses, however, still complain that OSHA doesn't treat them fairly when it comes to enforcing workplace safety regulations.

And that is at issue in the construction industry, which accounts for 38 percent of the work force in small business, but 56 percent of all small business fatalities. Laborers/material movers and heavy equipment/tractor trailer drivers make up two of the three occupations with the highest number of injuries resulting in time lost from the job." continued ... (Via The Phoenix Business Journal)

New keyboard designs alleviate repetitive strain

"A decade ago, there was much talk about keyboards causing repetitive-motion injuries. Attention was focused on ergonomics, and leading manufacturers, including Microsoft Corp., introduced special curved and split keyboards.

If you're like me, though, those keyboards didn't solve the problem. Months ago, I started getting tingling and numbness is my lower left arm, probably the result of typing. It wasn't painful, but the odd feeling occasionally made it hard to sleep. The phenomenon isn't uncommon among my colleagues.

I decided this was a good time to test a new generation of ergonomic keyboards that break a rule of keyboard design you've probably never thought about.

But switching to the EZ-Reach did something. The numbness started receding. I'm not sure if this is because the mere act of changing keyboards relieved overused tendons, or if the keyboard really did what it was supposed to.

A small study cited by TypeMatrix showed that 21 of 24 participants who complained of repetitive strain injury before switching to TypeMatrix felt better after five weeks, so I'm willing to give the company the benefit of the doubt.

I found the Kinesis board very comfortable. The cup-shaped keypads mean only minimal movement is needed to hit each key, and the hands move very little. The wide separation of the keypads mean the arms don't need to angle in." (Via Chicago Tribune)

Industrial Hygienist Calls for Innovation in Field

"The industrial hygiene profession must change how it addresses customers and do a better job of marketing itself in terms of the business value it provides, Richard Fulwiler, Ph.D., CIH, told the May 25 general session of the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition (AIHce) in Anaheim, Calif.

In an address titled, "Innovation Is Not a Choice, It Is a Must," Fulwiler, the president of Technology Leadership Associates, said the industrial hygiene field is faced with declining manufacturing employment, less regulatory pressure and less unionized employment. As a result, the field does not have "powerful, forceful drivers" to promote the use of industrial hygiene services.

Fulwiler said industrial hygienists need to make both a human and business case for their services, and do a "better job of expressing health and safety outputs as business outputs." He said industrial hygienists must be capable of dealing with rapid technological change, such as is occurring in the field of nanotechnology, and respond to a variety of other changes such as increasing service sector employment, rising health care costs and the continuing business preference for environmental, health and safety (EHS) generalists." (Via Occupational Hazards)

Flextend AC Kit--Add-on To the Original Glove

"Flextend makes a glove with rubber tubing that helps you exercise the muscles in your hand to combat symptoms of RSI. They're going to be expanding on their orginal glove with a new add-on kit. Flextend alone focuses on the muscles in the hand, but the AC Kit is designed to work on strengthening the upper body in general (since muscle imbalances from typing/mouse/etc aren't necessarily relegated to the hands, even though that may be where the pain shows up)." Via Office Ergonomics Reviews

Computers: Hearing Conservation

Hearing conservation programs play a critical role in preventing noise-induced hearing loss. But are our hearing conservation programs all they can be? A good hearing conservation program uses engineering and administrative controls to reduce employee noise as much as feasible before resorting to personal protective equipment. But most health and safety professionals managing hearing conservation programs are not acoustical engineers or experts in noise control. We're generalists, juggling hearing conservation along with other programs. The result can be an over-reliance on hearing protection.

What we need is an easily accessible source of noise engineering control solutions. Thanks to the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, we have one in the Noise Reduction Ideas Bank (www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Topics/ReduceHazards/NoiseBank). The Noise Reduction Ideas Bank is a searchable collection of noise reduction ideas that help identify ways to reduce workplace noise. The bank currently has a total of 100 records covering general industry and construction noise control techniques.

