Workplace Pressures, Hazards Raise Risk Of Job Injuries In Youths

New findings about workplace injuries with teens ...

"Exposure to work hazards and a frenetic job pace increases the likelihood of injury among adolescent and young adult workers, a new systematic review suggests.

Work setting also appears to play a role in predicting the risk of injury, with food service and construction industry jobs topping the list of hazardous employment in this age group.

The review appears in the February issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

"These studies provide sufficient evidence that the type of work setting, in particular restaurant work and manual labor jobs, was independently associated with work injury," said lead author F. Curtis Breslin, Ph.D., a scientist at the Institute for Work & Health in Toronto.

... Previous research had indicated that young male workers sustain injuries at about twice the rate of female workers. However, although six review studies compared injuries between the sexes, only one found that young males had a higher risk for injury, after taking into account work setting, on-the-job hazards and work hours.

"We found that when males and females are working similar jobs, they have a similar risk for work injury," Breslin said. "Even though you have males having higher injury rates, it seems to be attributable to them being in more dangerous jobs like construction," he said, not to factors specifically associated with gender."    (Continued via ScienceDaily)    [Ergonomics Resources]

Dont Strain Yourself

Why construction workers get so many sprains and strains ...

"It's not rocket science to figure out why sprains and strains plague many construction firms. Fortunately, the solutions aren't that complicated either.

To the layperson, sprains and strains probably seem like small potatoes. Of all the calamities that life could visit upon a person, an ankle sprain might seem like a minor scrape in the grand scheme of things.

Safety professionals, however, know that sprains and strains are anything but small problems. In fact, sprains and strains are multibillion-dollar problems, according to the 2005 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index, which estimates that overexertion - defined as injuries caused by excessive lifting, pushing, pulling, holding, carrying or throwing of an object - in 2003 cost employers $13.4 billion.

Safety professionals in construction should know this better than anyone. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for 2005, construction's lost-days nonfatal occupational injury and illness incidence rate for sprains and strains (83.1 cases per 10,000 full-time workers) was higher than any other industry sector. BLS data for 2005 also shows that construction's overall lost-days nonfatal occupational injury and illness incidence rate (239.5 cases per 10,000 full-time workers) was higher than any other sector - by a comfortable margin.

To figure out why sprains and strains are prevalent in construction is not rocket science. Construction, after all, involves gritty, physical labor - often performed by workers who aren't in peak physical condition. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that the BLS statistics for 2005 indicate that construction not only led the way in the lost-days injury and illness incidence rate for sprains and strains, but also in the lost-days incidence rate for cuts and lacerations; fractures; and multiple traumatic injuries."    (Continued via Occupational Hazards)    [Ergonomics Resources]

The target pill bottle isn’t a bottle, it’s a system

A great example of an ergonomically designed product ...

"It’s unfortunate that the 2005 design of the Target pill bottle has too often been treated as just a product design and graphic design solution. Yes, it received much earned respect for being a collaboration of graphic design with industrial design and for its sensitive approach to addressing sometimes life-threatening circumstances. But perhaps because it’s been put on a pedestal at the MoMA we forgot to check out what’s going on behind the scenes at Target.

Target appropriately calls the bottle ClearRX, describing it more broadly as a, “prescription distribution and communication system.” That’s because it required quite a bit of work on the back-of-the-house to make the pill bottles work on the front-of-the-house.

Let’s take one aspect of the design as an example. The bottles have rings that fit around the collar of the bottle which are color coded to identify different members of the family — 7 colors in all. The concept is simple enough: make sure you’re not accidentally taking someone else’s prescription just because the bottles look similar. However, the implementation is much more difficult because Target has to ensure the right color ring is going around the right subscription. Therefore Target’s Pharmacy IT system has to track which family member has which color ring so that the colors are not accidentally switched with prescriptions are being filled."    (Continued via adaptive path)    [Ergonomics Resources]

ClearRX

Enso Released: In Memory of Jef Raskin

Aza Raskin launches new products in memory of Jef Raskin ...

"It all started with one man's dream for a computer that worked the way people did; a dream for a computer that he could compose music on. That man was Jef Raskin. And the dream became the Macintosh.

Jef never could accept the status quo. When something did'nt make sense to him—whether it was in mathematics, aerodynamics, nursing, or musicology—he pressed until he either understood it, or discovered that it actually didn't make sense. This is how he was able to formulate the philosophy underlying the orginal Macintosh design: that computers should make tasks easy for people, not the other way around. Jef's talent was in realizing when something was flawed, challenging it, and inventing something significantly better.

Jef did not dwell in the past; he focused his energy on moving forward. He felt that, while inventing the Macintosh was laudable, there was much work left to be done and many ways to make computers more humane.

