Ergonomics


Labor Secretary Elaine Chao with President George W. Bush

What Is Elaine Chao's Legacy?

Eight years after she took the job, Labor Secretary Elaine Chao leaves the safety and health community wanting more from her successor.

Research Urged to Improve MSD Reporting by Health Workers

An educator who has studied the problem extensively says safe patient handling laws gaining ground in U.S. states require better injury and illness data for health care workers, who frequently are reluctant to report their injuries.

HFES 2009 Annual Meeting Presentations Due Feb. 23

The society’s 53rd Annual Meeting will take place Oct. 19-23 in San Antonio at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio hotel.

CPSC Releases Holiday Decorating Safety Tips

The holiday season is here and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging consumers to keep safety in mind as they decorate for the holidays. Flickering candles, blinking holiday lights, and fragrant evergreens are beautiful staples of the holiday season, but when used improperly, these holiday decorating "must haves" can pose deadly dangers.

Spike in Fatalities Before Athens Games Explored

A study examined factors contributing to occupational deaths in East Attica, Greece, in the five years preceding the 2004 Olympics. A 2002 increase to 19 deaths was linked with construction of large-scale public works projects, the investigators concluded.

Former OSHA, NIOSH Heads Say Federal Ergonomics Standard Unlikely

"We need to be creative," said former NIOSH Director Dr. John Howard. "For instance, the new head of OSHA should meet with the head of Commerce in the next administration and say 'you need to incorporate an overall workplace safety, health, and environmental program for the proposed new infrastructure programs the President has called for'; this includes all the new highway and bridge construction projects. Start there and show them how.

AAOS Offers Snow Shoveling Safety Tips

The mundane seasonal chore of snow shoveling combines heavy lifting and cold weather can result in possible injuries to the back, shoulder muscles if shovelers do not take the proper precautions, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).

Noise, Vibration Controls Available to Most Australian Workers

But 17 percent of workers in the first-ever National Hazard Exposure Worker Surveillance survey said their employers do nothing to shield them from loud noise on the job, and 22 percent said nothing is done to dampen vibration of equipment or vehicles to which they are exposed.



Graying Matters

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that by the year 2010, 17 percent of the U.S. workforce will be 55 and older.

Using Hand-Arm Vibration Controls

Larry wakes up in the middle of the night with a prickly, tingling sensation in his hand. At first, he thinks nothing of it; maybe he slept in a bad position and his hand “went to sleep.”

A lady pulling her luggage behind her in an airport terminal.

AAOS Offers Some Ergonomic Travel Safety Tips

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) has recommendations to help you carry your baggage safely as holiday travel season gets underway.

Tactical Tenting

Try this: Stand up straight with your arms at your sides, palms facing legs. Slowly raise your arms from the elbow, letting your wrists relax. Now, without turning your wrists, start “typing.”

Henshaw, Howard to Opine on OSHA under Obama

The Dec. 9 webcast will focus on possible new directions for OSHA under the new administration and the potential impacts on the practice of SH&E professionals.

ASSE: Students of Safety See Beyond Troubled Economy, Express Optimism

"I see our major and department growing at Slippery Rock University," said Natasha Banks, a senior studying SH&E management. "We have five professors in the program, and I can definitely see the need for more. I remember when the program had around 30 students; now it is more like 85 - 100. The program is running out of space."

Combustible Dust, Ergonomics among AIHA Members' Policy Concerns

Interestingly, the issue of emergency preparedness and response—previously one of the public policy issues most on members' minds—was nowhere near the top of the list of concerns in the latest survey.

VPPPA Seeks 2009 Conference Workshop Proposals by Dec. 5

The association's 25th annual conference will take place in August at the same San Antonio convention center where ASSE's PDC will be held June 28-July 1, 2009.

MIOSHA Awarding Ergonomic Innovation, Star Awards This Week

A Monsanto facility will receive the Star Award, the state's highest workplace safety and health award, on Friday.

ISO Secretary-General Robert Steele

ISO's Road Safety Standard Moving Forward

Also, the International Organization for Standardization, which is the world's largest developer of consensus standards, will have a new secretary-general beginning Jan. 1: New Zealand accountant Robert Steele, shown here.

Second Valley Safety and Health Fair Starts Today

Employees, employers, and their families from the Hudson Valley and greater New York City area are invited to attend the second Hudson Valley Safety and Health Fair taking place today from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, N.Y.

doctor treating injured worker

Alaska Has Highest Workers' Comp Rates, Oregon Study Shows

The four states with the next-highest rates in 2008 are Montana, Ohio, Vermont, and New Hampshire. The lowest rate, $1.08 per $100 of payroll, belongs to North Dakota.

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