The bank's two drop-down menus make it easy to search for records by noise source, industry or both. The site also provides a keyword search function. In addition to the industry-specific noise reduction ideas, a search by specific industry also provides a list of 66 additional general noise reduction ideas. A search by noise source returns a list of all records for the particular source. (Via Occupational Hazards)

Wellness in the Workplace Crucial to Business Success

New research from the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN) examines employers' perceptions and attitudes toward employee health and finds they feel that keeping employees healthy is crucial to business success and that it is their duty, as employers, to keep employees safe and well.

"Understanding the employer mind-set of employee health is imperative for the occupational health industry to effectively make an impact," said Susan A. Randolph, president of AAOHN. "Through this research, occupational health staff will better understand what currently concerns employers and help their companies effectively address employee health issues. By knowing the executive management team's goals and perspectives, the occupational health staff will ultimately be better equipped to prove their true value and benefit within the workplace."

The study revealed that executive management understands the role of an occupational health nurse in the workplace, and 60 percent described occupational health nurses as "invaluable" to the company. For executives, the most common signals that indicate the need to hire an occupational health nurse include: High injury or illness rates, high absenteeism, increases in workers' compensation cases and government mandates and compliance. They said that occupational health nurses serve as gatekeepers for health services, provide treatment and follow-up for job-related injuries, work with employers on compliance with regulatory requirements and support employers' healthcare quality and cost-containment strategies. (Via Occupational Hazards)

It's time to rope in ergonomics

‘‘Studies have revealed that over 75 per cent of the computer professionals, besides the users suffer from some form of CRI leading to absenteeism, high rate of attrition and huge loss of productivity,’’ said Dr Sunder S, consultant in Physical Medicine at Prem Ergo Solutions, Chennai.

He was presenting his paper on ‘CRI and its significance’ at the workshop on the topic organised jointly by Asha Foundation and NASSCOM here on Wednesday.

It’s time to rope in Ergonomics -- a science concerned people and comfortable work environment, he said. Ergonomics takes into account of people’s capabilities and limitations and aims to make sure that tasks, equipment and the environment suit each employee.

CRI, the studies say, is on a rise in various sectors including banking, software industry and call centres where people spend long hours sitting in front of computers at uncomfortable work stations with non-adjustable tables and chairs. (Via Newindpress)

Techies learn to cope up with injuries

It was a day of revelations laced with warnings about impending doom for the 60-odd IT professionals who participated in a workshop on Computer Related Injuries (CRI) on Wednesday.

Majority of them who bore guilty looks when asked whether they huddled round their computer machines with hunched backs or banged their keyboard far too hard or complained of regular backaches and wrist pain, were given a comprehensive list of Do’s and Dont’s to prevent CRI. CRI is a disabling occupational hazard that is increasingly striking IT professionals in their prime.

According to Chennai-based CRI expert Dr Sunder S, who led the workshop organised by voluntary organisation Asha Foundation and NASSCOM held in Bangalore, CRI is broad term used to describe a collection of occupational disorders that affect neck, back, shoulders, upper and lower limbs, if the computer users practiced incorrect postures. (Via Deccan Herald )

Ergonomic Keyboards Ease Strain

A decade ago, there was much talk about keyboards causing repetitive motion injuries. Attention was focused on ergonomics and leading manufacturers including Microsoft introduced special curved and split keyboards.

If you're like me, though, those keyboards didn't solve the problem. Months ago, I started getting tingling and numbness is my lower left arm, probably the result of typing. It wasn't painful, but the odd feeling occasionally made it hard to sleep. The phenomenon isn't uncommon among my colleagues.

I decided this was a good time to test a new generation of ergonomic keyboards that break a rule of keyboard design you've probably never thought about. (Via ABC News)

The cranky user: Ergonomics, Part 1: The science of not hurting the user

With aching hands and wrists, the cranky user writes about ergonomics, from in-home doctor visits to the proper time for font smoothing.
Most people, if you mention work-related injuries, think of vast machinery, hydraulic presses, gears, and missing or mangled limbs. In fact, computer-related injuries are pretty common (and I'm not just talking about dropping the monitor on your foot).

Ergonomics is a field full of superstitions and rumors. Fads are commonplace. People do a lot of things which may or may not really help; they even do a few things which hurt.