After the Macintosh came the Canon Cat, a pinnacle of design that did text editing so well that, if Canon hadn't canceled the project prematurely, both Emacs and Vim users might have come to a truce under a common editor. Then, after a decade studying cognitive psychology, Jef established a scientific basis for the design of man-machine interfaces, bringing interface design out of the mystic realm of guruism with his book The Humane Interface. Finally came Archy, an open source incarnation of the Canon Cat. Jef died while Archy was still in its infancy.

Enso is the next step (but not the last). It extends his vision to the desktop as it stands now. It helps computers get out of your way so that you can concentrate on what you are actually doing. It brings Windows closer to being a nice place for people to work. Take a look."    (Continued via Humanized)    [Usability Resources]

2006 Ergo Cup Winners

Great innovations in applied ergonomics ...

New twists on the same Cup

The winners of each category were selected by a panel of 12 judges rather than by all conference attendees. This allowed the judges to spend more time with each Ergo Cup team to really gage their achievements. This also eliminated any possible bias that could result from a popular vote.

The 2006 Competition yielded three Ergo Cup winners in Orlando:

• Sunrise Medical - Team-driven Workplace Solutions for their entry "Ergo Assembly Station"
• Johnson & Johnson/France - Training & Education for their entry "Ergo Shop Book & Safety Sheets"
• GE France - Engineering/Ergonomist-driven Workplace Solution for their entry "Imagination Applied to X-ray Table Assembly"    (Continued via Applied Ergonomics)    [Ergonomics Resources]

Employers Must Post Injury / Illness Summaries

Collecting workplace injury data ...

"A reminder from OSHA: Beginning Feb. 1, employers must post a summary of the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred during 2006. Employers are only required to post OSHA Form 300A (summary), not the OSHA 300 log.
The summary must be posted from Feb. 1 to April 30.

"This is an excellent time for employers to review their 300 logs and determine where injuries and illnesses are occurring and determine a strategy to reduce and hopefully eliminate these safety and health hazards," OSHA Administrator Edwin Foulke Jr. said.

The summary must list the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred in 2006 and were logged on the OSHA 300 form. Information about the annual average number of employees and total hours worked during the calendar year also is required to assist in calculating incidence rates.

Companies with no recordable injuries or illnesses in 2006 must post the form with zeroes on the total line. All summaries must be certified by a company executive.

The form is to be displayed in a common area wherever notices to employees usually are posted. A copy of the summary must be made available to employees who move from worksite to worksite, such as construction employees and employees who do not report to any fixed establishment on a regular basis."    (Continued via Occupational Hazards)    [Ergonomics Resources]

Vertical Mouse 2 debuts

Another crack at the vertical mouse ...

"We all know how ergonomics are the in thing these days as hardware manufacturers realized that throwing in three buttons and a scroll wheel into an optical mouse alone just won't make the cut. The Vertical Mouse 2 works quite unlike the conventional mouse, featuring buttons that are positioned in a handshake manner. You hold the mouse very much the same way as a joystick, which explains the contours on its body. If you're concerned about preventing RSI and picking up carpal tunnel syndrome during your working years, the Vertical Mouse 2 can be yours for approximately $63 after conversion. The learning curve would take some time, so be warned beforehand."    (Continued via ubergizmo)    [Ergonomics Resources]

Vertical Mouse 2

Chrysler Group Statement On Child Safety Seats

Check on the safety of your child seat ...

"Recent news has focused on the safety of children while traveling in automobiles. Research shows seven out of 10 kids in child safety seats are not properly buckled in and a properly installed safety seat has been proven to reduce fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers, ages 1-4.

DaimlerChrysler's SeatCheck program provides parents and caregivers with access to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's comprehensive child passenger safety seat inspector locater database.

By logging onto http://www.seatcheck.org or calling 1-866-SeatCheck, parents can learn about child passenger safety and where to have their child's seat inspected.

The following statement can be attributed to Deborah Morrissett - Vice President - Regulatory Affairs, Chrysler Group:

"Child passenger safety seat inspections are simple and can help save a child's life. DaimlerChrysler encourages parents to visit http://www.seatcheck.org or call 1-866-SEATCHECK to learn how and where to have their child's safety seat inspected for proper fit and use.

SeatCheck provides parents and caregivers with access to the most comprehensive list of certified child passenger safety seat instructors in the country in both English and Spanish.

With an all-new Web site, SeatCheck also offers a variety of child passenger safety resources, including state law look-up and current list of manufacturer recalled child safety seats."    (Continued via Safety Online)    [Ergonomics Resources]

UD researchers seen as innovators of iPhone

A new kind of touch screen ...

"At one point, John Elias and Wayne Westerman were happy to be thrilling a few wide-eyed students in Newark classrooms with their electronic gadgets.

Today, the researchers who once worked together at the University of Delaware are the subject of global speculation, the objects of geeky adoration, and apparently are positioned nicely on the next wave of high-tech development.

