Leveraging Technology for Leveraging Technology for Successful Ergonomics Successful Ergonomics

Deployments in MunicipalitiesDeployments in Municipalities

Presented by:

Steve Meyers, CIH, CSP

EORM

Presented by:

Steve Meyers, CIH, CSP

EORM

IntroductionIntroduction

Ergonomics Issues Fall into Two Distinct Areas:

                                           

OfficeOffice Non-OfficeNon-Office

Why Leverage Technology?Why Leverage Technology?

Many office ergonomic issues are relatively easy to fix compared to non-office tasks.

Companies spend too much time/effort solving office ergonomic issues and not enough on non-office tasks.

Majority of serious ergonomic injuries come from non-office related tasks.

Using technology to manage the majority of office ergonomic issues creates more time to devote to non-office ergonomic issues.

Some Background DataSome Background Data

EORM Internal Study Data:

– Most office ergonomic evaluations were taking approximately 1 hour to complete.

– The majority of recommendations were off-the-shelf solutions with multiple vendors.

– Customer is left with simple solutions that had anywhere from 15 to 20 data points (vendors and products) to review.

Outcome of StudyOutcome of Study

Too much time was spent to complete assessment.

Solutions were typically off-the-self.

Customers had difficulty reviewing all solutions presented.

What about follow up?

Leveraging Technology ApproachLeveraging Technology Approach

– Use effective Risk assessment tools in the office

– Effective improvement solutions that solve know problems

– Develop assessment media

– Demonstrate measurable results in risk, time and cost reduction

Effective Risk ManagementEffective Risk Management

Accepted strategy for Occupational Health & Safety is Risk Management:

– Recognition (Observation),

– Evaluation (Measure),

– Control (Fix),

– Anticipation of workplace hazards (Prevent)

Effective Risk ManagementEffective Risk Management

Recognition tools need to be quick and easy to use.

Answers the question: “Do I have a potential problem?”

Do I have a Potential Problem?

STARTSTARTSystem to Assign Risk ThresholdsSystem to Assign Risk Thresholds

START has two components:– Workstation Evaluation Section

Physical Attribute Questions

– Risk Screening Tool Risk Measuring Tool

Effective Risk Management ToolsEffective Risk Management Tools

System ToSystem ToAssign RiskAssign RiskThresholdThreshold(START)(START)

Site Office Ergo Risk MapSite Office Ergo Risk MapLeft Right Left Right Left Right Work

Station Wrist Wrist Elbow Elbow Shoulder Shoulder

Back Neck Legs Overall Risk Score

K

55 55 42 41 15 19 56 19 1 303

N

57 60 25 27 29 31 25 32 14 300

G

52 24 26 25 15 45 55 25 14 281

F

35 35 53.3 60 5 5 27.5 20 16.7 257.5

M

29 29 45 45 12 17 38 2 17 234

H

25 26 27 24 28 27 28 23 25 233

A

23 35 34 45 45 5 25 14 5 231

D

23 47 25 19 35 14 29 8 26 226

I

7 12 14 3 3 6 41 10 121 217

c

51 25 6 7 25 25 54 10 10 213

L

20 37 20 15 47 32 25 14 3 213

B

15 6 18 25 2 35 24 17 10 152

E

10 25 14 12 3 24 12 18 18 136

P

5 6 7 21 9 10 22 25 10 115

P

4 6 7 21 9 10 22 25 10 114

Q

7 6 7 20 9 10 20 17 10 106

High Risk Level

Moderate Risk Level

Low Risk Level

Leveraging Technology ApproachLeveraging Technology Approach

– Use effective Risk assessment tools in the office

– Effective improvement solutions that solve know problems

– Develop assessment media

– Demonstrate measurable results in risk, time and cost reduction

What is the Problem?

START FormSTART Form Phone & Lighting

Leveraging Technology ApproachLeveraging Technology Approach

– Use effective Risk assessment tools in the office

– Effective improvement solutions that solve know problems

– Develop assessment media

– Demonstrate measurable results in risk, time and cost reduction

Paper MediaPaper Media

Strength

– Consistent approach to managing ergonomic risk in the office

Weakness

– Requires reproduction time

– Difficult to perform mass surveys

– Increase time to compile data

– Solutions set needs to looked up after assessments have been completed

Palm MediaPalm Media

Strength

– Consistent approach to managing ergonomic risk in the office

– Only enter data in once

– Solution set can be part of program

– Camera and video capturing

Weakness

– Difficult to perform mass surveys

– Requires synching of data to download results

Personal Home Page MediaPersonal Home Page Media

Strength

– Consistent approach to managing ergonomic risk in the office

– Only enter data in once

– Solution set can be part of program

– Mass assessments can be performed in short amount of time

Weakness

– Interaction with customer

Leveraging Technology ApproachLeveraging Technology Approach

– Use effective Risk assessment tools in the office

– Effective improvement solutions that solve know problems

– Develop assessment media

– Demonstrate measurable results in risk, time and cost reduction

What is the Problem?

Measure (How bad is it?)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Neck Risk

Risk Before

START:50% neck risk factors are present

START FormSTART Form Phone & Lighting

Did Solution Solve the Problem?

Results for Headset Solution

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Neck Risk

Risk BeforeRisk After

18% reduction in ergonomic risk

Scoring Physical Attribute Scoring Physical Attribute QuestionsQuestions

Cost to Perform 1,000 EvaluationsCost to Perform 1,000 Evaluations

Paper Method with Interview Costs

– Perform assessment: 1,000 hours @$32.50/hr = $32,500

– Perform follow up: 250 hours @ $32.50/hr = $8,125

– Total for one year = 1,250 hours or $40,625 in labor costs (does not include employee time to participate)

Personal Home Page Method

– Total time for one year: 15 min/assessment = 250 hours

– Software = $25,000 (does not include employee time to participate)

ConclusionsConclusions Leveraging technology has the following

benefits:

– Internalizes the tools, methods and skills to complete office ergonomic assessments freeing up time to work on difficult non-office ergonomic issues

– Allows for mass evaluations to be completed very quickly so that ergonomic needs can be prioritized from high to low.

– Pre-approved solutions are tied to ergonomic issues to reduce risk

ConclusionsConclusions Leveraging technology has the following

benefits:– Can reduce the cost associated with performing

one-on-one evaluations.

– Creates a consistency approach to the evaluation, solutions and follow up

– Employees learn about their work environment (physical attributes) and how to make improvements

– Extends ergonomic assessment methods to remote or at home offices