August 20, 2010

Ergonomic Research Opportunity

Calling joint health and safety committees and locals to participate in an important project with University of Waterloo, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW), the Institute for Work & Health (IWH), OPSEU, and other unions….

In your workplace does anyone bend, push, pull, pinch, grip, lift, re-position people, perform repetitive movement, hold a fixed position, use a keyboard, sit, drive, reach up or down, or carry anything at work for long or short periods? If so, then get your JHSC to participate in this important ergonomic research project about physical loads in the workplace.

OPSEU is participating with the University of Waterloo, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW), the Institute for Work & Health (IWH), and other unions—CAW, CEP, USW, and UFCW to explore whether knowledgeable people in a workplace (in this case the 2 co-chairs of a JHSC) can use a survey tool to accurately estimate physical loads within a workplace.

Ergonomic injures are painful, can often last a lifetime, and seriously detract from the quality of life. Where Joint Health and Safety Committees agree to participate, the two co-chairs will each individually fill out a short 20 min questionnaire and then meet together and gain consensus on a third copy of the questionnaire. That’s all. Then an ergonomist will attend various (not all) workplaces using the same survey. Workplaces receiving an ergonomist visit will get a copy of the physical loads report. All survey participants will receive a follow-up call to provide feedback about the survey tool. Click here for an invitation to participate from OPSEU President Smokey Thomas.