The technology they developed a few years ago at UD is now -- in the opinion of former co-workers and enlightened strangers alike -- helping to drive Apple Co.'s key breakthrough in its new iPhone. The pair have left behind their class schedules, sold the company they founded, and been hired to work in the secretive California headquarters of Apple itself, suddenly elevated from the staid halls of academia to the cutting edge of multibillion-dollar business.

In the meantime, the ripples created by their advances in technology continue to reverberate even outside of Apple, sustaining an excitement and a demand for the products they created, long after their company closed and the technology fell into Apple's hands.

The wonder lies in an entirely new way of controlling computers, cell phones and other electronic devices, saving time and smoothing their functionality."    (Continued via delawareonline)    [Ergonomics Resources]

Fingerworks Touch Screen

Confronting Driver Distraction

Safer cars yeild less-safe driving ...

"On a recent road trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas on Interstate 15, I noticed a seemingly countless array of tire scuff marks leading from the center median, arcing steeply over to the right-hand side fog line, and off the road. The sharp angles of these scuff marks were a clear sign of drivers losing control of their vehicles.

The drivers are so inattentive, perhaps even asleep, that they drive into the center of the road before they are jolted back to reality as the vehicle hits the median. Upon regaining consciousness, they overcorrect their steering, causing the vehicle to spin out of control and even roll over. Most drivers fail to recognize the immense power of a speeding vehicle's kinetic energy.

Driver distraction is responsible for 80% of motor-vehicle accidents, according to a recent study for the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. Drivers have literally been lulled into a false sense of safety and security by the very sophistication of the modern car. Newer vehicles drive more and more effortlessly. A similar study of driver behavior found no reduction of accidents or injuries in cars with airbags and antilock brakes. The researchers concluded that the safety features encourage more-aggressive drivinga paradox referred to as the offset hypothesis.

You build more-effortless vehicles, people will exert less effortand attentiondriving them. Driver distraction is not so much due to sensory overload as to complacent driving. We multitask while driving just like we do at work. It's become commonplace to spot someone on the freeway chatting on a cell phone, shaving or applying makeup, or even reading.

The problem is that the density of traffic has increased dramatically at the same time that our comfort level with operating our cars has increased. Now, even a brief moment of distraction can easily coincide with a sudden dangerous event, such as another distracted driver swerving to change lanes.

Another key issue is that our comfort while driving these easy-to-handle vehicles encourages us to drive faster. We simply don't sense that we're driving too fast. The average vehicle now weighs as much as 40% more than those even 10 years ago, and we go faster without realizing that this combination of greater mass and velocity dramatically increases our kinetic energy. For example, a family that trades up from a 3,300-pound Volvo station wagon to a 4,300-pound Ford Explorer, then increases their cruising speed from 70 to 75 mph, boosts the family car's kinetic energy by about 50%."    (Continued via THE FUTURIST)    [Ergonomics Resources]

Giving a Voice to the Hard to Hear

Getting on top of the hearing problem ...

"The following is a second brief extract from "Informing Digital Futures: Strategies for Citizen Engagement" by Leela Damodaran and Wendy Olphert. This one looks at those who don't get heard and how to include them. The book was published by Springer in late October 2006. (The extract has been slightly edited to appear here.)

The need to engage with all citizens in order to design ICTs which can be used successfully by the general public has been emphasised repeatedly. Many of those at risk of exclusion may for a variety of different reasons, be ‘hard to hear’ by planners, policy makers and designers. These groups include, for example, the elderly, the disabled, young people, ethnic minorities, those on low incomes, the homeless or itinerant groups. Many governments have stated their concerns and objectives to extend the benefits of ICT to all citizens, including those regarded as coming from such marginalised groups. Certainly in the UK, the ‘hard to reach’ or the ‘hard to hear’ are attracting increasing attention, in fact rather more than other citizens. The Digital Inclusion Panel was set up by UK Government in 2004, bringing together stakeholders from the public, private and voluntary sectors. The aim was to identify groups most at risk of digital exclusion, identify future actions that might encourage digital take-up, and to make recommendations about how industry, government and the voluntary sector can work together to drive a ‘digitally United Kingdom’. There have been many other initiatives supported by other government departments in the UK such as the Home Computing Initiative (HCI), which encourages employers to loan PCs for home/flexible working. A number of community-led initiatives (e.g. Access to Broadband Campaign, Community Broadband Network) also address social exclusion issues, including geographic isolation. There are thought to be around 400 such community projects with varying degrees of sophistication and impact."    (Continued via Usability News)    [Ergonomics Resources]

The Aging Workforce - Physical Changes Require Ergonomic Intervention

Getting ready for an aging workforce ...

"The definition of an aging worker varies greatly depending upon the source. Legally, an elderly worker is considered to be 40 or older (The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967). Other agencies consider an aging employee to be 45 years or older (The Committee for Economic Development’s New Opportunities for Older Workers). As consumers, a senior is often considered to be 55 years or older. And a survey of human resource professionals revealed that management varies greatly in their opinion with the age ranging being between 40 and 70 years (Society for Human Resource Management, June 2003).

