Worksite International Blog

Early on in my career as a certified professional ergonomist, I became fascinated by the value of ergonomics as a process change agent and influencer on many aspects of organizational design and management. There are several key concepts and people who helped me to formulate the Worksite International Ergonomics Process as it is today as reflected in the Ergonomics Process Influence Model. 

Pre-Pandemic Workforce Trends 

The impact of the pandemic as a societal change agent has been powerful. In fact, nothing in the last few decades has had more influence on the impact of women at work. There are numerous studies implicating the differences in how the pandemic has affected men and women differently over the last 18 months. In reality, many of these societal/cultural changes started long before the pandemic.

Over the last year, we've all adapted to working from home. This fact has got me thinking, how many of our new habits, are good habits? This includes our work postures.

Teachers at Risk for Injuries

While we have all been zooming from home, so were teachers. Primarily with only a laptop. If lucky, they had a separate monitor and an ergonomic chair. As a result, many teachers have been working for six or more hours on a laptop from the kitchen or dining room table, with awkward, static postures experiencing musculoskeletal stress and stains to their neck, back, arms, wrist and hands for months. 

Are You Living the Ergonomic Lifestyle?

Working from home can be hard on your mind and body. Prolonged, uninterrupted sitting for hours at the computer or laptop in all the wrong places takes its toll on you!

The way we work is changing rapidly. We are spending so much time with our technology, it's become like a family member... AKA Alexa! But what is all this exposure doing to our brains, our eyes and our bodies?

Recently, I had the opportunity to record my first podcast with James Crow of Posture Stars. Not only was it a lot of fun, but I was able to answer some important questions about posture. As a physical therapist and ergonomist, posture has come to mean different things to me when I observe and assess employees in the workplace. Did you know there are many kinds of postures?

Listen in to my thoughts on posture, it's significance in our daily work life and a bit of thoughtful advice for listeners. 

James asked me the following questions: 

Businesses tend to be reactive when it comes to employee health and safety, mostly because they don’t budget for prevention. Employers typically wait to act until after a workers’ compensation claim occurs. By then, it is too late! Not only did the employer miss the early warning signs and an opportunity to prevent the injury, now the financial implications are real. In California, the average cost of a typical seated work injury is at least $40,000 per case, according to the California Division of Workers’ Compensation.

With the holidays upon us, there comes a significant amount of stress and overexertion that can lead to an increase in musculoskeletal discomfort. To start the new year off with a healthy and happy workforce, share these holiday back safety tips with them. Employees who feel well physically and emotionally perform at higher levels, so it's important to support their wellness within and outside of the organization.

As a Physical Therapist, I’ve treated people with occupational and non- occupational musculoskeletal injuries for the last 30 years. Many of the employees I’ve helped in the workplace reported experiencing early discomfort but chose to wait to report their concerns to their employer. By the time they reported their problem, they had a full blown (neuro) musculoskeletal disorder requiring weeks of medical care and even time off from work. With knowledge of self-care, many of these disorders could have been prevented!