Ergonomics and safety ted dorhman

Australia’s leading safety and ergonomics experts
Ted Dohrmann
BEng B.Com. GDipErg
Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineer
Certified Professional Ergonomist
www.ergonomics.com.au
Ergonomics and safety.

Heavy, awkward work AND inefficient.

Ergonomic improvements?

Ergonomics
Means fitting work to people.
 It uses human capabilities, and respects human limitations.
1. Safety.
2. Comfort.
3. Productivity.

Sedentary work – a modern phenomenon

Sitting – postural effects
 Spinal Pressure
Kroemer & Grandjean ‘Fitting the task to the human’

Our guiding ergonomics principles
1. Design work in the midrange of
movement, and balanced.
2. Fit tools and equipment to the body –
not the other way around.
3. Muscles need movement.
4. Usability.
5. Less is more.

Sitting – the new smoking?
➢ Even in an "ergonomic" set up, problems emerge when
sitting is done for extended and unbroken periods.

To sit or to stand?
 Do both. Postural variation and movement are the keys.
 A combination of sitting and standing during the working
day is best.

Our advice: seated or standing desk work?
 Find a balance.
 Sitting? Stand for 2 minutes out of every 20 or 30
minutes.
 Standing? Take opportunities to sit during the day.

Sit-stand workstations: our observations & findings
1. Check that the desk complies with basic ergonomics
standards (height, stability, etc).

Sit-stand workstations (cont.)
2. Avoid manually adjusted (wind up) desks. New risks.
3. Careful of crushing risks.

4. Provide other movement options in the workplace.
5. Movement reminder software is available.
Google search - “stand up reminder”

 Desks can be retro-fitted to
become sit-stand.
 Varidesk review at:

Desk work risk checklists?

Manual task risks

Manual work: our observations
1. The workforce is getting older.
2. Musculoskeletal strain (or “ergonomic”) risk is a big problem –
and the older you are, the longer you’re in a job, the more
exposed you can be.
3. The answer remains the fundamental risk management
approach of -
Find the (ergonomics) problem -> Fix it -> Review effectiveness.
4. Human-centred design: a fundamental part of the answer.

Soft-tissue injury occurs when:
the load on the body tissue is greater than its capacity
(what it
can handle)
Immediate injury:
High exertion:
(high forces,
speed)
Awkward
postures
Extreme range of
body movement
Hard, difficult,
uncomfortable
Time
Tissue capacity
Loadonthetissue
Possibly due to:
High risk
High exertion:
(high forces,
speed)
Awkward
postures
Extreme range of
body movement
Hard, difficult,
uncomfortable
Moderate risk
Reduced levels of
exertion
Natural postures
Comfortable
range of body
movement
Easy, effortless,
comfortable
Types of injury
Reduce risk by:Injury:
capacity exceeded
1

High risk
Moderate risk
Gradual injury:
Time
Tissue capacity
Loadonthetissue
Injury:
capacity exceeded
Repeated
exertion without
adequate rest
Awkward
postures
Extreme range of
body movement
Possibly due to:
Repeated
exertion without
adequate rest
Awkward
postures
Extreme range of
body movement
Longer periods of
rest and recovery
Natural postures
Comfortable
range of body
movement
Ageing can lower tissue
capacity further
Reduce risk by:
2

Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017
 “Hazardous manual handling” means work requiring the use of
force exerted by a person to lift, lower, push, pull, carry or
otherwise move, hold or restrain –
(a) a thing if the work involves one or more of the following—
i. repetitive or sustained application of force;
ii. sustained awkward posture;
iii. repetitive movement;
iv. application of high force involving a single or repetitive use of
force that it would be reasonable to expect that a person in
the workforce may have difficulty undertaking;
v. exposure to sustained vibration;
(b) live persons or animals;
(c) unstable or unbalanced loads or loads that are difficult to grasp
or hold;

Assessing risk – some useful analysis tools
 Vic. Code of Practice for Manual Handling
 Revised NIOSH lifting equation.
 Michigan 3D SSPP.
Task:
Object Weight (kg): 22
Optimum Most Adverse
35 0.71 25 63
45 0.91 75 175 (or 0)
100 -- -- --
55 0.90 25 175
0 1.00 0 135
1 -- -- --
N/A -- 1 >2
<0.2 1.00 0.2 8 to 15
GOOD 1 GOOD POOR
RWL = 23 x 0.71 x 0.91 x 0.90 x 1.00 x 1.00 x 1.00 = 13.4 kg
LI = 22 / 13.4 = 1.6
Number of lifts in lifting period
Hand grips
Duration (hours)
Frequency (lifts per minute)
Lifting a 44 kg sleeper.
Item
NIOSH EQUATION
NIOSH Range
MultiplierValue
Finish height (cm)
Start height (cm)
Twist angle -- hands relative to
feet (degrees)
Vertical lift distance (cm)
(maximum for optimum lift for a female is 23 kg)
Horizontal reach–from ankles (cm)

Fixing the problem.

Fixing the problem (cont.)

How to protect all workers from strain risk?
 Find the problem, Fix the problem.
 Training has a place, but is rarely the answer on its own.
 Engage workers. They usually know where the problems are.
 Several factors to check: Force. Posture. Rates. Duration. Vibration.
 Guidance from - WorkSafe, SafeWork. Codes of Practice.
 “What’s the hardest thing about your job?”
 “What mainly makes you sore or tired?”
 “What’s the job everyone avoids?”
 “If you had money to fix something here, what would it be, and how would you
spend it?”

Quick checks for strain risk exposure:
• Is it heavy? What are the weights, forces?
• Is the person at arms’ length while pushing, pulling?
• Any forceful effort, while twisted?
• Any jerkiness, jolts?
• Any constant stooping, high lifting?
• Slippery circumstances?
• Cramped, awkward situation?
• Object hard to hold?

Windfarm turbine construction/servicing

Case study Attaching hub to main driveshaft.

➢Significant risk to shoulders,
neck and back.

Risk controls?

Risk controls? (cont.)

Summary
1. All worker need protection against injury from
“ergonomic” risks.
2. Cumulative strain injury risk: as or more important
than acute strain injury risk.
3. Strain risks are usually multi-factorial. They need
careful identification. Guidance exists.

Summary (cont.)
4. The most effective risk controls usually come from a
participative risk control development process.
5. Safety is a legal, economic and moral imperative.
But also smart for business.
 Ergonomists can help you get all of this right.

Questions?
Ted Dohrmann
▪ Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineer
▪ Certified Professional Ergonomist
➢ Free checklists, guidance.
➢ 8+ ergonomists at Dohrmann Consulting
03 9376 1844 info@ergonomics.com.au

Ergonomics and safety ted dorhman

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