Failure to take ergonomics seriously can have real, permanent effects. Some people can no longer type on a keyboard. One woman at a newspaper where my mother worked was encouraged to bravely soldier on, typing even though her wrists hurt and she couldn't feel her fingers anymore. Now she's on lifetime disability and I think both she and the company regret it. (Via IBM)

The slouch may be hip, but beware of the hump

When did it become hip to hunch over?

Check out the models on today's runways or the latest photo spreads in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Elle. Look closer at the red carpet postures of celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Kirsten Dunst, and Paris Hilton.

Perfect perky posture is out. The sag is in.

Shoulders are rounded, hips and head are thrust forward, the spine is curved. It's become fashionable to -- insert shrug here -- stand like you just don't care.

The sustained stress of slouching can make you more vulnerable to serious injuries. Poor posture has been linked to knee and hip pain, pinched nerves, herniated disks, rotator cuff tears and even digestive problems, fatigue and reoccurring headaches. Research shows that slouching uses five times more energy than standing up straight, causing muscle tension and cutting blood flow to the brain. (Via Herald.com)

Pew Internet & American Life Project: Health Information Online

Eight in ten internet users have looked online for information on at least one of 16 health topics, with increased interest since 2002 in diet, fitness, drugs, health insurance, experimental treatments, and particular doctors and hospitals.

As reported in the July 2003 report, "Internet Health Resources," certain groups of internet users are the most likely to have sought health information online: women, internet users younger than 65, college graduates, those with more online experience, and those with broadband access.

Some demographic groups showed notable interest in specific topics -- 59% of online women have read up on nutrition information online, for example, compared with 43% of online men. Thirty-eight percent of online parents have checked online for health insurance information, compared with 26% of internet users who do not have children living at home. (Via MedGadget)

Computers & health

Blink if you're reading this story on-line! Blink because when staring at a computer — for hours on end, as if seeking truth on the surface of the moon — we blink less often than is healthy.

Infrequent blinking is one cause of dry eye syndrome, suffered by more than 10 million Americans, according to Dr. J. James Rowsey, a corneal and refractive surgeon at St. Luke's Cataract and Laser Institute in Tarpon Springs, Fla.

The symptoms include irritation, itching, burning, blurred vision — even excessive tearing. (Via Daily Press)

Crabby Office Lady columns from Office Online

Whether bike riding, mowing the lawn, or sitting at a desk, doing it with more comfort is taking part in the practice of ergonomics. The Crabby Office Lady offers her ideas about how to help your body when doing the basics around the office.

Here's a list of the columns I've cranked out so far. If you haven't read them, please do so now. You never know when you'll be quizzed on the topics I'll be featuring.

Think Crabby isn't real? View her live action videos and see for yourself. While you're at it, take a look at our Office demos that are guaranteed to make you a better Office user. (Via Microsoft)

Several articles and videos from Microsoft ...

Trend Setting: How Office Art Improves Productivity

Does the way your employees perceive their physical work environment have an impact on their job performance? You bet your break room it does.

In a recent study conducted by the Business Committee for the Arts in collaboration with the International Association for Professional Art Advisors, researchers established a positive relationship between on-the-job productivity and the presence of art in the workplace.

Along with productivity, the study addressed other human factors including stress, morale and creativity. (Via Yahoo! News)

Input Alternatives

If traditional input devices won't do the job for you, you've got many other choices. We've selected two that are more comfortable for people with repetitive-strain injuries and one that makes a great presentation assistant as well as a mouse. Finally, artists and digital photography enthusiasts will appreciate the ease of the Wacom Graphire3 tablet.

ART Zero Tension Mouse
This mouse will appeal to anyone with hand or wrist injuries, because it lets you hold your hand in a more natural, vertical position while you work. You rest your hand on the molded surface of the translucent blue mouse and push from your bicep, so your wrist doesn't move at all.

IOGear Phaser Mouse
If you'd like to add a little sci-fi flair to your presentations, pick up the Phaser Mouse, a gun-shaped tool that lets you mouse around on screen and click through slides from a distance. The Phaser comes with a large RF receiver that plugs into a USB port, letting you work up to 50 feet away.

