Chemical Management

October is National Ergonomics Month, and it’s the perfect time for employers everywhere to take a step back and revisit their ergonomic programs, especially in workplaces where ergonomic risks might not be so easy to see. You may think you don’t have to worry about workplace ergonomics because you’re not seeing the immediate costs and […]

In an effort to generate greater awareness and prevention of workplace musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and other ergonomics-related injuries and illnesses, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) along with occupational safety and health organizations around the world are celebrating October as Global Ergonomics Month. The Workers Health & Safety Centre of Ontario (WHSC) estimates the total […]

OSHA just named the Top 10 most cited violations of 2017 at the annual National Safety Council (NSC) Congress and Expo. For those involved in chemical management, it comes as no surprise that Hazard Communication continues to maintain the No. 2 spot on the list, as questions and confusion resulting from the adoption of GHS and […]

Unprecedented flooding in the Corpus Christi and Houston/Galveston Bay areas caused by Hurricane Harvey has left businesses, residents and first responders in one of the nation’s largest petroleum and chemical processing regions with more to worry about than rising waters. Secondary effects of the flooding have created high risk of exposure to hazardous chemicals in […]

Workplace assessments are one of the key steps to improving ergonomics, especially when the goal is to prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).  However, it is our experience that many organizations assess for conditions which are not linked to causing MSDs.  For an effective assessment of exposure to MSD risk factors,  the bottom line is a need to […]

One of the ongoing discussions in the workplace is the comparison of different office workstation setups, specifically with the multitude of options available today; from various keyboard structures and angled mice, to monitor sizes and layouts. Working with multiple desktop monitors has been increasing recently, in an effort to enhance productivity and efficiency.  On the […]

Observed annually in the United States in June each year, National Safety Month focuses on reducing the leading causes of injury and death at work, on the roads, and in the home and in communities. This year’s theme – “Keep Each Other Safe” – serves as an important reminder of the role we all play in protecting […]

At Automation Alley’s TECHTakeover I explored the future of manufacturing at the presentation on collaborative and autonomous robotics. The technology presented was astounding, and opened my “ergo eyes” to a whole new dimension for the field of ergonomics. In ergonomics, there are four main risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs); posture, force, frequency and duration. […]

New wearable technology has the potential to turn chemical exposure testing on its head. We’re living in an age when wearable technologies (wearables) regularly demonstrate the potential to massively disrupt traditional models and systems. Devices like Fitbit — bracelets which automatically track and analyze wearer movement data — offer users unprecedented access to fitness measurement […]