Contrary to popular belief, changes in memory, logical thinking and ability to perform a task are only slightly affected by the normal aging process. Any significant loss should be evaluated medically. The perception that older workers are a drain on a company’s resources is erroneous and may cost a company one of their most valuable assets. Elderly workers have experience-based knowledge, show better judgment and increased accuracy in performance, and are better able to handle familiar tasks than younger persons (Utah State University, AginginPlace.org). The perception that an elderly worker is less able to perform an activity may be due more to the slowing down of physical functions and sensory processing rather than by any actual decline in intellectual functioning.

Not too surprisingly, the legal definition of aging corresponds with the time-frame at which normal physical changes begin to occur. As the number of aging employees in our workforce continues to increase, these changes need to be addressed in order to ensure productivity, safety, and comfort in the work environment. Knowledge of these physical impairments and how they affect work function is essential so that they can be accommodated for with simple, ergonomic solutions. The corporate benefit is the retention of a healthy, dependable, knowledgeable and skilled employee."    (Continued via Bella Online)    [Ergonomics Resources]

Bernardino Ramazzini: The First Ergonomist (and what have we learned from him?)

An interesting historical look at ergonomics ...

"Bernardino Ramazzini, and Italian physician and philosopher, is considered the founder of occupational medicine (or ergonomics). In 1700 Ramazzini published De morbis artificum diatriba (Diseases of Workers), the first comprehensive work on occupational diseases.

Ramazzini realized that a variety of common workers’ diseases appeared to be caused by prolonged irregular motions and postures. Ramazzini studied the relationship between certain disorders and postural attitudes, repetition of movements, and weight lifting and anticipated some preventive measures.

Standing, even for a short time, proves so exhausting compared with walking and running, though it be for a long time. It is generally supposed that this is because of the tonic movement of all the antagonist muscles, both extensors and flexors, which have to be continually in action to enable a man to keep standing erect. It follows that whenever occasion offers, we must advise men employed in the standing trades to interrupt when they can that too prolonged posture by sitting or walking about or exercising the body in some way.

Those who sit at their work and are therefore called “chair-workers,” such as cobblers and tailors become bent, hump-backed, and hold their heads down like people looking for something on the ground; this is the effect of their sedentary life and the bent posture of the body as they sit and apply themselves all day to their tasks in the shops where they sew. Since to do their work they are forced to stoop, the outermost vertebral ligaments are kept pulled apart and contract a callosity, so that it becomes impossible for them to return to the natural position. These workers, then, suffer from general ill-health caused by their sedentary life."    (Continued via Ergonomenon)    [Ergonomics Resources]

Bookbinder Ergonomics

Hold that thought if you're buying a big bag

Big bags causing back problems ...

"Bags for women have become bigger and heavier as designers combine briefcases with handbags and straps have become longer but the extra leverage has many patients complaining of neck, shoulder and back problems.

"I see so many women with neck pains and headaches and what I usually do is look for their purse and pick it up," said Jane Sadler, a family practice physician on the medical staff at Baylor Medical Center in Garland, Texas.

"We take it over to the scale and weigh it and usually they're anywhere from 3 to 4,5kg... We're really going to see women with more and more problems later on if we continue the big purse craze."

William Case, a physical therapist in private practice in Houston, Texas, said an aggravated neck or shoulder can lead to upper back problems, meaning pain may then be felt while working at a computer or playing sports.

... Professor Alan Hedge, an ergonomics specialist at Cornell University in New York state, said similar health problems arose when laptops were first introduced.

Traditionally women adopted better postures for carrying loads, such as baskets on heads or strapping a papoose across the back, but placing objects on one shoulder was one of the least efficient ways of carrying a load.

"This causes a great imbalance. You only have to see people carrying bags in shopping centres, looking hunched up like Quasimodo," he said."    (Continued via IOL)    [Ergonomics Resources]

Study Workplace Fatigue Common Costly

The effects of fatigue on worker safety ...

"Nearly 40 percent of U.S. workers experience fatigue – a problem that costs employers billions in lost productivity, according to a study that is detailed in the January Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Led by Judith Ricci, Sc.D., MS, of Caremark Rx Inc., the researchers analyzed data from a nationwide study of the relationship between health and productivity at work. The study examined the effects of fatigue on health-related absenteeism and "presenteeism," or days the employee was at work but performing at less than full capacity because of health reasons.

Of the nearly 29,000 employed adults interviewed, 38 percent said they had experienced "low levels of energy, poor sleep or a feeling of fatigue" during the past 2 weeks. Total lost productive time averaged 5.6 hours per week for workers with fatigue, compared to 3.3 hours for their counterparts without fatigue.

According to the researchers, the rate of lost productivity for all health-related reasons also was much higher for workers with fatigue: 66 percent, compared with 26 percent for workers without fatigue.