Salient V-Mouse VM-101
For those who find holding a mouse uncomfortable, the V-Mouse fits in the hand like a pen and makes working on a computer as easy as writing on paper. The V-Mouse doesn't need drivers and connects via a USB cord. The rocker button on the front works like the left and right buttons on a standard mouse, while a plastic nib on the top lets you write on PDAs. (Via PC Magazine)

Ergonomics Conference and Exposition.

Typewriter sparked workplace revolution - Alan Hedge

Every spring, my students in the Applied Ergonomics Methods course in the Design & Environmental Analysis Department at Cornell University work as a team on projects that take them outside of the normal university classroom environment. A recent visit to The History Center in Tompkins County to honor a group of Ithaca High School Student Historians, including my daughter Elizabeth, sparked this year's project because I happened to notice a Sholes-Glidden typewriter on display in The History Center's collections.

This typewriter began a technological and societal revolution that changed the world and set the standard for modern computer keyboards. It greatly increased the productivity of workers; it eliminated problems of "writer's cramp," and for the first time it allowed women to enter the office workforce in large numbers. Today's standard keyboard layout began as this typewriter design over one hundred years ago. This offered a great opportunity for my ergonomics students to develop a virtual exhibit highlighting the most significant typewriter models in the remarkable collections at The History Center and to also learn about the origins of modern computer keyboards.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Ithaca and its surrounding towns played important roles in typewriter design and production. So an opportunity for my class to undertake "hands on" project work that combined learning how to handle and research historical artifacts with documenting the historical design significance of original typewriter models, and also implementing ergonomic interface design principles to create an accessible Web site was an exciting project for my students. (Via ithacajournal)

Ergonomics Part 3: Achieving Worker Buy-In

All the effective risk assessment and risk management strategies in the world will do your company little good without having workers on board when your ergonomics program hits the factory floor.

So says ergonomist Kent Hatcher of Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Humantech Inc. Gaining worker buy-in should begin early in the process of designing your ergonomics program, and it should involve a very simple strategy: talking to your workers.

Soliciting operator input -- whether through interviews, observations or just good old-fashioned chit-chat -- can help safety professionals avoid making changes that could backfire or aren't feasible; give safety managers a sense of "what they've tried in the past and what's failed"; and reveal procedural or process obstacles that aren't apparent to anyone but the workers on the factory floor, according to Hatcher. (Via Occupational Hazards)

New Iowa Law for Interior Designers

Last week, when Governor Tom Vilsack (D) signed the Iowa Interior Design Title Act bill into law, Iowa became the 25th state to legally register professional interior designers.

According to American Society of Interior Designers president Anita Baltimore, licensing is essential to the profession. "Interior designers protect the health, safety and welfare of the public. The new law will protect the citizens of Iowa because they will know if an individual entrusted to create their interior spaces meets baseline professional standards." Licensed interior designers must be knowledgeable about several safety and health issues, including flammability of fabrics and finishes, ergonomics, building codes, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. (Via Newswire)

EurOhse2005

EurOhse2005 is the major health and safety conference of 2005! Bookings are coming in fast …. Make sure that you have a place and make your reservation now! (Via EurOhse)

My Foam Roller Arrived

Last week I mentioned that I had ordered a foam roller after trying one at the gym. It arrived a couple days ago, and I've been working on it a bit. The pamphlet that came with it isn't the best for my purposes (there seem to be a lot of exercises that involve standing on it for improving balance--nothing wrong with that, but I'm more interested in working on my RSI), so I will have to hunt down some more information on the Internet.

I have tried moving the roller along various muscles and holding it when I come to a sort of knot or tense spot (this is what the personal trainer at the gym recommended). It seems to work quite well on the legs, esp. my hamstrings, for loosening the muscles. I feel a little more awkward using it on my back and arms, but that could be because I need to find a better description of how to use it on those areas. (Via Office Ergonomics)

E-Course Offers Information to Help Prevent Ergonomic Injuries

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) has created an e-learning course that offers information that can help prevent office ergonomic injuries.

Many office workers or those using a computer frequently have experienced a degree of discomfort or pain in their joints or muscles at one time or another. The e-course, Office Ergonomics, deals specifically with problems and injuries related to the use of computers and other office equipment, and provides a practical introduction to office ergonomics.

