Ergonomics Assessment
Program
Ergonomics is the
science
of fitting the workplace conditions and job demands to the capabilities
of the working population. The goal of ergonomics is to make work
more comfortable and to improve both health and productivity. To
meet these goals, the capabilities and limitations of workers and their
tools, equipment and furniture are considered in conjunction with how
they relate to particular tasks.
Purpose:
The purpose of this ergonomics program
is
to proactively eliminate
work-related Ergonomics Risk Factors and prevent or reduce
workplace-acquired Musculo-Skeletal Disorders (MSD) by providing
management leadership and employee involvement in the identification,
correction and elimination of such risk factors, through information
dissemination, education and training on an on-going basis
How Do I
Schedule an Ergonomic Assessment?
If you are experiencing any pain or
discomfort while working at your
computer workstation or while performing any other job function that
requires lifting and/or carrying heavy objects, pushing or pulling a
heavy load, pipetting chemicals, or working in fume hood or a biosafety
cabinet,
etc., stop and inform your supervisor immediately. You or your
supervisor should contact the UMD Environmental Health and Safety Office (EHSO)
at: 726-6917 for
Office Ergonomics, or 726-7273 for Laboratory
Ergonomics. You may also contact us by e-mail at: ehso@d.umn.edu
and
request an Ergonomic Assessment.
Prior
to the
Assessment
Please
Note:
If you have been injured, and your
injury is work-related, you need to fill-out an Employee
Incident Report Form Immediately.
What Does an Ergonomic
Assessment Include?
An ergonomic assessment usually consists of a discussion
period with someone from The UMD-EHSO, during which some basic
questions about how much time is spent performing the problematic job
function and any pain or discomfort you are experiencing are discussed.
The discussion is followed by a hands-on evaluation of the
activity at the work site.
An ergonomic evaluation report will be generated at the end of the
evaluation. The report will provide recommendations to reduce any
risk factors that may be contributing to your discomfort. The
report will be kept on file in the UMD-EHSO, and a copy of which will
be sent to the supervisor or the employee who requested the assessment.
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