Nine percent of workers with fatigue reported lost productive work time. According to the researchers, fatigue reduced work performance mainly by interfering with concentration and increasing the time needed to accomplish tasks.

With adjustment for other factors, fatigue was more common in women than men, in workers less than 50 years old and in white workers compared with African-Americans. Workers with "high-control" jobs – relatively well-paid jobs with decision-making responsibility – also reported higher rates of fatigue."    (Continued via Occupational Hazards)    [Ergonomics Resources]

Ergonomic Nightmare of the Week: Can Openers

The ergonomics of the lowly can opener ...

"Have you ever tried to use someone else’s can opener? Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like every can opener design is a little bit different, and getting that interlocking gear blade thingy to line up just right is never as easy as it should be.

After fiddling with the unfamiliar can opener for ten minutes, you are about to give up when you finally puncture the metal and excitedly start cranking around the can. Then, when you have the can open, only seconds away from enjoying delicious tuna, you cut yourself on the piece of jagged metal and have to go to the hospital to get a tetanus shot. You never get to eat your tuna.

Can openers are in general horribly designed death traps, deserving of the title of ergonomic nightmare of the week.

... This smooth edge can opener got a good review:

The handle size is so perfect that this is THE can opener for anyone with arthritis or carpel tunnel syndrome. There are no sharp edges, whatsoever, and there is absolutely no possibility of the can top falling down into the can and contaminating its contents.Truly a simple little kitchen gadget that one must have – and one which you will not be able to go without having after using it just once or twice."    (Continued via Ergonomenon)    [Ergonomics Resources]

OXO Good Grip Can Opener

Ergonomics Economics

Finding ergonomic products and procedures that work for you ...

"It was also a pain in his back and shoulders until the mortgage lender consulted Jan Armitage, an ergonomist. Armitage came to Bruner's office and after making a few changes in the way he was sitting at the computer, Bruner found he was pain-free.

"I love it when I can make a small change and it makes a huge difference in someone's life," said Armitage, who recently started her own consulting business, Healthy Computing Solutions.

Ergonomics -- the science of fitting workplace conditions to the worker -- can equal good economics for companies by reducing employee injuries, lowering workers compensation costs and increasing productivity, Armitage said.

Bruner's biggest change was switching his mouse from his right to left hand. Armitage recommends "left-hand mousing" because she said computer users often stretch out their right hands to use the mouse, throwing their shoulders out of alignment with their bodies.

It takes a little getting used to, Bruner admitted. "But I'm proof you can teach an old dog new tricks," he said.

Workers who don't like using a mouse with their left hand should at least alternate between the right and left hands, Armitage said. She also suggested Bruner put his chair arms down. He had been resting his arms on the chair arms, which caused him to work with his shoulders raised.

"I had tried everything -- acupuncture and massage therapy," Bruner said. "I wasn't sleeping well; now I can sleep."

When they hear the word "ergonomics," most people think they need to buy a lot of expensive furniture and equipment, but it's not true, Armitage said. "It is the little things that matter. All of the expensive chairs in the world won't help if you are sitting in them wrong."

Not all products labeled "ergonomic" are beneficial, she said. No group or government agency regulates the use of the label "ergonomic."    (Continued via Daytona Beach News)    [Ergonomics Resources]

Safety First - The safe-workplace association for health and community care employees welcomes the SARS Commission Report

Workplace Safety recommendations from SARS Commission ...

"OSACH, the Ontario Safety Association for Community & Healthcare, enthusiastically endorses Justice Archie Campbell's astute identification of systemic occupational health and safety issues in the SARS Commission Report. These include:

- Putting safety first
- Recognizing the need for a seamless effort linking occupational
health and safety and infection control
- Recommending that the Ministry of Labour take the lead role to set and
inforce safe work polices and standards
- Strengthening legislation around accountability and authority
- Perhaps most importantly, following "the precautionary principle that
reasonable action to reduce risk should not await scientific
certainty"

"We fully support Justice Campbell's recommendation that in building a culture of safety, the health care system must work collaboratively," says Joseline Sikorski, OSACH President and CEO. "One of OSACH's most important roles in the past three years has been to forge linkages with the Ministries of Labour and Health, as well as key players in worker safety including unions, associations and accreditation bodies. We see this as critical in a system-wide commitment to integrate occupational health and safety and infection control practices in the efforts to reduce workplace injury, illness and disease."    (Continued via CNW Group)    [Ergonomics Resources]

Speaking Out A Horses Ears The Human Interest Approach to Behavior Based Safety

A cute story about Behaviour Based Safety ...

"The shift in the workplace environment that occurred after the passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act in 1970 has been described as one that de-emphasized the "human approach" and focused on correcting hazardous working conditions. What others call the human approach, I call the "human-interest approach."

Regardless of what you call it, safety is lacking without it.

Behavior-based safety (BBS) is an approach that focuses on eliminating or minimizing at-risk behaviors that can result in injuries. It sounds simple enough, but it's not.

