Industrial Hygiene Series: Synergy of Ergonomics and Industrial Hygiene Monitoring in the Physical Workspace

Introduction

• Presented by the Southwest Center for Occupational Environmental Health at UT Health School of Public Health.
• Speaker: Lacy Davis, Director of Continuing Education Outreach.
• Today's focus: The synergy between ergonomics and industrial hygiene monitoring, risks in the physical workspace.

Overview of the Webinar

• Traditional bimonthly webinars for industrial hygiene and safety professionals.
• Featuring three expert speakers with breaks in between presentations for questions.

Speaker Introductions

• Steven Mills: Safety Specialist at KBR, contracted by NASA, focusing on office ergonomics.
• Eileen Hof: Regional Human Factors Specialist at Shell, extensive experience in human factors and innovation.
• Alex Cardone: Certified Industrial Hygienist, leads the Air Force's industrial hygiene team.

Steven Mills' Presentation: Office Ergonomics at NASA

Importance of Ergonomics

• Ergonomics: Designing the workplace to fit the worker to prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
• MSDs can lead to pain, discomfort, lost workdays, and decreased productivity.
• Factors contributing to MSDs:
  • Occupational risk factors: Repetitive tasks, awkward postures, improper workstation setup, etc.
  • Non-occupational risk factors: Age, fitness level, pre-existing conditions.

Mitigating Ergonomic Risks

• Ergonomic assessments provided to employees.
• Assessment involves evaluating workstation setups, postures, and risk factors.
• Recommendations for improvements:
  • Adjust chair height, monitor position, and keyboard placement.
  • Provide ergonomic equipment: wrist rests, mouse rests, footrests.

Ergonomic Challenges and Solutions

• Importance of regular breaks to alleviate discomfort.
• Implementing ergonomic strategies can enhance comfort, productivity, and overall workplace safety.

Eileen Hof's Presentation: Human Factors and Automation

Overview of Human Factors

• Human factors: Interaction of humans with system elements (equipment, environment, organization).
• Emphasis on situational awareness and task demands in high-reliability environments.

Impact of Innovation

• Challenges of automation in various industries and the need for human oversight.
• Importance of maintaining human involvement in processes to ensure safety and efficiency.

Future of Workspaces

• Potential changes in workspace design, with a focus on ergonomics and human comfort.
• Need for training and adaptation to new technologies.

Alex Cardone's Presentation: Synergy of Ergonomics and IH Monitoring

Ergonomics Program Challenges

• Lack of specific OSHA ergonomic standards makes it challenging to enforce ergonomic practices.
• Importance of understanding the various hazards present in the workplace.

Hill Air Force Base Experience

• The base has a unique demographic with many long-serving employees.
• Importance of ergonomic evaluations in conjunction with other industrial hygiene evaluations.

Implementation Strategies

• Use of checklists to guide ergonomic assessments.
• Emphasis on building rapport with employees to gather valuable insights about workplace hazards.

Conclusion

• Importance of integrating ergonomics with industrial hygiene monitoring to better address workplace hazards.
• Continuous improvement of ergonomic programs is essential for employee health and productivity.

Final Remarks

• Importance of asking questions and engaging with workforce to identify hazards.
• Encouragement to fill out feedback surveys after the presentation.
• Next webinar scheduled for September.

Call to Action

• Encourage participation in ergonomic assessments and promote awareness of ergonomic practices in the workplace.