Office Ergonomics provides information for preventing pain and injury related to the pace of work, strain on joints and muscles and the effects of posture. These injuries are called Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSD) and have a tendency to develop gradually, over time. They can range in severity from mild and temporary to debilitating and chronic. (Via CCOHS)

Cures for the common converting workplace injuries

Bend, lift, twist and push, and repeat. These may sound like instructions for an aerobics class, but these can be motions for converting operations, too. The difference between the two is that the class is probably only an hour, and the weights lifted are less than 10 lbs. Converters, however, deal with these movements all day and lift items like steel shafts that can weight up to 120 lbs.

Movements such as repetitive exertions of the hand, heavy lifting or pushing, and prolonged awkward postures, are all risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD). WMSDs range from mild symptoms to severe debilitating conditions. Examples include carpal tunnel syndrome, tension neck syndrome and low back pain.

Along with distress, WMSDs also cause temporary or permanent disability, which can lead to lost time from work and an increase in workers compensation costs. One way converters can prevent WMSDs and the related costs is through ergonomics. (Via Converting Magazine)

The mobile phone for blind users

Vodafone Italia is once again this year a partner of the Dishow, the exhibition for technologies capable of improving the quality of life of disabled persons. The Company will use the occasion to show off its new cell phone for blind users, the Vodafone Speaking Phone, at the stand run by the Italian Association for the Blind (UIC).

Thanks to a special software, the Vodafone Speaking Phone reads and describes the icons in the menu to the blind user. It is also capable of reading text messages and allows users to compose and send their own messages.

Vodafone's close collaboration with the UIC on the Vodafone Speaking Phone project includes a trial phase, which is still in progress, and the subsequent distribution of the phones to as many blind people as possible. (Via Noticias)

Don’t cry over CRI. Rest your feet & play by rules

If you’re using a computer at home, here is how you can avoid the agonising and sometimes immobilising condition called computer related injury:

Laptops are best avoided for long-time use. But if you have to have one, keep an external keyboard at your desk. It doesn’t cost much, can be easily attached to the laptop and almost converts it to a desktop.

Don’t dangle your feet. Rest them comfortably on the floor or a footrest. Buy a foot machine (an electronically operated angled foot rest that costs around Rs 8,000) if you can afford one. It encourages blood circulation in the feet. (Via The Telegraph)

UK Political Parties fail Accessibility Test, claims Agency

All three leading parties in today's UK General Election have fallen short of British standards in digital accessibility, claims accessibility consultancy Cimex, who called on them to improve their websites ahead of voting to little effect .

'Accessible websites are now a legal requirement under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) so we decided to look at how the political party websites perform in the run up to the election,' says Aspasia Dellaporta, user experience expert at Cimex. 'In the UK there are 10M people with a registered disability, so it doesn’t make sense to exclude a significant part of your voters.'

Although the degree of compliance was varied and all were making some efforts, none of the parties offered websites that were completely accessible to disabled people, despite manifesto promises to take issues of access seriously. (Via Usability News)

Is Your Job a 'Stressfest'? These Strategies Can Help

Stress in the workplace has reached epidemic proportions, according to author and stress management consultant G. Gaynor McTigue. While some jobs tend to be more stressful than others, no industry is immune to the "rampant" stress McTigue sees in today's workplace -- from the factory floor to the corner cubicle.

"Because of the tight economy today, companies are trying to get more out of their workers, thinking in the long run that it will make them more profitable," McTigue said. "My feeling is they're going to be less profitable because when you have stressed-out workers you have more absenteeism, more sick days, more disgruntled workers and high turnover. And as a result of the increased sick days, you have higher health insurance premiums."

Add to that any stress that workers are experiencing at home. McTigue believes that stress at home and stress on the job tend to work synergistically. (Via Occupational Hazards)

Squatting - Ergonomics

Squatting - In many 3rd world countries people are in the habit of squatting. Squatting is their way of sitting. I have seen some limber Americans use squatting as one of their sitting positions, as well.

What Squatting Does - Squatting relaxes low back muscles and puts traction on the spinal joints. It also develops hip joint flexibility. Hip joint flexibility is a key component of back health.