Workers often perceive it as a way to blame them. Management views it as another safety program. However, if properly handled, BBS can help us all become better-equipped to practice safe behavior.

"A Horse's Ears" may help you view BBS safety from a different perspective. Speaking from first-hand knowledge, it definitely changed mine."    (Continued via Occupational Safety)    [Ergonomics Resources]

Sprain and Pain Wane: Carpal Tunnel Scare Over?

Is CTS the treat we thought it was? ...

"Whatever happened to carpal tunnel syndrome? There was a time in the late 1980s and early '90s when carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and other musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) haunted newsrooms and executive suites alike with the specter of longtime copy editors succumbing to lifelong crippling pain, or reporters -- their arms wrapped as they recovered from uncertain surgeries -- struggling against deadlines with the era's sluggish voice-recognition software. In the conventional wisdom of the time, the computer keyboard and mouse that had revolutionized newsroom workflow insidiously threatened to strangle productivity one tingling hand at a time.

Reporting in 1991 on what was billed as the newspaper industry's first conference devoted solely to the problem of MSDs -- then called RSI, or repetitive strain injury -- an E&P article warned of growing legal and medical liabilities for newspapers. Worse, the story added, there was no known cure for RSI.

And then, just as suddenly, all the furor over carpal tunnel syndrome and other MSDs went silent. Nowadays, the Newspaper Association of America no longer monitors MSDs in newsrooms. On the union side, the Newspaper Guild's national expert on MSDs retired years ago and was never replaced. Even the federal government's workplace health research arm, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), has stopped tracking CTS, a spokesman says: "The last stuff we have (on CTS) dates back to that era, the 1980s and the 1990s."

So what happened? To many newspaper chains, what happened was a not quite complete victory of ergonomics over the disorders, a kind of elimination of polio without the March of Dimes. But the top safety and health official for the Communications Workers of America says the newsroom problems are continuing -- what's changed is the politics of the current White House, which has succeeded in hiding the issue by killing federal workplace ergonomic standards."    (Continued via Editor & Publisher)    [Ergonomics Resources]

CTS or No CTS?

Cell Phones and Driving

A review of recent studies about the use of cell phones and driving ...

"In the United States over 224 million people used cell phones as of October 2006, compared with approximately 4.3 million in 1990, according to the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association.

Increased reliance on cell phones has led to a rise in the number of people who use the devices while driving. There are two dangers associated with driving and cell-phone use. First, drivers must take their eyes off the road while dialing. Second, people can become so absorbed in their conversations that their ability to concentrate on the act of driving is severely impaired, jeopardizing the safety of vehicle occupants and pedestrians. Since the first law was passed in New York in 2001 banning hand-held cell-phone use while driving, there has been debate as to the exact nature and degree of hazard. The latest research shows that while using a cell phone when driving may not be the most dangerous distraction, because it is so prevalent it is by far the most common cause of this type of crash and near crash.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
Studies: Studies about cell-phone use while driving have focused on several different aspects of the problem. Some have looked at its prevalence as the leading cause of driver distraction. Others have looked at the different risks associated with hand-held and hands-free devices. Still others have focused on the seriousness of injuries in crashes involving cell-phone users and the demographics of drivers who use cell phones. Below is a summary of some recent research on the issue.

Text messaging, or “texting” by teens, a driving distraction related to cell phone use, was the subject of an August 2006 survey by the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety. The survey showed that teens considered sending text messages via cell phones to be their biggest distraction. Of the teens surveyed, 37 percent said that text messaging was extremely or very distracting, while 20 percent said that they were distracted by their emotional states and 19 percent said that having friends in the car was distracting."    (Continued via Village Soup)    [Ergonomics Resources]

GE Goes Back to School for Innovation

Designing medical products for better usability, productivity, and effectiveness ...

... "It's a first, however, for General Electric's health-care unit, which sells $15 billion a year worth of clunky X-ray machines, CAT-scan machines, and ultrasound testing equipment. The health-care division has long been a technology innovator. But it has historically tried to differentiate its products by getting better and faster readings from its instruments—"feeds and speeds" as Lou Lenzi, the general manager of global design at GE Healthcare, puts it. So turning to art school students for ideas is a significant departure.

Good for Patients and Profits
But to compete now, the company believes that it has to offer more than just better technology. GE wants to make medical tests easier on both the patients and the operators of the equipment, which means focusing on the human side of the equation, from ergonomics to emotions. How, for instance, could a traditionally monstrous CAT scan machine be designed to seem less ominous to patients already distressed by their medical condition? How could a machine be easier for the technician to use?

In addition to the primary human-centered goals, such design improvements should translate into more accurate readings and a leg up on rival manufacturers. "All of our competitors have similar technology," admits Lawrence Murphy, the health-care unit's chief designer. "We're looking beyond the hardware. We're looking at the patient's journey."    (Continued via Business Week)    [Ergonomics Resources]

A More Comfortable Ultrasound

Ergonomic Nightmare of the Week: Bike Lanes

Drivers: What do you do when you see a biker pedaling along ahead of you only a few feet to your right or even in the middle of the lane? First you mutter to yourself, “damn bikers, always in my way.” Then you either creep along behind him, holding up traffic in the process, causing an outbreak of honking behind you, or you speedily swerve around him as you nearly side swipe the car in the lane next to you.

Bikers: You are riding along, minding your own business, when suddenly the bike lane turns into a 6-inch shoulder of the road covered with rocky debris. What to do you do? You either keep on riding as close to the edge as possible and hope you aren’t run off the road by an SUV, or you get in the middle of the lane so at least the cars will see you. Either way you get honked at and yelled at to “get off the road.” You mutter to yourself, “where the hell else am I supposed to ride, what is it with these people?"    (Continued via Ergonomenon)    [Ergonomics Resources]

Bike Lane

Turn Your Car Into a Wi-Fi Hotspot

Is this a good thing from an accident prevention viewpoint? ...

"New technology will soon let car passengers check email, surf the web, game or communicate via any Wi-Fi-enabled device.

The era of permanent internet connectivity comes a step closer next week when Autonet Mobile launches its new wireless service that turns any car into a WiFi Hotspot at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The company also plans to announce an agreement with a world leading car rental company to offer a portable, wireless Internet service by the end of the first quarter. With the first Wireless Broadband Mobile Network, Autonet Mobile is bringing a new Internet media center to vehicles by letting passengers check email, surf the web, game or communicate via any WiFi-enabled device. The service is optimized for the in-car experience, and is specifically designed to work on 95 percent of U.S. roads, regardless of driving conditions or location. Simply plug the unit into a cigarette lighter or standard wall plug and go. The Autonet Mobile Unit is priced to retail at US$399 with a monthly service charge of US$49 and turns your car into a secure mobile hotspot, allowing multiple WiFi-enabled devices to connect, and giving passengers unparalleled access to data, music, games, chat, and anything else they might like to access in their second home--the car. Moreover, the device can easily be removed from the car and put into a small bag. Thus, users can shuttle between the car and a residence, hotel or vacation spot, extending the usability of the Autonet Mobile Service beyond the car. For business travelers, families on vacation or couples on the go, bringing connectivity out of the car and into the hotel room is an additional benefit.

Autonet Mobile's patent pending TRU Technology enables seamless Internet connectivity so that passengers stay connected while driving. TRU Technology provides intelligent, dynamic automatic session management between high/low speed networks, producing a reliable user experience. The Autonet Mobile Service ensures a secure, broadband-level connection to any WiFi-enabled device within close proximity to the vehicle."    (Continued via Business Week)    [Ergonomics Resources]

Tidy tape exercise 'is madness'

You heard of red tape. Here is the black tape version ...

"Black tape has been put on civil servants' desks to show them where to put their pens.

The pilot exercise at National Insurance offices in Longbenton, North Tyneside, is part of a UK-drive to encourage staff to tidy their desks.

The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union claimed the scheme was costing £7.4m nationally and branded it "demeaning" and "demoralising".

HM Revenue and Customs said it was in line with workstation training.

The exercise is part of the Lean programme, brought in by consultants Unipart, which has already seen public sector workers told to clear their desks of personal items.

The customs spokesman said: "Part of the Lean processing is to clear the workplace and only keep essential items to hand.

"This is in line with the workstation ergonomics training that all our staff receive and complies with the display screen equipment regulations (2002).

"The markers on desks are used to demonstrate that it is much better to work in a tidy work environment where everything has its place.

"Staff involved have confirmed they prefer the tidier workspace."    (Continued via BBC NEWS)    [Usability Resources]

Are You Fitting the Job to the Worker?

Tips for fitting the job to the worker ...

"Keeping your employees free from ergonomics-related risks is a big problem for employers in many industries, as well as construction.

The following list of questions is a good starting point to help you determine if you are, as you should be, fitting the job to the workers. The list was compiled by Oregon's Ergonomics in Construction program.

• How is the work planned and organized so materials are handled, moved, or carried minimum distances and numbers of times?
• How are access paths and walkways kept level, clear, and slip-resistant to prevent slips and falls?
• How can the work be set up so it can be performed above the knees and below the shoulders?
• How can the work be done in a sitting position to prevent prolonged standing, stooping, kneeling, or squatting?
• For repetitive or long-duration jobs, can workers take breaks or trade off doing different jobs?
• Is material-handling equipment (like forklifts, cranes, hoists, pallet jacks, or carts) available to move heavy loads?
• How are powered and nonpowered hand tools selected and maintained to reduce awkward postures, forceful exertions, contact stresses, and vibration?"    (Continued via Safety BLR)    [Ergonomics Resources]

Alerting vests for soldiers

A challenge for cognitive ergonomics ...