Squatting vs Sitting - For most westerners, squatting is not a familiar posturing for the body. Instead, we sit. Sitting creates compression on the spinal joints. Prolonged compression is unhealthy for intervertebral disks and other spinal structures. (Via Bella Online)

Ergonomics Conference and Exposition.

Time to register ...

USA's leading researchers, scientists reveal findings at occupational therapy conference

This tip sheet highlights only a few of the hundreds of sessions being presented by members of the American Occupational Therapy Association at their 85th Annual Conference to be held May 12 through May 15. (Longbeach, CA)

The Conference & Expo will feature almost 250 education sessions, keynote and plenary presentations, and an Exhibit Hall showcasing hundreds of products and services. Panel discussions and workshops will bring together leading experts to explore key issues for advancing the quality and availability of occupational therapy and research.

• Post-Combat: Reintegrating Citizen-Soldiers


• Empirical Data on Sensory Integration in the Treatment of ADHD


• Creating Quality of Life for Parkinson's Patients


• Delaying Institutionalization of Elderly through Home Modifications


• Low Vision Rehabilitation in Older Adults


• and several more ...

(Via Medi Lexicon)

Alphabet Soup: CPE

Unless you are in product development or certain areas of human resources or industry, you might not see this.

A CPE is a Certified Professional Ergonomist. The Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics certifies practitioners of human factors/ergonomics with this designation. This is someone who has a mastery of ergonomics knowledge, a command of the methodologies used by ergonomists to design a product, process, or environment, and who has applied his or her knowledge to the analysis, design, test, and evaluation of products, processes, and environments. (Via Courier Post)

Ergonomics: Risk Management Strategies

When a safety professional has completed the risk assessment phase and is ready to begin taking steps to create an ergonomics program, it's useful to think about the "triangle" of ergonomic risk factors, says Kent Hatcher, M.Sc., AEP, ACE, of Ann Arbor, Mich.-based ergonomics consulting firm Humantech Inc.

There are three risk factors that tend to work synergistically to create a risk of repetitive stress injuries, Hatcher explains. Those risk factors -- posture, force and frequency -- create a triangle, similar in principle to the fire triangle of heat, fuel and oxygen.

That triangle provides a useful visual model for designing an ergonomics program. (Via Occupational Hazards)

Overcoming the Dangers of Task Saturation

When business leaders take the same steps before each mission, they can improve their execution results as well. However, even preparation and planning cannot eliminate the biggest stumbling block to flawless execution: task saturation.

Task saturation comes from not having enough time, tools and resources to get your mission accomplished. Essentially, it means you are overworked. Unfortunately, most people and companies wear task saturation like a badge of honor. Perhaps it makes them feel wanted or valuable.

You may hear a weary business traveler at the airport say, "I've been on the road for five days, made nine presentations, wrote up specifications for a new bid in the hotel room, missed lunch, went into the office Saturday, got caught up on my paperwork, and now I'm heading to New York." The surprising thing is that most people are proud that they're overworked. In truth, task saturation is not good for the company. It can effect all your operations and create irreparable mistakes.

What fighter pilots know about task saturation should worry every business manager and safety manager. As task saturation increases, performance decreases and execution errors increase. Task saturation is a silent killer, and in these days of layoffs and asking people to do more with less, task saturation is a major threat to corporate America. Rather than wear it like a badge of honor, businesses need to deal with it now. The correct action to take is to acknowledge that it exists, acknowledge that it creates problems, identify the symptoms, and then work to eliminate it. (Via Occupational Hazards)

Strengthening Safety With Shift Scheduling Principles

Control center operators, truckers, 911 dispatchers, space engineers and ship captains have all been caught in shift scheduling incidents that made the courts and 6 p.m. news. To reduce such notoriety and losses, safety personnel should spend more time talking with shift scheduling management.

Although the safety and scheduling function are usually housed in different departments, I routinely insist that they work closely together during schedule planning.

Shiftwork Benchmarking Institute has hosted dozens of interviews and cross-industry benchmarking groups, revealing their 24/7 histories, issues and best scheduling practices. From this knowledge, I compiled the "SBI Scheduling Principles."

These are scheduling principles found to reduce human error and improve 24/7 performance and profitability in many industries – including manufacturing, chemical, electric power, refining, mining, security and police. (Via Occupational Hazards)