"If you were a soldier, I'm sure you would like to be warned in real time of an imminent danger. According to New Scientist, MIT researchers have developed a vibrating vest which could send alerts to soldiers. But here comes the tricky part: the alerts will wirelessly be sent to 16 motors located on the wearer's back. And the soldier will have to remember which combination of vibrations on his back means "Danger!," "Stop" or "Run," as he was not stressed enough. It is certainly technologically feasible, but is this practical? I don't think so.

Here is how New Scientist describes the vest.

"A vibrating vest that writes messages on its wearer's back is being tested by researchers in the US. In future, it could be used to send important commands to soldiers or fire-fighters, warning them of imminent danger when ordinary radios cannot be used, for example.
The vest is made from black spandex and fastens around a person's lower torso with Velcro. An array of 16 small vibrating motors is embedded in the back of the vest and connects to a control unit on one side. This unit contains a wireless transceiver linked wirelessly to a controlling computer.

There are not many images of this vest online. Neither New Scientist nor the U.S. Army are showing it prominently. But here is a picture of the 16 vibrating motors which will be embedded in the MIT tactile vest (Credit:MIT). And here is a link to a larger version."    (Continued via Technology Trends)    [Ergonomics Resources]

MIT Tactile Vest

Ergonomic Nightmare of the Week: iPod

Ergonomic problems with the iPod ...

"I would like to preface this post by saying, “I love my iPod.” You probably do too, and want to kill me for naming it ergonomic nightmare of the week. But the things we love and use most are the things of which we should be most careful, ergonomically speaking.

Loud music and portable electronics are nothing new…at least, not that new. Almost limitless hours of booming audio and crystal clear video neatly packaged in a sleek, futuristic portable gadget IS something new.

Unfortunately, addiction to this sexy device comes with a price:

Hearing Loss:

The sound produced by an iPod can exceed 115 decibels, a volume which is dangerous to be exposed to for more than 28 seconds.

A study by the National Acoustic Laboratories in Australia last year found that a quarter of people surveyed were listening to music on headphones at potentially dangerous levels.

The length of time you listen to your iPod isn’t a problem as long as the volume is turned down. However, even listening at 85 decibels - the level above which normal conversation is difficult - is risky."    (Continued via The Ergonomenon) nbsp;  [Ergonomics Resources]

Ergonomics Of iPod Use

Got back pain? Be more 'laid back'

Relaxing your back when computing ...

"Sitting up straight is not the best position for your lower back. You need to lean back a bit to save your spine.

Scottish researchers said recently that a look at the spine with new imaging technology reveals how sitting upright with a straight back and thighs parallel to the floor increases the strain on lumbar discs in the lower back. It's better to lean back a bit in a chair, even if it looks like slouching.

"Really the best position is what you get in a La-Z-Boy, although that wouldn't work well for someone using a computer," said Dr. Waseem Amir Bashir, who led a study conducted at Woodend Hospital in Aberdeen, Scotland.

His conclusions come from getting a different view of the spine, using a newly designed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine that allows for a full view of the back while sitting.

Conventional MRI equipment requires the patient to lie down while images are taken, but this puts the spine in an unstressed position, Bashir said. By making images when people are upright in a chair, he said, he was able to capture instabilities and deformations not otherwise seen.

Lower back pain is almost universal, afflicting eight out of 10 Americans at some point, the National Institutes of Health estimates. It is the second most common reason people visit a physician, after colds and the flu, and accounts for an estimated 93 million days of lost work annually, at an estimated cost of $11 billion.

Bashir said that people weren't designed to sit in front of computer screens for hours at a time, but that by assuming a more open sitting position, one can minimize the risk of back pain."    (Continued via Minneapolis Star Tribune)    [Usability Resources]

Making Safety Job No. 1

Safety is critical in a manufacturing environment. Failure to follow safety procedures can have serious consequences, including worker deaths and injuries, absenteeism, and reduced productivity. It can also lead to increased workers’ compensation claims and higher insurance premiums for employers. With such high stakes, it’s no surprise that many HR professionals in the manufacturing sector consider safety training a top priority.

Safety programs benefit corporations as well as employees ...

"It’s unacceptable to hurt people in the production of a product,” says Daniel W. Evans, vice president for corporate environment, health and safety (EHS) at Armstrong World Industries, in Lancaster, Pa., a manufacturer of floors, ceilings and cabinets. The company has reduced its federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rate of recordable injuries from 5.4 cases per 100 workers in 2001 to 1.8 per 100 in 2005. That rate is substantially lower than the industry average of 6.3 per 100, and Armstrong is working to lower its injury rate even further.

“Even with that rate, because of the size of our company, it meant somebody got hurt every day, and that is unacceptable,” Evans says. “Our goal is to get to 0.0 per 100.”

... While reducing injuries can reduce employers’ workers’ compensation costs, employers gain much more by creating an overall safer workplace."    (Continued via HR Magazine)    [Ergonomics Resources]